1. Journey Towards Medical School Kevin Choe Jeremiah Bui

2. Introduction Name: Kevin Choe Email: kevinchoe92@gmail.com School: UC Irvine Major: Microbiology and Immunology ERHS Class of 2010 Will be applying for medical school June 2015

3. Introduction Name: Jeremiah Bui Email: jeremiah_bui@yahoo.com School: UC Irvine Major: Biological Sciences ERHS Class of 2010 Applied in June 2014 Accepted: Western University of Health Sciences Interviewed: Loma Linda University & Virginia Commonwealth University

4. Path to Being a Physician Undergraduate Usually 4 years (some graduate in 3 or 5) Medical School 4 years – 1 st two years consist of book learning – Last two years consist of clinical rotations in hospitals

5. Residency – 3 to 6 years

6. Picking Your Major There is no “pre-med” major Do I have to be a science major to go to medical school? But there are specific prerequisite classes that medical schools require – Ex. 1 year of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, math, and etc

7. What school should I go to? We strongly believe that you should attend a 4 year research based university – Due to the abundance of research opportunities, on-campus resources, course availability, connections and networking – Also, some medical schools will not accept community college course credit to go towards your prerequisites

8. 5 Pillars of Your Application 1.GPA 2.MCAT Score 3.Extracurricular Activities 4.Personal Statement 5.Letters of Recommendation

9. GPA The GPA range of accepted applicants is generally between 3.5-4.0 Myth: People generally do poorly in their first year of college Must excel in your biology, chemistry, physics, and math courses – Goes towards your BCPM GPA (bio, chem, physics, and math) or science GPA

10. MCAT 4 sections in the MCAT 1.Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section 2.Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Section 3.Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior Section 4.Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Section

11. 7.5 hour long test Computer based Multiple Choice Recommended Courses – Biochemistry, Sociology, Psychology, Physiology, Neurobiology, Microbiology, Immunology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology – MCAT Prep Courses Princeton Review, Berkley Review, Kaplan, ExamKrackers, and much more

12. Extracurricular Activities Must Do’s – Shadow a physician – Clinical experience (volunteer in hospitals, medical missions, hospice, free clinics, etc) – Scientific Research (Ex. Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Physics Labs, or Clinical (preferred))

13. May Do’s (activities you enjoy) – Jobs – Dance groups – Clubs – Sports – Fraternities or Sororities ** However, please do not let these activities hinder your 5 pillars of your application

14. Personal Statement NO PROMPT The Big Question: Why do you want to be a doctor? Or What experience in your life led you towards a career in medicine? Be truthful and genuine

15. Letters of Recommendation Medical schools require different types of letters/amounts – Different types of letters requested Professor Employer Physician PI (Principal Investigator) Volunteer

16. MD vs. DO MD = Medical Doctor – Allopathic Medical Schools DO = Doctor of Osteopathy – Osteopathic Medical Schools Generally, allopathic admission statistics are slightly higher than osteopathic schools However, there has been an increase in osteopathic applicants, which increases the average stats (MCAT and GPA)

17. Allopathic Physician (MD) MD’s focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases

18. Osteopathic Physician (DO) Focuses on a more holistic view of medicine – See the patient as a “whole person” to reach a diagnosis, rather than treating the symptoms alone – Puts an emphasis on the prevention of disease

19. Thank you for listening! Questions? Feel free to email us if you have any questions!