Information for health professional school applicants September 27, 2016

1. Information for health professional school applicantsSeptember 27, 2016 Holy Cross Health Professions Advising Prof. Miles Cahill, Advisor Prof. JumiHayaki, Associate Advisor

2. What we will do today Talk about committee review process Talk about credentials Talk about graduate school application process Talk about new MCAT and review class Talk about changes to post-bacc and allied health review process

3. Who is eligible for a review? • Considering applying to med/dental/vet school in this cycle (June 2017) • You do not have to decide until close to application time! • Will finish requirements by end of spring semester • Or will finish post-baccalaureate plan in spring • You do not have to take the MCAT before the review • In a post-baccalaureate program now • Alumni, juniors, seniors • Applicants may be reviewed multiple times

4. Application timeline September 2016 • September 27, Smith Labs 154, 3:30pm: meeting to talk about application • Talk about HC committee review process, med, dental and vet school application process • Introduce the personal statement and other materials • Talk about resources October 2016 • October 7: Advisor request (online) and waiver (hard copy to Stein 129A) forms due by noon. • After fall break: advisors assigned • Meet with your advisor ASAP • October 22: Saturday personal statement workshop, 9am-11am, SML 154 November-December 2016 • Start working on personal statement, materials, meet with advisor • Attend personal statement workshop through Writer’s Workshop (first session 11/7, 7pm Stein 217) • Request recommendation letters • MCAT information meeting January 2017 • Finish up personal statement • Attend session at Writer’s Workshop • completed first draft should be done by start of spring semester • MCAT preparation course starts February 2017 • February 15: Committee application materials due • Meeting to discuss MCAT goals, etc. February – May 2017 • Committee reviews files on a rolling basis • Applicants receive committee ratings, feedback; meet with committee advisor to discuss your review May 2017 • May 1: deadline to submit materials for reapplication for 2015-17 applicants who did not gain entry • May (first week): Application services open/ start entering application • Final meeting to discuss application process • Final ratings determined after spring grades; letters sent to all applicants June 2017 • June (first week): Application services (medical/dental) start accepting applications • Submit applications as soon as possible in cycle • DO applications open up in May, but wait until June • Submit your letter request materials to Health Professions Advising Office (see instructions sent in May) July 2017 • July 31: last day to have your application processed by application service to guarantee committee letter • Special permission from Prof. Cahill needed to submit application after • Complete secondary applications August 2017 – March 2018 • Committee letters sent out early in August • Interviews typically start late in August/early Sept., continue -spring • Medical school decisions start early fall, continue through year April – August 2018 • April 30: “traffic rules day” – may not hold on to multiple submissions • Heavy wait list activity starts after this day • May 1: deadline to submit for reapplication for 2017-18 re-applicants • Offers may continue until matriculation! August - September 2018: start school!

5. Steps to take • Open or reactivate your file – deadline Oct. 7 • If you are opening a file, submit signed hardcopy waiver form to office (Stein 129A, PO Box PREMED); if have file open with letters, no need to do this again • You must fill out the online form to request a committee advisor to open or reactivate your file – see “key documents” on the health professions advising web page • Meet your advisor • Start committee personal statement • Attend personal statement workshop – October 22 • Attend Writing Center workshops • Start researching school requirements (MSAR) • Start asking for reference letters before winter break • 3 to review file, 5+ to write a good letter • Major professor, a non-major science lab professor, a third professor/supervisor, + • Avoid letters from those close to your family • Talk to your advisor before winter break • Get complete draft of statement done before you return • Due date for file materials: February 15

6. Committee process: MD/DO, DMD/DDS, DVM • Materials due Feb. 15 • Follow instructions carefully • Cover sheet, list of courses, notation, annotated activities list, personal statement, transcripts • Committee meets to discuss files and rate applicants on rolling basis • You will get a letter with a preliminary rating shortly after • Meet with your advisor to get more detailed feedback • Committee reviews all files again after spring grades • Study for and take the MCAT/DAT/GRE • Goal: have application complete as close to June 1 as possible • Ideally apply early June with exam scores in hand • You must have your application processed by July 31 to get a committee letter

7. When is a review not necessary? • You are applying to allied health: PA/NP/PT/etc. • You are definitely not planning on applying this year • Planning on a gap year (or more), post-bacc program, research, more classes, etc. • We are happy to give you feedback and advice in person • You may request a committee advisor to get feedback, start a relationship, start collecting letters • You will be a different person in a year (or more)! • You will not complete your requirements (or post-bacc) by the end of spring semester • We can’t rate you without grades • Medical schools do not allow an application with courses in progress

