The Medical School Application Process

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The Medical School Application Process

• October 2006

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Gabe Garcia, M.D.Director, Medical School
Admissions, Stanford

• Grades and MCATS will make medical schools
  notice your application

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Gabe Garcia, M.D.Director, Medical School
Admissions, Stanford

• Extracurriculars will get you into medical
  school

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Overview

• 1. Taking The MCAT
• 2. Submitting AMCAS Application and other
  central applications
• 3. Completing Secondary Applications
• 4. Interviewing at Schools
• 5. Financing Your Education

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1. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

• NEW
• http//www.aamc.org/students/mcat/cbt.htm
• As of January 2007, the MCAT will be multiple
  times per year, and computerized version only a
  shorter day!
• Only at CERTAIN TESTING CENTERSAND ONLY LIMITED
  SEATING
• REGISTER EARLY!!!
• Test fee is 200
• Fee reduction may be available
• See http//www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/star
  t.htm

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MCAT Four Sections

• Biological Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Verbal Reasoning
• Writing Skills

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When should you take the MCAT?

• After completing courses
• When prepared
• Consider application plans
• Think about EARLY . . .
• Earliest consideration for admission to medical
  school
• Will allow you to re-take the test if you are not
  satisfied with your scores (or happen to get ill
  the day of testing)

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MCAT

• Apply early for your test date.
• If you wait until nearly the last minute, you may
  not get your first choice of test site or date.
• You can only hold 1 site and 1 date at a time.

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MCAT

• When you register for the MCAT, we ask that you
  release your scores to Pomona.
• This will help us advise you and other students.
  
• Med schools will receive scores from every MCAT
  test you take.

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What should you be doing now?

• Will need to mentally and physically prepare
  for the exam.

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Should I take a commercial review course?

• The Princeton Review http//www.princetonreview.c
  om
• Stanley Kaplan
• http//www.kaplan.com
• Courses begin as early as January
• Cost about 1,600

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Alternatives

• Obtain written study materials and form study
  groups and practice test groups.
• For materials
• MCAT website
• Google search
• Amazon search
• CDO

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Should I Take the MCAT Again?

• Consider the likelihood that your score will
  significantly improve and the likelihood that
  your scores will decrease
• See MCAT Tables on AAMC website
• http//www.aamc.org/students/mcat/examineedata/tab
  les.htm

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August 2006 Pomona MCAT scores (Mean)

• Scores reported to Pomona (includes a few
  students alums who took the test just to see
  how I do not a good idea!)
• Pomona PS (10.7) BS (10.9)
• VR (10.4) WS (Q) 32.1 Q
• National PS (8.3) BS (8.5) VR (7.8) WS (O)
  24.6 O
• We do VERY WELL!! Keep up the trend!!!

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Verbal Reasoning

• Test is designed to assess
• Text comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Logical Reasoning

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What you can do now

• Do additional reading everyday
• Read high quality newspapers
• E.G. New York Times (especially editorials)
• Read high quality magazines
• E.G. The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, The
  Economist, The Nation, Harpers
• Read good book reviews
• E.G. NY Review of Books, NY Times Book Review
• Read Medical and Science journals
• Science, Nature, New England Journal of Medicine,
  JAMA

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2. The AMCAS Application
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Sections of the AMCAS Application

• Biographic Information
• Post-Secondary Experiences
• Essay
• Schools Attended
• Transcript Requests
• Course Work

• GPA
• Designate Medical Schools
• Application Audit
• Certification Submission / Change Notification
  Process

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AMCAS Application Fees

• AMCAS charges an application processing fee of
  160 (may go up) for one (1) medical school
  designation, and 50 (may go up) for each
  additional school. AMCAS does not issue refunds
  for missed deadlines.
• Similar fees and policies for other central
  applications (AACOMAS, AADSAS)

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The AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP)

• The FAP is provided to assist individuals with
  extreme financial limitations whose inability to
  pay the full MCAT fee or the AMCAS fee would
  prevent them from taking the MCAT or applying to
  medical school
• Applicants will receive preliminary eligibility
  decision upon submission only a subset must
  submit financial documentation
• Will reduce MCAT from 210 to 85 and provide 10
  free medical school applications
• Waives AMCAS application fee of 460 for AMCAS
  application to up to 11 medical schools.
  Applicants pay 30 for each school beyond the11
  free applications.)

