Transcript Lafayette’s Health Professions Advising Program

Lafayette College Health
Professions Advising Program
Medical, Dental, Podiatry, Optometry and
Veterinary Aspirants
Application Meeting
Professor Nancy Waters
Faculty Health Professions Advisor
Dr. Julia Goldberg
Associate Dean Health Professions Advisor
6 November 2013
HPAC
HPAC reviews and interviews candidates
BEFORE students apply for admission to HP
school. HPAC faculty write a Composite
Letter of Evaluation (CLoE) for you, which is
valued by schools including:
Medicinae Doctor (Allopathic MD)
Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
Dental Medicine & Surgery (DMD &DDS)
Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
Veterinary Medicines (DVM & VMD)
Optometry (OD)…as well as helping CS with
Targeted Post-Baccalaureate Programs
…shout out for HP/CS events
Practice tests at:
http://bit.ly/LafayetteCollege
Practice interviewing at:
https://lafayette.interviewstream.com/Default.aspx
HP sponsored events such as:
6 November 2013 Alumni Dinner Panel,
13 November 2013 SMDEP Noon info session,
for example…
…stay abreast of HP events and in touch
with your CS Gateway Advisor!
How will medical schools select
tomorrow’s doctors?
Who will best fulfill the mission of the school?
Who will serve the nation’s healthcare needs?
Who exhibits evidence of qualifications?
scholarship
accomplishments
intellectual curiosity
emotional maturity
character
interest in medicine
sensitivity to others
communication skills
sense of care for others
commitment to service
critical thinking skills
problem-solving skills
The current landscape?
AMCAS Applications up ~6% over 2012
AACOMAS applications up ~25% over 2012
Criteria?
Academic/Science grades (45-55%)
Admissions tests (20-25%)
Health-related experiences
Community/Volunteer service
Research experience
Recommendations
HP School interview
Preparation – Academic coursework
 As Juniors/Seniors you should have nearly
completed:
2 Introductory Biology with laboratory
2 General Chemistry with laboratory
2 Organic Chemistry with laboratory
2 Physics with laboratory
2+ Mathematics: at least 1 calculus and 1 statistics
3+ Writing-Intensive Coursework (e.g. English 110,
FYS, VAST, plus two added “W” courses)
Biochemistry
 Check out YOUR preferred schools for specific
ADDITIONAL requirements! If a course is not
offered at Lafayette, plan ahead to enroll at another
institution during summer or at an LVAIC school
during the academic year.
 Consider additional relevant courses:
Biol 251 Human Physiology (HPAC recommended)
Phys 220 Medical and Biological Physics
Psych 240 Health Psychology
Rel 223 Religion and Medicine
Phil 245 Bioethics
A&S 222 Medical Anthropology
Biol 213 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
Biol 340 Molecular Medicine
…but plan early to meet prerequisites,
especially since those prerequisites may be crucial
to performance on MCAT2015 !
 Do not delay in making good selections!
You are losing Degrees of Freedom!
Preparation – Co-curricular Experiences
Internships/Externships Shadow an MD!
Volunteer at a shelter! Show your commitment!
This IS your passion, right? Contact Career
Services early to secure internships/externships.
Extracurricular Activities Demonstrate your
ability to manage time commitments, work in a
hierarchy, master communication, leadership,
and collaborative skills…but show a long term
sincere dedication! Medicine IS a demanding
field, right? These should ENHANCE your
academic record (gpa/mcat) not IMPEDE it!
Read widely on the subject of healthcare. Keep
up-to-date with current health news. This will be
your career, right? Check out recommendations
on the HPAC web site.
…be PASSIONATE! It is your LIFE!
Preparation: Character and Conduct
HAVE INTEGRITY!!!
Practice Principles of Intellectual Honesty
Make judicious choices in your behavior!
Exhibit high personal standards of ethics. Cheating,
plagiarism, alcohol/drug violations, vandalism…even if
only warnings…ALL compromise your character AND
your HP application. Application services and individual
schools will require you disclose and explain.
Applications REQUIRE the Dean of the College to report all
disciplinary warning, action and/or conduct violations to
HP schools! So think & ACT carefully!
