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Medical Direction presents: The Fall Medical School Symposium

Medical Direction presents: The Fall Medical School Symposium. Come learn more about the MCAT, prerequisites, reference letters, and the application process from med school students!. Date: Thursday, September 19 th @ 6pm Location: Leacock 132. Who is Medical Direction ?.

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Medical Direction presents: The Fall Medical School Symposium

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  1. Medical Direction presents: The Fall Medical School Symposium • Come learn more about the MCAT, prerequisites, reference letters, and the application process from med school students! Date: Thursday, September 19th @ 6pm Location: Leacock 132

  2. Who is Medical Direction? www.md.sus.mcgill.ca

  3. Presentation Overview • Undergraduate Timeline • Prerequisites & MCAT • Research & Extracurriculars • GMT/Shadowing • Applications & Reference Letters • Guest Speakers: • Joshua Chin • Andrew Rabinovitch • Noir Khatib • Jeffrey Weiskopf

  4. Undergraduate Timeline How to stay on track

  5. U0 U1 U2 U3 -work hard and keep your marks up -stay involved on campus, preferably in a leadership role -travel and relax for the summer -interviews -ACCEPTANCE! -take first year science courses (prereqs) -explore your interests in clubs and activities on campus -conduct summer research; volunteer; get a job; take summer courses; travel -have fun, make friends -pick your major; take remaining prereqs (Org Chem, English) -run for a leadership role? (e.g. club exec) -conduct summer research; volunteer; get a job; take summer courses; travel -consider taking an MCAT class or self-studying and to the MCAT this summer -get to know your supervisors, profs, TAs -work hard and keep your marks up -stay involved on campus, preferably in a leadership role -conduct summer research; volunteer; get a job; take summer courses; travel -write (or rewrite, if need be) the MCAT; contact your references, begin your applications -get closer with your supervisors; perhaps conduct research with a professor during the year

  6. Prerequisites The courses you must take before starting medical school

  7. Required (by some schools) • Full year of Physics (with lab) • PHYS 101, 102 OR PHYS 131,142 • Full year of Bio (with lab) • BIOL 111, 112 • Full year of General Chem (with lab) • Chem 110, 120 • Half to Full year of Organic Chem (with lab) • CHEM 212, 222

  8. Recommended • Math Courses (stats/calculus) • Upper level life sciences courses (biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, etc.) • English • Humanities

  9. Things to check • Does the school accept prerequisite courses taken over the summer? (some DO NOT) • Does the school accept Pass/Fail prerequisites? (most DO NOT) • Does the school accept transfer credits as prerequisites (e.g. CÉGEP, French Bacc, IB, AP)

  10. MCAT The infamous test

  11. What the MCAT Tests • Critical thinking rather than knowledge • Start studying early! Some sources say study at least 400 hours! • STUDY VERBAL REASONING! • Challenging for students with purely science background • 101 Passages MCAT Verbal Reasoning

  12. MCAT Grading Scheme • Every section is out of 15 • Aim for double digits in every section

  13. The MCAT is Changing in 2015 • No more writing section • New “Natural Sciences” and “Behavioral Sciences” sections • New “Critical Analysis and Reasoning” section • Must be taken by those entering Medical school in Fall 2016 • visit www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015/ for more information

  14. Research Whyyou should do it

  15. How to Get Involved • Choose a field based on your interests • Search for labs • Hospital websites • McGill Office for Undergraduate Research (http://www.mcgill.ca/science/research/ours) • Google • Look at: • publications • project descriptions

  16. How to Get Involved (cont.) • Email principal investigator or lab manager • Be familiar with the research • Be willing to volunteer • Have enthusiasm about the topic, and show it • Do not send generalized mass emails • Types of work • Own project • Work with PhD/Masters student • Review article

  17. How to Get Involved (cont.) • Not so great: • Hey Dr. Smith! • My name is John and I am a McGill undergraduate student. Your lab looks very interesting to me and I am looking to do research because it will look good on my medical school applications. Please let me know if you have any positions available. • Much better: • Hi Dr. Smith, • My name is John and I am a second year McGill student studying biology. I’m interested in molecular biology, and after reading some of your papers on cytoskeletal dynamics, I have become enthusiastic about working in a lab like yours. Do you think we could arrange a meeting to discuss the potential of becoming involved with your research?

