Pre-Med Links

Pre-Med Abroad

Table of Contents

Four-Year Timeline

This timeline is intended to assist students who plan to enter medical school in the fall following graduation. Medical schools have no particular age preference, and seek applicants with maturity and a clearly demonstrated interest in medicine, so there is no inherent disadvantage in waiting to enter medical school if that is your desire. If you intend to delay applying, adjust the timeline to suit your plans. The most critical element in the timing is to have your application complete early in the fall so that you can get an early interview date. That, in turn, allows the admission committee ample time to consider you before the spots begin to fill up and become increasingly competitive.

Freshman/Sophomore Years:

• Meet both with your advisor and with a member of the Health Careers Advisory Group to plan a schedule of courses that meets all general degree requirements, requirements for major, and medical school entrance requirements, while providing a balance that is realistic.
• Because GPA matters, do as well as possible in all your classes (realizing that grades are impacted by interest, hard work, and natural ability). If you are having a problem with any class, contact your professor for individual assistance right away.
• Buy an Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) prep book and begin to prepare for the MCAT, noticing the overlap and gaps between your science course work and the subjects covered by the MCAT (see Appendix F).
• If you are considering a semester or year abroad, plan early so that you will not miss required courses while you’re away. Information for these programs is available at the Study Abroad Office.
• Consider and develop alternatives to medical school.
• Check out medical school web sites during your sophomore year so that you can be familiar with their specific admission requirements or visit their web sites. Come to the Career Center to use the Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR).
• Apply for a Richter Grant, or conduct some other research project to develop your skills in independent investigation.
• Choose a major you are genuinely interested in.
• Test your specific interests within the medical profession by working or volunteering in a medical setting every possible summer and during the academic year as well.
• Obey college policies; most medical schools request a letter from the Dean of Students outlining any violations you have had.
• Plan your MCAT test date in conjunction with pre-med advisors. Register for the MCAT online (register at www.aamc.org/students/mcat/registration.htm or at the Career Center). Note that medical school admissions offices procedures make delaying the MCAT until August to your disadvantage.

During Junior Year:

• Draft your American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) essay, and share it with faculty and the Career Center for their advice.
• Prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT):

  1. Review MCAT material from general chemistry, organic chemistry, general biology, and general physics.
  2. Take as many MCAT practice tests as you can (full-length ones if possible).
  3. If you are unable to structure the time to study effectively for the MCAT, consider taking a preparation course.
• Continue gaining research experience and volunteering in local hospitals.

• If you are interested in research, begin to explore project options with a faculty
  member.
• If you plan to apply to the early decision program (EDP), note that the standard EDP application period is from June 1 – August 1. Check the MSAR for the schools you are considering.
• For regular admission, it is a good idea to complete and submit your AMCAS application by the end of June if possible. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.
• Complete secondary applications by the end of the summer before your senior year (or as you receive them); keep copies of each application and record the date each of the application materials is sent.
• Volunteer in a medical setting you plan to specialize in.
• If you plan to apply for an MD/PhD, continue to pursue a research project.
• Ask faculty and others to write letters of recommendation.

Senior Year:

• Follow up with individual schools to check if your application file is complete; record the date that each file becomes complete.
• Prepare for your interview by having a videotaped mock interview at the Career Center.
• At your actual interview, inquire about the notification process for that individual
  school.
• Search for sources of financial aid using the Internet and guides available through each medical school.
• Continue to take challenging courses and complete an Independent Study project that involves novel research and the possibility of external presentation.
• Keep your grades up until graduation; admission to medical school is conditional until schools have received your final transcript.

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Choosing Undergraduate Courses

Since medical school is, of necessity, a time of specialization, your emphasis while at Hanover should be placed on receiving a broad liberal arts education and sound preparation for your field of study. It is important that you choose a major that you would enjoy even if you reconsidered your decision to pursue a career in medicine; while many pre-med students major in one of the natural sciences, such a major is not required for admission to medical school programs. In fact, any traditional liberal arts major is suitable, as long as you take the science courses required for admission, lay a foundation for successful performance in medical school, and prepare to take the Medical College Admission Tests (MCAT). Recent Hanover students who have been admitted to medical school have included psychology, philosophy and business majors and double majors who coupled a major in Spanish, philosophy, music or classical studies with one in science. Admission policies differ among schools both within and across health professions, so you should become familiar with the requirements of particular schools to which you may apply as you choose individual courses. Be sure also to consult with the Health Careers Advisory Group about course selection.

