Welcome to the Health Sciences Information Meeting for First Year Students 2012

1. Welcome to the Health Sciences Information Meeting for First Year Students 2012 “Summer’s coming. How does pre-med camp sound?”

2. Purpose of this meeting • This meeting is to provide you with some preliminary information about preparing for a career in the health sciences • Slides from this presentation will be posted on: www.medsci.pomona.edu

3. Outline Meeting I • Pomona College Resources • Scope of the Health Professions • Academic Preparation • What you should be doing now Meeting II (Nov/Oct - TBD) • Preparation beyond first semester • What you should be doing now

4. Health Sciences Office • Located in Smith Campus Center 148, sharing space with the Career Development Office (which you should also visit) • Director of Health Sciences: Paula Goldsmid • Administrative Assistant: Brenda Reynolds

5. Other Resources • Visit Pomona’s Pre-Health website often:www.medsci.pomona.edu • for advice about applying to health professions schools, event announcements, links to information about health professions, and instructions for signing up on the Pre-Health listserv. PowerPoints including this one will be posted there. Visit the Career Development Office (CDO) in person and online for excellent library resources on health professions, internship opportunities, general career counseling, and referrals to Pomona alums in the health professions.

6. Health Science Listserv • Everyone who signed into the meeting will automatically be subscribed to the PREMED listserv • If at any point you want to unsubscribe, follow instructions on: • http://www.medsci.pomona.edu/ • If reading this on the web and not yet subscribed, do it via: • http://www.medsci.pomona.edu/

7. Health Sciences Committee Matt Sazinsky (Chair), Chemistry TahirAndrabi, Economics David Becker, Biology (spring) Peter Flueckiger, Japanese Lorn Foster, Politics Jo Hardin, Mathematics Kirk Jones, Physical Education GhassanSarkis, Math Laura Perini, Philosophy Dan Tzuang, Assoc. Dean of Students Paula Goldsmid, Health Sciences Director

8. Health Sciences Liaisons Seniors • Nicola Lew • Vanessa Ho • Connie Wu Juniors Jessica Lin . Mitsuko Yabe Sophomores • Andrea Diaz Liaisons are students who have been selected to help answer your questions about preparing for careers in the health sciences Email addresses are posted on www.medsci.pomona.edu

9. Health Professions • There are many ways to contribute to improved health care • Become familiar with them! Medicine • Allopathic (M.D.) • Osteopathic (D.O.) • Podiatric (D.P.M.) • Veterinary (D.V.M.) Dentistry

10. Health Professions Allied Health Professions • Nursing • Pharmacy • Optometry • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy • Nutrition • Genetic Counseling • Physicians Assistant • And Many Others

11. For more information about health care professions: • www.explorehealthcareers.org

12. Public Health • Epidemiology • Biostatistics • Health Services Administration • Environmental Medicine • Behavioral Sciences/Health Education • For more information: • http://www.asph.org/ • http://www.whatispublichealth.org/

13. Academic preparation for health professions • What should I major in? • What courses do I need to take? • When should I take these courses?

14. What should I major in? No One Major is Best!

15. What should I major in? Generally, health science fields are interested in broadly-educated students, which is what Pomona College provides with its liberal arts education. Your chances of acceptance are not increased if you major in science, or if you choose not to major in science. Major in the academic area in which you are most interested.

16. What courses should I take?(and when should I take them?)

17. Science Subjects Required by 10 or more U.S. Medical Schools(Responses from 134 Medical Colleges offering the M.D. degree) Subject Duration No. of Schools Pomona courses ______________________________________________________________ Biology 1 year129 Bio 40,41C Physics 1 year 122 Physics 41, 42 Gen Chem 1 year 122 Chem 1a,b or 51 Organic Chem 1 year 124 Chem 110 a,b Biochemistry 0.5 year increasingChem 115

18. Science Subjects Required by 10 or more U.S. Medical Schools(Responses from 134 Medical Colleges offering the M.D. degree) Subject Duration No. of Schools Pomona courses _________________________________________________________ Calculus½-1 year 20 Math 30, 31 College Math ½-1 year32 Stats/other math

19. Medical School Science Prerequisites:108 Medical Schools Require or Recommend Biochemistry

20. Survey of Medical Schools: importance ratings for premed science courses

21. Other Health Professions’ Entry Requirements • Dental Schools’ requirements are similar to those of allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. • Veterinary, Optometry, Physical Therapy, and other health sciences schools’ requirements are less standardized. • Check requirements of schools in which you are especially interested on their web, as you get close to application time.

