Applying to Professional School

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Applying to Professional School
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• As you prepare your application, ask yourself
  these four questions
• What draws me to my chosen career in health care?
• Am I making an informed career choice?
• Do I have a good head?
• Do I have a good heart?
• Am I prepared to spend the time?

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You are your resume!!

• Purpose of application process is to tell
  admissions committee about who you are
• Beyond grades, admission test scores,
  extracurricular activities

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How to be the Successful Applicant
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What draws me to my chosen career in health care?

• Desire to help and to serve is true of all
  applicants
• Each person has a unique personal journey
• Would make a good introduction to any personal
  statements you must make on your application

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Am I making an informed career choice?

• Do I know what its like to be a patient?
• Personal or family experience
• Do I know what its really like to be a
  physician, dentist, veterinarian, physical
  therapists, etc.
• Paid or volunteer activity in serving others
• Keep a journal!

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Do I have a good head?

• Do I have the intellectual capacity?
• High GPA
• High scores on admission tests
• Do I have an open, creative mind?
• Can you examine all the information, draw a
  conclusion, and ask if there is another way to
  look at the problem

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Do I have a good heart?

• Do I understand the meaning of empathy?
• Must have good interpersonal skills
• Do I appreciate the importance of the
  doctor-patient relationship?
• Career is built on relationships

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Am I prepared to spend the time?

• Am I prepared to spend the time required for the
  practice of my profession?
• Am I prepared to spend sufficient time with each
  one of my patients to meet his or her needs?

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Standardized Tests for Admission to Professional
School
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Standardized Tests

• Medical (allopathic and osteopathic) MCAT
• Dental DAT
• Optometry - OAT
• Pharmacy -PCAT
• Veterinary, PT, OT GRE

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• Many of these tests must be taken a minimum of 1
  year before you plan to matriculate
• e.g. April 2005 MCAT for Fall 2006 entering class
• Application to medical, dental, optometry school
  is done during summer prior to senior year.

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Preparing for the Exam

• Critical to doing well on the test
• Learn as much about the format, content, etc.
  before you take the first test
• Think of this test as the single most important
  one in your life

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• Make sure you have taken the required courses
  before attempting the test
• Need an organized, systematic review of the
  topics
• Form study groups
• Commercial review courses
• In-house reviews
• Self-preparation

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• Start studying well before the test date,
  sometimes as early as 6 months before
• Study 1 to 2 hours/night for the duration
• Do not cram!!!

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Once you have taken the test

• Make sure that you release your scores to HP
  advisor
• Helps in the preparation of summary reports

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Applying
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Choosing which schools to apply to

• What type of city do I wish to live in for the
  next four years?
• Is it important for me to be near friends and
  family?
• What is the culture of the professional school?
• What about financial considerations?

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Application Forms and Services

• There are two ways to apply to HP schools
• Centralized application service (AMCAS, ACOMAS,
  AADSAS, VMCAS, PharmCAS, CASPA)
• Direct application to the individual school (PT,
  Chiropractic, OT)

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Personal Statement or Essay

• Required of most application forms
• No universal formula
• Personal journey
• Important experiences
• Strengths you possess
• Goals for education and career
• How you will contribute to class diversity

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• Can also be used to explain anything in your
  background
• Difficult semester
• Bad year due to illness or family problems
• Have HP advisor give you critical feedback on
  essay

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Supplemental Application

• Once HP school receives your application and
  evaluates it, you may be sent a secondary
  application
• Answer more questions
• Another essay (different)
• DO IT QUICKLY!!!

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Letters of Evaluation

• UNA has a HP advisory committee I am the chair
• Must go through me for these letters I do a
  committee letter
• Do not circumvent the system bad news!!

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Things to think about when you ask someone to
write a letter for you

• Will this person write you a strong letter?
• Make sure your professors know more about you
  than your grades
• Furnish your evaluator with a resume or list of
  college activities

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• Letters from physicians, family friends, peers,
  etc. are character references and are NOT the
  same as faculty evaluations
• If you wish to send one or two of these, they are
  to be sent directly to the HP school from the
  evaluator

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Timetable for Doctoral Programs
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Freshman, Sophomore, Junior

• Be advised each semester by your advisor
• Take courses at a reasonable pace (14-16 hours)
• Get some experience in your anticipated career
• Perform community service
• Plan to take standardized test

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Junior Year (spring)

• Take standardized test
• Attend meeting on application process
• Obtain transcript at the end of the year for you
  from ALL schools attended

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Summer after Junior Year

• Complete application
• Request transcripts from ALL schools be sent to
  appropriate schools or application service
• Arrange letters of evaluation

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Senior Year (Fall Semester)

• Complete supplemental applications QUICKLY
• Send updated transcript at the end of the
  semester
• Begin preparation for financial aid
• Go to scheduled interviews

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Senior Year (Spring Semester)

• Interviewing will continue
• Submit financial aid applications
• Choose a school
• Make alternative plans

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If you do not suceed, try again!!!!!