PREPARING TO BE A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
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Preparing for Medical School and Other Health Professions
Although this is directed at premed students, this guide is for anyone applying to professional schools of dentistry, veterinary, optometry, osteopathy, and podiatry as well as those interested in PT and PA programs.

• GPA and MCAT (or DAT, OAT, etc)
  Grades in college and score on the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) are the most significant factors in medical school admissions. The higher your grades and MCAT score, the greater your chances of admission to the medical school of your choice.  Scholarships are also decided based on your ACADEMIC credentials.  Although volunteer work, research and leadership roles are extremely important, they cannot substitute for solid academic performance.

• Letters of Recommendation
  Health professions schools require letters of recommendation from individual faculty or a Health Professions Committee letter if your institution has one in place.  Hunter requires that you have a file with our office a minimum of 6 evaluations from science lectures and six evaluations from science labs in order to receive a letter from our Committee.  These evaluations can be supplemented with letters of recommendation from non-science faculty, from your job, your research, and/or from your volunteer experiences. In addition, you must have a science GPA of at least 3.3 in order to qualify (GPA Calculator).  Please visit our office to discuss any concerns you may have regarding this policy. 

• Personal Statement
  Medical and dental schools all interview candidates for admission and your personal statement is one of the most important determining factors in whether a school is interested in you as a candidate. Yours should be well-written, succinct and provide information about your motivation for a career in medicine and the qualities you possess that make you a good candidate. There are many websites that offer advice on how to write the personal statement.

• Extracurricular Activities, Employment and Internship Experiences
  Health profession school candidates are all academically similar; you take the same courses and competitive students have very similar GPA’s. Your extracurricular activities provide differences in the application that can sway a medical school to take you over someone else.  Medical schools value leadership ability. Demonstrating leadership in one or two areas is preferable to listing a large number of activities. Medically-related activities shows your knowledge of the profession and you’re your interest in helping others. Computer skills, teaching ability, participation in sports, music or dance are all good ways to show your unique talents. Whatever activities you choose to do, you want to be able to show that you are a motivated, disciplined person, who pursues your interests with passion and maturity.

• The Interview Process
  This is the single most important aspect of the application process. The interviewer will ascertain how well you will fit into their class so this is the best opportunity you will have to sell yourself.

• Personal/Diversity Factors
  Factors such as race, socioeconomic and personal background can influence admissions decisions to some degree but students who rely on these factors alone will find it difficult to gain admission to a US medical school.

• Financing Your Health Professions Education
  Health professions’ training is an expensive enterprise!  This should not discourage you but make you aware of how crucial it will be for early preparation.
  
  Medical/dental school students, on average, graduate with $100,000 of debt after four years.  Your residency training period will pay somewhere between $35-40K. Your Mercedes Benz/dream house/early retirement will not be available to you at this rate until you’ve finished your residency training and several years of practice. However, with proper budgeting and planning, http://www.aamc.org/students/financing/md2/phase1/pdf/phase1.i.pdf, now you can make that Benz work for you by the time your training is complete. Discipline, a willingness to sacrifice now for big rewards later, and a smart attitude about how to have others finance your education will make your financial future secure and bright.

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THE MCAT EXAM

• Three sections are scored numerically: verbal reasoning, physical sciences, biological sciences.
• Each of these sections has a maximum score of 15. Overall maximum total: 45
• The mean of each section is approximately 8.1
• The writing section is scored by letter grade: J-T (does not add to 45).
• Minority students, on average, need scores at or above the mean in every section. (9 out of 15)
• The better your scores, the more opportunities open for scholarships, combined programs, etc.

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What Courses Should You Have Before the Exam

• General Chemistry (102/103 and 104/105 or 111 and 112)
• Organic Chemistry (Chemistry 222/223 and 224/225)
• General Biology (100 and 102)
• Cell Biology (Biology 200 and 202)
• General Physics I and II (110 and 120 or 111 and 121)
• Suggested additional courses: Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, Genetics, Biophysics

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Test-Taking Strategies

• Begin preparing at least 9 months before the exam.
• Study on your own.
• Purchase review books and online practice tests.
• Form a study group.
• Take a prep course. (Kaplan, Princeton Review, Dr. Flowers MCAT)
• Take many full length practice exams.
• Try to do all of the above!!!

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Other Exams
Other health professions schools require their own exams:

• Dental School                   DAT (Examinee Guide)
• Optometry School            OAT
• Vet School                         GRE or VCAT
• MD/PhD Programs           MCAT and GRE
• Pharmacy                           GRE/PCAT
• Physical Therapy              GRE
• Physician Assistant          GRE or other exam (check with individual programs)

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Cost of Applying

• Professional exams range from $100-$200. Many have fee waivers. http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/start.htm
• Review courses cost upwards of $1500. Reduced fees are given with documentation of financial need for some courses (Kaplan, Dr. Flowers MCAT and Princeton Review)
• Application costs include fees for the AMCAS application (or other applications) as well as fees for supplemental applications.
• Supplemental fees range between $40-125.00 per institution.
• Remember there are costs associated with travel; fares for air, bus, train; hotels; transportation to and from airport, bus, train, etc.
• You will need to purchase professional attire - suits or dresses. No pant suit, ladies; medical schools are full of conservative older men who still believe that a professional woman wears skirts and dresses, not slacks! No heavy beards or mustaches for the gentlemen either!

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Personal Qualities to Highlight

• Initiative
• Integrity
• Leadership
• Compassion
• Dedication
• Empathy
• Communication Skills
• People Skills
• Love To: Read, Learn, Teach
• Analytical Skills
• Tenacity
• Perseverance
• Responsibility
• Maturity

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Activities

• Get involved in school-based clubs.
• Volunteer at a hospital or clinic.
• Organize a food, clothing, or health information drive.
• Tutor in science subjects and/or other courses you excel in.
• Organize study groups.
• Get a job & pay cash for everything!!

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How to Choose the Best School for Your Needs

• Begin thinking about what you like and don’t like:  big school, lots of people who know you, small classes
• Cost of education - how much are you willing to spend?
• Resources: tutoring, note-taking services, research, study-aboard
• Support services - spouse, children

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What to Do If You Don't Get Accepted

• Don’t panic!
• Review your credentials with your advisor and schools that rejected you
• Determine what needs to be enhanced.
• Look at additional courses or graduate school.
• Decide when to begin the application process again.
• Review other health career options: PA, PT, MPH.
• Show the tenacity and perseverance medical schools look for!

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What Not To Do

• Do not begin thinking foreign medical schools!!!!
• Do not begin the process over again without making corrections to either your GPA or exam scores.
• Do not allow others to sway you if you decide to continue on this path but recognize when its time to move on.

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Addional Sources of Information

Getting Into Medical School: A Planning Guide for Minority Students - published by Williams and Wilkins @ 1-800-358-3583

Medical School Admission Requirements - published by The Association of American Medical Colleges @ http://www.aamc.org

• http://www.Explorehealthcareers.org
• http://www.healthprofessions.org/
• http://www.Drflowersmcat.com 

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