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This presentation is courtesy of the Middle Tennessee State University Student National Medical Association . GETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL. We Want to See You at the White Coat Ceremony!. The goal of this presentation is to show you how to: Take the right courses .
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This presentation is courtesy of the Middle Tennessee State University Student National Medical Association GETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL
We Want to See You at the White Coat Ceremony! • The goal of this presentation is to show you how to: • Take the right courses. • Prepare and sign up for the MCAT • Apply effectively to AMCAS and AACOMAS • Make powerful Personal Statements • Crackthe 2º Application • Powerful Interviews
What Courses Should I Take? • Courses that will prepare you for the material and work load inherent with medical school. See your advisor to obtain specific course requirements for medical school. • Hard sciences will prepare you for the work load; Biochem, Cell and Molec., Physiology, Embryology, Histology, Medical Chemistry, Human Genetics, Diagnostic Micro., Immun., and others will all prepare you for the material.
Registering and Studying for the MCAT. • First you have to know where to sign-up for it: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm • Register for the MCAT at the appropriate time. • Make sure you know what subjects are covered in the MCAT. • Study, Study, Study: this is where all those hours of Organic, Physics, Biology, and Verbal reasoning will pay off. • Many have done well with a Kaplan or Princeton Review class. Others have studied independently. If you sign up for a class, make sure you can balance it and do all the work.
Primary (electronic ) Applications to Medical School • Whether you are applying to MD or DO programs, your primary medical school application will be done on a website. • MD: http://www.aamc.org • DO: http://aacomas.aacom.org/ Remember every step costs money, for 7 schools it can cost as much as $350. MCAT scores have to be submitted to AACOMAS via the THX system.
Personal Statements • Be yourself: honesty is the best policy, it doesn’t take a PhD, DO, or MD to figure out if you are untrue. • Tell them effectively why you want to go and why you feel you are an excellent candidate. • Be passionate- if you want it, they will know! • Be unique. What have you done in your life and who are you that sets you apart. • Revise, Revise, Revise. Get multiple people to read your statement (your advisor, an English professor, family member, friend, professor, etc.).
Where Should I Apply? Factors to Keep In Mind When Applying to Medical Schools: • Know where you have a realistic chance (residency status, GPA, MCAT, school mission reflects your goals, location, etc.). • Pending your competitiveness, do not apply too late or too early to medical school. • Keep your support system close by to help you make decisions: family, friends, advisors, pre-professional organizations, professors • Apply to many (>5) schools, where you can see yourself going. • Money – save up for interviews, flights, hotel stays, etc. It can get expensive.
Secondary Applications • Often times you will have to include: • Personal Information • Letter of recommendation writers’ info, Address, Phone, relationship, etc. • Essays: each is different, let experienced people (i.e. they have helped people into Med school) critique a draft of your essay. Then just polish till you have the final product. • Be VERY careful, have some white-out! • MONEY-» from $50-150 per secondary applicatoin! • Your preprofessional interview recommendation must be sent to Medical schools during this time.
Secondary Applications Invitations to fill out secondary application may be sent via e-mail. This application will be on the college’s web-site, often through a special link in your e-mail. Others will come in the mail, along with the application itself. Fill it out as soon as you get it; if you are waiting on one, look at the colleges website. There may be a copy of it posted (see example link below) http://www.lecom.edu/lecom/application/Erieapp2005.pdf
Interviews This is where your chances of getting into medical school become a reality. A good interview can make all the difference towards acceptance into a medical school. Be prepared!
Decision Letters • Rejection: if hundreds or thousands are interviewed, and only 60-250 are accepted, probability says you may get rejected. Remember if you get rejected by 10 and apply to 11 good schools, you’re going to a good medical school. • Acceptance: Let the work begin (next-slide).
Acceptance • They usually will want right away: • Tuition Deposit: ($500-$2000) • History/Physical w/ special req.’s • Proof of Degree/final transcript • Proof of Health and Life Insurance • Proof of Immunizations to a HOST of diseases • Money for a criminal background check
Why Become A Physician? • Not for the mansion, but to help people in a challenging, rewarding field!