Professional School
Planning for Post
Baccalaureate Students
Presented by:
Brittany M. Wampler
Coordinator, Pre-Professional Health Programs
b.m.garner71@csuohio.edu
218 Main Classroom Building
www.csuohio.edu/sciences/preprof
Introduction & Expectations
• Welcome!
• Expectations for time together
– No Cell Phones
– Actively Listen & Engage
– Ask questions where appropriate!
Why are YOU here?
• Why pursue a post baccalaureate program?
• Where do you hope that this program will
take you?
• What would be the ideal outcome at the
culmination of your post baccalaureate
program?
What to Expect
• Introduction to Pre-Professional Programs
services for PB Students
• Information about admission timeline and
process of applying to professional schools
• What you should be doing today,
tomorrow, over the next few years…
Post Baccalaureate
Timeline
First Year
Academic Goals
• Strong GPA (non-negotiable)
• Study skills, time management
Personal Goals
• Cultivate relationships with CSU Faculty
• Student organization involvement (AMSA, Pre-Dental,
Pre-Pharmacy)
Career Goals
• Seek out meaningful opportunities (research, volunteer,
shadowing)
Second Year
Academic Goals
• Maintain strong GPA
Personal Goals
• Continue organization involvement, perhaps taking on leadership roles
• Learn as much as possible about timeline and planning
Career Goals
• Identify faculty/advisers/mentors for letters of recommendation
• Create MCAT/DAT/PCAT/GRE study schedule
• Begin application preparation
Third Year (after application, before matriculation)
Academic Goals
• If continuing to take coursework, take additional higher level
courses needed for matriculation or that will help you once you go
to professional school
Personal/Career Goals
• Review options and keep track of application statuses.
• Complete any secondary applications quickly.
• Continue to seek out meaningful experiences.
• If taking a Gap Year as opposed to coursework, use time wisely to
add to resume.
Academic Goals
GPA: Why It’s So Important
• Post Bacc GPA adds to
undergraduate cumulative GPA,
science GPA, and is a separate
GPA itself.
• Post Bacc GPA needs to be a
significant GPA difference
between undergraduate for grade
enhancer PB students.
GPA Calculation
• For PB students using CSU for grade
enhancement, calculate GPA!
– Cumulative
– Science
• Know now what you need to get to
succeed or to hit your goal.
• Email me for GPA Calculator for Excel.
Average GPA for entering
classes…
• Case Western Medical School: 3.72
• Ohio University Osteopathic Medical
School: 3.67
• Ohio State Dental: 3.65
• Ohio State Veterinary: 3.68
• NEOMED School of Pharmacy: 3.35
• Ohio State Optometry: 3.54
Standard Science
Foundation
for Medical Professions
• Science courses (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math)
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1 year Biology with lab
1 year General Chemistry with lab
1 year Organic Chemistry with lab
1 year Physics with lab
1 semester Biochemistry
• Consider repeat of any prerequisite with a C or
lower.
• Try not to withdraw from these courses.
Personal Goals
Job Shadowing
Tips and Tricks
• If you have a relationship with your on doctor, start there.
• Search online for doctors in the area with specialties that
interest you. Search directories or contact hospital
volunteer offices for contact information.
• Set parameters for what you would like the experience to
look like.
• How long will your shadowing experience last?
• Treat any conversation or email like an interview. Attach
a current resume if emailing a doctor.
• Dress professionally and take any cues from the doctor.
• Always send a thank you note!
Student Organization
Involvement
CSU has over 200 student organizations to choose from! There
are always organizations that will match your interest areas.
Student organizations include:
• AMSA (American Medical Student Association)
• Pre-Dental Society
• Pre-Pharmacy Club
• Global Medical Brigades
Volunteer Work
• Cleveland Opportunities
– Volunteermatch.org
– Hospital Volunteer work (Cleveland Clinic
/University Hospitals/Metro/St. Vincent/Free
Clinics)
– Other organizations outside of hospitals
Undergraduate Research
• Internal vs. External research opportunities
– Networking
– Treating any opportunity as an interview
• CSU Summer Research: Engaged Learning
(applications necessary)
• Chemistry Department offers course for
credit: REEL Lab
Regarding Research
“I have always had a particular interest in bench research.
While medical school does not come with a lot of down time,
it is always worthwhile to balance the rigors of school with
something one enjoys. I chose to spend my summers and
free time in the lab doing cell biology and cancer research.
This afforded me the opportunity to network with a whole
different demographic while still allowing me to focus my
energy on something not too far removed from medicine. It
may seem like a time crunch, but if it is something you enjoy,
it will happen.”
-Jacquelyn Francis, Albany Medical College (aamc.org)
Career Goals
Using a Part-Time Job to Gain
Relevant Experience
• Roughly 71% of students work part-time or full-time
while in college
• Trying to connect your work experience to the
medical field
• Examples of part time jobs that connect:
–
–
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Pharmacy Technician
Ambulatory Services
Hospital Work (registration, scheduling, patient services)
Medical Scribe
Application Process
Entrance Exams
Medical School
Dental School
Pharmacy School
Vet School
Optometry School
Graduate School
MCAT
DAT
PCAT
GRE
OAT
GRE
Application Services
• Dental: AADSAS
• Medical Schools:
– AMCAS (MD Schools)
– AACOMAS (DO Schools)
•
•
•
•
•
Optometry: OPTOMCAS
Pharmacy: PHARMCAS
Physical Therapy: PTCAS
Physician Assistant: CASPA
Veterinary: VMCAS
Tips/Tricks
• Learn about the
application system early!
Read through the
instructions several times.
• Prepare your application
materials in advance!
• Submit early, within a
month of application
opening ideally.
– 4-6 weeks prior to any
deadlines
Letters of Reference
• Need two from faculty, at least one from
science
• Ask them personally and give them the
following:
–
–
–
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Clearly stated deadlines
Instructions for submitting letter
Resume and other supporting materials
A brief note thanking them which also highlights why you chose
them to write you a letter
Personal Statement
• This is a longer essay (4000-5000
characters) to introduce yourself to the
professional schools.
• Answering the question:
– Why do you want to go to
med/dent/pharm/vet school?
– What makes you a different/valuable/qualified
candidate?
Experiences
• Most applications will have a few different
types of experiences to enter. (There will
be limits on how many to enter.)
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Job experiences
Extracurricular
Clinical Experience
Honors/Awards/Scholarships
PB Application vs. Direct
Undergraduate Application
PB Application
• Work Experience
• Life Experience
• Learning from past
mistakes
• Spelling out what makes
you unique
• What will set you apart
from other applicants
Undergraduate Application
• Generally submitted after
six semesters of college
coursework
• Doesn’t have as much
opportunity for
experiences
• Generally lacks
educational credentials
Tips for Application
• Be direct in experience and in personal
statement about what sets you apart.
• Hold yourself accountable to past
errors.
• Discuss why you “must” pursue
professional program as opposed to
anything else.
Final Thoughts and Advice
Final Thoughts & Advice
• Build community in PB Program for
assistance and support.
• Strategically plan your time to allow for
experiences.
• Submit application ON TIME.
• Separate PB experience from
undergraduate experience.
Final Thoughts & Advice
• Take advantage of services provided.
• Earn a high GPA.
• Network with prospective medical
schools.
THANK YOU & Questions?
Brittany M. Wampler
Coordinator, Pre-Professional Health Programs
b.m.garner71@csuohio.edu
216-687-9321
218 Main Classroom Building
www.csuohio.edu/sciences/preprof