  18. What Medical Schools Look For • Level & type of involvement • Time commitment • Self-directed • Results

  19. Extracurriculars The Bare Essentials

  20. Doing something you love • Get involved! • Join clubs, compete in athletics, volunteer for NGOs, anything • Try to lead • Try to do something health related – not because it “looks good”, but so you can get discover whether the field is truly for you

  21. Hospital Volunteering • Gain experience in a hospital setting • Possible options • Royal Victoria Hospital • Montreal General • Montreal Chest • Montreal Children’s • Montreal Neurological • Shriners • St. Mary’s • Look around – Don’t give up

  22. Shadowing

  23. Shadowing Program • md.sus.mcgill.ca/shadowing.php • Shadow in a clinical or operating room (OR) setting • Many different specialties including radiology, surgery and psychiatry • Several clinical and non-clinical researchers also available to discuss their research and the field in general

  24. Application process • Immunization Form • Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Varicella, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, Tuberculin, Influenza, Meningococcus • Required to shadow in the OR, required by some doctors for clinical shadowing as well • Application Form • CV • Letter of Intent • Short 5-10 minute informal interview/meeting

  25. Questions • Philippe Hwang, Shadowing Director • Md.shadowing@gmail.com

  26. Global Medical Training Trip

  27. The trip gives you the opportunity to… • Actively participate in medical assessments and treatment of patients • Provide healthcare to patients with scarce economic resources in Latin America • Work with medical professionals in clinics • Learn by doing

  28. How does a trip like this help my application? • You gain way more from a trip like GMT than a one-line entry on your CV… • Shows that you explore your interests • Shows that you have an idea of what the medical field/environment is like • Exposes you to patients and teaches you how to interact with them • Stories, inspiration

  29. Applications OMSAS and other Canadian schools

  30. Timeline for applying (for application during final year) • May-June before final year • speak to references • decide what schools to apply to • begin (and complete) AMCAS • July-Aug before final year • begin OMSAS • Oct-Nov of final year • OMSAS and AMCAS due • Dec-Mar of final year • Interviews! (Feb-Apr for OMSAS)

  31. Components • Biographical information • Inputting grades • Have to manually input grades • Letters of Reference • Only allows you to upload three letters of reference • The referees must fill out the Confidential Assessment Form and send in your letter by mail

  32. Sketch • Enter in all academic, non academic, work and research experience • Need to put in verifiers • Someone who can confirm your activities • You will need their address and phone number

  33. Fees • Base fee - $210 • McMaster - $105 • Northern - $75 • Ottawa - $75 • Queen’s - $75 • Toronto - $85 • Western - $85

  34. Reference Letters

  35. For most schools, you will need… • 2 academic references • Professors, Lab supervisors (PIs), Academic Advisors, Teaching Assistants • anyone who can attest to your abilities in schoolorresearch • 1 non-academic reference • Swim coach, Violin teacher, Clinical or Volunteer Supervisor • A “character reference”

  36. How to ask for a reference • Start early. Give your references a lot of time to write your letters. • Choose someone you have a personal relationship with and who knows you well. • Ask them, preferably in person, if they would be willing to write a positive reference letter for your applications. • Prepare a package of information for them (next slide). • Follow up before the deadline.

  37. What to give your reference The more information your reference has about you, the better. Things to include: • cover letter explaining what the letter is for (i.e. med school), what must be included (any special information), and when it is due • NOTE: do NOT lie about the due date • a copy of your CV • a copy of your transcript (official or unofficial) • required forms (e.g OMSAS confidential assessment) • any other relevant documents (e.g. proof of awards, details about your academic program, website urls, etc.) • (a pre-addressed envelope with a stamp) This is not the time to be modest.

  38. Questions

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