PREMED ADVISING
Freshmen:
Freshman Premed Advising
• What is premed?
• Ultimately, medical school admissions committees
want to know 3 things:
1. Can you handle the academic rigors of medical
school?
2. Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want
to be a doctor for the “right” reasons?
3. Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary
to be a good doctor?
Freshman Premed Advising
1. Can you handle the academic rigors of medical
school?
 GPA
 Academic Coursework
 MCAT
Freshman Premed Advising
• Courses and academic work:
– This Fall: Should be taking either BIO 150, CHEM 123, or PSY 150.
– For those who do well this semester there should be the opportunity to take BOTH
BIO or PSY 151 AND CHE 123 in spring.
– Courses to meet the standards of, and prepare for, the MCAT:
• Biology courses: we recommend a minimum of genetics, cell, and physiology for those
not majoring in biology
• 4 semesters of chemistry and 2 semesters of physics
• Biochemistry (CHE 302 Biochemistry or BIO 433 Cellular Biochemistry)
• Psychology/sociology course for non-psych majors: recommend PSY 110 (but other
courses can help prepare you such as PSY 220/240/250/270 or SOC 210)
• Summer school may be required to fit all of that in before MCAT (end of Jr year)
– Courses that are requirements for medical school admissions?
– Although not required for SC med schools, many require 2 semesters of college-level math;
we suggest 1 calc, 1 stats. Stats early on since this will help with courses and MCAT prep.
• Magic Number for GPA: 3.3
FYI:
• Wofford’s acceptance rate quite a bit higher than the national average.
• Since 1994, 78% of Wofford applicants in good academic standing were
accepted.
– Students were considered in good academic standing if they had at
least a 3.3 GPA and 25 MCAT
• Most go to home state schools. We currently have students going to
MUSC, USC, Cornell, Emory, and Wake Forest. This year we have 5
going to osteopathic schools, including 4 at VCOM.
• Average ACCEPTED from Wofford last year:
– 3.63 science & math GPA
– 3.64 overall GPA
– 30 MCAT
Freshman Premed Advising
1. Can you handle the academic rigors of medical
school?
2. Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want
to be a doctor for the “right” reasons?
3. Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary
to be a good doctor?
Freshman Premed Advising
• Ways to strengthen your application and allow admissions to answer the
questions 2 and 3:
• Faculty evaluations
• Recommendation letter written by a committee of all your science
professors
• Get to know faculty by active participation in lab and lecture, lab assisting,
doing research, some sort of thesis, etc.
• Clinical experience
• Recommend most of these acquired in Junior year. Why?
• “Set yourself apart”:
• Specialty area of study: computational science, medical humanities,
neuroscience program
• Study abroad
• Fluency in Spanish
• Research experience
• “Leadership” and service to the community
• It is more about depth of experiences not creating a long laundry list!!!
Freshman Premed Advising
If you have questions or need more information:
1) See the following website:
http://dept.wofford.edu/HealthCareers/
2) Send me an email or come by my office:
spiveynw@wofford.edu
Office: RMSC 203J
PREMED ADVISING
Sophomores
Sophomore Premed Advising
• http://webs.wofford.edu/mossre/hc/
• Courses and academic work:
– Should be taking both bio 212 and chem 123. If you’ve already taken one of
those, substitute organic or physics.
– Magic Number: 3.3. You should be shooting for nothing below a ‘B’; B+ in your
sciences! First year often a bit lower.
– To meet the standards on, and prepare for, the MCAT :
• Some # of bio courses, preferably 3 or more: sophomore core (BIO 212 & 214) and
physiology
• 4 semesters of chemistry and 2 semesters of physics
• Summer school may be required to fit all of that in before MCAT, end of Jr year.
– Consider chem or physics this coming summer.
• Not planning on applying till end of senior year: be aware of MCAT 2015!
– Although not required for SC med schools, most require 2 semesters of college-level math;
we suggest 1 calc, 1 stats. Stats early on.
– Although not usually a requirement, many med schools such as MUSC strongly recommend
taking biochemistry
Sophomore Premed Advising
• Ultimately admissions committees want to know 3
things:
1. Can you handle the academic rigors of medical
school?
2. Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want
to be a doctor for the “right” reasons?
3. Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary
to be a good doctor?
Sophomore Premed Advising
• Other things that strengthen your application and allow admissions to
answer the questions above:
• Clinical experience
– Recommend most of these acquired in Junior year
– Interim
– Document: “clinical evaluation forms” on web site
• “Leadership” and service to the community
• Faculty evaluations
• Get to know faculty by lab assisting; doing research; some sort of thesis.
• “Set yourself apart”:
• Specialty area of study: computational science, medical humanities,
neuroscience program
• Study abroad
• Fluency in Spanish
• Research experience
• It is more about depth of experiences not creating a long laundry list!!!
• http://webs.wofford.edu/mossre/hc/
FYI:
• Wofford’s acceptance rate quite a bit higher than the national average.
