1. Lafayette College Health Professions Advising Program Professor Nancy Waters Faculty Health Professions Advisor Dr. Julia Goldberg Associate Dean Health Professions Ms Simona Glaus HP Administrative Assistant April 9, 2015 Destinations and Dollars: Researching Resources and Reconnoitering Among Schools

2. HPAC and our goal today: Focus on strategies useful for crafting your list of schools Consider how to frame your skills and vision of medicine Enhance your awareness of forces that contribute to your medical educational costs Provide source links for financing information

3. Your New Best Friends: AAMC and AMCAS AACOM and AACOMAS ADEA and AADSAS AACPM and AACPMAS AAVMC and VMCAS ASCO and OptomCAS AAPA and CasPA MSAR, MCAT, OAT, DAT, GRE …And their attendant web pages!

4. You Love it The World Needs it You Are Great At It You Are Paid For It MissionPassion ProfessionVocation Your Purpose!!!!

5. Things I wish I had known/done… -STUDIED online resources! MSAR, etc. -PREPARED BETTER for admission tests (these & GPA are virtually non-negotiable) -OWN my choice of schools! -HONESTLY assess my application. Do not fall prey to, “Except for xxxx, my app is good.” You need good stats in every area. -CONSIDER: If this is the ONLY school to which I gain admission, will I still attend? If yes, apply. If no, do not apply. …If maybe, do not apply! Strategize!

6. Learning Activity #1 ‘In-class’ discussion homework… -DDS vs DMD? -MD vs DO vs DPM vs OD? -PBL, TBL, OSCE/SP, Preceptorship, Lecture, Laboratory, CAI? -USMLE, COMLEX, NAVLE, PMLE?

7. Learning Activity #2 ‘in-class’ writing homework… -Write down your interest area -In no more than 2 sentences, answer this question: “What is my vision of how I see myself practicing medicine?” …flip your card… -List 5 skills you bring to that vision -List 5 schools you think you want to attend …then….

8. Do you KNOW the MISSION of the School? http://www.tcmc.edu/ http://www.sunyopt.edu http://www.medschool.pitt.edu/ http://www.salus.edu/od_PCO_college/index.html http://www.pennstateshershey.org/web/college http://sdm.rutgers.edu/ http://dental.tufts.edu// http://vet.tufts.edu/ http://www.rowan.edu/som http://www.nycpm.edu/ http://www.desales.edu/home/academics/graduate- studies/programs-of-study/mspas---physician-assistant

9. What Skills/Qualities do they VALUE? Scholarship Accomplishments Intellectual curiosity Emotional maturity Character Interest in medicine Sensitivity to others Selflessness of care Communication skills Commitment to service Critical thinking skills Problem-solving skills

10. RUBRICS!! Your criteria: location reputation mission rigor opportunities success facilities/housing curriculum cost

11. RUBRICS!! Your criteria: location reputation mission rigor opportunities success facilities/housing curriculum cost Schools’ criteria: rigor mission success curriculum …na

12. …using Admissions Tests as target? MCAT (old): 32 with GPA 3.6+ DAT: 20-21 with 3.6 GPA OAT: 340-350 with 3.5 GPA GRE for vet schools: ~160 each for verbal and quantitative; 3.4-3.8 GPA GRE for PA schools: ~155-160 each for V & Q; 3.4-3.5 GPA ….these tend to be non-negotiable!

13. TESTING FEES (scores reported 1-9 weeks): MCAT$300 DAT $385 OAT $270 GRE general$185 GRE subject test fees $150 APPLICATION FEES (verification 4-6 weeks): AMCAS$160+ $34 AACOMAS$195 + $35-50 ADEA AADSAS$244 + $90 OptomCAS $150 + 700 VMCAS$190 + $95

14. KNOW your COSTS of Attendance! Not just per year cost, but debt overall starting salaries (www.mgma.org)?www.mgma.org ex: 160K (peds), 220K (ob/gyn), 275K (surg) HOW do you intend to borrow? Grants/scholarships (need? merit?) Federal Student Loan programs? Stafford, Direct PLUS, Perkins, PCL, LDS (these vary in interest rate, limits, subsidy during school, need, grace period, deferment options, interest accrual, repayment requirements, etc)

15. Service-based aid (NHSC, HIS, Military, school specific programs) Family, outside sources Private loans  ! …..but undergraduate and personal indebtedness can affect your chances! Be credit-ready and credit-savvy! …and coming in 2018…changes to federally mandated loan programs https://www.aamc.org/advocacy/meded/79048/ student_loan_repayment.html

16. Financing summary… Median 4 year costs: MD: $298, 538 (private) or $226,447 (public) DDS: $289,897 (private) or $216,437 (public) DVM: $262,408 (nr) or $187,244 (res) PA-C range: $26,082 (res) $44,580 (nr) CUNY $347,850 (U of CO, 36 month program) Median indebtedness: MD: $180,000 DDS: $247,227 DVM:$129,717 (2011, +$20K/yr)

17. Federal Loan rates: 5%-7.9% Undergraduate indebtedness: $29,400 Residency salary: $55,300 Median PA-C salary: $90,930 (but varies geographically) https://www.aamc.org/students/advisors/first- advisors/https://www.aamc.org/students/advisors/first- advisors/ for FIRST: Financial Information Resources Services and Tools Check out in-school resources! COST may be high but HELP may be available Private may not be ‘better’ than Public and Public may not be cheaper than Private!

18. Things I wish I had known/done… -STUDIED online resources! MSAR, etc. -PREPARED BETTER for admission tests (these & GPA are virtually non-negotiable) -OWN my choice of schools! -HONESTLY assess my application. Do not fall prey to, “Except for xxxx, my app is good.” You need good stats in every area. -CONSIDER: If this is the ONLY school to which I gain admission, will I still attend? If yes, apply. If no, do not apply. …If maybe, do not apply! Strategize!