Lafayette College Health
Professions Advising Program
Medical, Dental, Podiatry, Optometry and
Veterinary Aspirants
Application Meeting
Professor Nancy Waters
Faculty Health Professions Advisor
Dr. Julia Goldberg
Associate Dean Health Professions
Ms Simona Glaus
HP Administrative Assistant
October 30, 2014
HPAC and our goal today:
Remind you of the timetable
ahead and elements needed
Flag changes and updates in
application processes
Review your portfolio to give
guidance and feedback
Provide tools to self-assess
your decisions going forward
…coming attractions:
CS January Externships Deadline: TODAY!!
ACS talk by Berstler, Identifying CVS receptor
agonists, November 3rd Noon, Hugel 205
AFHP/MAPS session: USF/ LVH Select Program
Interns, November 4th 8pm, location TBD
How to Select a School? November 20th Noon
CWP/HP on Personal Essays, January 28th 2015
MAPS “Day in the life…” sessions, Spring 2015
Practice Interviewing:
https://lafayette.interviewstream.com/Default.aspx
Are you a physician of the future?
Who best fulfills the mission of the school?
Who best serves our healthcare needs?
Qualifications are:
scholarship
accomplishments
intellectual curiosity
emotional maturity
character
interest in medicine
sensitivity to others
communication skills
selflessness of care
commitment to service
critical thinking skills
problem-solving skills
The landscape now?
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%
The landscape now?
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%
GPA Decoded !
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…
…know what schools require…
…know what Lafayette requires…
…know what YOU require of
YOURSELF
MCAT2015 Changes (for good or ill):
• Required 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
• Info at: www.aamc.org/students/applying/
mcat/mcat2015
• Official sample test at:
www.aamc.org/mcat2015samples
…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 – Your Academic Coursework
 Graduate with a major/minor that suits you.
Perform well in foundational science courses.
 By now you should have completed:
2 Introductory Biology with laboratory
2 General Chemistry with laboratory
2 Organic Chemistry with laboratory
2 Physics with laboratory
2+ Mathematics: calculus & statistics plus…?
3+ Writing-Intensive Courses
Biochemistry
Competency in Psychology and Sociology
 More specific requirements? (e.g. nutrition or
microbiology or immunology). Check out
YOUR preferred schools! Plan ahead!!
 Other relevant courses include:
A&S 222 Medical Anthropology
Biol 213 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
Biol 251 Human Physiology
Biol 274 Bioinformatics** (also modeling etc)
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 meet prerequisites, check MSAR,
ADEA for guidance,
 Choose wisely! Degrees of Freedom are declining!
And you already know about……
Advanced Placement.
Summer School
Pass/Fail
Study Abroad
Research
Electives
Be true to who you are to be
broadly well-educated
What strengthens your portfolio?
Internships/Externships
ACTIVE! Clinical! Demonstrably devoted!
Clubs, Sports, Activities
ENHANCE, not impede! Evidence of time
management, collaboration, hierarchical work,
communication, some leadership
Read
healthcare, health news, the ACA, health
challenges beyond televised/internet media
Take yourself OUT of your comfort zone!
INTEGRITY! Cultivate honest intellectual principles
To Apply in This Round
Submitting in Spring of your JUNIOR year
only completed experiences can be included in primaries
level of experiences may limit your competitiveness
concurrent testing preparation and immersion in coursework
…you will matriculate in the fall following baccalaureate graduation
Submitting in SPRING of your SENIOR year
optimizes range of experiences
deepens evidence of maturity and insight
enhances technical proficiency
expands dossier of research and clinical experiences
…delays matriculating so more time before you practice medicine
How to choose the timeline that works for YOU??
>REALISTIC self- and external assessment!
>small group curricular advising NOW
>Greensheet solo advising January/February
…and you can re-activate if you decide to defer! Check out the website!
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
-2ndary 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?!?!?!!?
MULTIPLE SPECIFIC BACKUP PLANS!
Assess your portfolio REALISTICALLY
Enhance targeted clinical activities
Find innovative and compelling ways to
broaden your experiences…
…raise your competitiveness among
ever-escalating pool of applicants!
…STAY CONNECTED with deadlines and
information 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
$385
OAT
$270
GRE general
$185
GRE subject test fees $150
APPLICATION FEES (verification 4-6 weeks):
AMCAS
$160+ $34
AACOMAS
$195 + $35-50
ADEA AADSAS
$244 + $90
OptomCAS
$150 + 700
VMCAS
$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
https://www.aamc.org/students/advisors/
first-advisors/
You Know 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;
Summer 2015 ONLY counts on 2o 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) Be able to articulate SPECIFIC back up plans 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!!!
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!