Application Timeline

1. Congratulations on deciding to apply Summer 2011!! Application Timeline

2. Science GPA: This demonstrates to admission committees that you can handle the academic rigors • MCAT Score: This demonstrates how you perform on standardized tests. • Personal Statement: Allows you to tell your unique story. To talk about why you are passionate about medicine. • Extra-Curricular: Demonstrates commitment to medicine, leadership, community involvement • Letters of Recommendation: Speaks to how you form relationships. FIVE SECTIONS OF APPLICATION

3. 3 Steps • Primaries • Secondaries • Interviews • Rolling Admissions: So turn things in early and stay on top of deadlines Application process

4. Timeline for Applying • April-May • Draft and Edit Personal Statement • Update Supporters & Letter Writers • Research Medical Schools • List the schools you want to apply to • Open AAMC account • June-July • Submit AAMC Application (including transcripts) • Open Letter Service • Request Letters of Recommendations • Work on Secondaries from automatic schools

5. Timeline for Applying • August-September • Follow up with Letter writers • Work on and Submit Secondaries • Submit Transcripts and Letters of Rec to individual schools • Prepare for Interviews • October-April • Work on and Submit Secondaries • Submit Transcripts and Letters of Rec to individual schools • AttendInterviews

6. -Who would you admit? Mock Admissions Committee

7. Applicant A Major: IDS Sci GPA: 3.14 Post-bac GPA: 3.47 MCAT: 26Q SUBMITTED: Mid August EC Research/MARC Fellowship (2 yrs) Care Attendant (1 yr) Hospital Volunteer (2 yrs) Tutoring (1.5 yrs) Letters Strong and writers ranged from Berkeley profs, post-bac profs to supervisors

8. Applicant B Major: MEB Sci GPA: 3.87 MCAT: 34Q SUBMITTED: Early July EC Lab research w/ Publications (2 yrs) Teaching/Tutoring/Mentoring (2 yrs) Letters Not very strong letters from prof. Strong letters from supervisors.

9. PRIMARIES

10. Look for a well rounded packet • 3 academic letters (2 science, 1 non-science) • P.I. • Volunteer Coordinator • Mentor • Supervisor • Open Career Center Letter Service • ($125 for alums) Request letters of recommendation

11. Cover letter Draft of personal statement Resume Unofficial transcript Confidentiality waivers Letter Writing packet

12. There is room for 15 experiences • For twelve of them 700 characters per experience • 3 most important experiences 1325 characters each, list contact information • Use 3 prong approach • Briefly describe the organization • What was your role within the organization? • How will the experience make you a better person? Extracurricular write ups

13. Goal is for the reader • Have a better sense of who you are • How where you grew up or activities you have chosen to participate in have shaped you • Most importantly: WHY ARE INTERESTED IN MEDICINE? (beyond liking science and people) Personal statement

14. Dream team (3-4 people max) • 2-3 People dedicated to helping you refine the content • Make sure one of these people knows something about medical admissions (talk to a BSP advisor) • One person that is amazing with grammar to read one you are finished Personal statement

15. Your thoughts on these sample introduction paragraphs.. SAMPLE PERSONAL STATEMENTS

16. I love good food. But when I landed in the Dominican Republic is wasn’t so much the arroz con pollo, plantanos, or cana that won me over as much as the children of the orphanage reinforcing my drive to become a pediatrician and obtain an MPH in tropical or community medicine. For once in my life I was with people outside of my family who 1. Do not eat until all the flies around are dead and 2. Greet people you love not with a “hello” first, but rather “Dio te bendiga” or “Bendicion” which literally translates to “God bless you” and “Blessings”. Introduction #1

17. A tall, healthy, boisterous, lively young Indian woman now finds herself withering away and incarcerated by tubes, machines, and immobility. She is dying from metastatic cervical cancer at the age of 26. I will forever remember her as an example of the difficulties that many of the poorest people in the world have in accessing high quality and affordable health care. While working recently in the US as a clinical research assistant at a county hospital in a large metropolitan area, I saw patients experience the same obstacles that were evident in India. I realized that deficient health care is not limited to a backdrop of extreme poverty. Both India and the United States have healthcare delivery systems that provide inadequate care to their disadvantaged citizens. The two tiered systems ensure that wealthy patients are provided with exclusive facilities while those accessed by the poor and uninsured are often low tech and crowded. This realization has strengthened my dedication to improving the quality of health care provided to those most in need. introduction #2

18. Where Should I apply? SELECTING SCHOOLS

19. Come up with a list of personal priorites • Locations, curriculum (traditional vs. organ based), grading (P/NP, Honors), research/travel/clinical opportunities, how many months would you have to study for boards? • The one thing CA students do is focus primarily on CA, research out of state programs. Do not assume the best academic/professional fit for you is in CA. • Try not to apply to more than 30 schools – it gets overwhelming once it is time for secondaries and interviews Picking Schools

20. Help me help you!!! BSP Role

21. Advise and assist you in preparing your application Offer suggestions on secondaries Help you prepare for interviews Advocate for you with Deans Encourage you through the waiting time Advise as you consider which school to attend We are your advocate

22. PHP Stats and History • (2004-2010) we have had an overall 80% admission rate to medical school.  (202/250) • For URM students our admission rate to medical school has been 92% (93/101) •  2007 • 75% overall (25/35);  100% URM (10/10)  • 2008 • 75% overall (30/40);   94% URM (17/18)  • 2009 • 96% overall (30/31);   94% URM (16/17)  • 2010 • 83% overall tentative (25/30) 90% (18/20) URM  

23. Compared with UCB numbers over the (2004-2008) has had an overall admissions rate of 52% (1,694/3,278)  • 2007: 52% overall (308/590)   • 2008: 48% overall (354/733) • 2009: 50% overall (363/726)  Compared to berkeley

24. Deans of Admissions are always impressed with BSP students • Ability to convey passion for medicine • Commitment to serving underserved populations • Quality of the application • Preparation for interviews What admissions committees say

25. Let me know • Specify PRIME Programs • UC Davis • UC Irvine • UCLA • UCSD • UCSF • Case Western, • Cornell. Are you submitting to these programs?

26. Release you AAMC application • When you submit your application. You will be prompted asking if you want to release information to your pre-med advisor. • Check YES. I am the one accessing this information to advocate for you. • Update your email address • You may lose your Berkeley account so make sure I have the one that you are going to check. How to help me advocate for you

27. AMSAR which lists in-depth information about each medical school Refer to AAMC FAQ page for any logistical questions you may have on application process http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/start.htm Ranging for how much will applying cost, to deadlines, making changes to application. RESOURCES