This presentation is This presentation is courtesy of the Middle courtesy of the Middle

Tennessee State University Tennessee State University Student National Medical Student National Medical

Association Association GETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOLGETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL

We Want to See You at the We Want to See You at the White Coat Ceremony!White Coat Ceremony!

The goal of this The goal of this presentation is to show presentation is to show you how to:you how to:

1.1. Take the right Take the right coursescourses..

2.2. Prepare and sign up for Prepare and sign up for the the MCATMCAT

3.3. Apply effectively to Apply effectively to AMCASAMCAS and and AACOMASAACOMAS

4.4. Make powerful Make powerful Personal Statements Personal Statements

5.5. CrackCrack thethe 2 2º º ApplicationApplication

6.6. Powerful InterviewsPowerful Interviews

What Courses Should I What Courses Should I Take?Take?

Courses that will prepare you for the material and work Courses that will prepare you for the material and work load inherent with medical school. See your advisor to load inherent with medical school. See your advisor to obtain specific course requirements for medical school.obtain specific course requirements for medical school.

Hard sciences will prepare you for the work load; Hard sciences will prepare you for the work load; Biochem, Cell and Molec., Physiology, Embryology, Biochem, Cell and Molec., Physiology, Embryology, Histology, Medical Chemistry, Human Genetics, Histology, Medical Chemistry, Human Genetics, Diagnostic Micro., Immun., and others will all prepare Diagnostic Micro., Immun., and others will all prepare you for the material.you for the material.

Registering and Studying Registering and Studying for the MCAT.for the MCAT.

First you have to know where to sign-up for it:First you have to know where to sign-up for it:

http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htmhttp://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm1.1. Register for the MCAT at the appropriate time.Register for the MCAT at the appropriate time.2.2. Make sure you know what subjects are Make sure you know what subjects are

covered in the MCAT. covered in the MCAT. 3.3. Study, Study, Study: this is where all those Study, Study, Study: this is where all those

hours of Organic, Physics, Biology, and Verbal hours of Organic, Physics, Biology, and Verbal reasoning will pay off.reasoning will pay off.

4.4. Many have done well with a Kaplan or Many have done well with a Kaplan or Princeton Review class. Others have studied Princeton Review class. Others have studied independently. If you sign up for a class, make independently. If you sign up for a class, make sure you can balance it and do all the work.sure you can balance it and do all the work.

Primary (electronic ) Primary (electronic ) Applications to Medical Applications to Medical

SchoolSchool Whether you are applying to MD or DO Whether you are applying to MD or DO

programs, your primary medical school programs, your primary medical school application will be done on a website.application will be done on a website.

MD: MD:

http://www.aamc.orghttp://www.aamc.org

DO:DO:

http://aacomas.aacom.org/http://aacomas.aacom.org/

Remember every step costs money, for 7 Remember every step costs money, for 7 schools it can cost as much as $350. MCAT schools it can cost as much as $350. MCAT scores have to be submitted to AACOMAS via scores have to be submitted to AACOMAS via the THX system.the THX system.

Personal StatementsPersonal Statements

Be yourself: honesty is the best policy, it Be yourself: honesty is the best policy, it doesn’t take a PhD, DO, or MD to figure out doesn’t take a PhD, DO, or MD to figure out if you are untrue.if you are untrue.

Tell them effectively why you want to go Tell them effectively why you want to go and why you feel you are an excellent and why you feel you are an excellent candidate.candidate.

Be passionate- if you want it, they will know!Be passionate- if you want it, they will know! Be unique. What have you done in your life Be unique. What have you done in your life

and who are you that sets you apart. and who are you that sets you apart. Revise, Revise, Revise. Get multiple people Revise, Revise, Revise. Get multiple people

to read your statement (your advisor, an to read your statement (your advisor, an English professor, family member, friend, English professor, family member, friend, professor, etc.). professor, etc.).

Where Should I Apply?Where Should I Apply?