Application Timeline: To matriculate Fall 2015:
-complete core coursework successfully
-amass multiple competitive experiences in HP settings
-recruit 3-5 recommenders 1 Dec 2013 to write for you; provide
waiver forms and offer needed information
-engage with HP individual advising sessions 27-30 January 2014
-submit completed Request for Dean of the College Clearance and
conduct issue disclosure 1 February 2014
-submit completed Personal Information Form & CV 1 March 2014
-submit completed disclosure authorization 1 March 2014
-insure Letters of Recommendation AND accompanying waiver
forms submitted to Scott Hall 1 March 2014
-interview on-campus with HPAC April/May 2014
-sit for MCAT by 1 May 2014 to have scores by 1 June 2014
-open application services begin ~4June 2014
-2ndary requests extended beginning July 2014 (2-7 day return)
-interviews extended beginning August 2014 through 2014>2015
-offers? within 3 weeks… or as long as 6 months later
…should you apply as a junior or as a senior? Do you see why the
mean age of matriculating medical students is 23-24!
When Should You Apply?
Spring/Summer of the SENIOR year is OPTIMAL. Why? Deeper
experiences, enhanced maturity, greater insight, stronger technical
capabilities, more competitive dossier of research, clinical, and suitable
extra- and co-curricular experiences….entering the HPAC application
queue as a SENIOR gives you a gap year prior to matriculating.
If you plan to attend in the fall immediately upon graduation, you must
engage in application for Fall-Spring-Summer of your JUNIOR year.
If you begin application as a junior, but reconsider to delay as a senior,
you must still meet all deadlines for the next cycle with updated
materials! Likewise if you apply anew or reapply during a gap year.
Choose the timeline that works best for YOU! But
HPAC needs your package to be ready!
Today’s ‘greensheet’ is critical to getting an advising
session to assist you in this decision! Submit it!
Health Pro fessio n s Ad viso ry Co m m ittee
Perso n al In fo rm atio n Fo rm
Please carefu lly com p lete th is form . Be very n eat an d th orou g h . It is p referred th at you typ e you r resp on ses. If
com p leted b y h an d , u se b lack in k an d p rin t carefu lly. You r b ackg rou n d in form ation is req u ired in ord er to
p rep are a p erson al su m m ary of you r acad em ic an d n on -acad em ic exp erien ces. W e are in terested in in form ation
th at is n ot revealed b y you r acad em ic record s an d test scores, b u t w h ich h ealth p rofession s sch ools w o u ld like to
kn ow ab ou t you .
Th is form m u st b e com p leted an d retu rn ed to th e Office o f th e Dean o f th e Co lleg e, 1 05 Sco tt Hall , in th e
b eg in n in g of th e sp rin g sem ester. It m u st b e com p lete b efore w e can sch ed u le you r in terview w ith th e Health
Profession s Ad visory Com m ittee. DO NOT USE ABBREVIATIONS W HEN COM PLETING THIS FORM . You m ay ad d
extra p ag es if n ecessary.
Nam e (fu ll leg al form ):
Date:
Stu d en t ID
(L)Nu m b er:
Class:
AREA OF INTEREST:
MD
DO
M EDICAL/ PHD
DENTAL
OPTOM ETRY
Cell Ph on e No:
State of Leg al Resid en ce:
Em ail Ad d ress:
Altern ate Em ail Ad d ress:
Veterin ary
Con tact In form ation b etw een M ay an d Sep tem b er:
Ad d ress:
Telep h on e Nu m b er:
M ajor(s), M in ors, an d Deg rees (AB or BS) Sou g h t:
Do you p lan to p u rsu e an Hon ors Th esis?
Yes
No
If yes, w h at is you r p lan n ed top ic?
Ho w an d w h en d id yo u p rep are fo r th e M CAT, DAT, OAT, GRE?
Prep Nam e:
Date:
W h en d id yo u take th e test an d w h at w as yo u r sco re?
M CAT:
Date:
OAT:
Date:
OTHER
Enter…the GAP year…NOT a ‘year off’
What to do??? Targeted post-bac programs; innovative
and compelling ways to broaden your experiences and
increase your competitiveness among applicants!
>delay your entry to HP school by 1+ years
>may enhance probability of admission to HP school
With a gap year, you enter on-campus HPAC
application cycles during your senior year or
during the year after graduating, not your junior
year; you complete secondaries and interviews
in the subsequent year to matriculate that fall!
