Lafayette College Health Professions Advising Program

Professor Nancy WatersFaculty Health Professions Advisor

Dr. Julia GoldbergAssociate Dean Health Professions Advisor

6 November 2013

Medical, Dental, Podiatry, Optometry and Veterinary AspirantsApplication Meeting

HPACHPAC 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

accomplishmentsintellectual curiosityemotional maturitycharacterinterest in medicine

sensitivity to otherscommunication skillssense of care for otherscommitment to servicecritical thinking skillsproblem-solving skills

AMCAS Applications up ~6% over 2012AACOMAS applications up ~25% over 2012

Criteria?

Academic/Science grades (45-55%)Admissions tests (20-25%)Health-related experiencesCommunity/Volunteer serviceResearch experienceRecommendationsHP School interview

The current landscape?

Preparation – Academic coursework As Juniors/Seniors you should have nearly

completed:

2 Introductory Biology with laboratory2 General Chemistry with laboratory2 Organic Chemistry with laboratory

2 Physics with laboratory2+ Mathematics: at least 1 calculus and 1 statistics3+ 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 PhysicsPsych 240 Health PsychologyRel 223 Religion and MedicinePhil 245 BioethicsA&S 222 Medical AnthropologyBiol 213 Comparative Vertebrate AnatomyBiol 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 ExperiencesInternships/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 Professions Advisory Committee Personal Information Form

Please carefully complete this form. Be very neat and thorough. It is preferred that you type your responses. If completed by hand, use black ink and print carefully. Your background information is required in order to prepare a personal summary of your academic and non-academic experiences. We are interested in information that is not revealed by your academic records and test scores, but which health professions schools would like to know about you. This form must be completed and returned to the Office of the Dean of the College, 105 Scott Hall, in the beginning of the spring semester. It must be complete before we can schedule your interview with the Health Professions Advisory Committee. DO NOT USE ABBREVIATIONS WHEN COMPLETING THIS FORM. You may add extra pages if necessary. Name (full legal form): Date: Student ID (L)Number: Class: AREA OF INTEREST: MD DO MEDICAL/ PHD DENTAL OPTOMETRY Veterinary OTHER Cell Phone No: State of Legal Residence: Email Address: Alternate Email Address: Contact Information between May and September: Address: Telephone Number: Major(s), Minors, and Degrees (AB or BS) Sought: Do you plan to pursue an Honors Thesis? Yes No If yes, what is your planned topic? How and when did you prepare for the MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE? Prep Name: Date: When did you take the test and what was your score? MCAT: Date: OAT: Date:

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 ApplicationStrong 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 $270DAT $385OAT $270GRE general $185GRE subject test fees $150

APPLICATION FEES (verification 4-6 weeks):AMCAS $160+ $34AACOMAS $195 + $35-50ADEA AADSAS $244 + $90OptomCAS $150 + $50VMCAS $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

Acceptance ratio for GPA 3.60 +

Acceptance ratio for GPA3.59-3.20

Acceptance ratio for GPA < 3.20

Overall acceptance ratioALL GPAs

Lafayette 2008-2013aggregate data (MD + DO)

91% (53/58)

60% (49/81)

32% (11/34)

66%

(107/162)

National 2008-13 aggregate data MD only *

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

Applicant meanGPA

Admitted meanGPA

Applicant meanMCAT

Accepted mean MCAT

MD43.1%

3.54 3.68 28.3 31.2

DO35.6%

3.42 3.49 25.7 26.9

** 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