PREMED ADVISING

1. PREMED ADVISING Freshmen:

2. Freshman Premed Advising • What is premed? • Ultimately, medical school admissions committees want to know 3 things: • Can you handle the academic rigors of medical school? • Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want to be a doctor for the “right” reasons? • Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary to be a good doctor?

3. Freshman Premed Advising • Can you handle the academic rigors of medical school? • GPA • Academic Coursework • MCAT

4. 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

5. 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

6. Freshman Premed Advising • Can you handle the academic rigors of medical school? • Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want to be a doctor for the “right” reasons? • Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary to be a good doctor?

7. 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!!!

8. 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

9. PREMED ADVISING Sophomores

10. 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

11. Sophomore Premed Advising • Ultimately admissions committees want to know 3 things: • Can you handle the academic rigors of medical school? • Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want to be a doctor for the “right” reasons? • Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary to be a good doctor?

12. 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/

13. 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

14. PREMED ADVISING Juniors

15. 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

16. Junior Premed Advising • Ultimately admissions committees want to know 3 things: • Can you handle the academic rigors of medical school? • Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want to be a doctor for the “right” reasons? • Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary to be a good doctor?

17. 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/

18. 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

19. HELL BEGINS DECEMBER 15….. • 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…

20. PREMED ADVISING SENIORS

21. http://webs.wofford.edu/mossre/hc/ • 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! • 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: • Osteopathic medicine • Other health fields • Reapply • M.S.; • Prep programs, such as at VCOM, USC [and why I’m not a fan]

22. Senior Premed Advising • Ultimately admissions committees want to know 3 things: • Can you handle the academic rigors of medical school? • Why do you want to be a doctor… do you want to be a doctor for the “right” reasons? • Do you have the diverse set of skills necessary to be a good doctor?

23. 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