Health-Related
Professions FAQ
November 6, 2011
Dr. Andreé Elliott, Mrs. Kendra Ericson,
Dr. Bruce Hathaway Mrs. Karen Rispin, and
Dr. Duane Trogden, Health Professions Advisors
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Topics
Introductions
Megan Ross
SFC Marion Jordan, US Army
How to Apply
Where to Apply
Preparing Yourself
Other Information
Questions or Comments
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How to Apply
Programs generally will want grades,
contact information, email, picture,
money, personal statement, letters of
reference or names of referees, but…
BE SURE TO GIVE THE PROGRAM
EXACTLY WHAT IT WANTS!
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Program Information
TMDSAS: Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application
Service http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/
AMCAS: American Medical College Application Service,
for schools in other states.
 https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic
Medicine (AACOM)
 http://www.aacom.org/Pages/default.aspx
ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application
Service (AADSAS)
 http://www.adea.org/dental_education_pathways/aa
dsas/Pages/default.aspx
Pharmacy College Admission Service (PharmCAS)
 http://www.pharmcas.org/
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More Program Information
American Physical Therapy Association

http://www.apta.org/ProspectiveStudents/
Association of American Veterinary Medical
Colleges (AAVMC)

http://www.aavmc.org/
Physician Assistants

http://www.gophysicianassistantschools.com/
Find out the specific requirements for your
program and school!
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Preparing Yourself: Grades
Aim for A’s in All Academics.
Cum GPA of 3.6 or above: preferably 3.8 or greater.
A low GPA could keep you out of a professional school
even with an above average standardized test score.
A low standardized test score could keep you out of
professional school even with a high GPA.
Try for no C’s, but one C is not the end of the world!
You will report every course and grade you have ever
taken at every college. Course repeats show
motivation, but do not help eliminate C, D, or F grades.
Multiple withdrawals are a red flag to evaluators.
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Preparing for Standardized Tests
(MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc)
Keep and study your textbooks and notes from your
key science courses.
Have a study plan months in advance.
Study in groups: Eccl. 4:9-12
9Two
are better than one because they have a good return for
their labor.
10For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But
woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
11Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how
can one be warm alone?
12And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him.
A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
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Preparing for Standardized Tests
(MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc)
Enroll and complete a preparation course
because:



These are targeted reviews, and
They give you extensive simulated testing conditions
including the length of testing.
Jared Seaman: Kaplan Course Experience
Take the test when you are best-prepared,
preferably near the beginning of the application
cycle.
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Clinical Issues/Observation
Required for the Kinesiology, B.S. Exercise Science
Concentration (KES).
You should enroll in BIOL3921 Introduction to Clinical
Issues in the spring semester and BIOL4931 Clinical
Observation the following fall semester.
Observation is important because you need to make
sure you know the profession before you commit such
time and intensity to get into professional school.
Some professions require more clinical
experience/exposure; 100’s of hours.
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Foreign Language
Speaking the language of the patient often increases
the ministry opportunities and the accuracy of
treatment by the clinician.
"In addition to the obvious benefits to Latino patients
and their families, medical students with bilingual ability
are attractive to prospective employers," says Donna L.
Parker, MD, associate dean for Student Affairs. "In
states such as California, Texas and Florida, the ability
to speak Spanish is almost a job requirement."
http://medschool.umaryland.edu/osa/med_spanish.asp
Many schools offer “Medical Spanish” as an elective.
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Letters of Evaluation
These are requested from your faculty members and
other professionals.
They then communicate about your cognitive abilities,
character, motivation, people skills, work and volunteer
experience, and special circumstances.
This must include a signed release form allowing a
confidential evaluation letter. You will not have access
to this letter, ever. It is to your advantage to have a
confidential letter.
Provide a résumé to the person writing each letter.
Please include volunteer and work experiences, honors,
awards, and copies transcripts for ALL of your college
courses from all the institutions you have ever
attended.
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What Should I Do With My
Summers?
Clinical work experience
Undergraduate Research: here or
elsewhere
Medical Mission trip/Volunteer work
Take some courses to lighten your
course load
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Why do Undergraduate Research?
You learn more about a particular area.
You learn how to design and conduct a project.
You learn how to present the results of your
research to a variety of audiences.
It shows that you are involved in more than
just classes.
It doesn’t have to be medically-related to
impress a medical school!
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Doing excellent research.
Sam working with David and Kristina to collect timed data on the
maneuverability of a wheelchair.
Students do a comparative study with each child using first one wheelchair and
then another. This highlights strengths and weaknesses of each wheelchair.
Sam moving a child into a chair
he’d helped to modify to fit his
particular needs.
This little guy had been crying in class because the seats
hurt his twisted back. The Wheels team worked with BK
staff to make him a chair that fit him well.
International friendships
Taylor and Sam with the young Kenyan clinicians
Alumni who worked with outcomes studies
Shannon and Molly have finished med school. Nathan is
in his third year. Katie is finishing her training as a
prosthetist. Cory, Rachel and Tasha are in PT school.
It’s wonderful to work with such exceptional people!
Conclusion
We are here to help, so seek us out.
We don’t know everything: we are still
learning.
Our goal is to help you get where God
wants you.
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Questions or Comments?
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