Medical, Dental, Podiatry, Optometry and
Veterinary Aspirants
Pre-Application Meeting
Professor Nancy Waters
Faculty Health Professions Advisor
Dr. Julia Goldberg
Associate Dean Health Professions
Ms Simona Glaus
HP Administrative Assistant
30 September 2014

HPAC
What?
Health Professions Advisory Committee
Where?
Who?
105 Scott Hall
Why?
Prof Waters, Dr Goldberg, + 5 faculty
HPAC reviews & interviews you before you apply for admission. HPAC writes a
Composite Letter of Evaluation (CLoE) to submit on your behalf. It is seen as an independent barometer of your file!

remember…
We interface with Career Services to help you explore ALLIED HEALTH areas:
Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine
Doctor of Pharmacy
Nursing (RN, BSN, MSN)
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Physician Assistant (PA)
Physical/Occupational Therapy (PT, OT)
Public Health practitioners (MPH)
Targeted Post-Baccalaureate Programs
….among others

Other Ways to Practice Medicine October 3 rd Rob
Coombs ‘95 DC, Ashley Palmer ’03 D Pharm
NIH trip, Washington DC October 14 th
Candid Conversations HP speaker series October
16 th Dr Nick Leasure
So You Think You Want to be a PA? October 21 st
William Duryea, PhD, PA
Homecoming HP Open House Alumni and Student
Networking Event October 25 th
(registration required)
Application Mechanics Session October 30 th
How to select a school Session November 20 th
Halloween deadline for CS January Externships!
Also…Practice interviewing at: https://lafayette.interviewstream.com/Default.aspx

…and some peer options too!
American Chemical Society, Biology
Club, Engineers Without Borders,
Neuroscience Club, Psychology Club,…
Student National Medical Association-
Minority Association of Pre-Medical
Students; MPAS, new student club!
Association of Future Healthcare
Professionals; AFHP, new student club!
The Vet Club

Who will best fulfill the mission of the school?
Who will serve the nation’s healthcare needs?
Qualifications desired in applicants: scholarship accomplishments intellectual curiosity emotional maturity character interest in medicine sensitivity to others communication skills sense of care for others commitment to service critical thinking skills problem-solving skills

Undergraduate Preparation for Admission to Graduate Schools in Health Professions
Each HP school sets their own criteria and standards…but all weight several key areas:
Academic/Science grades (45-55%)*
Admissions tests (20-25%)*
Health-related experiences
Research experiences
Community service and volunteer work
Recommendation Letters (especially CLoE)
HP school interview
* Percentages as reported by NAAHP.

AMCAS: In August 2013:
-48,014 applicants (up from 32,650) for 20,055 seats
-typically ~14 school applications
-mean age=24
-GPA=3.54/3.69; MCAT=28/31
-Major
LS=54.3/53.5%
SS=11/11%
Hum=4.2/4.8%
PhS=10.3/11.5%

AACOMAS: In August 2014:
-17,944 applicants (up from 9900) for 6192 seats
-typically ~9 school applications
-mean age=24
-GPA=3.43/3.5, MCAT=26/27
-Major
LS=68/69%
SS=11/9%
Hum=7/7%
PhS=7/7%

Applicant
Matriculation
Year
Acceptance ratio for
GPA
3.60 +
Acceptance ratio for
GPA
3.59-3.20
Acceptance ratio for
GPA
< 3.20
Overall acceptance ratio
ALL GPAs
Lafayette
2008-2013 aggregate data
(MD + DO)
National
2008-13 aggregate data
MD only *
96.4%
(54/56)
63.5%
(47/74)
64% 34%
41.7% 74.6%
(5/12) (106/142)
18% 45%
During the same period, 75% of student applicants
(21/28) to dental school were accepted, and 100% of
11 applicants to veterinary school gained admission!
* Source: aamc.org, aacomas.org, Lafayette College, effective 2014


A: You are doing great so keep it up
A- You are doing well, but work harder
B+ You can do better
B Your performance is average, and health professions schools have high standards
B- This is for honey, not for a career in health professions
…what schools require from you might differ from what Lafayette requires, but the more important question is…What do YOU require from YOURSELF ?