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What you should be doing now?

• Learn about the U.S. medical schools (126 MD
  schools)
• Medical School Admission Requirements
• United States and Canada 2006-2007  
• Price 25.00
• You may want your own copy, but its available in
  CDO Library
• School websites most current

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What you can do to prepare for Health Professions
Applications?

• Download and complete any available Worksheets
  and instructions
• Personal Comments AMCAS requires one page open
  essay. (5,300 characters). Others may be
  different.
• This is an opportunity to tell the medical
  schools who you are, and about your motivation
  and desire to become a doctor.
• YOU SHOULD START WORKING ON DRAFTS (and try
  different approaches) ASAP.

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Writing the personal statement is a highly
personal process of self-awareness and
self-scrutiny presenting yourself powerfully is
attendant on knowing yourself very, very well,
and that is no easy matter! Only from such
self-examination and reflection can proceed a
compelling NARRATIVE that captures what is unique
and compelling about you as you seek long years
of medical studies and practice. -Martha
Andresen
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Personal Essay

• You might want to consider
• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about
  you that is not evident in another part of the
  application?

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Personal Essay

• In addition, you may wish to include information
  such as
• Special hardships, challenges or obstacles that
  may have influenced your educational pursuits.
• Commentary on significant fluctuations in your
  academic record which are not explained elsewhere
  in your application.

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Essay Origins of your motivation

• Reflect on What is your motivation for studying
  medicine? What aspects of medicine are important
  to you? What role models do you have in
  medicine? What attracts you to medicine?
• Reveal your deepest and most personal reasons for
  studying medicine. Your motivation must be
  apparent to the reader. You need to display
  genuine and powerful motivation to be successful.

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Essay Knowledge of Medicine

• Reflect on your own experiences and knowledge of
  science and medicine, your work in research
  settings, your work in hospitals, clinics,
  relevant community projects and community
  service.
• Display a working knowledge of health care
  issues. Be informed.
• Highlight rich experiences that have given you a
  hands-on, real life understanding of what the
  career youre aiming for is about.

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Essay within a liberal arts setting

• Think about your experiences at Pomona. Be
  honest and critical we are a liberal arts
  college, where there is less focus on
  pre-professional training. Science is a way of
  looking at the world what has been
  illuminating, compelling to you? What is it like
  to be a pre-med in a liberal arts setting?
• Think about your non-science classes --
  humanities, social sciences, arts, performing
  arts -- how do they all contribute to your
  passion for medicine? Make connections. Think
  globally.

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Essay activities

• Consider your extracurricular activities
  sports, performing arts, religion, volunteer
  work.
• Mention positions of responsibility, leadership,
  relationships with peers. How do these help you
  to guide, counsel others?
• Medicine requires strong interpersonal
  relationships, performance under pressure.

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Essay examination of culture

• What experiences do you have with other cultures?
  Have you had opportunities to observe lives of
  those less fortunate, persons outside of your
  domain of privilege or ethnicity that have taught
  you more about the needs of others? The plight
  of the underserved?
• Do you have gifts of language or cultural
  background that might help the underserved?

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Essay life experiences

• Make yourself stand out from others in the minds
  of medical school admissions committee members.
• Highlight your special background, experiences,
  values, dreams that have shaped you.
• Your conclusion is important. Present yourself
  as special, powerful, purposeful, and unique.
• You want to make a difference.

