WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE
PRE-HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Issue 39
http://www.washjeff.edu/health-professions
October 2015
MEMBERS OF THE PRE-HEALTH PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE:
Dr. Mark Harris, Chair
Dr. Patricia Brletic, Secretary
Dr. Anupama Shanmuganathan,
Vice-Chair
Dr. Ronald Bayline
Dr. Danielle Ficco
Dr. Alice Lee
Website
The Pre-Health Professions Committee maintains an
informational website at http://www.washjeff.edu/healthprofessions. The website includes the Pre-Health Handbook,
recent copies of this newsletter, descriptions of pre-professional
programs, links to internship and volunteer opportunities, and
information about our various affiliations with health professional
schools. Please take a look at this resource.
Dr. Steven Malinak
Dr. Kathleen McEvoy
Dr. Stan Myers
Dr. Michael Wolf
New Affiliation Agreement with Chatham University OT
Program
W&J recently signed an agreement with Chatham University
guaranteeing up to two seats per year in Chatham’s Masters of
Occupational Therapy program for W&J graduates who meet
stated requirements. This is similar to the agreements that W&J
has with Chatham’s graduate programs in Physician Assistant
Studies and Physical Therapy.
Contact Information
New Pre-Health Alumni Advisory Council Poster Award
To contact the Pre-Health Professions Committee, please feel free
to send an email to prehealth@washjeff.edu. You may also
directly contact the Committee Chair, Dr. Mark Harris, at 724223-6134 or at mharris@washjeff.edu.
Students presenting scientific research posters before and after the
Homecoming Dieter-Porter Medical Lecture were eligible to
compete for a “best poster award” this year. Posters were reviewed
by members of the faculty and the Advisory Council, and cash
prizes were awarded by the Advisory Council.
Dieter-Porter Medical Lecture
The annual Dieter-Porter Medical Lecture on Homecoming
Weekend will be presented on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Amy
Seman Hartman, PhD ’98 will present “From Swine Flu to Ebola:
Emerging Viruses in a Globalized Age.” The lecture will be held
in the Dieter-Porter Lecture Hall at 8:30 am. Current students,
faculty, and alumni are encouraged to attend the presentation and
to stay around after the presentation to catch up with fellow
alumni, W&J faculty, and current students.
New Affiliation Agreements with Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine
In the fall of 2014 W&J and LECOM signed affiliation
agreements in which W&J students may be accepted into the
LECOM Early Assurance Program (EAP). The agreements
provide guaranteed seats for W&J students into LECOM programs
in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry – up to five seats
per program per year. Students who meet the academic
requirements of the program must be accepted before completion
of the sophomore year at W&J, and even high school seniors who
are accepted to W&J are eligible to apply. Students may apply to
enroll in the EAP by following the link “Affiliated Undergraduate
College Inquiry” found on the LECOM website at: My LECOM
Portal (http://portal.lecom.edu). This year we have our first
LECOM EAP students – a freshman and a junior.
Changes to the MCAT Exam starting in 2015
The long awaited new MCAT exam known as MCAT 2015 was
introduced this past April. The new exam has an increased
emphasis on biochemistry, statistics, the behavioral sciences, and
integration of knowledge. The four sections of the exam are:
1) Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems,
2) Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems,
3) Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations of Behavior,
and 4) Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills.
The new exam went from 144 test items and a writing sample to
255 test items and no writing sample to allow medical schools to
have more accurate information about performance on each
section of the exam. The length of the exam expanded to 6 hours
and 15 minutes, requiring the addition of a lunch break halfway
through the exam and making for a test day of over 7 hours in
length (plus travel time). The grading scheme has also changed.
Possible scores range from 472 to 528, with the target average
score being a 500.
SUMMARY OF ACCEPTANCES FOR STUDENTS MATRICULATING 2015
1.
Allopathic Schools
5. ................................. Occupational Therapy Schools
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Chatham ..................................................................... 1
Salus .......................................................................... 1
TOTAL ...................................................................... 2
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Commonwealth ........................................................... 2
Drexel ...........................................................................1
George Washington ..................................................... 1
Jefferson ...................................................................... 1
Marshall ....................................................................... 1
Northeast Ohio ............................................................. 1
Penn State .................................................................. 2
U of Pittsburgh............................................................. 1
West Virginia ............................................................. 2
Wright State ................................................................. 1
Total Number Individual Students
Accepted ..................................................................... 1
6.
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Penn College of Optometry at Salus U ....................... 2
TOTAL ...................................................................... 2
TOTAL ......................................................................13
Total # Individual Students
Accepted ..................................................................... 7
2.
Optometry Schools
Total Number Individual Students
Accepted ..................................................................... 2
Osteopathic Schools
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Alabama COM ........................................................... 1
Arizona COM of Midwestern Univ ............................ 1
Kansas City (KCU-COM) .......................................... 1
Univ of Pikeville-Kentucky (UP-KYCOM) ............... 1
Lake Erie (LECOM) .................................................. 4
Ohio University (OU-HCOM) ..................................... 1
Philadelphia (PCOM) ................................................. 2
PCOM- Georgia ........................................................... 1
West Virginia (WVSOM) .............................................3
TOTAL .................................................................... 15
7.
Physician Assistant Schools
Number
Name of School
Accepted
St. Francis ................................................................... 2
TOTAL ...................................................................... 2
Total Number Individual Students
Accepted ....................................................................... 2
8.
Total Number Individual Students
Accepted ................................................................... 11
3.
Physical Therapy
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Chatham ...................................................................... 1
Ohio State .................................................................... 1
Slippery Rock .............................................................. 1
U of Pittsburgh .......................................................... 1
TOTAL ...................................................................... 4
Chiropractic Schools
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Logan ......................................................................... 1
TOTAL ...................................................................... 1
Total Number Individual Students
Accepted ..................................................................... 2
Total Number Individual Students
Accepted ..................................................................... 1
9.
4.
Veterinary Medicine Schools
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Illinois ........................................................................ 1
Ohio State .................................................................... 1
Oklahoma .................................................................... 1
Ross ............................................................................. 1
U Penn ....................................................................... 1
TOTAL ...................................................................... 5
Dental Schools
Number
Name of School
Accepted
Nova Southeastern ..................................................... 1
TOTAL ...................................................................... 1
Total Number Individual Students
Accepted ..................................................................... 1
Total # Individual Students
Accepted ..................................................................... 3
TWELVE-YEAR SUMMARY OF ACCEPTANCES
CLASS
# of Students Recommended
to Health Professions Schools
# of Students Accepted
Acceptance Rate (%)
'04
‘05
‘06
‘07
‘08
‘09
‘10
‘11
‘12
‘13
‘14
‘15
17
23
23
23
37
31
36
27
36
33
32
31
14
20
22
17
32
24
32
23
30
24
26
29
82
87
96
74
87
77
89
85
83
73
81
94