Medical, Dental and Veterinary Applications

So, you wanna be a…doctor

veterinariandentist

physician assistantphysical therapistnurse practitioner

etc…etc…etc.April 16, 2009

Before you apply:

• Have you identified the schools you’ll apply to?– Do they have special requirements?

• Are your prerequisites complete?– Courses– Extracurricular

• When will you take your entrance exams?– What are you doing to prepare?– Do you have time to re-take them if necessary?

• Have you requested letters of recommendation?

Application calendar overview

To enter school in August 2010:• Spring 09 Entrance Exams

• May - June 09 Application Services open

• August 09 Secondary applications

• October 09 First deadlines & Interviews

• January 10 Final deadlines

Why is this timeline so important?

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

Prerequisites

• Academic course requirements– Standard– Non-standard

• Extracurricular expectations– Clinical experience– Research

• Understand your competition– Stand out from the rest

AVERAGE MCAT

CategoryApplied Accepted Matriculated

Sch. Nat. Sch. Nat. Sch. Nat.

Physical Sciences

6.6 8.7 8.9 9.8 8.9 9.7

Verbal Reasoning

7.4 8.4 9.7 9.3 9.7 9.3

Writing Sample

P O O P O O

Biological Sciences

6.9 9.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.1

Total 20.9 P 26.2 O 28.7 O 29.2 P 28.7 O 29.2 O

Understanding your competition

Average MCAT Scores

(Source: AAMC)

AVERAGE GPA

CategoryApplied Accepted Matriculated

Sch. Nat. Sch. Nat. Sch. Nat.

BCPM 3.38 3.40 3.67 3.60 3.67 3.60

AO 3.54 3.63 3.75 3.74 3.75 3.73

CUM UG 3.48 3.50 3.71 3.66 3.71 3.66


(Source: AAMC)

Median Grade Point Averages

BCPM = Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math

All Other = all courses not classified as BCPM

Cumulative = all courses

MajorCategory # % of Total # % of TotalBiological Sciences 20,577 58% 9,523 57%Humanities 1,368 4% 727 4%

Math & Statistics 251 <1% 146 <1%

Physical Sciences 4,197 12% 2,120 13%

Social Sciences 3,989 11% 1,959 12%

Specialized Health Sciences 1,134 3% 389 2%Other 4,219 12% 1,784 11%

Applicants Matriculants

Applicants & Matriculants by Primary Undergraduate Major

(Source: AAMC)


Degree Active Accepted year nDDS 4 3 2009 1

DO only 3 3 2008 19DVM 7 4 2007 15

MD only* 22 10 2006 3MD/DO 2 2 2005 2

MPH 2 1 2004 3PA 1 1 2003 3PT 1 1 2002 0RN 5 3 2001 1

PHARM 2 2 2000 149 30 1999 0

1998 01997 1

49

In 2008, MHC students went to:Dartmouth,

Stony Brook,

Tufts,

Johns Hopkins,

Buffalo,

U. Penn,

Michigan State,

UCSF,

Cornell,

Mass General,

BU,

Penn State,

UNECOM,

Yale,

UCONN,

Toledo,

Chicago,

U. Washington,

Minnesota,

Vanderbilt,

Mt. Sinai,

Midwestern,

St. Georges

Average GPA: 3.68

Clinical experience ranged from 75 to 1500 hours

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

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: MCATRegister at www.aamc.org

• Dental School: DATRegister at www.ada.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/resources.html

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

• http://www.aamc.org/audienceamcas.htm

• Available ~ May 5, 2009

• 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 15, 2009

• $155 and up (sliding scale)

Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)

• http://www.adea.org/dental_education_pathways/aadsas/Pages/default.aspx

• Opens June 1, 2009

• $195, plus $60 per school (sliding scale)

Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)

• http://aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm

• Opens early June 2009


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


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

• 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/

– Recommenders can submit electronically or in hard copy

– We can 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

Recommendations

Interviews

• Individual or Group………Informed or Blind• 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 (We’ll give you a mock interview~!)– Dress properly– Write a thank-you note

Get all the help you can…..

• Give yourself enough time• Write multiple drafts, revise and refine• Use available resources• Get input on your essay• Proof read• Get good references• Keep your advisor informed• Request a practice interview

QUESTIONS

Medical, Dental and Veterinary Applications

Documents

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