But you STILL MUST meet on campus deadlines for
submitting your materials so HPAC can work with you!
Components of a Successful Application
Strong Admissions Test Score (MCAT, DAT, OAT, or VCAT/GRE),
taken timely as early as possible in Spring 2013 for matriculation Fall 2015.
Test dates are limited and variable by discipline, so check back frequently!
TESTING FEES (scores reported 1-4 weeks):
MCAT
$270
DAT
$385
OAT
$270
GRE general
$185
GRE subject test fees $150
APPLICATION FEES (verification 4-6 weeks):
AMCAS
$160+ $34
AACOMAS
$195 + $35-50
ADEA AADSAS
$244 + $90
OptomCAS
$150 + $50
VMCAS
$190 + $95
Insightful Personal Essay (see space limitations at each Admissions
Service) Use resources of the WA Program to your benefit! Make
it perfectly error-free.
Well-Honed Interview Skills Be articulate, maintain good eye
contact and confident body posture! Practice! A lot! Read and
prepare! Some topics reported? healthcare reform, euthanasia,
HIV, obesity, cancer, aging, stem cell research, end of life issues.
Other topics? Your favorite course, book, leisure activity. Can you
answer: “How has ______ prepared you for a career in medicine?”
Timely Application Submission/Turnaround Rolling admissions
means the later you apply, the more intense is the competition for
the declining number of available slots. And complete requests for
secondary applications quickly!
Your Ongoing Obligations?
1) Study – Maintain your grades!
2) Be fully prepared for your application test! We recommend an April, May, or
June test date for score release timing, but sit for the exam when you are
ready to perform well! Again, be strategic!
3) APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE; PORTALS ARE OPEN ~ 1June 2014!
4) Get additional PRACTICAL experience over Interim 2013-2014; apply for
internships; volunteer during Spring 2014. Summer 2014 experiences will
count …but only on 2o applications, and only if completed.
5) Complete your undergraduate RESEARCH experience, preferably with
resultant product (poster, paper, etc.) by 1 June 2014.
6) Provide evidence of commitment through COMMUNITY SERVICE AND
EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCES to display your people and social
skills, leadership potential, teamwork ethic, communication strengths.
7) Have a back up plan…or three! Outcomes may elude us…for a while! Be
prepared with a gap-year plan and stay on top of reapplication deadlines.
We look forward to your success! We
want to help further your career plans!
Stay abreast of what is happening by
visiting our web site:
http://healthprofessions.lafayette.edu
Register for and Attend HPAC events;
remember—we write that letter for you !
Do not be a stranger! BE PROACTIVE &
TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CAREER!!!
How important are good grades I?
Applicant
Matriculation
Year
Lafayette
2008-2013
aggregate
data
(MD + DO)
National
2008-13
aggregate
data
MD only *
Acceptance Acceptance Acceptance
ratio for
ratio for
ratio for
GPA
3.60 +
GPA
GPA
3.59-3.20 < 3.20
Overall
acceptance
ratio
ALL GPAs
91%
60%
32%
66%
(53/58)
(49/81)
(11/34)
(107/162)
64%
34%
18%
45%
During the same period, 71% of LC student applicants
to dental school were accepted, and 100% of our
applicants to veterinary school gained admission!
* Source: aamc.org, aacomas.org
How important are good grades II?
For students entering in Fall 2012
Overall
Admission
Rate
MD
Applicant Admitted Applicant Accepted
mean
mean
mean
mean
GPA
GPA
MCAT
MCAT
3.54
3.68
28.3
31.2
3.42
3.49
25.7
26.9
43.1%
DO
35.6%
** Source: aamc.org and aacomas.org
How important are good grades III?
Changes for MCAT2015?
• Revision 1991: 4 sections: verbal reasoning, writing
sample, physical and biological sciences
• 2015 REVISIONS:
• Writing sample deleted (already done for some);
replaced with Critical Analysis & Reasoning sections
• Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of
Behavior subsection added
• Different question/time distribution: 60-65 question
items allowing 95 minutes for each of 4 sections
• Implications? You need to include introductory level
sociology, psychology and statistical experience
among your preparation courses! Check out:
• http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015