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You need to demonstrate that quality of
compassion that medicine requires. What in your
life, your education, your clinical work, your
travels, your family has connected you to others,
their suffering, their needs, and fired your
passion to reach out to them? What is the JOY to
you in this, of head, heart, and spirit? -Martha
Andresen
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Essay

• Avoid wordy, pretentious writing.
• Dont preach to physicians about medicine.
• Do not exaggerate your own importance, but do
  show confidence based on your accomplishments.

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What You Should Be Doing Now

• Begin working on essays early.
• Winter break is an excellent time to begin
• Revise, revise, revise
• Get feedback
• Peers, faculty, etc.
• Essays should be well-written, thoughtful, and
  sincere.

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If you will be OFF CAMPUS in the SPRING

• Set up an APPOINTMENT with Professor Weekes for
  November
• At least 48 hours before appointment, SEND the
  following to brenda.reynolds_at_pomona.edu
• Biographical Information Form
• www.medsci.pomona.edu
• In the Applying Section
• Draft of Personal Statement
• Authorization to Committee

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For Additional Information

• Sources about writing personal statements in
  general are useful.
• Get Into Medical School A Guide for the
  Perplexed by Kenneth V. Iserson
• The Pfizer Manual
• http//www.medadvising.ku.edu/essaytips.shtml
• See Applying section of medsci website
• Jim Tysinger's book "Resumes and Personal
  Statements for Health Professionals", 2nd
  edition (www.galenpress.com

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3. After receipt of your primary application

• Medical schools may request a secondary
  application
• They will also request letters of recommendation
  at this time.
• Other health professions schools have slightly
  different procedures

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Letters of Recommendation

• An important part of your application to medical
  school and the preparation of the Medical
  Sciences Committee letter involves obtaining
  letters of recommendation.
• Dental and other schools may not request a
  committee letter.

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Letters of Recommendation

• You will ask 3 academic faculty members to write
  evaluations to the Medical Sciences Committee.
• A minimum of two should be in the natural
  sciences and at least one should be outside of
  the natural sciences.

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Letters of Recommendation

• You may also want to seek letters of
  recommendation from
• Research supervisor
• Supervisor of volunteer work
• Health-related experience, e.g. physician.
• Athletic coaches or College staff regarding your
  involvement in athletics, work positions, and on-
  and off-campus extracurricular activities.

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What should you be doing now?

• Think about
• Who knows you well?
• Who can attest to characteristics you want
  addressed in your letters of recommendation, e.g.
  academic performance (inside and outside of
  science), interpersonal skills, leadership
  skills, how well you work with others,
  motivation, determination, maturity,
  responsibility, time management skills, etc.

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Letters of Recommendation

• Select recommenders very carefully
• Do not request too many letters of recommendation

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What do you provide recommenders?

• Information about classes taken (incl. course,
  semester, year, grade)
• Include sample work from the course.
• Instructions about anything specific you want
  addressed in the letter.
• Transcripts
• Resume
• Draft of personal essay
• Motivation for wanting to pursue this profession.

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WYSBDN

• It is not too late to build relationships with
  possible recommenders

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4. If your secondary application is successful

• You will be asked to interview
• Most interviewing will take place in late Fall
  and early Winter
• Will need to plan your course schedule accordingly

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What should you be doing now?

• Read daily newspapers or on-line news, news
  magazines.
• Learn about issues facing health care today, e.g.
• Stem cell research
• Cloning
• Abortion
• Government financing for health care
• Managed care
• Medicare and Medicaid
• Physician-assisted suicide
• The physicians role in recognizing and reporting
  spousal and child abuse
• Universal health care coverage
• Go to talks by medical school visitors

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What should you be doing now?

• Discuss these issues with others

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Interviews

• Interview is two-way street
• Learn as much about medical school as possible
• Go early if possible
• Practice answering questions such as Tell me
  about yourself Why do you want to go to our
  medical school?
• How will you handle the unethical question?
• What will you do afterwards if you get an
  inappropriate question?

