Information for health professional school applicants September 27, 2018

1. Information for health professional school applicantsSeptember 27, 2018 Holy Cross Health Professions Advising Prof. Miles Cahill, Advisor Prof. JumiHayaki, Associate Advisor

2. What we will do today Talk about committee review process Talk about credentials Talk about graduate school application process Talk about MCAT and review class Talk about changes to post-bacc and allied health review process

3. Who is eligible for a review? • Considering applying to med/dental/vet school in this cycle (June 2019 for August 2020 start) • You do not have to decide until close to application time! • Will finish requirements by end of spring semester • Or will finish post-baccalaureate plan in spring • You do not have to take the MCAT before the review • In a post-baccalaureate program now • Alumni, juniors, seniors • Applicants may be reviewed multiple times

4. Application timeline September 2018 • September 28, O’Neill 112, 5:15pm: meeting to talk about application • Talk about HC committee review process, med, dental and vet school application process • Introduce the personal statement and other materials • Talk about resources October 2018 • October 5: Advisor request (online) and waiver (hard copy to Stein 129A) forms due by noon. • After fall break: advisors assigned • Meet with your advisor ASAP • October 16, 7pm: Dr. Ryan talk (clinical director, MGConc) November-December 2017 • November 3: Saturday personal statement workshop, 9am-11am, SML 154 • Start working on personal statement, materials, meet with advisor • Request recommendation letters (Nov?) • MCAT information meeting January 2019 • Finish up personal statement • Attend session at Writer’s Workshop, work with advisor • Completed first draft should be done by start of spring semester • MCAT preparation course starts February 2019 • February 15: Committee application materials due • Meeting to discuss MCAT goals, etc. February – May 2019 • Committee reviews files on a rolling basis • Applicants receive committee ratings, feedback; meet with committee advisor to discuss your review May 2019 • May 1: deadline to submit materials for reapplication for 2017-18 applicants (those not yet accepted) • May (first week): Application services open/ start entering application • Final meeting to discuss application process • Final ratings determined after spring grades; ratings letters sent June 2019 • June (first week): Application services (medical/dental) start accepting applications • Submit applications as soon as possible in cycle • Submit your letter request materials to Health Professions Advising Office (see instructions sent in May) after your application is finalized and submitted July 2019 • July 31: last day to have your application processed by application service to guarantee committee letter • Special permission from Prof. Cahill needed to submit application after • Complete secondary applications August 2019 – March 2020 • August 15: Last day to request any letter or packet to be sent • Interviews typically start late in August/early Sept., continue -spring • Medical school decisions start early fall, continue through year • February 19th: AAMC traffic rule “plan to enroll” avail April – August 2020 • April 30: AAMC traffic rule “commit to enroll” available • May 1: deadline to submit for reapplication for 2018-19 re-applicants • Offers may continue until matriculation – wait lists will likely be late, heavy August 2020: start school!

5. First steps to take • Open or reactivate your file – deadline Oct. 5 • If you are opening a file, submit signed PDF copy waiver form to office (heathprofessions@holycross.edu) • if have file open with letters, no need to do this again • You must fill out the online form to request a committee advisor to open or reactivate your file – see “key documents” on the health professions advising web page • Meet your advisor • Start committee personal statement • Attend personal statement workshop – Nov. 3, 9-11am • Work with the Writer’s Workshop • Work with your advisor – brainstorm, send drafts • Start researching school requirements (MSAR) • Start asking for reference letters before winter break • 3 to review file, 5+ to write a good letter • Major professor, a non-major science lab professor, a third professor/supervisor, + • Avoid letters from those close to your family. Clinical letters very helpful, even essential • Talk to your advisor before winter break • Think about how you will prepare for the entrance exam • Kaplan info meeting in Nov. • Get complete draft of statement done before you return • Due date for file materials: February 15

6. Choosing an advisor • You will get the chance to make your advisor preferences known on your form. • We will try to assign you to one of your top choices but we need to make sure advisees are evenly distributed. Prof. King (Mathematics & Computer Science) Prof. Stock (M&CS) Prof. Avila-Bront (Chemistry) Prof. Joseph (Classics) Prof. Roche (Religious Studies) Prof. Ramos (Spanish) Prof. Hayaki (Psych) Prof. Cahill (Econ&Acct)

