Medical/Dental School Info

1. College of science Medical/Dental School Info

2. College of Science • Mr. Robby Bowen • Ms. Kim Kubicek • Ms. Courtni Guidry • Ms. Krista Baron • Ms. Rachel Singleton • Ms. Martha Cedotal, Asst. Dean

3. Medical & Dental School • 2 years Basic Sciences • Step 1 Licensure exam (USMLE) • 2 years Clinical Rotations • Step 2 Licensure Exam • Post-graduate Residency • Step 3 Licensure Exam • Licensure

4. Premed/Predent @ LSU • 1200 entering freshmen declare PMED/PDEN • ~400 LSU students apply to medical/dental/optometry/podiatry school • 200-220 LSU students are accepted

5. Application Procedure • Core course requirements • Test scores • Formal application • Faculty & Committee letters

6. Four Year Plan

7. Freshman Year • Focus on academic performance • Develop maturity and independence • Work on core requirements • Explore majors • Read!!

8. Sophomore Year • Choose a major • Develop relationships with faculty • Get Clinical Experience • Get involved • Summer Programs • Read!!

9. Junior Year • Maintain good grades • Finish core requirements • Build your resume (clinical experience, leadership, etc.) • Attend Application meeting (Fall) • Take MCAT/DAT (Spring) • Apply to professional school

10. Senior Year • Complete degree requirements • Professional School Interviews • Keep in mind a parallel plan

11. LSU Medical School Statistics • Average overall GPA: ~3.7 • Average science GPA: >3.7 • Average MCAT composite score is ~30 (9+ in each category) • BS/BA degree • Limited out of state resident seats (up to 40 in New Orleans)

12. Out of State/Private Medical Schools Louisiana residents wanting to go out of state: • 3.8 GPA • 32+ MCAT Composite minimum • Competing with applicants nationwide

13. LSU Dental School Statistics • ~3.6 Overall GPA • ~3.6 Science GPA • 20 Academic Average DAT • 19 Perceptual Ability DAT • No subtest scores below 18

14. Choosing a Major • Students can choose any major but you need a good science foundation • Choose what you enjoy and earn good grades • Take as many science courses as possible

15. Non-science Majors • Science GPA is crucial • Above average overall GPA • Extra science course work • MCAT/DAT implications • Possibly earn a science minor • Biological Sciences • Chemistry

16. Core Requirements • Biology 1201/1208, 1202/1209 • LSU Dental: MBIO and BCH now required • LSU Med-Shreveport requires 2 additional semesters of BIOL; • General Chemistry 1201, 1202, 1212 • Organic Chemistry 2261, 2262, 2364 • Physics 2001, 2002, 2108, 2109 • English 6-9 hours of credit • Changes coming—statistics/Biochemistry

17. Core Requirements • At least 90 hours of credit • Complete an undergraduate degree • Many schools may have additional requirements (calculus, genetics, psychology) • Always check with admissions office at any school of interest

18. Suggested Courses • Biology 4087 (biochemistry) • Biology 3156 (devl. zoology) • Biology 4160 (vert. physiology) • Biology 4104 (histology) • HUEC 1110/3010 (nutrition) • KIN 2500 (human anatomy) • EXST 2201 (statistics) • Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology • Bio-ethics

19. Suggested Courses • Interpersonal Communication • Pre-dental students • Jewelry making • Ceramics

20. Good Advice • Take labs with lectures • Don’t put off math • Balance science with non-science • Take advantage of free tutoring, supplemental instruction & learning assistance

21. Good Advice • Visit faculty during office hours • Know your degree requirements • Challenge yourself academically, taking the easy way out doesn’t help in the long run; remember the competition. • Take Personal responsibility!!!

22. Advanced Placement • Prerequisite courses should be taken in residence • Check the policy at the medical/dental schools you are interested in attending • Preference is given to courses earned in classroom with a grade

23. Admissions Committees ask 3 questions: • Can the applicant “do it”? • grades; MCAT/DAT; semester loads; time management; juggle responsibilities; critical thinker; handle stress; • Will the applicant “do it”? • challenges self; works hard; team player; perseveres; solves problems; motivated for right reasons; • Should the applicant “do it”? • Compassionate? Caring? Good communication skills; ethical? Honest? Integrity? Professionalism?