Professional schools know how to read patterns and subtexts in transcripts. They make special note of the level of difficulty of the courses that you have taken. As you choose your courses, strive for increasing challenge and independence over time as well as for balance.

Courses that are required for admission to most medical schools:

Students applying to enter medical school immediately after graduating from college are strongly advised to take the Medical College Admission Tests (MCAT) in April of their junior year; therefore all required science courses must be completed by then. Because requirements vary, be sure to check the AAMC’s Medical School Admission Requirements for the specific requirements of the schools you are interested in, or visit each school’s web site.

*(Required at fewer schools; check the schools that interest you for exact requirements)

Elective Courses

Twenty-five years ago, medical schools, which had been requiring science backgrounds exclusively, found that they were producing excellent technicians with inadequate communication skills and little bedside manner. They began suggesting stronger background in English and encouraging applications from majors outside the sciences. Hanover, as a liberal arts college, offers its students the opportunity to study a broad range of subjects, something medical schools highly value. While your choices should be governed principally by your interests, your electives can indicate reasoning or randomness. Because admission committees examine transcripts for a logical flow of courses, you should be prepared to articulate your reasons for the choices you have made. The range of course work that would be useful in medical school is likewise broad and, again, your choices should be based on your interests. For example, if you enjoy life sciences, consider such options as genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, physiology, microbiology, and neuropsychology. Courses in economics, communication, ethics, and in other areas of psychology may be valuable in the practice of medicine as well. Whatever options you choose, your primary academic focus as a pre-med should be on the basic courses required by medical school and on a solid, challenging major program that you enjoy.

If you take a semester or year abroad, please note that many European universities have limited laboratory facilities and foreign students are the last to be assigned to labs. Therefore, do not expect to take lab science courses while abroad (take language and culture courses instead).

Scheduling Suggestions

Assuming that you are academically strong and have prepared yourself for a rigorous college experience, you should enroll in lab sciences beginning first term freshman year. Work closely with a pre-med advisor to ensure that you are enrolled in courses in a sequence that prepares you for the MCAT in April of your junior year without causing you to overextend yourself in lab courses in any single semester. It is important to perform well in all your courses, but this is especially true in the sciences whose grade point average will be calculated separately during the admission process. Below are two possible tracks depending on your major interests (again, medical schools do not require or even prefer applicants to be science majors):

For Pre-Biology or Chemistry majors (with primary interest in life sciences)

For pre-Physics or Chemistry majors (with primary interest in physical science)

*Calculus is not required by many medical schools (including IU), but is recommended by them.

Advanced Placement Credit

Advanced placement (AP) credit for general biology, chemistry or physics does not usually pose a problem to medical schools admission if you take additional upper level courses in the same area. Since medical schools may require actual college credit, at least one other course in the same department should be taken in its place. Remember that, lacking the introductory foundation, subsequent courses may be more challenging for you. Be sure to check the AP policies of the schools you are interested in, as they vary across institutions. (Hanover, of course, will not allow you to take an introductory-level course in the same subject for which it has granted AP credit.)

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Admission Factors for Medical School

Medical schools consider the following factors when admitting applicants:

• Academic credentials as determined by transcripts,
• MCAT scores,
• Medical school interview,
• Application essay(s),
• Letters of recommendation, and
• Related work, research, or volunteer experience.

The weight that individual schools give to each of these varies, but generally schools use the first two to screen out unrealistic applications, then use the remaining factors to “give a face to the numbers.” Each of these factors is discussed in greater detail below:

Academic Credentials

Transcripts are examined for your cumulative grade point average and, separately, for your grade point average in courses required for medical school. They are also scrutinized for any anomalies in your course of study including variations from a normal course load, the trends of your grades over time, any courses taken pass/fail and the type and timing of courses taken. If you attended more than one institution, that will also receive attention as will the competitiveness of the schools you attended. If you have retaken a course to replace a low grade, the two grades will be averaged on the AMCA's.

