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Information Session for Applicants to Medical and Dental Schools 2019-2020 Cycle

Join us for a detailed session on the admission processes for medical and dental schools, covering assessment areas, holistic reviews, professionalism, and application preparation.

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Information Session for Applicants to Medical and Dental Schools 2019-2020 Cycle

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  1. Information Session for Applicants to Medical and Dental Schools2019-2020 Cycle Office of Science & Health Professions ‘68 Center for Career Exploration December 11, 2018

  2. Objectives • Introduce key concepts that are foundational to admission processes of health professional training programs • Describe applicant characteristics for successful outcome (acceptance and matriculation) • Outline Williams Health Professions Committee Process for 2020 applicants • Describe timing of your application and provide other information

  3. Key Areas of Assessment for Admissions • Cumulative GPA/Science GPA • Admissions Tests* • Health-related experiences • Community Service/Advocacy • Cultural competence • Research Experiences • Recommendation Letters (and committee letter) • Interview Performance (MMI, panel, one-on-one) * MCAT, DAT, GRE for Medical, Dental, Veterinary Schools

  4. Professional Schools Selection—Holistic Review • Holistic review is a flexible, individualized way of assessing an applicant’s capabilities by which balanced consideration is given to experiences, attributes, and academic metrics and, when considered in combination, how the individual might contribute value as a medical student and physician. (AAMC) • 15 Core competencies defined by AAMC. • “Distance traveled” a key concept. • Self-Assessment Guide will help you evaluate the elements of your application.

  5. Professionalism and Character • Professionalism and integrity are essential components of the selection process. • Exhibit high personal standards (be aware of your social media presence) • Williams Code of Conduct and Honor System • You must disclose disciplinary actions, misdemeanors, and felony convictions on the AMCAS • Added this section to Biographical Report you complete for the Health Professions Committee • In general, TIME and evidence of humility, reparation, and/or lessons learned are necessary before applying.

  6. When to Apply or Retreat • You should apply to medical/dental school/veterinary school when all aspects of your application are strong, competitive, and you have a chance to be interviewed. • This means your MCAT/DAT/ and GPA are competitive. • You have assurance of quality of your references. • You have a meaningful accumulation of medically related experiences and volunteer work that speaks to your commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. • If you have shortcomings in one aspect (Metrics), and you have a great story (e.g. DISTANCE TRAVELED) or a well-defined record of ADVOCACY, you need to speak with Barbara Fuller before completing the Intent to Apply Form. • The Pre-Health Self-Assessment Guide should assist with this decision (which can be deferred or changed!)

  7. Health Professions Process 2020 • The process of preparation by student, HP advisor, faculty evaluators, employers, mentors, supervisors requires enormous investment of dedicated time, focus, and energy. • Robust 18-month-long process with a timeline for all required elements and actions. • Objective is to evaluate readiness and promise of health professions candidates from Williams College in a narrative (committee letter). • Student’s personal story • Letters of recommendation • Academic record • Extracurricular activities • Experiences in a relevant medical field (with professionals)

  8. Health Professions Committee Process for 2020 • Intent to Apply Form – Google doc that you complete and submit before January 15. • After February 1, need special permission. • Important to have a firm count of participants in the application cycle. • Submission of the form enables us to authorize your veCollect account (paid for by Williams). • veCollectis the virtual filing system that stores these documents and letters of evaluation.

  9. Health Professions Committee Process for 2020 • Three required elements before committee interview (with Barbara Fuller or Dr. DeMarco) can be scheduled. • Pre-Health Self-Assessment Guide* • Resume • Biographical Report • Linked to Application Timeline • You will upload these documents to your veCollect account. • Directions for creating letter records for these documents are linked on the application timeline. *Note: The Guide is meant to provide the opportunity for self-reflection and honest assessment of your candidacy. It will not be used by the HP committee.

  10. VeCollect Tips • You create three letter records for each required document with YOU as the evaluator • Create evaluator records for all the letters of recom- mendationand committee letter (Barbara Fuller is the evaluator for committee letter.) • After you create the records, you have to select the envelope icon for an automatic email to be sent to you. • Will look like this: “collect+4575c77f….@virtualevals.org” Check trash or spam. Open in your inbox. • Find link to which you attach your document and send. • It may take up to 24 hours for veCollect to upload these documents to your file.