7. Committee process: MD/DO, DMD/DDS, DVM • Materials due Feb. 15 • Follow instructions carefully • Cover sheet, list of courses, notation, annotated activities list, personal statement, transcripts • Committee meets to discuss files and rate applicants on rolling basis • You will get a letter with a preliminary rating shortly after • Meet with your advisor to get more detailed feedback • Committee reviews all files again after spring grades • Study for and take the MCAT/DAT/GRE • Goal: have application complete as close to June 1 as possible • Ideally apply early June with exam scores in hand • You must have your application processed by July 31 to get a committee letter but this may be too late

8. Letter collection process • Send a PDF of your signed waiver to the office when you request an advisor to open your file • You do not need to submit another waiver if you already have one on file • Fill out Google form to open/reopen file, request advisor • You will get an e-mail with a spreadsheet template to list recommenders • Ms. Kirkorian will create a Google Sheet and share it with you. She will record when letters are received by the office on the shared Google Sheet so you can check it at any time. • You can add additional recommenders to Sheet at any time • Please be patient and wait for Sheet and letters to be processed • Send an e-mail to your recommenders using the template we give you asking for a letter • Letters are submitted to hpletters@holycross.edu as an attachment • On letterhead • Signed (electronic is ok) • PDF • Medical/dental/vet schools will not accept letters that aren’t on signed letterhead

9. When is a review not necessary? • You are applying to allied health: PA/NP/PT/etc. • You are definitely not planning on applying this year • Planning on a gap year (or more), post-bacc program, research, more classes, etc. • We are happy to give you feedback and advice in person • You may request a committee advisor to get feedback, start a relationship, start collecting letters • You will be a different person in a year (or more)! • You will not complete your requirements (or post-bacc) by the end of spring semester • We can’t rate you without grades • Medical schools do not allow an application with courses in progress • Dental school may allow a recommended class in progress (e.g. biochem)

10. Credentials • GPA: overall and in science courses • We look at trajectory, individual course grades, additional courses, etc. • Personal statement • Approx. 7 page reflective essay • Introduce yourself to the committee: who are you? How did you get here? • Reflect on experiences that lead you to pursue a career of caring for others • This is a key part of our rating! • Reference letters • Academic ability and work ethic, engagement • Character, working with others, compassion, maturity • Clinical, research, volunteer, professional experiences • If you are applying to DO school, you need a letter from a DO. If you are applying to dental school you need a letter from a dentist • Letter may come after your committee review • Volunteer experience • Longer/deeper engagement valued – show leadership • Show compassion for others • May substitute for (some) clinical experience

11. Credentials • Clinical experience • Work/volunteer/internship in hospital/nursing home/office/etc. setting • Shadowing less desirable as it is “passive” • Volunteer or work caring for others in a non-medical setting • This may substitute for (most) clinical experience • Key is experience caring for others in a stressful situation, learning to communicate with people with different backgrounds • Research experience • Not essential, but helpful • Professional experience • Not essential, but helpful • Other experiences • Athletics, clubs, etc. • We don’t use MCAT/DAT/GRE for rating, but will for advisory purposes • Test scores very important for med/dental/vet schools

12. What are we (and medical/dental/vet schools) looking for? Can the applicant handle the rigorous academics of curriculum and license exams? Has the applicant demonstrated maturity? Working well with others? Leadership? Engagement? Has the applicant demonstrated a commitment to helping others in need? Does the applicant have experience working with people from different socio/economic backgrounds, in stressful situations? Is the applicant familiar with the job health care providers do? The training involved?