24. Competency Based Admissions Interpersonal Competencies Service oriented Social/Interpersonal Skills Cultural Competence Team Work Oral Communication

25. Competency Based Admissions Intrapersonal Competencies Integrity and Ethics Reliability and Dependability Resilience and Adapatability Capacity for Improvement

26. Credentials • Academic Record • Extracurricular Activities • Test Scores • Personal Characteristics • Letters of Evaluation

27. Academic Record • GPA • Course loads • Upper Division Credits • Research • “W” grades

28. Average Course Loads • 15 to 17 hours per semester • MCAT/DAT semester • Work schedule is considered • Should be advancing in your major/taking higher level courses

29. Research • Faculty members need good, dependable student assistants • Opportunity to get to know faculty • Shows responsibility and interest • Active learning

30. Extracurricular • Clubs/Organizations • Work • Volunteer service • Medical/Dental experience

31. Health Related Experience • Local hospitals-paid or volunteer • Doctor’s offices • Nursing homes • Hospice

32. Dental Experience • Work • Observe different practices and specialty areas • Volunteer • Extremely Important for Pre-dental students!

33. Health Related Student Organizations • Alpha Epsilon Delta • Pre-Dental Society • Minority Science Pre-Professional Society • Student Christian Medical Association • Multiculturalism in Healthcare

34. Good Activities • Get actively involved in 1 or 2 organizations (quality over quantity) • Seek leadership positions • Keep record/journal of your activities and volunteer experiences • Read journals to keep current on health-related issues • Goal is to learn and develop skills

35. Current MCAT • Computer based test format • 32 Administrations on 30 days (January, April, May, June, July, August, September) • 4.5 hrs. in length; AM/ PM test times. • Results in 30 days (14 days in future) • Register 3-4 months in advance: Prometric Testing Centers/LSU Testing Center

36. Current MCAT • Physical Science • Verbal Reasoning • Biological Sciences • Possible score of 15 on each subtest

37. BIG CHANGES FOR MCAT 2015 • 4 subtests now: • Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; 65 items; 95 minutes; 25% BCH; 65% intro biol; 5% Gen Chem; 5% Org Chem. • Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; 65 items, 95 minutes; 15% BCH; 5% Intro BIOL; 30% Gen Chem; 25% Organic Chem; 25% Physics;

38. BIG CHANGES FOR MCAT 2015 • Psychological/Social/Biological Foundations of Behavior; 65 items; 95 minutes; 60% Intro PSYC; 30% intro SOCL; 10% Intro BIOL. • Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills; 60 items, 90 minutes; Reading passages from humanities areas, social sciences, ethics, philosphy, cross-cultural studies, health. Designed to test analytical reasoning skills.

39. BIG CHANGES FOR MCAT 2015-Implications Broader background of courses needed: Social Sciences, Statistics, Analytical Reasoning, Biochemisry; Focus on scientific inquiry and reasoning not memorizing and restating; Critical Analysis/Problem Solving; Goals: develop interdisciplinary science skills Integrate knowledge from many perspectives Understand connection between natural sciences and social sciences

40. More Info on MCAT 2015 • https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015/ • expose yourself to as many different areas of knowledge as possible. • Free tutorial videos: • https://www.khanacademy.org/science/mcat

41. MCAT • Register on-line (http:www.aamc.org/mcat) • Review Courses • Kaplan • Princeton Review • Practice tests at AAMC website

42. DAT • Online test administration • Prometric Registration Center • May be taken year round • May be repeated after 90 days; must obtain documentation after 3rd test. • Suggest Spring of Junior year • Registration on-line: www.ADA.org

43. DAT • Natural Sciences • Biology, Gen & Organic Chem • Perceptual Ability • Reading Comprehension • Quantitative Reasoning • Scores from 1-30

44. Mature Responsible Intelligent Honest Hard-Working Serving Compassionate Personable Leader Professionalism Personal Characteristics

46. Evaluation Letters • LSU Premed/Predent Committee • Faculty letters • Critically important part of the application process!!! • Get to know your faculty members

47. Important Publications • Medical School Admission Requirements (online version) • Admission Requirements of U.S. & Canadian Dental Schools

48. Application Process • 15-16 months before enrollment—end of Junior year • Take AdmissionTest Spring-Jr Year • Two Stage Application: • Online Standardized Application Service • Individualized Secondary Application from each school

49. Professional School Application Services • Association of Medical Colleges Application Service-MD (AMCAS) • American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service- DO (AACOMAS) • Texas Medica/Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS)

50. Professional School Application Services • American Assoc of Dental Schools Application Service-DDS/DMD (AADSAS) • Optometry Centralized Application Service – 0D- (OPTOMCAS) • American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service-DPM-(AACPMAS)