Preparing for Professional School

Julian Smith III9/15 & 9/17 2014

Overview

Year-by-Year--a plan Numbers, Grades, and Scores

FreshmanYear

Get to know your colleagues

Get to know your advisor

High grades expected, but excel in at least one science course each semester

Meet at least one professional in your field

Research your career Research your

professional schools Come to Club Med

meetings…..

Freshman Year

Get to know your colleagues Most students that do well in pre-med-type courses

form study groups In addition, tutoring another student is an excellent

way to learn It helps to know others who’re spending their

evenings studying when “everyone else” is going out……

Freshman Year

Get to know your advisor This person will be writing letters of recommendation for

you in three years. Go by and introduce yourself now (if you haven’t already) When you go to advising sessions, be organized:

Handbook for biology majors (on the dept. web site) Has a course checklist for your degree program

Course catalogue “Advising” sheets (see Club Med Website “Links”) Entry requirements for your professional schools

Freshman Year Excel in at least one of your science courses:

Career Biol 204 Biol 300 A&P Chem I &

II

Organic I & II

Physics WU GPA Biol GPA

MSBiol (n=19)

2.92 3.35 2.1 3.002.67

2.382.89

2.64 3.21 2.99

PharmD(n=2)

3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.18 3.01

Phys Ass’t(n=2)

3.5 3.5 3.5 32,5

2.0 3.29 3.20

Phys Ther(n=4)

3.25 3.25 3.5 2.752.75

22

3.5 3.42 3.32

Dental(n=5)

3.4 3.4 3.5 3.63.4

3.02.6

3.5 3.48 3.32

Vet(n=7)

3.17 3.43 2.86 3.573.0

3.03.29

3.75 3.42 3.27

Med(n=11)

3.63 3.45 3.5 3.913.73

3.643.36

3.75 3.67 3.64

PhD(n=8)

3.8 3.88 3.0 3.633.13

3.43.25

3.0 3.74 3.62

Data from Biology majors going on to pre-professional programs for which n=2 or greater, spring ‘01-spr’06

Freshman Year

Meet at least one professional in your prospective field “Shadowing” or “Volunteering”

Learn about the career-his/her likes/dislikes How did he/she get there? As much “patient contact” as possible

Freshman Year

Research your career Professional societies Applications services Career Prospects

Freshman Year

Research your professional schools In-state usually should be first choice Admissions requirements

Often quite comparable nationwide Use for planning your courses Give your advisor a copy

Sophomore Year

Continue the tasks you began last year

Research your admissions test(s)

Begin a systematic study plan for those tests

Find a summer internship/research opportunity

Research your admissions process

Sophomore Year

Research your admissions test(s) Pre-Med – MCAT (now new in 2015)

www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/ Pre-Dental – DAT

http://www.ada.org/dat.aspx Pre-VET – GRE or MCAT

https://www.avma.org/public/Careers/Pages/vet-school-admission-101.aspx

Sophomore Year

Begin a systematic study plan Get the review book or software for “your” test,

and treat studying for it just like another class Don’t get rid of needed course notes and texts!

Sophomore Year Find a summer internship/research opportunity

Summer internship-start with the professional you met Dr. Dimaculangan (Biology chair) coordinates internships Biology course credit is available for internships

Summer research opportunity Announced in late November/ early December -- closing

dates often about the same time as you return from break NIH INBRE Biomedical research at W.U.

Sophomore Year Research your admissions process

Nationwide application service Medical School--AMCAS

2014 deadlines – Nov 3rd for MUSC; Dec 1st USC-SOM Dental School -- AADSAS

2014 deadline – Dec 1st for MUSC Vet School -- VMCAS

2014 deadlines – Oct 2nd for VMCAS

Have your application in at LEAST 1 month before the deadlines!

Junior Year

Continue the tasks…. Plan to take your professional test in the Spring or early summer

Set up another summer internship/research experience

Plan your admissions process

Visit your schools

Junior Year

Plan to take your professional test in the spring Take the professional test review course Test applications must on-line

Junior Year

Set up a summer internship/research experience Can continue one from previous year, or do

something new Junior year is an excellent time to get involved in

on-campus undergraduate research

Junior Year Plan your admissions process

Find out about deadlines, secondaries, interviews, etc Range from Oct. 1 to February 1, depending on

program Primary/secondary in Med School and Dental

School Select your admissions committee (three faculty members) Decide who’ll write your other two letters

Interpersonal skills “Care and compassion” Professional experience

Junior Year

Visit your schools Schools often have programs for visiting students

(e.g. “Day in the Life of a Med. Student”) Read about the school and be prepared before you

visit Schools view themselves as “distinctive”-find out

what those areas are (e.g.-training family-practice physicians).

Senior Year

Applying early is better than late…

Write your application essay and have your committee read/critique it before you mail it.

Meet with your committee for interview

Finish your application If you are invited for an

on-campus interview, prepare for it!

Then wait…………….

Medical School Statistics

Nationwide MCAT GPA

Applied 45,266 28.3 3.54

Matriculated 19,517 31.2* 3.68

*Three points higher than 15 years ago. Study, Study, Study

Does Major Matter?

½

¼

Major in “Plan B”

What would you do for a career if you woke up in the middle of your sophomore year CERTAIN that you didn’t want to be a Doctor (Dentist, Veterinarian)?

Whatever that is should be your major

Resources

Club Med (www.birdnest.org/clubmed) Faculty—your advisor