ON THE ROAD TO THE MEDICAL FIELD

Leticia Nieto, Loyola University Chicago

Matt Sheahan, Bloom Trail High School

Joe Serdar, Loyola University Chicago

Where Are We?

2010 Census: Population 308.7 million 9.7% increase

since 2000

Baby Boomer generation retiring

Decreased access to health care among

underserved populations

Continued heated debate on health care reform

Americans living longer

Where We Are Headed

By 2018, health care will

generate 3.2 million jobs across all fields

US depends on international medical schools for 30%

of their residents and

fellows.

Increased demand for

qualified students!!!

Is this the right way?

Working with people (animals) of all kind

Working in a team/independently

Comfortable/proficient in science

Familiar with the work that is actually

done day-to-day

Time!!

Student loans!!

Changing Directions: It’s not the end of the road

Careers in the health care industry are

not just for doctors and nurses

Assist with patients,

work in labs, work

in a pharmacy,

maintain records,

and manage offices

Years of study can range from 2 to 10+

There Is More Than One Destination

Allied Health Professions

EMT/PARAMEDIC DENTAL HYGIENIST MEDICAL AIDE HEALTHCARE INTERPRETER HOME CARE ASSISTANT MEDICAL ASSISTANT NURSES ASSISTANT MEDICAL CODER/BILLER PHARMACY TECHNICIAN LICENSED PRACTICAL

NURSE (LPN) OPTICIAN VETERINARY ASSISTANT

Salary Range $19K to $35K+

Time of Study1-3 Years

Demand will increase an avg of 35% by

2016*

*Department of Labor Statistics

There Is More Than One Destination

Nursing

BSN (674) RN TO BSN (650) ACCELERATED BSN (223) LPN TO BSN (151)

Salary Range $25K to

$75K+

Time of Study1-8 Years

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Registered Nurse (RN)

Bachelors in Nursing (BSN) Accelerated BSN

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Pre-Med

There Is More Than One Destination

M.D. (133 US, 17 CANADIAN) D.O (26) B.S/M.D (5%) American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Salary Range $75K to $150K+

Time of Study11+ years

Median Tuition (including living expenses)

State School: $44,000Private School: $62,000

16,000 students graduate with an M.D. every year, 3,000 graduate with D.O.

20% of all new U.S. medical students are studying at a college of osteopathic medicine.

Many physicians and surgeons work long, irregular hours.

Acceptance to medical school is highly competitive.

Job opportunities should be very good, particularly in rural and low-income areas.

Other Pre-Health

There Is More Than One Destination

Salary Range $75K to $150K+

Dentistry 8+ years

Optometry 8+ years

Podiatry 8+ years

Veterinary 8 years

Pharmacy 6-8 years

Physical Therapy 7 years

Physicians Assistant 3 -6 years

There Is More Than One Destination

Median Income: $53,000 Clinical Lab Sciences 4 yr degree in sciences

Health Systems Management 4+ years

Social Worker 54 percent of jobs are in

healthcare and social assistance industries

M.SW. highly recommended or even required.

Related Fields

Median Income: $80,000

Median Income: $39,000

HIGH SCHOOL ADVISING FOR PRE-MED

Matt Sheahan

Counselor

Bloom Trail High School

Chicago Heights, IL

I wanted to be a doctor . . .

What influences our students?

Realistic Expectations

I want to be a doctor, but . . . I am failing bio I just don’t like math/science I don’t test well I don’t care about my classes beyond math

and science I don’t like school

Realistic Expectations

Time commitment 4 years in undergrad 4 years in Medical School 3-7 years in Residency

11 – 15 years of training!Nearly as long as most of our students have

been alive

Realistic Expectations

Cost In 1992, the average debt of a medical

doctor after residency was $25,000. For the class of 2009, the average debt of a medical student is $157,990 and 25.1% of students had debt in excess of $200,000. These figures have increased between 5-6% per year over the last decade.

Realistic Expectations

Attrition It is estimated that between 80% to 90% of

all students that indicate an interest in Pre Med while in college will never actually apply to medical school

Only half of those that take the MCAT will apply to medical school

Just over 40% of those who apply to medical school are accepted

In 2010/2011 there are 42,742 applicants for only 18,665 spots

Realistic Expectations

Academic Performance Grade performance in high school is the

best predictor of academic success in college

Competitive candidates for med school admission are expected to have an overall GPA > 3.5, but also a math/science GPA >3.5

Academic Advising for Pre Med in High School

From the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Medical school admission requirements vary from school

to school. In general, most medical schools will expect applicants to have completed the following types of courses: One year of biology One year of physics One year of English Two years of chemistry (through organic chemistry)

In addition 40% of medical schools require Calculus to be taken at the college level

The humanities are also important. Humanities majors are admitted to medical schools at a much higher rate than life science majors

Academic Advising

For students interested in Pre Med it is important they take a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum in high school including: Biology Chemistry Physics Pre-Calculus

AP Courses?

