College of Science

Mr. Robby Bowen Ms. Kim Kubicek Ms. Courtni Guidry Ms. Krista Baron Ms. Rachel Singleton Ms. Martha Cedotal, Asst. Dean

Medical & Dental School

2 years Basic Sciences• Step 1 Licensure exam (USMLE)

2 years Clinical Rotations• Step 2 Licensure Exam

Post-graduate Residency• Step 3 Licensure Exam

Licensure

Premed/Predent @ LSU

1200 entering freshmen declare PMED/PDEN

~400 LSU students apply to medical/dental/optometry/podiatry school

200-220 LSU students are accepted

Application Procedure

Core course requirements Test scores Formal application Faculty & Committee letters

Four Year Plan

Freshman Year

Focus on academic performance Develop maturity and independence Work on core requirements Explore majors Read!!

Sophomore Year

Choose a major Develop relationships with faculty Get Clinical Experience Get involved Summer Programs Read!!

Junior Year

Maintain good grades Finish core requirements Build your resume (clinical

experience, leadership, etc.) Attend Application meeting (Fall) Take MCAT/DAT (Spring) Apply to professional school

Senior Year

Complete degree requirements Professional School Interviews Keep in mind a parallel plan

LSU Medical School Statistics

Average overall GPA: ~3.7 Average science GPA: >3.7 Average MCAT composite score is ~30

(9+ in each category) BS/BA degree Limited out of state resident seats (up

to 40 in New Orleans)

Out of State/Private Medical Schools

Louisiana residents wanting to go out of state:3.8 GPA32+ MCAT Composite minimumCompeting with applicants nationwide

LSU Dental School Statistics

~3.6 Overall GPA ~3.6 Science GPA 20 Academic Average DAT 19 Perceptual Ability DAT No subtest scores below 18

Choosing a Major

Students can choose any major but you need a good science foundation

Choose what you enjoy and earn good grades

Take as many science courses as possible

Non-science Majors

Science GPA is crucial Above average overall GPA Extra science course work MCAT/DAT implications Possibly earn a science minor

• Biological Sciences• Chemistry

Core Requirements

Biology 1201/1208, 1202/1209 LSU Dental: MBIO and BCH now required LSU Med-Shreveport requires 2 additional

semesters of BIOL; General Chemistry 1201, 1202, 1212 Organic Chemistry 2261, 2262, 2364 Physics 2001, 2002, 2108, 2109 English 6-9 hours of credit Changes coming—statistics/Biochemistry

Core Requirements

At least 90 hours of credit Complete an undergraduate degree Many schools may have additional

requirements (calculus, genetics, psychology)

Always check with admissions office at any school of interest

Suggested Courses

Biology 4087 (biochemistry) Biology 3156 (devl. zoology) Biology 4160 (vert. physiology) Biology 4104 (histology) HUEC 1110/3010 (nutrition) KIN 2500 (human anatomy) EXST 2201 (statistics) Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology Bio-ethics

Suggested Courses

Interpersonal Communication Pre-dental students

• Jewelry making• Ceramics

Good Advice

Take labs with lectures Don’t put off math Balance science with non-science Take advantage of free tutoring,

supplemental instruction & learning assistance

Good Advice

Visit faculty during office hours Know your degree requirements Challenge yourself academically, taking

the easy way out doesn’t help in the long run; remember the competition.

Take Personal responsibility!!!

Advanced Placement

Prerequisite courses should be taken in residence

Check the policy at the medical/dental schools you are interested in attending

Preference is given to courses earned in classroom with a grade

Admissions Committees ask 3 questions:

Can the applicant “do it”?• grades; MCAT/DAT; semester loads; time management; juggle

responsibilities; critical thinker; handle stress;

Will the applicant “do it”?• challenges self; works hard; team player; perseveres; solves

problems; motivated for right reasons;

Should the applicant “do it”?• Compassionate? Caring? Good communication skills;

ethical? Honest? Integrity? Professionalism?

Competency Based Admissions

Interpersonal Competencies

Service orientedSocial/Interpersonal Skills

Cultural CompetenceTeam Work

Oral Communication

Competency Based Admissions

Intrapersonal Competencies

Integrity and EthicsReliability and DependabilityResilience and AdapatabilityCapacity for Improvement

Credentials

Academic Record Extracurricular Activities Test Scores Personal Characteristics Letters of Evaluation

Academic Record

GPA Course loads Upper Division Credits Research “W” grades

Average Course Loads

15 to 17 hours per semester MCAT/DAT semester Work schedule is considered Should be advancing in your

major/taking higher level courses

Research

Faculty members need good, dependable student assistants

Opportunity to get to know faculty Shows responsibility and interest Active learning

Extracurricular

Clubs/Organizations Work Volunteer service Medical/Dental experience

Health Related Experience

Local hospitals-paid or volunteer Doctor’s offices Nursing homes Hospice

Dental Experience

Work Observe different practices

and specialty areas Volunteer Extremely Important for Pre-dental

students!

