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Applying to American Medical Schools: A Canadian Student’s Perspective

Applying to American Medical Schools: A Canadian Student’s Perspective. Elizabeth Wu University of Toronto 2010 Honours Bachelor of Science June 6, 2010. Outline. Why do I want to be a doctor? How do I make myself competitive? a. Academics b. Volunteering c. Research

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Applying to American Medical Schools: A Canadian Student’s Perspective

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  1. Applying to American Medical Schools: A Canadian Student’s Perspective Elizabeth Wu University of Toronto 2010 Honours Bachelor of Science June 6, 2010

  2. Outline Why do I want to be a doctor? How do I make myself competitive? a. Academics b. Volunteering c. Research How do I apply to medical school? a. Personal statement b. MCAT c. Letters of Recommendation How do I prepare for the interview? What happens now?

  3. Why do I want to be a doctor?

  4. Why American medical schools? Greater choice 132 AAMC accredited M.D.-granting schools (vs. 17 in Canada) Access to resources Research facilities and personnel Clinical opportunities International opportunities Caveats Expensive (escrow) Future practice

  5. How do I make myself competitive? What makes me unique? Academics Volunteering Research Interpersonal and intrapersonal traits

  6. How do I make myself competitive? Academics GPA Coursework: Basic requirements (also needed for the MCAT): 1 year each of biology , general chemistry, and physics with lab 1 year of organic chemistry Variable by school: 1 year of calculus or statistics 1 year of English Courses in literature, languages, and social sciences

  7. How do I make myself competitive? Volunteering Altruism, compassion, long-term commitment Community Clinical KNOWLEDGE OF THE HEALTH CARE SETTING International opportunities Volunteers for Intercultural and Definitive Adventures (VIDA) http://www.vidavolunteertravel.org

  8. How do I make myself competitive? Research Course-based Research opportunity programs Thesis Summer research Summer studentships - NSERC (National Science and Engineering Research Council) - CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) Long-term commitment /Diversity of experiences

  9. How do I make myself competitive? Interpersonal and intrapersonal traits What makes me special? - One size does not fit all BUT - Don’t give yourself plastic surgery Character traits - Intellectual curiosity, altruism, leadership, well-roundedness - Thematic organization

  10. MCAT, AMCAS…SOS? In the U.S.: American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS): http://www.aamc.org/audienceamcas.htm 2. School-specific secondary applications What do I need? PERSONAL STATEMENT REFERENCE LETTERS MCAT scores Also useful: - CV or List of Activities

  11. MCAT, AMCAS…SOS? AMCAS - June 1st: First day to submit primary - August 1st: Early Decision Program - Regular admission deadline varies (majority October 15th) Secondary Applications - Deadlines vary SUBMIT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE

  12. MCAT, AMCAS…SOS? MCAT Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning (/15) Writing Sample (M-T) 2. Personal statement Revise, revise, revise Other readers 3. Reference letters DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO WRITE ME A STRONG LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION? - Personal statement, 1-2 page CV, transcript

  13. How do I prepare for the interview? • Thematic preparation • 1. Personal qualities • 2. Pivotal experiences and their significance • Research • Volunteering • Am I a good fit? • Additional: • - Current and future state of health care • - Non-medical current events • - Medical ethics

  14. How do I prepare for the interview? Resources: - Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) - So You Want To Be A Doctor? (Niriksha Maladi, 2005) - So You Want To Be A Doctor, Eh? (Anne Berndl, 2007) - http://www.studentdoctor.net - University Career Centre/Interview Service - PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

  15. What happens now? Back-up plan(s) Offers/Waitlists/Rejections May 15 3. Financing the future - Canada student loans - Personal lines of credit

  16. And the moral of the story is…

  17. Good luck, all!

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