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For additional resources

• Consult sources on improving interviewing skills
• E.g. The Medical School Interview, 3,
  http//www.naahp.org
• Pfizer Medical School Manual
• http//www.positiveprofiles.com/
• Isersons Get Into Medical School
• CDO
• Take advantage of all opportunities for practice
  interviews.
• Medsci website

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Also

• Check the www.medsci.pomona.edu website for
  important information about preparing for
  interviews.
• Obtain practice interview from CDO any interview
  practice is useful!
• Check http//www.studentdoctor.net/

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Consider The New Physician

• Membership in American Medical Student
  Association is 25/year
• Includes subscription to The New Physician, one
  source of information about issues in health care
  and medical education.
• The Medical Science Office subscribes You may
  borrow copies.

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5. Financing Your Education
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Application Costs
MCAT Study 100 - 1,600
MCAT 200 (approximate figure)
AMCAS Applications (25 schools) 880 (approximate figure)
Secondary Applications (10 schools_at_100 per 1,000
Travel 2,000 - 3,000 (or more)
Total 4,180 - 6,480
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Even More Debt?

• Median tuition and fees
• Public 20,000 (in)/38,000 (out)
• Private 37,000
• Median indebtedness
• Public School 100,000
• Private School 135,000
• AAMC 2003

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What can I do now?

• Minimize credit card debt
• Federal loans limit the amount that you can
  borrow (140,000 - 190,000)
• You may need to borrow rest privately
• Make sure that you have a clean credit record
• Check your credit record to make sure

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To learn more

• AAMC website MD2
• UCLA Medical Student Financial Services Page
• Edfund Website
• Most health profession schools have information
  on their websites about funding your education.

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Pomona Medical Sciences Committee

• Advising
• Writing the personal essay
• Selecting Recommenders
• Strategies for selecting to which medical schools
  you will apply (April Meeting)
• Practice interviewing
• Preparation of Committee letter
• Sending letters of recommendation to professional
  schools

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What You Should Be Doing Now

• You should talk with potential recommenders this
  semester
• Forms can be downloaded from medsci website

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Letters of Recommendation

• These letters are due in the Medical Sciences
  Office by late February (electronic paper can
  come later).
• It is your responsibility to see that they arrive
  on time.

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Spring Study Abroad or Off Campus??

• Those planning to be away from the College in the
  Spring will face special challenges for applying
  to medical school.
• Special instructions apply for students who will
  be off campus in the Spring. If this is you, and
  you have yet to inform us, please do it
  immediately.
• Stay in contact when you are abroad.
• MAKE SURE TO INDICATE YOUR PLAN ON THE SIGN UP
  SHEET!!!

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If you will be OFF CAMPUS in the SPRING

• Set up an APPOINTMENT with Professor Weekes for
  November
• At least 48 hours before appointment, SEND the
  following to brenda.reynolds_at_pomona.edu
• Biographical Information Form
• www.medsci.pomona.edu
• In the Applying Section
• Draft of Personal Statement
• Authorization to Committee Form

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January 2007

• Email Biographical Information form, draft of
  essay authorization to brenda.reynolds_at_pomona.e
  du

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January 2007

• Deliver or Fax signed copy of Authorization of
  Committee Letter form to MSO, 148 SCC.

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February 2007 Advising

• AFTER (not before) you have turned in your Bio
  Info form, Authorization for Committee Letter
  form, and draft of essay.
• (AND early in Feb) Sign up for meeting with
  Nicole Weekes to discuss application process,
  choice of recommenders, and essay
• Sign-up sheet will be on her door (Mason 103E)
• Meetings will take place in February

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March 2007

• Every student will be required to interview with
  a Medical Sciences Committee member
• This provides practice at interviewing, as well
  as feedback.
• It also provides medical sciences committee with
  more information regarding your application to
  medical school.
• You will be assigned an interviewer by MSO.

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April 2007Where should I apply?

• We will have a meeting to discuss strategies for
  selecting which medical schools to apply to.
• Remember to consider both Osteopathic and
  Allopathic Schools if applying to medical school.

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We wish you well!