Health Related Student Organizations

Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Dental Society Minority Science Pre-Professional

Society Student Christian Medical Association Multiculturalism in Healthcare

Good Activities

Get actively involved in 1 or 2 organizations (quality over quantity)

Seek leadership positions Keep record/journal of your activities

and volunteer experiences Read journals to keep current on health-

related issues Goal is to learn and develop skills

Current MCAT

Computer based test format 32 Administrations on 30 days (January, April,

May, June, July, August, September) 4.5 hrs. in length; AM/ PM test times. Results in 30 days (14 days in future) Register 3-4 months in advance: Prometric

Testing Centers/LSU Testing Center

Current MCAT

Physical Science Verbal Reasoning Biological Sciences Possible score of 15 on each

subtest

BIG CHANGES FOR MCAT 2015

4 subtests now: • Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living

Systems; 65 items; 95 minutes; 25% BCH; 65% intro biol; 5% Gen Chem; 5% Org Chem.

• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; 65 items, 95 minutes; 15% BCH; 5% Intro BIOL; 30% Gen Chem; 25% Organic Chem; 25% Physics;

BIG CHANGES FOR MCAT 2015

• Psychological/Social/Biological Foundations of Behavior; 65 items; 95 minutes; 60% Intro PSYC; 30% intro SOCL; 10% Intro BIOL.

• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills; 60 items, 90 minutes; Reading passages from humanities areas, social sciences, ethics, philosphy, cross-cultural studies, health. Designed to test analytical reasoning skills.

BIG CHANGES FOR MCAT 2015-Implications

Broader background of courses needed: Social Sciences, Statistics, Analytical Reasoning, Biochemisry;Focus on scientific inquiry and reasoning not memorizing and restating;Critical Analysis/Problem Solving; Goals: develop interdisciplinary science skills

Integrate knowledge from many perspectives

Understand connection between natural sciences and social sciences

More Info on MCAT 2015

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015/

expose yourself to as many different areas of knowledge as possible.

Free tutorial videos: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/mcat

MCAT

Register on-line (http:www.aamc.org/mcat)

Review Courses• Kaplan• Princeton Review• Practice tests at AAMC website

DAT

Online test administration Prometric Registration Center May be taken year round May be repeated after 90 days; must

obtain documentation after 3rd test. Suggest Spring of Junior year Registration on-line: www.ADA.org

DAT

Natural Sciences• Biology, Gen & Organic Chem

Perceptual Ability Reading Comprehension Quantitative Reasoning Scores from 1-30

Personal Characteristics

Mature Responsible Intelligent Honest Hard-Working

Serving Compassionate Personable Leader Professionalism

Evaluation Letters

LSU Premed/Predent Committee Faculty letters Critically important part of the

application process!!! Get to know your faculty members

Important Publications

Medical School Admission Requirements (online version)

Admission Requirements of U.S. & Canadian Dental Schools

Application Process

15-16 months before enrollment—end of Junior year

Take AdmissionTest Spring-Jr Year Two Stage Application:

• Online Standardized Application Service • Individualized Secondary Application from

each school

Professional School Application Services

Association of Medical Colleges Application Service-MD (AMCAS)

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service- DO (AACOMAS)

Texas Medica/Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS)

Professional School Application Services

American Assoc of Dental Schools Application Service-DDS/DMD (AADSAS)

Optometry Centralized Application Service – 0D- (OPTOMCAS)

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service-DPM-(AACPMAS)

Websites

American Association of Medical Colleges: www.aamc.org

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine www.aacom.org

American Dental Education Association: www.adea.org

Association of Schools& Colleges of Optometry: www.opted.org

Nontraditional/Transfer Students

May want to speak with a Premedical/Predental Counselor

Career Options

PODIATRY

PMED/PDENT LISTSERV/Facebook

SIGN UP to keep informed about pmed/pdent news and events:

http://mcafmac.chem.lsu.edu/signup.html

Join LSU Premed/Predent Facebook Group This is an LSU Community group page, so you will have to first join

Facebook’s LSU community using your LSU e-mail address. Then search for “Pre-Med / Pre-Dent at LSU” to join the group.

 

Q & A