MCAT

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice test (with essays) shown to be quite reliable in predicting success in passing the US Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). It assesses skills in problem solving, critical thinking, writing, and knowledge of science through four sections: Biological Sciences (77 questions in 100 minutes), Physical Sciences (77 questions in 100 minutes), Verbal Reasoning (60 questions in 85 minutes), and a Writing Sample (2 questions in 60 minutes). The total testing time is 5 3/4 hours; with breaks and lunch, the whole process takes eight hours. The Writing Sample scores are reported on a scale from J to T (T highest); the other three sections have a range of 1 to 15 (15 highest). The average score for each of these latter sections is nine, so most students aim for a total of at least 27 on the three, with no score being less than an eight. The MCAT is available 23 times per year, spread across 10 months. If you hope to enter Medical School in the fall following graduation, you should take the MCAT no later than July following your junior year. This is important in determining the timing of your AMCAS application which, in turn, affects your secondary applications and, later, your interview date.

If you choose to retake the MCAT, you will find it helpful to know that, according to Edward Trachtenberg, the editor of The Premedical Advisor's Reference Manual, medical schools count the latest or best score, or look at both scores and focus on improvement. Very few schools average scores across two test administrations.

Preparing for the MCAT

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) strongly urges all examinees to refer to the MCAT Student Manual (available at the Career Center) and practice tests, published by the AAMC, to ensure that they are adequately prepared for the examination. Most Hanover alumni who have taken the MCAT recommend that those preparing for the test take timed all-day practice tests frequently (a total of at least 3). Practice tests (previous years’ MCATs) are available from www.aamc.org.With advanced notice and adequate interest, the Career Center will administer a full-length timed, MCAT practice test using an actual MCAT administered in the past.

There are several companies that offer MCAT preparation courses. Typically the courses meet once a week for several weeks, or all day for an entire weekend. Preparation courses, which typically cost about $1900, offer the advantage of providing structure that can be valuable for students who need it, and some students claim to study harder because of the expense of the course. However, it is possible to prepare effectively for the MCAT without taking a prep course, and it is important to understand that while the courses help to acquaint you with the test, they do very little to give you added knowledge. If you do opt to take a review course, be leery of any advice program instructors give about the medical school application process; their advice may be inaccurate or outdated.

*MCAT Online Practice Tests are available at www.e-mcat.com including free access to MCAT Practice Test 3: These tests are full-length, previously administered tests and provide automated scoring, integrated solutions, and diagnostic reports.

Applications

Choosing Schools

Because public medical schools are heavily subsidized by state legislatures, they are required to admit all or most of each new class from within their own state. Generally admission standards for out-of-state students are considerably more rigorous than for in-state residents, so you should apply to medical school in your home state regardless of the other schools you choose. (Note: MD/PhD programs are generally not subject to this restriction and focus on the academic abilities and research interests of the applicant). Medical schools recommend that you compare your credentials with those of successful candidates at the specific schools you’re considering to determine whether the expense of applying is worth it. A convenient source for this information is the AAMC’s Medical School Admission Requirements (available in the Career Center).

AMCAS

The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is a non-profit centralized on-line application processing service required by participating U.S. medical schools. A list of these schools is available at www.aamc.org/students/amcas/participatingschools.htm. Apply directly to the schools you are interested in if they do not participate in the AMCAS. The AMCAS is only an application distribution service and does not make any admission decisions. Check the AAMC web site for current fee information. There is a fee waiver application form included in each AMCAS packet for students with demonstrated financial need. To access the service, offered only on-line, go to www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm. As you complete the AMCAS, bear in mind that Hanover College courses translate into 4 credit hours per course.

