Applying to medical, veterinary dental (and other) schools.

David M. Gardner Ph.D.Dean of Pre-Health Programs

March 2011

Everything you always wanted to know about….

• Timetables• What are schools looking for?• How to choose programs.• How to put together a great application.• How to submit that great application.• Some other important stuff….

Application calendar overview

To enter school in August 2012:• Spring 11 Entrance Exams

• May - June 11 Application Services open

• August 11 Secondary applications

• October 11 First deadlines & Interviews

• January 12 Final deadlines

Service, Life Experience

Personal, Community,

ClinicalInvolvement, Role modeling

Research, Academic potential

Fit for a career in medicine

GPA, MCAT, Courses,

Educational Persuits

Evaluation Factors

Passion

Caring

Leadership

ScholarshipGoals

Academic

What are schools looking for?

Is there a correlation between MCAT score and GPA (and admission)?

In 2009 and 2010, MHC students went to:Degree Active Accepted Pending year n accepted

DDS 9 6 3 2010 14 11DO only 4 4 0 2009 39 16

DVM 9 6 3 2008 29 14DVM/PhD 1 1 0 2007 8 4MD only 29 11 18 2006 13 7MD/PhD 10 6 4 2005 6 3

MD or DO 15 13 2 2004 4 3MPH 6 4 2 2003 1 0

PA 2 2 0 2002 2 0DPT 2 2 0 2001 0 0

RN/DNP 4 3 1 2000 1 1PHARM 2 2 0 1998 1 1

OD 1 0 1 1996 1 0MSBMS 1 1 0 1992 1 1

DPM 1 1 0 1983 1 196 62 34

Dartmouth VermontStony Brook KansasThomas Jefferson TuftsJohns Hopkins UMASSBuffalo IndianaPenn HarvardMichigan State DukeU. Washington UCSFCornell Texas A&MMass General NYCOMB.U. U.C. DavisPenn State Case WesternUNECOM South CarolinaWashington University Yale UCONN VanderbiltMt. Sinai MidwesternSt. Georges ToledoChicago MinnesotaVirginia Commonwealth EmoryGeorge Washington AuburnU. MarylandAverage GPA of accepted students: 3.67

Clinical experience ranged from 75 to 1200 hours

Identifying schools you’ll apply to

• Curriculum• Teaching methods• Specialties• Affiliations (hospitals, research, service programs)• Timing of clinical experience• Average entering GPA, test scores• Location, size, demographics, cost of living• Residencies • Tuition, financial aid• Reputation

Your Application

The MHC Pre-Application and Your Advising File

• Alerts your advisor and the Committee to your intent to apply.

• Helps get you organized.

• File contents (accessible to advisor):• Pre-application• Resume• Transcripts• Letters

Things your application should reflect

• Every aspect of your qualifications• Solid, consistent performance• Exceptional traits, personal experiences• That you have chosen this career through

a thoughtful, fully-informed process• Enthusiasm, motivation, professionalism• Exquisite attention to detail

The main parts of your application

• Biographical data• “Resume” section• Exam scores• Official transcripts• Essay(s)• Recommendation letters• Interview

How it all fits together

Interview

Secondary Application

School-specific Essay Letters of RecommendationPrimary Application

Biographical DataResume Section

Primary EssayOfficial Transcripts

Test Scores

• Biographical Data – self explanatory

• Resume Section – blocks to provide dates, locations and brief descriptions of work, internships, activities, etc.

• Exam scores – MCAT, DAT internally reported through application service and attached to your primary application. GRE must be sent from ETS to schools.

• Transcripts – Official transcripts from every institution sent directly to application service (or to school if not using application service)

Essays• The most personal (and personalized) part of

your application package

• Your best chance (other than the interview) to stand out from the pack– Catch the reader’s attention– Tell a compelling, original story– Highlight pertinent biography, but don’t be

redundant– Make your essay memorable

Recommendations• Usually three individual, one committee• Individual:

– Professors (1° science) who know you well– Research mentors– Clinical internship mentors

• Committee:– Authored by your Health Professions Advisor

on behalf of the Committee, draws from individual letters, scores, transcripts

• All of your letters should go directly to your account at Interfolio http://www.interfolio.com/

$19.00 for one year$39.90 for three years$57.00 for five years

– Recommenders can submit electronically or in hard copy– We pull copies back into your file for your advisor’s

reference– Once your individual letters are all in, you must formally

request your committee letter– You send letter packages from Interfolio to the schools

(or to the centralized application service)

Recommendations

Interviews• Individual or Group…Open file or Blind, some

schools are now doing “Multiple Mini Interviews”• Tours, “informal” aspects of the day, insider

information and the duality of the acceptance decision

• Be prepared:– Know as much as you can about their program– Know your application inside and out– Have questions for them– Practice beforehand– Dress properly– Write a thank-you note

Entrance Exams• What do the schools require?• Know about the contents of the exams• Complete courses first!• Preparation

– Self-study– On-line practice– Commercial prep courses

• Scheduling– Opportunity to re-take

Entrance Exams• Medical School, Osteopathic Medical School: MCAT

Register at www.aamc.org

• Dental School: DATRegister at http://www.adea.org/

• Veterinary, Nursing, Public Health: GRE (usually) Register at www.ets.org

• Foreign students may need to submit TOEFL scores

On-line Application Services• American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)

• Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)

• Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)

• School of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS)

• Pharmacy College Application Service (PHARMCAS)

• Physical Therapy College Application Service (PTCAS)

• Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)

Links to all can be found at:http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/prehealth/health_professions.html

NOT ALL PROGRAMS USE THE CENTRALIZED SERVICES!

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

• http://www.aamc.org/• Available ~ May 5, 2011• Submit in early June• $160, plus $31 per school

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application

Service (AACOMAS)

• https://aacomas.aacom.org/• Accepting Applications ~ May 5, 2011• $155 and up (sliding scale)

Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)

• http://www.adea.org/• Opens June 1, 2011• $195, plus $60 per school (sliding scale)

Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)

• http://aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm• Opens early June 2011 • $135 and up (sliding scale)

Schools of Public health Application Service (SOPHAS)

• http://www.sophas.org/index.cfm• Open continuously, but with a black-out

period typically in August & September• $95 and up (sliding scale)

These should be obvious…….

• Professionalism

• Financial records

• Background checks