Factors to Keep In Mind When Applying Factors to Keep In Mind When Applying to Medical Schools:to Medical Schools:

1.1. Know where you have a realistic chance Know where you have a realistic chance (residency status, GPA, MCAT, school mission (residency status, GPA, MCAT, school mission reflects your goals, location, etc.). reflects your goals, location, etc.).

2.2. Pending your competitiveness, do not apply Pending your competitiveness, do not apply too late or too early to medical school.too late or too early to medical school.

3.3. Keep your support system close by to help Keep your support system close by to help you make decisions: family, friends, advisors, you make decisions: family, friends, advisors, pre-professional organizations, professorspre-professional organizations, professors

4.4. Apply to many (Apply to many (>5) schools, where you can >5) schools, where you can see yourself going.see yourself going.

5.5. Money – save up for interviews, flights, hotel Money – save up for interviews, flights, hotel stays, etc. It can get expensive.stays, etc. It can get expensive.

Secondary ApplicationsSecondary Applications

Often times you will have to include:Often times you will have to include:1.1. Personal InformationPersonal Information2.2. Letter of recommendation writers’ info, Letter of recommendation writers’ info,

Address, Phone, relationship, etc.Address, Phone, relationship, etc.3.3. Essays: each is different, let experienced Essays: each is different, let experienced

people (i.e. they have helped people into people (i.e. they have helped people into Med school) critique a draft of your essay. Med school) critique a draft of your essay. Then just polish till you have the final Then just polish till you have the final product. product.

4.4. Be VERY careful, have some white-out!Be VERY careful, have some white-out!5.5. MONEY-» from $50-150 per secondary MONEY-» from $50-150 per secondary

applicatoin!applicatoin!6.6. Your preprofessional interview Your preprofessional interview

recommendation must be sent to Medical recommendation must be sent to Medical schools during this time.schools during this time.

Secondary ApplicationsSecondary Applications

Invitations to fill out secondary Invitations to fill out secondary application may be sent via e-mail.application may be sent via e-mail.

This application will be on the college’s This application will be on the college’s web-site, often through a special link in web-site, often through a special link in your e-mail. your e-mail.

Others will come in the mail, along with Others will come in the mail, along with the application itself.the application itself.

Fill it out as soon as you get it; if you are Fill it out as soon as you get it; if you are waiting on one, look at the colleges waiting on one, look at the colleges website. There may be a copy of it website. There may be a copy of it posted (see example link below)posted (see example link below)

http://www.lecom.edu/lecom/application/Erieapp2005.pdfhttp://www.lecom.edu/lecom/application/Erieapp2005.pdf

InterviewsInterviews

This is where your This is where your chances of getting chances of getting into medical into medical school become a school become a reality. A good reality. A good interview can interview can make all the make all the difference difference towards towards acceptance into a acceptance into a medical school. medical school. Be prepared!Be prepared!

Decision LettersDecision Letters

Rejection: if hundreds or Rejection: if hundreds or thousands are interviewed, and thousands are interviewed, and only 60-250 are accepted, only 60-250 are accepted, probability says you may get probability says you may get rejected. Remember if you get rejected. Remember if you get rejected by 10 and apply to 11 rejected by 10 and apply to 11 good schools, you’re going to a good schools, you’re going to a good medical school.good medical school.

Acceptance: Let the work begin Acceptance: Let the work begin (next-slide).(next-slide).

AcceptanceAcceptance

They usually will want right They usually will want right away:away:

1.1. Tuition Deposit: ($500-$2000)Tuition Deposit: ($500-$2000)

2.2. History/Physical w/ special req.’sHistory/Physical w/ special req.’s

3.3. Proof of Degree/final transcriptProof of Degree/final transcript

4.4. Proof of Health and Life InsuranceProof of Health and Life Insurance

5.5. Proof of Immunizations to a Proof of Immunizations to a HOSTHOST of of diseasesdiseases

6.6. Money for a criminal background Money for a criminal background checkcheck

Why Become A Why Become A Physician?Physician?

Not for the mansion, but to help Not for the mansion, but to help people in a challenging, people in a challenging, rewarding field!rewarding field!