After you submit your AMCAS application, the Service will check it for accuracy and completeness, and will then copy and distribute it to the schools you have designated, along with your two most recent MCAT scores. (You can send in your AMCAS application even if you have not yet taken the MCAT; the scores from that test will be forwarded to the AMCAS when they become available. However, schools will not generally process applications until they become complete.) It is advisable to submit your AMCAS application by the end of June following your junior year if possible, because, for participating schools, the timing of the rest of the application process hinges on the AMCAS. Most state medical schools operate on rolling admission; that is, the time at which they decide whether or not to admit you is based on when your file is complete rather than on a particular uniform date, so the longer you wait to apply, the longer you will have to wait for an interview, and the fewer remaining slots there will be. Do not wait to receive MCAT scores (especially August scores!) to submit your AMCAS application or you will push or even miss deadlines.

The AMCAS Essay

A quarter of the AMCAS application is dedicated to your personal statement. This section provides you an opportunity to elaborate on information you provide elsewhere on the application, or to address aspects of yourself that are not covered anywhere else on the form.You should also explain your motivation to enter the medical field and demonstrate your knowledge of the field.

When composing your essay, remember that its readers will be reviewing large numbers of these statements; try to make yours engaging and interesting. While the title for this section is “ Personal Statement,” many ineffective essays are written by students who approach the exercise impersonally. Avoid distancing your audience by using a dispassionate case-study approach. Instead, consider who you really are and identify the greatest gifts you bring to medicine. Describe yourself interestingly; consider telling an anecdote to illustrate a point or to detail a formative part of your background. Give your essay to reviewers with strong writing skills to check for grammar, and to medical professionals to check for credibility. Remember, too, that the final essay should be flawlessly typed. The Career Center offers an excellent guide to assist you in writing your essay entitled, Write for Success: Preparing a Successful Professional School Application, published by the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions.

Secondary Applications

Upon receipt of the applicant’s materials from the AMCAS or other service, schools will notify the applicant of any additional information, fees, letters of evaluation, or other items that they may require. These specific additional requirements from each individual school are known as “secondary applications,” and may be nearly as elaborate as were the entire applications before the days of the AMCAS. Because some schools send every applicant a secondary application to expedite the application process, secondary applications are not necessarily an indication of interest. The application process can be quite expensive, so, as noted above, it is wise to check admission statistics in the AAMC’s Medical School Admission Requirements prior to applying.

Complete your secondary applications by the end of the summer before your senior year as most admission committees operate under the “first complete, first considered” process and interviews are much easier to get if you apply early. Some schools permit you to include supporting documents such as summer laboratory experience; publications; conference presentations; and additional references from physicians, non-science faculty, volunteer coordinators, clergy, etc. However, be sparing; most schools suggest that “less is more.” After you mail in all parts of your application, follow-up with each individual school’s admissions office to ensure that your file is complete.

Early Decision Programs (EDP)

Early Decision Programs are designed to allow top candidates who are interested applying only to a single medical school to seek admission ahead of the normal deadlines. In almost all cases, EDP applicants must not apply to any other school while they are in the EDP process. If they are not accepted to the school's EDP, their applications are typically placed in their general pool of applications. EDP programs are highly competitive, with admission standards comparable with out-of-state applications; therefore, medical school admission counselors encourage students considering applying EDP to contact them first to discuss their chances. Bear in mind that the notification date for many medical schools' EDP is October 1; to wait until that time to begin the application process at other schools could jeopardize your chances of admission to any medical school.

Medical School Interviews

Although each school sets its own policy, screening of applicants may occur at several stages in the application process: many schools cull applications upon receipt of AMCAS forms prior to mailing secondary applications, many also cull prior to inviting candidates for interviews. By the time you have been invited for an interview, you have survived at least one cut. Indiana University School of Medicine interviews all Indiana residents with a GPA of 3.2 or higher with MCAT scores of 22 or higher.

Medical school interviews, the majority of which are held from August to February or March, are about 30 minutes in length. Generally the style of these interviews is conversational, rather than confrontational, to enable the admission committee to assess qualities that are not evident on paper including poise, maturity, sincerity, a caring nature, knowledge of the field, and clarity of goals. Interviewers may inquire about any blemishes in your record, whether academic or disciplinary, to see how you have grown or learned since that time. Following the interview, you will be given a rating which will be factored in when each committee member assigns you an overall composite score.

