OVERVIEW OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS

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OVERVIEW OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS
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Outline

• Academic Preparation
• Allopathic/Osteopathic Medicine
• Dental Medicine
• Application Timeline
• Optometry School
• Pharmacy School
• PA Programs
• QUESTIONS

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Is a Career in Health for You??

• Do You Like to Deal with People?
• Are You Comfortable with and like the Sciences?
• Are You Prepared to Keep Up with Developments in
  Your Field?
• Are You Comfortable in a Health Care Setting?
• Are You a Team Player?
• What Lifestyle /Work Ethic Do You Envision?

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What should I major In????

• For any of the Health Professions, one can major
  in ANY major provided that one
• Did well in science courses (Biology, Chemistry,
  Physics , Organic and Math)
• Met prerequisite courses (for medical and dental
  schools typically one year of math and English
  plus one year of Biology with lab, General
  Chemistry with lab, Physics with Lab and Organic
  Chemistry with lab.)
• Did well on entrance exams such as MCAT/DAT/OAT
• Had appropriate health care experiences
• Obtained letters of recommendation/committee
  letter
• Strong extracurricular activities

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Allopathic (MD) vs Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

• Both are 4 year medical schools with almost
  identical curriculums. Both have residency
  programs
• Both require the same prerequisites and MCAT
  exam.
• MD is more competitive 3.65 GPA and 130 schools
• DOs a bit less competitive 3.45 GPA and 30
  schools.
• DOs are trained in manipulation techniques.
• Both MDs and DOs can specialize. DOs are now in
  every area of medicine, where in the past they
  mostly were in primary care areas.

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Allopathic Medicine (M.D.)

• Nationally in 2008, 42,231 applied to MD
  programs, 18,036 matriculants.
• Average GPA of Matriculants- 3.66
• Average MCAT Verbal Reasoning 9.9, Physical
  Sciences 10.3, Biological Sciences 10.7.
• 131 Medical schools
• Students apply through centralized application
  called AAMCAS located at www.aamc.org

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Osteopathic Medicine (D.O)

• Nationally for the 2008 starting class, 12,875
  applied 4,575 matriculated.
• Average overall GPA of matriculants 3.47
• Average science GPA of matriculants 3.35
• Average MCAT scores Verbal Reasoning 8.59,
  Physical Sciences 8.40, Biological Sciences 9.13.
• 31 DO schools
• Students need a letter from a D.O.
• Centralized application called AACOMAS located at
  www.aacom.org

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Penn State Medical School Statistics

• About 400 students per year come to Penn State
  with the intent of preparing for medical school.
• About 200 students per year apply for MD
  admission. Another 70 or so apply to DO schools.
• About 135 student are accepted to MD schools with
  another 50-60 or so accepted to DO schools.
• ALL PSU ACCEPT RATE IS 65-70
• 70-75 percent of students are from the College
  of Science, with the remainder mostly coming from
  Engineering, HHD, and Liberal Arts.

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Medical Specialties

• Allergy and Immunology (5)
• Anesthesiology (4)
• Colon and Rectal Surgery (6)
• Dermatology (3-4)
• Emergency Medicine (3)
• Family Medicine (3)
• Internal Medicine (3)
• Medical Genetics (2-4)
• Neurological Surgery (5-7)
• Neurology (4)
• Nuclear Medicine (3)
• Obstetrics and Gynecology (4)
• Ophthalmology (4)
• Orthopaedic Surgery (5)

• Otolaryngology (5)
• Pathology(3-4)
• Pediatrics (3)
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (4)
• Plastic Surgery (5-7)
• Preventive Medicine (3)
• Psychiatry (4)
• Radiation Oncology (5)
• Radiology (5)
• Surgery (5)
• Thoracic Surgery (6-8)
• Urology (5)

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Dental School

• Nationally in 2008, 11,100 applied with 4,770
  accepted.
• There has been a dramatic increase in
  applications and competitiveness.
• In 2007 the average GPA was 3.48 science GPA 3.54
  overall.
• Average DAT scores Academic 18.7, PAT 17.
• PSU students applying to dental schools has
  increased almost 30
• Prerequisites include 1 year with lab of the
  following General Biology, General Chemistry,
  Organic Chemistry, and Physics (though Physics is
  not on the DAT) Need to check particular schools
  for credits required for Organic Chemistry and if
  Biochemistry is required
• Centralized application service called AADSAS
  located at www.adea.org.
• We recommend students use our committee to get
  letters of recommendation.

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Application Timeline Process

• Freshmen/Sophomore Years
• Begin taking prerequisite courses and do well on
  them.
• Begin getting health care/volunteer experience
• Involvement in extracurricular activities/research
  
• Junior Year
• Study for and take MCAT or DAT (Both the MCAT and
  DAT exams are offered electronically)
• Some student choose to take a review course
• Fill out centralized applications
• Get letters of recommendation for Penn States
  Committee letter- try to get them in by the end
  of March
• Send out applications in early summer and have
  interview with PSUs Committee.
• Penn State sends packet to indicated schools
  through the Virtual Evaluation (VE) process.