…MCAT2015?
• Schools prefer MCAT2015 for 2017, will require it for 2018 application cycle
• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of
Biological Systems
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
• Psychological, Social and Biological
Foundations of Behavior
• http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/ mcat/mcat2015

…Other Admissions Tests?
• MCAT (old): 32 with GPA 3.6+
• DAT: 20-21 with 3.6 GPA
• OAT: 340-350 with 3.5 GPA
• GRE for vet schools: ~160 each for verbal and quantitative; 3.4-3.8 GPA
• GRE for PA schools: ~155-160 each for V & Q; 3.4-3.5 GPA
….but quality & consistency matter too!

Preparation – Academic coursework
 Graduate with a major/minor that suits you. Perform well in foundational natural science courses. As Juniors/Seniors:
 By now you should have completed most from among:
2 Introductory Biology with laboratory
2 General Chemistry with laboratory
2 Organic Chemistry with laboratory
2 Physics with laboratory
2+ Mathematics to include at least 1 calculus plus statistics
Biochemistry at least 3 Writing-Intensive Courses (e.g. English 110, FYS,
VAST, plus two additional “W” courses)
 Some HP schools have added specific requirements (e.g. nutrition or microbiology or immunology). Check out YOUR preferred schools! If a course is not offered at Lafayette, plan ahead to enroll at another institution during summer or at an
LVAIC school during the academic year.

 Other relevant courses include:
A&S 222 Medical Anthropology
Biol 213 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
Biol 251 Human Physiology (HPAC recommended)
Biol 274 Bioinformatics
Biol 340 Molecular Medicine
CM 151 Introduction to Computational Science
NSc 201 Introduction to Neuroscience
Phys 220 Medical and Biological Physics
Psych 240 Health Psychology
Rel 223 Religion and Medicine
… plan early since most of these have prerequisites, check MSAR, ADEA for guidance, especially since those are crucial to performance on MCAT2015  !
 Do not delay in making good selections! Your choices rapidly constrain your Degrees of Freedom!

Preparation – Co-curricular Experiences
Internships/Externships Shadow ACTIVELY!
Volunteer at a shelter. Make every experience count clinically. Show your commitment. Consult with your Gateway Advisor early and often!
Extracurricular Activities demonstrate time management work in a hierarchy master communication exhibit collaboration provide evidence of sincere dedication
ENHANCE don’t IMPEDE your academic record!
Read about healthcare, health news.
…be PASSIONATE! It is your LIFE!

Insightful Personal Essay (see space limitations at each
Admissions Service) Use resources of the WA Program to your benefit! Make it perfectly error-free.
Well-Honed Interview Skills Be articulate, maintain good eye contact and confident body posture! Practice! A lot!
Read! Prepare! Some obvious topics? healthcare reform, euthanasia, HIV, Ebola, resistance to vaccination, emerging infectious diseases, obesity, cancer, aging, end of life issues. Others? Your favorite course, book, leisure activity. Be able to answer: “How has SOMETHING IN
YOUR RECORD prepared you for a medical career?”
Timely Application Submission/Turnaround With rolling admissions the later you apply, the more intense is competition for fewer available slots. Plan time to complete requests for secondary applications quickly !

Academic Integrity and Conduct
Practice Principles of Intellectual Honesty; Make judicious choices in your behavior!
Exhibit high personal standards of ethics — cheating, plagiarism, alcohol/drug violations, vandalism, etc. all compromise your character
AND your HP application.
Applications REQUIRE that the Dean report all disciplinary warning, action and/or conduct violations! Think before you ACT!