Preparing for Interviews

To prepare for your interview, review university catalogs or web sites to get an overview of the medical school organization, curricula, and application materials. Identify 3-5 points you would like to communicate such as your greatest strengths, your goals within medicine, and your reasons for choosing medicine as a career. It is critical that you learn about current trends and events in the medical field, and brush up on current news around the world at the same time. Practice answering typical questions (see Appendix C) and schedule a videotaped mock interview with the Career Center. Prepare several questions you would like to ask the interviewer as well (see Appendix D).

Both men and women should wear a dark suit with a light color shirt or blouse to the interview. Men should wear socks that match their suits; women should wear neutrally-toned hose. Wear only conservative jewelry and avoid cologne or perfume.

Choosing a Specialty Field...or Not

You may be asked in your interview or on secondary applications to identify which area of medicine you plan to pursue and to justify your choice. While medical schools recognize that applicants to medical school cannot definitively declare what their future specialty will be, they can determine something about your decision-making ability by your answer. Whether you say “primary care” or “neurosurgery,” for example, is less important than why you made your choice; because there is a dearth of medical students choosing primary care, some medical schools have been recruiting applicants who are interested in that area. Do not tell a medical school that you are seeking a field you have no sincere interest in, and be prepared to discuss any interest you do have by demonstrating a personal knowledge of, or experience with, it. If you have no clear preference at this time, it is best to say so in a way that conveys your commitment to the medical profession in general.

Letters of Recommendation

Usually you will be asked to give references from two science faculty, one non-science faculty and, at some state schools, your dean of students. (The point of the latter is to establish your record as a campus citizen.) Get to know your faculty well so that they can write effective letters of recommendation. Choose referees who really know your character, who can discuss your motivation, work ethic, integrity, sense of humor, and caring nature as well as your aptitude for the field.

At Hanover, the Health Careers Advisory Group believes that individual letters of recommendation, based on personal acquaintance with your academic aptitude, are much stronger and more effective than composite letters. Therefore, it does not write committee letters of recommendation for medical school applications. In many cases, the schools that opt to write committee letters do so because classes are too large for any one faculty member to know his or her students well enough to write an individual letter, and because they provide the schools a way to screen out weak applications.

Related Experience

Related Work Experience and Extracurricular Activities

Many medical schools consider experience in a medical setting to be an important factor in discriminating between strong and average applicants. In fact, it is becoming unusual for applicants to lack background in patient contact today. The admission committee examines your work experience for its relatedness to your stated goal in medical school; that is, if you claim an interest in primary care, your experience should reflect this. International medical experience, often gained through accompanying medical missionaries to third world nations, can give you an opportunity to gain hands-on experience at a level that would be impossible at home or in Europe where professional care is available (some possible sites are listed on the Career Center’s Pre-Med Abroad Page). Whether you work full-time in a clinic in Botswana, or on weekends with AIDS patients downtown, be sure to spend time each summer gaining experience in the health field.

What you do with your free time gives additional insight into your character, so extracurricular experience is also evaluated by medical schools. Even if unrelated to the medical field, your hobbies are of interest to medical schools because they indicate a balance in your life that can help you manage the stress of medical school and the medical profession. Active involvement in one or two campus activities can indicate a well-rounded person with an ability to balance academic pursuits with outside interests. Leadership skills developed on-campus are perceived as valuable in the medical profession.

Research Experience

If you are interested in conducting research as a part of your career in medicine, you should gain research experience as an undergraduate. Medical schools see the successful culmination of a research project as evidence of a student’s curiosity, discipline, persistence, and academic maturity, all of which are needed to complete a novel project. (If you are not committed to research, consider gaining experience in a health care setting instead; a mediocre performance in a research lab may result in a poor letter of recommendation and actually harm your application to medical school.) Because scientists approach their experiments in much the same way a doctor must approach a patient, through observation, hypothesis, testing and evaluation, participation in a research project can be seen as a practical form of experience in the processes doctors perform every day. The specific nature of the applicant’s research is not important; rather, medical school admission committees are interested in the applicant’s motivation and success in independent thought and investigation. While most pre-medical students naturally select projects with a medical flavor, field studies in biology, compound syntheses in chemistry, or study of cultures or art also show an active, interested mind.