22. MCAT 2015New Changes Influence Course Requirements/Prerequisites CURRENT MCAT MCAT 2015 • Biological Sciences • Physical Sciences • Verbal Reasoning • Writing Sample • Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems • Chemical & Physical Foundations of Living Systems • Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior • Critical Analysis/Reasoning

23. Something of which to be aware... • New MCAT exam in 2015 • No Writing Sample • Less Organic Chemistry and Physics • More Biochemistry and Molecular Biology • More data analysis • New Behavioral and Social Science subtest • items taken from Intro Psych & Intro Sociology

24. Consider Coursework in Behavioral and Social Sciences • Psychology* Psych 51 • Sociology* Soc 51 • Anthropology • Politics • Economics • Public Policy • Science Technology and Society *2015 MCAT prep includes material taught in Intro Psych and Intro Sociology

25. Familiarize Yourself with Requirements Early Medical School Admission Requirements https://www.aamc.org/students/considering/ Osteopathic Medical College Information Book: http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Pages/default.aspx ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools http://www.adea.org/publications/Pages/OfficialGuide.aspx

26. When to apply?When to take courses? Many health profession schools prefer their first-year students to be a bit older, more mature, and have more experience. The average age of first-year students in medical school is about 24 years. And there may be things you want to do before starting on this long road.

27. When to apply?When to take courses?

28. One of many possible schedules if recommendation from QSA* is to take any science courses (and you want additional experiences before entering medical school – i.e. the “most common” schedule) Also consider in planning: English course Psychology/Sociology** Upper division science **2015 MCAT prep includes intro Psych and Intro Sociology *Quantitative Skills Assessment

29. One of many possible schedules if recommendation from QSA* is to take Math 29 and only one lab science course (and you are most interested and/or strongest in Biology/Neuro) Also consider in planning: English course Psychology/Sociology** Upper division science Study Abroad **2015 MCAT prep includes intro Psych and Intro Sociology Years 3 and 4 Ochem & Biochem Math 31 Physics 41 & 42 *Quantitative Skills Assessment

30. One of many possible schedules if recommendation from QSA* is to take Math 29 and only one lab science course (and you are most interested and/or strongest in Chemistry) Years 3 and 4 Ochem & Biochem Math 31 Physics 41 & 42 Also consider in planning: English course Psychology/Sociology** Upper division science Study Abroad **MCAT prep includes intro Psych and Intro Sociology *Quantitative Skills Assessment

31. One of many possible schedules if recommendation from QSA* is to take Math 29 and defer Chem and Bio to sophomore year Years 3 and 4 Ochem & Biochem Math 31 Physics 41 & 42 Also consider in planning: English course Psychology/Sociology** Upper division science Study Abroad **2015 MCAT will cover Intro Psych and Intro Sociology *Quantitative Skills Assessment

32. If Recommendation from QSA* is to take any science courses (and you want to enter medical school immediately after graduation – not the usual schedule but OK for some) Also consider in planning: English course Psychology/Sociology Upper division science Study Abroad *Quantitative Skills Assessment

33. Other Post-Graduate Options to Meet Requirements and Improve GPA Post-Bac Program – Take necessary courses to prepare for med school and complete requirements. If GPA is on the low side, this can help to improve it. Masters Programs - Further study in a specific field or specialty. Does not count toward undergraduate GPA but demonstrates commitment and that you can handle advanced work. * Each has different benefits To be discussed more as you progress through college

34. Non-Science Subjects Required by 10 or more U.S. Medical Schools Subject Duration # of Med Schools ______________________________________ English* 1 or 2 sem 85 *Note: ID1 will count toward 1 semester of “English”. If taking two semesters, we recommend taking an English course, however other writing intensive courses may count toward English requirement, depending on the medical school.

35. Behavioral and Social Sciences • It has been well-established that approximately half of all causes of morbidity and mortality in US are linked to behavioral and social causes • National Center for Health Statistics, 2002 • “The committee believes that each medical school should expect entering students to have completed course work in the behavioral and social sciences during their [undergraduate] education” • Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2004

36. Non-Natural Science Subjects Currently Required by U.S. Medical Schools Subject Duration # of Med Schools • Behav & Social Sci 1 or 2 sem 9 • Humanities 1 or 2 sem 15

37. Is there life after “academic death?” What if I screw up my first semesters?

38. What are Medical Schools Looking for? • Grades/GPA • MCAT Scores • Letters of Recommendation • Community service/volunteer work • Research – medical/clinical/basic science • Leadership Experiences • Have you tested your desire to be a doctor? • Do you have personal characteristics associated with success in health professions? • Have you become the best version of yourself?

39. In surveys, admission officers expressed interest in measuring varied attributes Integrating Information Critical thinking Logical reasoning Scientific reasoning Verbal reasoning Biology Written communication Cell/Molecular Biology Integrity Oral communication Professionalism Biochemistry Organic Chemistry Personal maturity Intellectual curiosity Self discipline Reliability Teamwork Genetics Quantitative analysis

40. How do you prove it? PART II coming soon… What do I need to do to become the best version of myself?

41. The End…for now Any Questions?