  11. veCollect Applicant Record Demonstration

  12. Health Professions Committee Candidate File • Resume • Biographical Report (Word doc) • Short answer essays; Activities during academic year, spring break trips, winter term, summers; Future coursework; GPA calculations • You describe up to 15 experiences on the Bio Report for AMCAS. AADSAS (for dental school applicants) allows for 25 experiences (Experiences before college should be included only if relevant and continued in college.) • Personal statement incorporated in the Bio Report • This is your narrative and should provide a rationale on why this professional path; focus on something that is distinctive or less prominent in the rest of your application. • AMCAS: 5300 characters; AACOMAS (DO): 4500 characters • ADEA AADSAS (Dental): 4500; TMDSAS (Texas): 5

  13. Health Professions Committee Candidate File • Transcripts • HP Office can download your unofficial Williams transcript. • You must send transcripts of coursework completed elsewhere to us (e.g., courses taken during summers or post-Williams) • You will also have to send transcripts to AAMC/ADEA AADSAS. As you complete the “Schools Attended” section, use the Transcript Request Forms for all schools and programs in which you enrolled when completing the AMCAS • Williams uses the National Student Clearinghouse. Order your official Transcript Request Form generated by each application service to the request. • Letters of recommendation • MUST BE ON LETTERHEAD, SIGNED (electronically/scanned) and DATED • 3-4 for MD candidates; 4-6 for MD/PHD candidates; 3-4 Dental candidates • 3 for Veterinary Schools but no committee letter!

  14. Health Professions Committee Interview • Prepare you for AMCAS submission and to assess for Williams HP Committee review • Biographical Report mimics the AMCAS application, so reviewed during the interview • Choice of “most significant” activities and wording of activities • Experiences before college should be included only if relevant or significant (e.g., 7 years of volunteering at your local hospital) • Personal statement draft review • Choice of medical schools (have a list ready) • 2 hours in length. Schedule on Google Sheet (will be shared with all applicants before March 1) and in Handshake

  15. Health Professions Committee Process • Committee review takes place in early-mid May. • Standardized test scores not included in the assessment, so no worries if you have not taken the test. • TWO of three to four required letters should be in your file by April 15, 2018; optimal to have all in by May 15, but June 1 is deadline. • You will be rated according to the following: • Academic Rigor/Strength of Schedule • Leadership • Community Service • Extracurriculars • Clinical experience • Research Experiences (clinical, lab-based, public health or community-based) • Letters of Recommendation • Maturity/Readiness

  16. Health Professions Committee Process cont’d • Committee is Barbara, Dr. DeMarco, Dr. Lisa Howard, and 3 other faculty/community members • Task is to assess each Candidate’s file • Committee arrives at final confidentialrating for each candidate • Recommended • Good • Very good • Excellent • Outstanding • Health Professions Advisors • Write the official committee letter • Send the veCollect letter “quiver” to AMCAS

  17. Data on 2018 Williams Applicants • 50 total applicants • 44 MD; 3 MD/PhD, 3 DO (2 MD also), 3 Vet • 44 gained acceptances and matriculated—88% acceptance • 2are currently reapplying MD • Mean cum GPA: 3.63; BCPM: 3.58; MCAT 515.4

  18. If You Plan to Apply for 2020 Matriculation • Submit the “Intent to Apply Form” • “Get your house in order”— • Think carefully about evaluators and ask them in a timely, polite manner • Maintain your academic/work obligations, gain practical (hands-on) experience • If possible, gain research experience with results and a product (thesis, poster, article) • Hone your interpersonal skills: teamwork, cultural competence, leadership skills • READ and BE INFORMED about health care and other topics (emergent diseases, end-of-life care, population medicine, substance abuse, social justice…). • Literature of medicine is particularly rich: Humanities and Medicine programs at many medical schools. • PLAN TO APPLY EARLY. AADSAS opened in May 2018! All other applications open around June 1. • Have BACK-UP PLANS. There are no guarantees.

  19. Our Ongoing Commitment • Communication is vital to the process. Office of Health Professions will provide the structure but you must have initiative. • How best to communicate with Health Professions Staff • Email any time • Schedule appointments in Handshake • Application Timeline is the guide for the process. • Adhere to the deadlines. Your maturity and readiness for this process and for a professional career are demonstrated by your behaviors and attitude. • More information will be added to this timeline as the year progresses.

  20. Deadlines for 2020 Applicants

  21. One more thing… • Filling out the AMCAS/AACOMAS/AADSAS/VMCAS/TMDSAS requires reading instructions. Let’s discuss an intent to apply DO or Texas. • The Williams guidelines for converting course unitshave changed. • All courses are 3.75 semester hours, and for every associated one hour of lab, and additional .25 semester hours is added. Biology and physics lab courses are 4.5 hours, and chemistry lab courses are 4.8 semester hours. • Winter study classes are given 1 credit and no semester hours. • AMCAS/VMCAS/AACOMAS will manually make those semester hour changes after you submit. So you list “1” in credit hour column! • Read instructions online before you email us with questions! • Look at the re-designed website (thanks to Allisa). Delete your old bookmarks.

  22. Questions?

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