Medical School Application Newsletter-February 2015
As usual, the Winter term moves robustly forward, and you will find that the momentum for a medical
school application is picking up as well.
The application cycle HAS begun! PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NEWSLETTER, VERY IMPORTANT
Contacting Letter Writers is THE most important task for you take on RIGHT NOW. Second to that is
beginning to make spaces to reflect on the experiences you’ve had so far so you can write a great
application. It’s also vital to know what your MCAT plan is. You must clearly understand your timeline
for the application process ahead.
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Review December Newsletter (on NSS site)
Contacting Letter Writers
What do you need to do for your Writers?
Creating your Autobiographical sketch and
resume
Other Letter Tasks: Forms to Annette Hamilton
6.
MCAT: What’s your plan? When can you BEST
study for it? How to Register
7. MCAT STUDY RESOURCES
8. Financial Assistance Program (FAP) for MCAT
and AMCAS application
9. Reflection, preparing to write the application
10. Checking in, Assessing Application Preparation,
etc.
1. REVIEW DECEMBER NEWSLETTER: The December Newsletter for the 2015-2016 Medical School
Application cycle goes over the VITAL information for the:
 COMPOSITE LETTER PROCESS and timeline, AND:
 THE APPLICATION TIMELINE
You need to have a clear understanding of both at this time. This and all other information
regarding the application process this year is routinely posted at www.dartmouth.edu/~nss.
Navigated from ‘Medical School’>>>’Medical School Application 2015-16’.
2. CONTACTING LETTER WRITERS: NOW is the time to decide on, and then ASK your letter writers.
If you need to think through your possible writers, please speak with Sarah Berger or Lee
Witters. After deciding WHO to ask, you must ask them. Ask Letter Writers ASAP. Potential
writers can only commit to write so many letters. Make sure to be in touch very soon so that
writers can put it into their calendar.
3. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO FOR YOUR LETTER WRITERS?
 Clarify deadlines.
o Use the December newsletter to review ideal deadlines and timeline.
o Work with Composite writer first in case they need an earlier deadline as that will
affect other deadlines.
o Clarify to writers that the Medical School/Dental School application is a SUMMER
application, ie: applications are submitted early summer (unlike most graduate
programs which take applications during Fall and Winter).
 OPEN your INTERFOLIO ACCOUNT! (INSTRUCTIONS ON NSS WEB SITE)
o Special discount Until February 28th – 20 months for cost of 12 month account (1
year-$12 dollars.)
o Create a space for EACH Supporting writer (NOT Composite Writer)
 Complete a resume and Autobiographical Sketch
 By EARLY SPRING TERM, Be prepared to submit a resume and Autobiographical Sketch to
writers.
o Send both documents to writers along with a word of “Thank You,” a review of
deadlines, and a reminder that they will receive and email from INTERFOLIO about
uploading their letter when the time comes.
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Upload the resume and auto sketch, along with a transcript, onto Interfolio so that when
your supporting letters are all in, later in the Spring, Annette Hamilton of the Health
Professions Program, can send a complete portfolio of all your supporting documents to the
Composite Writer once you have notified her that all the support letters are in.
Sustained communication and ETIQUETTE: Stay in TOUCH with your writers. Let them
know what you’ve been up to. If there are any who would benefit from a conversation with
you, make sure to invite them to coffee or lunch. Remember that in this world of hasty
emails and abbreviated expression to take that extra effort/time to communicate
thoughtfully and with appreciation.
4. The RESUME AND AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
 RESUME: Did you know that you can get assistance with your resume by using Center For
Professional Development (CPD) walk-in hours or by appt with them?
 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH-What is it?? It provides your writers with a context for what
they each know about you. You share, in prose, information that offers a bit more meaning
than a list of items on a resume could possibly provide. This is NOT expected to be your final
Application personal statement! While the writing still needs to be solid and not sloppy, you
can write in the form of:
o A Letter
o An informal essay
o A set of organized paragraphs with Topic headings (ie: Before College; Academics;
What I Did outside the Classroom; Important Inspirations; Family influences;
Motivation for Medical School—or “titles” that are most relevant to you.)
5. OTHER LETTER/APPLICATION TASKS:
 Hand in your Composite Letter Timeline form to Annette Hamilton (in person or by
email) by the end of Winter Term Form is on NSS web site as above.
 Hand in your Composite Letter Worksheet, also to Annette Hamilton. Form is on NSS
web site as above.
 Meet Annette Hamilton! She’s our Interfolio guru, and she will also play a vital role in
helping you pilot the Composite Letter Process, and bringing it to completion.
6. MCAT & MCAT REGISTRATION: If you are planning to apply in the 2015-2016 cycle you must
have a plan by now, for taking the MCAT in a timely fashion, if you have not already done so.
 What is timely in this context? By May or June.
 Why by May or June? You WANT to KNOW your score before you submit your
application. It takes up to a month to get your score. If you take the MCAT later in the
summer, by the time you know your score, and then submit your Primary Application
(AMCAS or AADSAS (dental) application), you are going to have a later application. We
have seen that the outcome of a later application submission has a significant impact on
the entire application and interview process.