• Since 1994, 78% of Wofford applicants in good academic standing were
accepted.
– Students were considered in good academic standing if they had at
least a 3.3 GPA and 25 MCAT
• Most go to home state schools. We currently have students going to
MUSC, USC, Cornell, Emory, and Wake Forest. This year we have 5
going to osteopathic schools, including 4 at VCOM.
• Average ACCEPTED from Wofford last year:
– 3.63 science & math GPA
– 3.64 overall GPA
– 30 MCAT
PREMED ADVISING
Juniors
Junior Premed Advising
• http://webs.wofford.edu/mossre/hc/
• Courses and academic work:
• By end of year, you should have completed all science requirements:
• Bio 212, 214 , and Physiology
• 4 chemistry and 2 physics
– Magic Number: 3.3. You should be shooting for nothing below a ‘B’; B+ in your
sciences! First year often a bit lower.
– To meet the standards on, and prepare for, the MCAT :
• Some # of bio courses, preferably 3 or more: sophomore core (BIO 212 & 214) and
physiology
• 4 semesters of chemistry and 2 semesters of physics
– Although not required for SC med schools, most require 2 semesters of college-level math;
we suggest 1 calc, 1 stats. Stats early on.
– Although not usually a requirement, many med schools such as MUSC strongly recommend
taking biochemistry
Junior Premed Advising
• Ultimately admissions committees want to know 3
things:
1. Can you handle the academic rigors of medical
school?
2. Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want
to be a doctor for the “right” reasons?
3. Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary
to be a good doctor?
Junior Premed Advising
• Other things that strengthen your application and allow admissions to
answer the questions above:
• Clinical experience
– Recommend most of these acquired in Junior year
– Interim
– Document: “clinical evaluation forms” on web site
• “Leadership” and service to the community
• Faculty evaluations
• Get to know faculty by lab assisting; doing research; some sort of thesis.
• “Set yourself apart”:
• Specialty area of study: computational science, medical humanities,
neuroscience program
• Study abroad
• Fluency in Spanish
• Research experience
• It is more about depth of experiences not creating a long laundry list!!!
• http://webs.wofford.edu/mossre/hc/
FYI:
• Wofford’s acceptance rate quite a bit higher than the national average.
• Since 1994, 78% of Wofford applicants in good academic standing were
accepted.
– Students were considered in good academic standing if they had at
least a 3.3 GPA and 25 MCAT
• Most go to home state schools. We currently have students going to
MUSC, USC, Cornell, Emory, and Wake Forest. This year we have 5
going to osteopathic schools, including 4 at VCOM.
• Average ACCEPTED from Wofford last year:
– 3.63 science & math GPA
– 3.64 overall GPA
– 30 MCAT
HELL BEGINS DECEMBER 15…..
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•
•
•
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Importance of that MCAT!
Average getting into SC = 28-30.
Kaplan? (practice exam Oct 15)
Interim
COME DECEMBER 15, THE MCAT NEEDS TO BE YOUR TOP
PRIORITY. PERIOD.
• COME DECEMBER 15, THE MCAT NEEDS TO BE YOUR TOP
PRIORITY. PERIOD.
• COME DECEMBER 15, THE MCAT NEEDS TO BE YOUR TOP
PRIORITY. PERIOD.
• ‘B+’ and ‘A-’ examples…
PREMED ADVISING
SENIORS
http://webs.wofford.edu/mossre/hc/
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Is your AMCAS IN YET???
WHY NOT??
Essay: reviewed.
Committee evaluation: ACMAS Letters, contact info Dr. Moeller
– One form only
– Packet will include clinical evaluations
– Alternative: 3 letters
– Still must request clinical evals from Ms. Thomas, with an AMCAS letter form!
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MCAT scores: 25 min to apply; 28 (pref 29) to stop taking it.
2ndary: On their web sites, or mailed to you.
Mock interviews
MUCS’s “wait list”
UNLESS have those 3.6 and 30 numbers, plan for alternatives just in case:
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–
–
–
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Osteopathic medicine
Other health fields
Reapply
M.S.;
Prep programs, such as at VCOM, USC [and why I’m not a fan]
Senior Premed Advising
• Ultimately admissions committees want to know 3
things:
1. Can you handle the academic rigors of medical
school?
2. Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want
to be a doctor for the “right” reasons?
3. Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary
to be a good doctor?
FYI:
• Wofford’s acceptance rate quite a bit higher than the national average.
• Since 1994, 78% of Wofford applicants in good academic standing were
accepted.
– Students were considered in good academic standing if they had at
least a 3.3 GPA and 25 MCAT
• Most go to home state schools. We currently have students going to
MUSC, USC, Cornell, Emory, and Wake Forest. This year we have 5
going to osteopathic schools, including 4 at VCOM.
• Average ACCEPTED from Wofford last year:
– 3.63 science & math GPA
– 3.64 overall GPA
– 30 MCAT