For this reason, research in any number of venues meets this goal. The most obvious opportunity available for Hanover students is an Independent Study project. Consult with faculty as soon as possible (students at many of the top liberal arts colleges begin their I.S. equivalents in their junior or even sophomore years) to explore the range of questions they address so that you might familiarize yourself with an intriguing project that could last anywhere from a semester to a couple years. At the same time, many research universities offer experiences to undergraduates through programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation or the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, announcements for which are posted by each of the science departments and information from which can be obtained from department faculty or directly from the Web sites of the NSF (www.nsf.gov) or HHMI (www.hhmi.org). In particular the Nation Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/reu/start.htm, has provided Hanover students meaningful and challenging research experience. These programs place students in an active research laboratory and offer a variety of educational experiences to give participants a feel for life in research. They typically last 10 - 12 weeks during the summer and pay participants around $3,500 plus expenses for room, board, and travel to and from home. Many industries, especially pharmaceutical firms, run similar programs; write to the companies directly for information. Finally, visit the Internship Coordinator in the Career Center for further information on programs that might provide practical research experience.

Remember that because applications must be submitted before or early in your senior year, research initiated that year will not be available to admission committees when your case is being considered. More importantly, the nature of research makes it difficult to initiate and complete a project in a semester or even a year. See a faculty member soon to discuss available projects.

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Alternatives to Allopathic (MD) Medicine

Throughout your undergraduate education, you should consider alternatives to medical school. The Career Center offers career guidance, a range of assessment tools, and an excellent resource library to help you discover the career that would best suit you (see Appendix A). The Peterson’s Guides to Graduate and Professional School list all accredited schools in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and are divided by program. Be sure also to take advantage of extensive Internet resources for virtually every field within the health care industry (see Appendix E for a list of critical sites).

Recent Hanover students have gone on to schools of dentistry, osteopathy, naturopathy, veterinary medicine, pharmacology, podiatry, optometry, physical therapy, nutrition, and others. Below are overviews of five of these options.

Osteopathy

The field of Osteopathic Medicine, which was begun as a reform movement in the late nineteenth century, is a widely respected alternative to allopathic medicine in the U.S. Originally based on a holistic philosophy, this area of medicine evaluates the whole body as its various systems interrelate in diagnosis and treatment, and is thus traditionally a primary care area. As you consider osteopathy, remember that osteopathy programs seek applicants who are genuinely interested in their field rather than those who apply merely as a way to improve their odds of acceptance to a medical program. Graduates of osteopathic school are awarded the degree Doctor of Osteopathy, or D.O. (not to be confused with the O.D. of Optometrists). D.O.s and M.D.s work and train side-by-side and are eligible for the same residencies.

While the admission requirements vary for each of the 19 U.S. osteopathic schools, they generally include one academic year of English, Biology, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and Physics ( i.e. the same requirements as in allopathic medical school). Because admission to osteopathic colleges is competitive, it is advisable to check the grade point average standards of the particular schools to which you are applying. All osteopathy programs require the MCAT. Participation in extracurricular activities pertaining to osteopathic medicine and community service through internships or summer employment is strongly encouraged.

Akin to applications to allopathic schools, applying to osteopathic colleges is centralized. You will send one application to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) along with one set of official transcripts and your MCAT scores. The service then distributes your documents to the osteopathic schools you specify. Upon receipt of your AACOMAS application, the schools will request you to furnish supplementary materials which typically include two or three letters of recommendation from your professors, a letter of evaluation from an osteopathic doctor, and possibly other documents which vary depending on the college.