8. Credentials • GPA: overall and in science courses • We look at trajectory, individual course grades, additional courses, etc. • Personal statement • Approx. 7 page reflective essay • Introduce yourself to the committee: who are you? How did you get here? • Reflect on experiences that lead you to pursue a career of caring for others • This is a key part of our rating! • Reference letters • Academic ability and work ethic, engagement • Character, working with others, compassion, maturity • Clinical, research, volunteer, professional experiences • Volunteer experience • Longer/deeper engagement valued – show leadership • Show compassion for others • May substitute for (some) clinical experience

9. Credentials • Clinical experience • Work/volunteer/internship in hospital/nursing home/office/etc. setting • Shadowing less desirable as it is “passive” • Volunteer or work caring for others in a non-medical setting • This may substitute for (most) clinical experience • Key is experience caring for others in a stressful situation, learning to communicate with people with different backgrounds • Research experience • Not essential, but helpful • Professional experience • Not essential, but helpful • Other experiences • Athletics, clubs, etc. • We don’t use MCAT/DAT/GRE for rating, but will for advisory purposes • Test scores very important for med/dental/vet schools

10. What are we (and medical schools) looking for? Can the applicant handle the rigorous academics of medical school and medical license exams? Has the applicant demonstrated maturity? Working well with others? Leadership? Engagement? Has the applicant demonstrated a commitment to helping others in need? Does the applicant have experience working with people from different socio/economic backgrounds, in stressful situations? Is the applicant familiar with the job health care providers do? The training involved?

11. Committee ratings • Very highly recommend • Outstanding in every category. No flaws. • Highly recommend • Strong in every category, but not top in all categories • May have a flaw that is offset by other excellent credentials • Recommend • We think you are capable of medical/dental/etc. school, but in reality you will be unlikely to gain entry • Wait to apply • You are not yet a competitive applicant • We will give you advice on how you can become more competitive • We are trying to show you how medical/dental/vet schools will view your application, not act as gatekeepers! • It is expensive to apply to schools and much hander to get into medical school as a re-applicant

12. Cost of medical school • Cost of applying to medical school: $3,000-4,000 • Application fees, exams, travel to interviews, etc. • Typical private medical school • Tufts: $90,000+/year (tuition, feels, living, etc.) • Avg. med school student graduates with $200,000 in debt • Typical public medical school • UMass: $55,000/year (tuition, feels, living, etc.) • Avg. student graduates with $108,811 in debt

13. National applications • Medical school is becoming more highly competitive • 51,019 applications to MD for fall 2015 start • 20,346 started medical school in fall 2015; 40% of applicants • Typical MD medical school • Tufts: 11,000 applicants, 900 interviews for class of 204 • UMass: 1,031 in-state, 157 out, 596 interviews for class of 125 • Nationally, students apply to 18-22 schools, 40% get in to MD • Holy Cross: admission rate approx double, after advising • 20,447 applications to DO (2015) • <7,000 first year students • Typical DO school • CCOM-MWU: 5,712 applications for a class of 208 • UNE-COM: 3,635 applications for a class of 127

14. Consider DO • 90% of training the same • Pass equivalent license exam • Train in same residencies – same accreditation! • MUCH better chance at residency than overseas • A little easier to get into quantitatively • Less concerned with quantitative scores • Old MCAT: avg: 27 for DO vs. 31 for MD • GPA (overall/science) slightly lower (3.5/3.4 for DO vs 3.7/3.6 for MD) • Need a letter from a DO: your responsibility • Resources • See www.AACOM.org • The DOs by Norman Gervitz • June 2009 issue of Academic Medicine

15. Consider NP/PA, allied health • Think about your goals • What do you want to do every day • Not what initials do you want on your name tag • Do you want to work with patients? • Diagnose, treat, prescribe? • Think about NP/PA, other allied health • Other careers may allow more independence • Podiatry (very similar to med school) • Optometry • Physical therapy, etc.

16. Other professional programs • Dental school • Same committee process, timeline as MD • GPA a little lower than MD • Usually competitive above 3.0 GPA (overall & science) • Need a letter from a dentist • DAT important: want > 17 on each section • DVM school • Same committee process • Deadline Oct. 2. – but check! • Usually take GRE • Experience with large and small animals essential • Requirements vary between schools

17. PA, NP, PT, OD, etc. and post-baccs Important differences Have June, Aug., Jan., etc. start dates Deadlines vary – year round, including before committee meets! Requirements vary widely between schools Schools do not accept committee letters, committee ratings We will help you gather your credentials, choose reference letters, choose schools, write personal statement, etc. Come see us!

18. General advice • Work with your advisor early • Waiting until last minute is asking for trouble • Be professional • Be formal in all correspondence – e-mails, phone calls, etc. • Use correct grammar, spelling in all communication • Always use titles, never first names • Be polite and friendly to everyone • Use a professional-sounding e-mail address • Be engaged in what you do • Classes, activities, etc. • Watch your public profile and behave well • Med schools may Google you, look at your Facebook page, etc. • Don’t let a foolish mistake jeopardize your chances • Serious disciplinary action may be the end of your application