13. Committee ratings • Very highly recommend • Outstanding in every category. No flaws. • Highly recommend • Strong in every category, but not top in all categories • May have a flaw that is offset by other excellent credentials • Recommend • You are a solid applicant in every category but have some weaknesses that can be addressed to make you a stronger applicant. We think you are capable of succeeding in medical/dental/etc. school, but you should be careful which schools you apply to. • Wait to apply • You are not yet a competitive applicant • We will give you advice on how you can become more competitive • Historically, students at all levels of recommendation (R through VH) have gotten in at similar rates (80%+). The recommendation level corresponds to what sorts of schools an applicant should apply to, and not if they will be accepted. • Your rating reflects your record, is not a substitute • We are trying to show you how medical/dental/vet schools will view your application, not act as gatekeepers! • It is expensive to apply to schools and much harder to get into medical school as a re-applicant

14. Cost of medical school • Cost of applying to medical school: $3,000-4,000 • Application fees, exams, travel to interviews, etc. • Typical private medical school • Tufts: $90,000+/year (tuition, meals, living, etc.) • Avg. med school student graduates with >$200,000 in debt • Typical public medical school • UMass: $55,000/year (tuition, feels, living, etc.) • Avg. student graduates with >$100,000 in debt • Dental school even more expensive! $120,000/yr • Vet school also very expensive

15. National applications • Medical school is becoming more highly competitive • 50,905 applications to MD for fall 2017 start • 20,864 started medical school in fall 2016; 41% of applicants • Typical MD medical school • Tufts: 10,951 complete applicants, 926 interviews for class of 211 • UMass: 1,012 in-state+2,576 out, 493+281 interviews for class of 134+28 • Nationally, students apply to 18-22 schools, ~40% get in to MD, similar matriculation rate for DO • Holy Cross: admission rate approx double, after advising, incl. DO • 20,836 applications to DO (2017) • 7,197 first year students (35% matriculation rate) • Typical DO school • CCOM-MWU: 5,712 applications for a class of 208 • UNE-COM: 4,300 applications for 600 interviews and a class of 178 • Dental school is also becoming increasingly competitive • Tufts: 3,700 apps for 195 seats

16. Consider DO • 90% of training the same • Pass equivalent license exam • Train in similar/same residencies – same accreditation! • MUCH better chance at residency than overseas • A little easier to get into quantitatively • Less concerned with quantitative scores • MCAT: avg: 503 for DO vs. 511 for MD • GPA (overall/science) slightly lower (3.5/3.4 for DO vs 3.7/3.6 for MD) • Need a letter from a DO: your responsibility • Resources • See www.AACOM.org • The DOs by Norman Gervitz • June 2009 issue of Academic Medicine

17. Come to fall events • Dr. David Ryan, MD, Clinical Director, MGH Cancer Center • October 16, 7pm, Rehm Library • Georgetown School of Medicine Virtual Information Session • October 30, 5pm Zoom

18. Consider NP/PA, allied health • Think about your goals • What do you want to do every day • Not what initials do you want on your name tag • Do you want to work with patients? • Diagnose, treat, prescribe? • Think about NP/PA, other allied health • Other careers may allow more independence • Podiatry (very similar to med school) • Optometry • Physical therapy, etc.

19. Other professional programs • Dental school • Same committee process, timeline as MD • GPA a little lower than MD • Usually competitive above 3.0 GPA (overall & science) • Need a letter from a dentist • DAT important: want > 17 on each section • Veterinary school • Same committee process • Deadline Sept. 15 – but check! • Usually take GRE • Experience with large and small animals essential • Requirements vary between schools • Usually need individual letters

20. PA, NP, PT, OD, etc. and post-baccs Important differences Have June, Aug., Jan., etc. start dates Deadlines vary – year round, including before committee meets! Requirements vary widely between schools Schools do not accept committee letters, committee ratings We will help you gather your credentials, choose reference letters, choose schools, write personal statement, etc. Come see us!

21. Special factors See me if you are in one of these categories Not a permanent US resident Are currently in ROTC Serious disciplinary action like suspension or probation

22. General advice • Work with your advisor early • Waiting until last minute is asking for trouble • Be professional • Be formal in all correspondence – e-mails, phone calls, etc. • Use correct grammar, spelling in all communication • Always use titles, never first names • Be polite and friendly to everyone • Use a professional-sounding e-mail address • Be engaged in what you do • Classes, activities, etc. • Read • Dr. J. O’Connell, Dr. A. Gawande, Dr. P. Kalanithi, Dr. R. Campo • Watch your public profile and behave well • Med schools may Google you, look at your Facebook page, etc. • Don’t let a foolish mistake jeopardize your chances • Serious disciplinary action may be the end of your application