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Optometry School

• There are 20 schools of optometry in the US
  including one in Puerto Rico
• Many of our students go to SALUS ( the old PA
  College of Optometry in Philadelphia)
• Optometry schools generally require the same
  prerequisites as medical school, but include
  calculus, biochemistry and microbiology with lab.
  Each school varies somewhat with additional
  prerequisites so it is important to check each
  one.
• Students take the OAT exam typically in their
  junior year They are electronically based and
  taken at a Prometric Test Center.
• In 2005 the average GPA was 3.37. The OAT is
  scaled on a score of 200-400. Students admitted
  typically have above 330.
• Students apply through a centralized process
  called OptomCAS
• Students may use our committee letter for
  optometry school admission
• http//www.opted.org/info_main.cfm

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Pharmacy School

• Penn State does not have a pharmacy program,
  however there are routes that students can choose
  to prepare for application to a Pharm D. program.
• The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program
  requires at least 2-years of specific
  pre-professional (undergraduate) coursework
  followed by 4-academic years (or 3-calendar
  years) of professional study. Pharmacy colleges
  and schools may accept students directly from
  high school for both the pre-pharmacy and
  pharmacy curriculum, or after completion of the
  college course prerequisites. The majority of
  students enter a pharmacy program with 3 or more
  years of college experience. College graduates
  who enroll in a pharmacy program must complete
  the full 4-academic years (or 3-calendar) years
  of professional study to earn the Pharm.D.
  degree.

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Pharmacy cont

• Students apply either through PharmCas or
  individually through the school if the school
  does not participate in the centralized
  application. There are 111 accredited schools
• For the fall 2008 entering class, the average
  undergraduate GPAs of PharmCAS applicants offered
  admission were as follows Science 3.35,and
  Cumulative 3.46. The majority of accepted
  applicants completed 3 or more year of college
  study before enrolling in a pharmacy degree
  program. Accepted applicants had an average
  composite PCAT score of 65 percent.
• http//www.aacp.org

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Physician Assistant Programs

• There are currently more than 140 accredited
  programs.
• Difficult to advise for. Each school is very
  different and have varying requirements. Some are
  certificate programs. B.S. programs and M.S
  programs.
• The typical PA program is 24-27 months long and
  requires at least two years of college and some
  health care experience prior to admission. The
  majority of students have a BA/BS degree and just
  under 40 months of health care experience before
  admission to a PA program. While all programs
  recognize the professional component of PA
  education with a document of completion for the
  professional credential (PA), seventy-five
  percent of the programs award a master's degree.
  102 award master's degrees, 24 award bachelor's
  degrees, 4 award associate degrees, and 5 award
  certificates.

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PA cont

• Courses most likely required include chemistry,
  anatomy with lab, physiology with lab, and
  microbiology with labAgain some schools may
  require additional courses.
• Important for students to have health care
  experience. Some schools require up to 1000
  hours.
• In 2008 there were 10,550 applicants and of those
  3,835 matriculated.
• Average GPA was 3.25 and a Science GPA of 3.11
• Students typically apply through CASPA, a
  centralized application
• http//www.aapa.org/

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Helpful advising resources

• Allopathic Medicine American Medical Association
  http//www.ama-assn.org/
• Assocation of American Medical Colleges
  http//www.aamc.org/
• Chiropractic The American Chiropractic Assocation
  http//www.chirocolleges.com/
• Dentistry American Association of Dental Schools
  http//www.adea.org/
• American Dental Association http//www.ada.org/
• Disadvantaged/Minority Student Programs MEDPREP
  http//www.som.siu.edu/medprep/
• NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program
  https//ugsp.nih.gov/ 
• Financial Aid FAFSA http//www.fafsa.ed.gov
• FIRST (Financial Information, Resources, Services
  and Tools) http//www.aamc.org/programs/first/sta
  rt.htm
• Genetics National Society of Genetic Counselors
  http//www.nsgc.org/
• Holistic/Naturopathic Medicine American
  Association of Naturopathic Physicians
  http//www.naturopathic.org/

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• Optometry The American Academy of Optometry
  http//www.aaopt.org/
• The Association of Schools and Colleges of
  Optometry http//www.opted.org/
• Osteopathic Medicine American Association of
  Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
  http//www.aacom.org/
• American Osteopathic Association
  http//www.aoa-net.org/
• Pharmacy American Assocation of Colleges of
  Pharmacy http//www.aacp.org/
• Physical Therapy American Physical Therapy
  Association http//www.APTA.org/
• Physician Assistants
• American Academy of Physician Assistants
  http//www.aapa.org/ 
• Association of Physician Assistant Programs
  http//www.apap.org/
• Podiatric Medicine
• American Association of Colleges of Podiatric
  Medicine http//www.aacpm.org/
• Public Health
• American Public Health Associationhttp//www.apha
  .org/
• Sports Medicine
• American College of Sports Medicine
  http//www.acsm.org/
• Veterinary Medicine Association of American
  Veterinary Medical Colleges http//www.aavmc.org/