• MCAT

• Application Process

• HPAC application

• Interviews

Agenda:

Kaplan

vs

DIY

Preparationfor the MCAT

Kaplan

• Built-in accountability

• Popular

• All materials are included

• Class DOES NOT replacestudying!

Preparationfor the MCAT

DIY

• BYOD (Bring Your Own Discipline)

• AAMC tests are the best

• AAMC guide (cheap andeffective

• Examcrackers—Amazonor B&N

• AED course in Spring 2012

Preparationfor the MCAT

Allopathic

• MD degree

• UAB, USA, etc.

• State of Residency matters

• 137 US schools

• AMCAS

• National avg: • MCAT—31• 3.7 GPA

Choose your medical schools

Osteopathic

• DO degree

• Schools in AL, MS, TN,GA and FL (26 total)

• Essentially the same residency options

• Less research oriented

• More emphasis on primary care

Choose your medical schools

Osteopathic (continued)

• A few schools will consider January MCAT

• AACOMAS is the primary

application service

• National avg: • MCAT—26• 3.5 GPA

Choose your medical schools

• TMDSAS—Most Texasschools use this

instead ofAMCAS or

AACOMAS

• Application very similar to AMCAS/AACOMAS

• Application is available May 2012

Messin’ withTexas

• No centralized service; apply directly to the schools

• Investigate graduation rates and board pass rates

• May (and often will) take longer than four years

• Limited residency options

• Extremely limited transfer options

Offshore Medicalschools

• Three parts:

• Transcripts

• Activities

• Personal Statement

The application:AMCAS/AACOMAS/TMDSAS

• Obtain copies of your transcript from each school you attended

• Enter each course you have taken exactly as it appears on your transcript(s)

• Send official transcripts from each undergraduate school attended to AMCAS/AACOMAS/TMSDAS

Transcript

• Honors/awards/recognition

• Conferences attended

• Presentations/posters

• Publication

• Extracurricular/hobbies/avocations

• Leadership—not listed elsewhere

• Other

• Intercollegiate athletics

Sample activities

• Artistic endeavors

• Paid employment—non military

• Paid employment—military

• Community service/volunteer—not medical/clinical

• Community service/volunteer—medical/clinical

• Research lab

• Teaching/tutoring

• 15 slots, choose 3 as “most valuable experience”

• What do you do with your time that you are proud of?

• Nothing is off-limits—almost nothing

• Don’t feel like you need to use every available character! Some may not warrant long descriptions

• Estimates are fine when listing the number of hours invested in each activity

• Don’t get bogged down with details

Documenting activities

• 5300 characters (AMCAS/AACOMAS:4500)

• Good articles and examples online at premed.ua.edu

• Tell your story

• Address, but don’t dwell on, deficits

Personalstatement

• We recommend 5 letters, at least two from science faculty

• Planks in your platform: what can each one say about you?

• Content of the letter is more important than the author

• DO schools want a letter from a DO.

• Letters should not be school specific

Letters ofrecommendation

• Ask now

• Someone you already work with/know well

• Someone you’ve worked with in the past

• Someone who isn’t likely to have new information to you in the next few months

When to ask for a letter

• Ask later

• Someone you don’t know well (yet)

• Someone who will be able to write a stronger letter in a few months

VirtualEvals and AAMC Letter ID

• How to generate your AAMC letter ID (see attached guide)

• VirtualEvals- online submission of LOR for schools that don’t participate in AAMCAS (DO schools, Texas schools, LSU)

• Primary application

• AAMCAS

• AACOMAS

• TMDSAS

• Individual application for non-service schools

Primary vs. Secondary

• Secondary application

• Request from the individual school for more information

• Time-sensitive

• Most schools will not invite you for an interview prior to reviewing the secondary

• Costly

• Be concise

• For UA use only: application at hpa.ua.edu

• Complete HPAC pre-application IN ADDITION to primary application

• We require both the pre-application and a copy of your primary application (AAMCAS/AACOMAS) if you wish to interview with our committee (recommended by medical schools).

HPACPre-application

• HPAC interview

• In Clark Hall

• Basis for your committee letter

• Must be completed before other letters are sent to schools

• March through September

• Not blind

Two interviews

• School interview

• At the medical school

• Some are blind, some are not

• September through March

Questions?

premed@ua.edu