When Should You Apply?
For most students, Spring/Summer of the SENIOR year is OPTIMAL.
Why? Deeper experiences, enhanced maturity, great insight, stronger technical capabilities, competitive dossier of research, clinical internships/externships, and suitable extra- and co-curricular experiences….entering the HPAC application queue as a SENIOR means you will have a gap year prior to matriculating.
If you plan to attend in the fall immediately upon graduation, you must commence application in Fall-Spring-Summer of your JUNIOR year.
If you begin application as a junior, but reconsider to delay as a senior or beyond, your decision to re-activate and update your file in the next cycle in subject to all stated deadlines; check the website for forms!
Choose the timeline that works best for YOU!
>small group advising October/November
>Greensheet solo advising January/February
HPAC works with YOU when your package is ready!

Application Timeline for:
-core coursework completed successfully
-multiple competitive experiences in HP settings
-recruit 3-5 recommenders in November 2014 to write for you
sit for solo “greensheet” advising January/February 2015
submit completed Dean’s Clearance Form 1 February 2015
-submit completed Personal Information Form 1 March 2015
-submit completed Curriculum Vitae 1 March 2015
-arrange for all waivers/letters/disclosures by 1 March 2015
-interview on-campus with HPAC in April/May 2015
-submit List of HP Schools and waivers by 1 May 2015
-sit for MCAT by 1 May 2014 to have scores by 1 June 2015
-open application services begin ~ 4 June 2015
-2 ndary requests extended starting July 2015 (2-7 day return)
-interview invitations August 2015 continuing to April 2016
-if successful attend school beginning August 2016
…and if NOT?!?!?!!?

…enter the GAP year (NOT a ‘year off’ by any measure)
What to do??? Assess your portfolio REALISTICALLY.
Enhance targeted clinical activities. Find innovative and compelling ways to broaden your experiences and raise your competitiveness among applicants!
>delay your entry to HP school
>enhance your portfolio and chance for admission
With a gap year, you enter on-campus HPAC application cycles during your senior year or within the year following, not your junior year; you complete secondaries and interviews in the subsequent year!
…But you STILL MUST meet on campus deadlines for submitting your materials so HPAC can work with you!

Components of a Successful Application
Strong Admissions Test Score (MCAT, DAT, OAT, or VCAT/GRE), taken as early as possible when you are ready! Plan on 500 hours!
Limited test dates and locations. Early registration reduces costs.
TESTING FEES (scores reported 1-4 weeks):
MCAT $300
DAT
OAT
GRE general
$385.
$270
$185
GRE subject test fees $150
APPLICATION FEES (verification 4-6 weeks):
AMCAS $160+ $34
AACOMAS
ADEA AADSAS
OptomCAS
VMCAS
$195 + $35-50
$244 + $90
$150 + 700
$190 + $95

Not too soon to consider financing…
Median cost for 4 years of HP school:
$278,455 (private) or $207,868 (public)
Median debt for 4 years of HP school:
$174,000
Federal loans: 6.8-7.9%
Undergraduate indebtedness: $29,400
Residency training salaries average
$55,300 annually for 3+ years, so an added debt load of ~$30,000 yearly

Your Ongoing Obligations?
1) Study – Maintain your grades!
2) Be strategic (May & June) and prepared for your application test!
3) APPLY EARLY! APPLICATION PORTALS OPEN ~ 1 June 2015!
4) Get additional PRACTICAL experience over Interim 2014-2015; volunteering, externships, internships deadlines at CS is
Halloween! Summer 2015 ONLY counts on 2 o applications!
5) Complete your undergraduate RESEARCH experience , with resultant product (poster, paper, etc.) by 1 June 2015.
6) Provide evidence of commitment through COMMUNITY SERVICE
AND CO-CURRICULAR EXPERIENCES. Hone your people and social skills, leadership, teamwork , work ethic.
7) Have one or two specific backup plans! Be able to articulate them and meet reapplication deadlines!

All of us at Lafayette look forward to your success! We want to help further your career plans! Stay abreast of what is happening by visiting our web site: http://healthprofessions.lafayette.edu
Register for and Attend HPAC events;
BE PROACTIVE & TAKE CHARGE OF
YOUR CAREER!!!