APA Premed Workshop

Spring 2015

Required Courses

Course Hours Courses

Biology 14 (12 lecture hrs + 2 lab hrs)

BIO 311C, 311D, 325 or BIO 315H, 325H and 3hr BIO elective + BIO206L

General Chemistry 8 (6 lecture hrs + 2 lab hrs)

CH 301, 302, 204

Organic Chemistry 8 (6 lecture hrs + 2 lab hrs)

CH 320M/N, CH220C

Biochemistry 3 hrs BCH 369

Physics 8 (6 lecture hrs + 2 lab) PHY 317K/L, 117M/N (calculus based) or PHY 302K/L, 102M/N (algebra based)

English 6 hrs E 316L, E 316M, E 316N, or E 316P and RHE 306

Calculus 3 hrs M 408N, M 408K, or M 408C

Course Timeline

MCAT

ApplicationsApplications

MCAT

MCAT 2015 Exam Time: 7 hrs, 30 min

Sections: Biology and Biochemistry

Chemistry and Physics

Psychology and Sociology (Social Sciences)

Critical Analysis and Reasoning

Scoring: Each section: 118-132 (125 is the center of the bell curve)

Overall: 472-528 (500 is the center of the bell curve)

For more information: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/63060/data/mcatessentials.pdf

MCAT Prep

Self-study In-class preparatory class Online preparatory class Private Tutoring

The recommended time to prepare and take the MCAT?

Prepare summer before Junior year and take MCAT late August.

Registering for the MCAT

Go to the website: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/register/ Click on “Register for the MCAT” Create an account on AAMC

Select your test date, time, and location Pay the $300 registration fee

MCAT 2015 Sections

Extracurricular activities

Do something that interests you that is not science related or premed related (BE UNIQUE).

Join organizations of interest Does not have to be premed/science related

(e.g. Magic Club)

Run for officer positions Leadership

Be active and social; do not seem to live under a rock

Doctor Shadowing

What is it? Why should

you obtain some?

Why is it difficult to obtain?

Doctor Shadowing

Three primary ways to find doctors to shadow: Connections

Family, friends, or through someone you know well

Brute-force way Contacting the doctor’s offices by phone, email, or

visitations

Be persistent, but not clingy

Programs and organizations APA, HCMP, and other premed orgs

Some tips

Clinical Volunteering

These settings provide insight into the service portion of the medical world.

Experiences obtained in these settings can offer good stories for interviews or statements.

General info

Perspective

ER IS AWESOME

Popular hospitals for clinical volunteering

Hospitals: University Medical Center Brackenridge

Dell Children’s Medical Center

St. David’s Medical Center

North Austin Medical Center

Research Add-on

Provides deeper understanding in a specific scientific field, and scientific method.

Adds perspective to your application

Publications = this kid knows how to get stuff done, puts in work, knows what they’re doing, and knows about what they’re doing.

Experiences here are translatable to medical practice Working with EKG, MRI, cell cultures, surgery, animals, paperwork,

etc.

Finding Research

ProfessorsLooking up facultyPicking a labTo publish or not publish?

Scholarships

It’s an award; an honor

Go to HPO

Office of Student Financial Services

College of Natural Sciences Office

Departmental scholarships/awards

Online sites

Ex: fastweb

GPA and MCAT Stats

2014 applied ~3.7

29

2014 accepted (thus far) ~3.78

32

Don’t feel discouraged

TMDSAS

Only state with its own medical school application service

Eight medical schools (includes TCOM) - more to come

Requires that 90% of incoming class be Texas residents = GREAT CHANCE of being accepted

AMCAS

Every other MD program (includes Baylor College of Medicine)

134 medical schools

AACOMAS

All DO medical schools (except TCOM)

33 medical schools

General application tips

Apply early! TMDSAS opens on May 1. Ideally, submit in June. Latest July.

Plan ahead (personal statement, recommendation letters, keeping track of volunteer/research/extracurricular hours)

Apply broadly!

Save up some money (Application + Interviewing = expensive)

Things you might not know…

Every college class you’ve taken counts (includes dual credits in high school and community college credits)

A - = A (YAYYY!!)

You don’t have to be a science major

You don’t need 200 hours of doctor shadowing Quality and consistency matters

Make sure you shadow some primary care physicians

You don’t need 200 hours of research

Academic/extracurricular balance (well rounded?)

Interview

Practice and practice!

Not on even playing fields with everyone else

Conversation vs Interrogation Expect the unexpected

TMDSAS-Prematch and Match

Prematch Nov. 15 – Dec. 31

Multiple non-binding acceptances

Match Jan. 21 = Ranking schools you’ve interviewed at

Feb. 2 = match day

Will come out with one acceptance

If no acceptance, waitlist

Last step

Go to med school and become an awesome doctor!

Questions?