 What kind of plan? You need to structure a study/review plan for the MCAT. Most
folks who feel successful on the MCAT tell us they have studied 2-3 hours a day, almost
every day for 10-12 weeks. To be honest, it may require even a bit longer for the 2015
MCAT. This test is not like an SAT. It is very information specific, and requires thorough
review.
 MCAT Registration: The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has just
announced plans for registration for this exam. Registration will open on Wednesday,
February 11th for MCAT test dates between April and June. Specifically, students will
be able to register on 2/11 for the following five test dates:
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Friday, April 17th
Saturday, April 18th
Friday, May 22nd
Friday, June 19th
Saturday, June 20th
Registration will open for the remaining 2015 test dates (July - Sept) in late-April. As a
reminder, only students who test in April or May will receive their official score reports
in time to be among the first batch of AMCAS applications sent to medical schools on
July 1st. To further encourage students to test early, test-takers who register for one of
the two April test dates will receive a $150 Amazon gift card.
The AAMC will NOT announce in advance exactly what time registration will open on
February 11 and there is certain to be long delays online, so we would encourage you
to TRY TO REGISTER EARLY, as there are only 5 dates. Additionally, as of today, THERE
WILL NOT BE TESTING SITE NEARBY DARTMOUTH (that could change…stay tuned), the
nearest testing centers being in Concord or Burlington. Some students may prefer to go
home to be nearer a testing site.
If this message applies to you, we would suggest you monitor the AAMC MCAT web
page (https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/) and follow on Twitter
(@AAMC_MCAT) to learn the latest and to learn when registration has opened. As
always, we are happy to discuss your MCAT testing and preparation plans.
7. MCAT 2015 STUDY RESOURCES
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The 2015 MCAT is built around what they are calling “Competencies
The AAMC has built several “tools” to prepare for the MCAT. Please go to this website:
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/prepare/
Make sure to link to this site below, in particular. It clarifies which CRUCIAL
competencies you will need to know/review. Go all the way into this website-into EVERY
layer of what they will expect students to know. Scroll to the bottom of EACH page
and hit EACH explore button, to get the full breadth of the competencies details.
https://www.aamc.org/students/services/343550/mcat2015.html
The Kahn Academy is building a free MCAT study video library for all the
“competencies.”
The MCAT website itself has several resources to tap into including, including ONE
practice test for the 2015 MCAT, and various practice questions.
Please keep in mind that, as far as we know, there is no testing company (IE: Kaplan,
Princeton Review, Berkley Review, Exam Krackers) with special a priori knowledge of the
new MCAT that will make them the “best” or “premiere” 2015 MCAT prep company. I
have heard from several people that Berkley Review BOOKS have had especially
substantial review material that gave them more of the substance they needed. It
would seem however, that students have been successful with just about any resource
so long as they truly provided themselves enough time to thoroughly review the
material and do practice questions. As for the actual courses such companies teach live,
just keep in mind that no test review company is set up to “teach” the concepts per se,
but to provide organization for the process, review structure, and test taking skills. If
one takes such a class keep in mind that you still must spend time above and beyond
what the course assigns, to fully review the material.
8. FEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR MCAT AND PRIMARY APPS: One must submit the FAP
application well in advance of signing up for and paying for the MCAT (or paying for/submitting
AMCAS app). The fee reduction is NOT retroactive. Give yourself 6-7 weeks to apply! If you
qualify for one, you will quality for the other automatically. If you do qualify, most schools will
also reduce the fees on the secondary applications if you let them know!
(MEDICAL) https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/
(DENTAL)
http://www.adea.org/dental_education_pathways/aadsas/Applicants/FAQs/GeneralInformatio
n/Pages/FeeReductionProgram.aspx
(OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL) http://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/applying/aacomas/feewaiver
9. REFLECTION AND WRITING APPLICATION
We’ve spent the last few months focused on teaching you about the TIMELINE for application,
and about the Letters of Evaluation—NOW it is time to start considering what it means to
WRITE THE APPLICATION!
 You’ve prepared for several years for this Aspiration and Goal. Now you will need to
describe your journey to Medical Schools in the form of Primary and Secondary
applications.
 To do this well requires REFLECTION, TIME, AND ACTUAL WRITING. It is not to be
underestimated!
 There will be TWO workshops (the same one repeated) about what the applications will
entail, in terms of writing, and ways to think about getting started.
o FRIDAY February 13, 4:30 Carson LO1 OR LO2 TBA
o FRIDAY February 20, 4:30 Carson LO1 OR LO2 TBA
10. CHECKING IN, ASSESSING PREPATION FOR APPLICATION:
 Please check in with Sarah Berger or Lee Witters to help you assess readiness for an
application for this year, or with any other questions about the process!
 You can meet with either of us for short meetings during Walk In hours (which are only
especially busy during course selection weeks), or by appointment-in person or by
phone/Skype if you are not on campus.
We are here for you and with you, throughout the process ahead!! Be in touch with any questions or
concerns!
Sarah, Lee, and Annette