Veterinary Medicine

Although the number of veterinary schools exceeds that of the osteopathic colleges, the competition for admission is often much keener. There are 28 veterinary schools in the United States and 5 in Canada. You should be aware that they generally prefer students from their own states or the states that contract with them due to local unavailability of veterinary schools. Very limited quotas are reserved for non-residents with figures varying from school to school. International students should note that some veterinary colleges will not consider their applications at all. The ones that do will place them in extremely competitive applicant pools with the U.S. out-of-state residents.

As in allopathic and osteopathic medicine, grade point average and test scores are critical factors of the application. While the ranges of the former vary depending on the school and the applicant’s resident status, the intricacies of the latter are to be explored with particular attention. The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) now includes all veterinary schools in the U.S. and four in Canada. Many of these accept the GRE only as the required standardized test (Purdue is one of them) and the remaining require various combinations of the GRE, GRE Biology test, MCAT or Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT). The GRE is offered year-round at Prometric Test Centers.

Currently, US Veterinary schools require all candidates to submit their applications through VMCAS; it is always advisable to check the school’s policy regarding this matter. Just as with medical schools, personal interviews are a must. Likewise, relevant internships and summer experience are virtually required by most veterinary schools. In fact, schools expect significant extracurricular work experience with animals, preferably under the guidance of a veterinarian. While deadlines for application range from October to December, you are strongly encouraged to apply in early summer.

Pre-professional preparatory curricula vary; however, they all generally include at least 2 semesters of general biology, 2 semesters of general and organic chemistry each, 2 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of English, 1 semester of statistics, and various courses in biological, behavioral, and other sciences. Note that different veterinary colleges have considerably different pre-professional course requirements. Make sure your workload matches or exceeds the minimum of the schools to which you intend to apply.

Dentistry

The dental school application process is similar to that of other health-related programs. All fifty-five dental schools are members of the American Association of Dental Schools (AADS), nearly all of whom participate in the association’s application service (AADSAS).

Dental schools place a great weight on the academic achievements of the candidate; grade point average and the DAT (Dental Admission Test) scores are the two most important. AADSAS calculates a variety of grade point averages including that in the sciences (with the emphasis on biology, chemistry, and physics) and the cumulative grade point average. Note that if you repeated a course, both grades will be used in calculating your grade point average.

While minimum and recommended course requirements vary from school to school, the general rule is that the candidates should have had at least one year in each of the following: English, biology, physics, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and English. Dental schools recommend an emphasis on biology over chemistry in undergraduate course work.

The list of requirements also includes letters of recommendation, interviews, and “an assessment of the motivation and personal qualities of the applicant” as demonstrated through internships,summer experience, and extracurricular activities. Most of the deadlines are in fall, with some schools making admission decisions before January. Be sure to apply early!

Optometry

Optometrists (O.D.) examine eyes for the presence of disease or other abnormalities, and for vision abilities. They prescribe corrective lenses or treatments, and refer medical problems relating to the eye to other health-care providers. (Optometry should not be confused with Ophthalmology, a branch of medicine practiced by MDs with extensive post-graduate training who provide medical and surgical care of the eye).

There are nineteen accredited optometry schools in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada (including Université de Montréal which is open only to Canadian residents). Application deadlines are typically between February and April, but as a few occur as early as December 31, you should check for the schools that interest you.

All schools require that applicants take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), offered year round at Prometric Test Centers. The test format is as follows: Survey of Natural Science (90 minutes), Physics Test (50 minutes), rest (15 minutes), unscored pretest (25 minutes), Reading Comprehension Test (50 minutes), and Quantitative Reasoning Test (45 minutes).

Podiatric Medicine

Podiatrists (D.P.M.) specialize in the care and treatment of the human foot, working in clinics, hospitals, or private practice. Specialties within the field include orthopedics, primary care, surgery and sports medicine.

There are only seven accredited schools of podiatric medicine in the U.S.; most require that applicants take the MCAT though a few will consider GRE, DAT, or PCAT scores. Schools admitting students without an undergraduate degree require at least 90 undergraduate credit hours for admission. Typical undergraduate course requirements include biology, physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry, but vary between schools. There is no centralized application service for Podiatric Medicine. Individual schools’ application deadlines vary between April and July.

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What if You Don't Get Accepted?