It is good for students to take AP coursework as it should give you the most comprehensive foundation in a particular subject area, however transferring in credit from AP examinations may actually hurt a student when applying to medical school “Some medical schools do accept Advanced Placement

credit to satisfy pre-med admissions requirements, many do not. Nor are the individual schools entirely clear or consistent on this matter. Even if a certain medical or health professional school does accept AP credit, you will be a much stronger candidate for admission if you take your science courses in college.” http://premed.georgetown.edu/courses/apcredits/

Testing

Obviously testing poorly will limit a student’s opportunities for college admission

Unfortunately the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), a standardized test, is a critical component of medical school admission

Generally, to be considered competitive for med school admission students are expected to score a 30 on the three part multiple choice portion of the test with no subscores below a 9

MCAT

“There is probably no single more important criterion for admission to medical school today that your performance on the MCAT. Because it is hard for admission committees to rate one college against another, the MCAT provides a level standard by which all candidates may be compared. The MCAT is one path in the admissions process that everyone must follow.”

--Sanford J. Brown,

Getting into medical school: the premedical student's guidebook

College Counseling for Pre Med Students need to know that they must

complete an undergraduate degree first Similarly students can not major in

obstetrics, psychiatry, or cardiology while in college.

Nor will their major be “Pre-Med” Students can major in anything, science

related or otherwise, provided they are also taking the necessary preparatory classes for medical school

College Counseling for Pre Med Just because an undergraduate program

is more competitive for admission does not mean it will provide a better pre-medical education

Students are admitted to med school based on their own merits

Students with lesser credentials are not given an advantage for having gone to a “better” school

College Counseling for Pre Med What to look for in a Pre Medical program

Strong science programs Excellent lab resources Opportunities to interact and engage with faculty Established and comprehensive pre med advising

program Opportunities to explore your passions outside of

the sciences Meaningful service/volunteer opportunities

Dual Degree and Accelerated Programs http://services.aamc.org/currdir/

Resources to Explore the Medical Field While Still in High School

Summer Programs http://services.aamc.org/summerprograms/

Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) http://www.smdep.org/

National Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine http://nylf.org/med/

LeadAmerica http://www.lead-america.org/conferences/cslc/medicine.asp

Volunteer at local hospital, clinic or assistive care facility

Resources

Aspiring Docshttp://www.aspiringdocs.org/

Association of American Medical Collegeshttps://www.aamc.org/students/

Brown, Sanford J. Getting into medical school: The premedical student's guidebook

ONCE THEY’RE IN…

What to expect as an undergrad

“…A sick patient does not represent a biochemistry problem, an anatomy problem, a genetic problem, or an immunology problem rather, each person is the product of myriad molecular, cellular, genetic, environmental, and social influences that interact in complex ways to determine health and disease.”

-New England Journal of Medicine, 2008

Medical Education

Nursing-Accredited Programs for BSN

-Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

-National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)

What Does It Take?-Nursing

“…Curriculum includes cultural, ethnic and socially diverse concepts…”

NLNAC Standards and Criteria-BSN programs, 2008

What Does It Take?-Nursing

Traditional- 2 Years of prereqs- Internal application to nursing

Direct Entry- Begins nursing classes earlier

- Still takes similar prereqs

What Does It Take?-Nursing

TraditionalFreshman & Sophomore

-Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy

- Writing, Psychology, Statistics

Junior & Senior-Nursing Theory & Practice

-Clinical Rotations

What Does It Take?-Nursing

Direct EntryFreshman & Sophomore

- Writing, Psychology, Statistics

- Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy

- Intro to nursing, intro to theory, simulation

Junior & Senior-Advanced theory & practice

-Clinical Rotations

-Remaining liberal arts courses

What Does It Take?-Nursing

Licensing- Done through state boards

- Standardized national exam

-NCLEX (Spring/summer of senior year)

-Computer-based test of practical nursing knowledge and general cognitive ability

-85% Pass rate for US college educated nursing candidates

What Does It Take?-Nursing

Freshman1 Year General Biology*1 Year General Chemistry*1 Year MathematicsEnglish*Must have labs

What Does It Take?-PreProfessional

Sophomore1 Year Physics*1 Year Organic Chemistry*English*Must have labs

KNOW YOUR PROFESSORS!

What Does It Take?-PreProfessional

JuniorEntrance Exams & ApplicationSchool/Program Specific Requirements

-Genetics-Biochemistry-Physiology & Anatomy-Ethics

What Does It Take?-PreProfessional

SeniorSupplementary Applications

-short answer and essay-letters of recommendation

Prepare for Interviews

What Does It Take?-PreProfessional

“But a liberal arts education is a key ingredient to becoming a physician, so it's important for your college experience to be well-rounded.”-Association of American Medical Colleges, “Getting Into Medical School”

What’s the Best Major?

Three Questions from Loyola’s Supplemental Application

For the Stritch School of Medicine-How did you reach your decision to enter medicine? Describe your participation in any health care or other activities which reinforced your decision.

-Describe briefly how you have dealt with a personal or academic problem you have encountered.

-Please provide information on experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds. What were they? And how did they affect you?

Outside the Classroom

Exploring Medicine

-Lifelong Career, MUST demonstrate interest

-A few weeks shadowing a relative or family friend is not enough

-Sustained involvement with genuine interest and resume padding are easy to distinguish

Outside the Classroom

In Any Professional Program

-Success in the classroom, experience outside it-Passion for the field, matched with ability-Communication skills and independent thinking

The Successful Applicant

Questions?