One of the most common medical school interview questions is “What will you do if you don’t get accepted?” Don’t be caught off-guard: consider alternatives to medicine throughout your undergraduate years and choose a major that you would find interesting even if you abandoned your plan to pursue medical school. Come to the Career Center for individual career counseling and to take a range of assessment instruments to help you select or confirm career goals. And remember, being “turned down” doesn’t mean you were considered unsuited for the field; the applicant pool may have been particularly strong this year.

If You Want to Reapply:

• Contact the admissions offices at the schools to which you applied to find out the reasons you were not accepted; they are happy to help you to understand how to strengthen your application. Work to improve your weaknesses.
• Save copies of all materials (applications essays, MCAT scores, catalogs, etc.) so that you can adapt them to your current situation when you reapply.
• Consider a Master’s program in a field you find interesting. A variety of M. S. programs in the biomedical field are appropriate, as are more general programs such as anatomy, biochemistry, general biology, cell biology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, physiology, neurobiology/neuropsychology or zoology. As your goal is to improve your academic credentials, be sure to do very well.
• Some medical schools offer Master’s programs specifically intended to improve the chances of unsuccessful applicants when they reapply to medical school. The MSAR and the AAMC web at http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ provide a national listing of such programs.
• Show your commitment to the field: work a health setting or in laboratory research while you wait to reapply.

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Health Careers Advisory Group

2009- 2010 Members

Chair: Dr. John Krantz, Psychology Department, Science Centerl 151, x7316, krantzj
Dr. Steve Boone, Chem Dept, SCC 233 x7256 boone
Dr. Jennifer Osterhage, Bio Dept, SCC 206 x7243 osterhage
Dr. Mike Worrell, Exercise Sci Dept, SCC 104 x7235 worrel
Ms. Margaret Krantz, Career Center, 2nd Floor Campus Center, x7126, krantzm

Purpose

The purposes of the Health Careers Advisory Group are:

• To inform students of the range of options available in health-related fields,

• To help students assess their aptitude for the health professions,

• To advise students about curricular decisions in order to ensure that they meet their pre-health career education while fulfilling general degree and major requirements,

• To help students assess their aptitude for the health professions, and

• To assist students in identifying and applying to health science schools.

   

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Related Resources in the Career Center

Career Resource Library

Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

ADEA Official Guide to Dental School, ADEA, 2008 .

Get into Medical School: A Guide for the Perplexed, Kenneth V. Iserson, 2004.

Medical School Admission Requirements, Association of American Medical Colleges, 2009 - 2010.

Meeting the Challenge of the MCAT, NAAHP, 2003.

Nursing Programs, Peterson's Guide, 2003.

Peterson's Game Plan for Getting into Medical School, Peterson's Guides, 2000.

Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements 2008 Edition, Association of American Medical Colleges, 2008 .

Write for Success, Preparing a Successful Professional School Essay, Evelyn Jackson, 2005.

Other Health Careers

Academic Careers in Dentistry DVD, ADEA, 2003.

Become a Physican Assistant DVD, AAPA, 2007.

Career Opportunities in Health Care, Shelly Field, 2007.

Careers in Focus: Alternative Health Care, Ferguson Publishing, 1999.

Careers in Focus: Geriatric Care, Ferguson Publishing, 2002.

Careers in Focus: Physicians, Ferguson Publishing, 2000.

Careers in Health Care, Barbara Swanson, 2000.

The Complete Guide to the MD/PhD Degree, Ben Rosner, 2004.

Finding Work in Global Health, Garth and Patricia Osborn, 1999.

Job Opportunities for Health and Science, Peterson's Guides, 1999.

Official Guide to Dental Schools: 39th Edition, ADEA, 2001.

Opportunities in Dental Care Careers, Bonnie Kendall, 2001.

Opportunities in Occupational Therapy Careers, Zona Weeks, 2001.

Opportunities in Osteopathic Medicine Careers, Terence Sacks, 2001.

Osteopathic Medical College Information Book, AACom, 2009 .

Planning your Career in Alternative Medicine, Dianne Lyons, 2000.