1. Information for applicants May, 2015
Holy Cross
Health Professions Advising
Prof. Andrew Futterman, Advisor
Prof. Miles Cahill, Associate Advisor

2. Cost of medical school Typical private medical school
Tufts: about $90,000/year (tuition, feels, living, etc.)
Median private med school student graduates with $200,000 in debt
Typical public medical school
UMass: $45,000/year (tuition, feels, living, etc.)
Avg. public medical student graduates with $170,000 in debt
There are scholarships/loan payment programs that may help
Military
National Health Service
Specific program for med schools

3. National applications
Medical school is becoming more highly competitive
50,000+ applications to MD in 2011
10% increase in 4 years
Likely less than 21,000 accepted to MD schools
Typical MD medical school
Tufts: 11,300 applicants, for class of 200 in 2014
UMass: 1,190 applicants for class of 125 (120 in-state)
Nationally, students apply to schools, 43% get in
Likely lower this year – 40-41%
Holy Cross: approx double, after advising

4. National applications
DO is also becoming more competitive
18,000 applications to DO for 2014 entering class
Huge increase in recent years
Typical DO school
CCOM-MWU: 7,200 applications for a class of 208 ( )
UNE-COM: 4,200 applications for a class of 127

5. Selection factors Quantitative Overall GPA Science GPA MCAT
MD: want close to as minimum
Old scale: 9 is a question, an 8 is think about re-taking, 7 is reject
New scale: question, 125 consider retake, 124 reject
But pay more attention to percentiles
DO: slightly lower
There are many unknowns with new MCAT
Will social science section matter much?
How much faith will medical schools have in it?
Advice: Pay most attention to bio/biochem, chem/physics, critical analysis, less to behavior

6. Quantitative characteristics – MD and DO
DO (matriculants)
GPA mean
3.39 science
3.60 overall
MCAT mean (new scale)
8.9 VR (125.9)
9.5 BS (126.5)
8.8 PS (125.8)
MD (matriculants)
GPA mean
3.63 science
3.69 overall
MCAT mean (new scale)
10.0 VR (127)
10.9 BS (127.9)
10.6 PS (127.6)

7. Selection factors Non-quantitative Interview
Clinical experience (essential)
Volunteer experience (nearly essential)
Research experience (helpful, not essential)
Evidence of character, maturity (essential)
Letters, experience, etc.
DO: letter from a DO (essential)
Interview
Traditional: several lengthy, throughout day
Admissions staff, administrators, attendings, residents, students, etc.
New: “speed dating” multiple mini interviews model
Many fast interviews to judge ability to handle communication, ethics

8. Consider DO 90% of training the same Can specialize in any area
Mike Leslie ‘93, DO: on Yale orthopedic surgery faculty
Peter Sell ‘95, DO: on UMass pediatrics faculty
But, geared to primary care, harder for more competitive specialties
Pass equivalent license exam
Residencies converging
A little easier to get into
A little less concerned with quantitative
Need a letter from a DO
Resources
See
The DOs by Normal Gervitz
June 2009 issue of Academic Medicine

9. HC applicants – entered med school 9/15
57 applicants to MD/DO, 53 accepted (13 DO)
Lowest HC GPA to get into MD:
(not public information)
Lowest HC GPA to get into only DO:
Look at list carefully: who looks like you?
Add 117 to 2015 MCAT score for VR, BS, PS

10. How do you tell if you are competitive?
MD: Look up schools in MSAR
($25, on-line)
e.g.: Tufts selection factors
Provides data on applicants, accepted students, etc.
Provides mean, 90th and 10th percentiles for GPA, MCAT
You don’t want to be the 10th percentile
You can be 0.2 GPA points below median MCAT and be ok
Remember that older applicants get in with lower numbers
Look at in-state residency rate, especially for state schools
DO has similar guide (without detailed data)
MD & DO: use ranking list
US News, Princeton Review, startclass, studentdoc, etc.

11. Other health professions programs
Dental school
Same timeline as MD
GPA a little lower than MD
DAT important: want > 17 on each section
See data sheets for recent applicant results
Typically: (data not for public)
DVM school
Deadline Oct. 2.
Usually take GRE
Experience with large and small animals essential
See data sheets for recent applicants
PA, NP, other allied health schools
Have start dates, application dates around the calendar
Check requirements carefully
Work with advisor on which letters to solicit

12. Medical school application process
Medical schools have rolling admissions
AMCAS/AACOMAS/ADSAS application opens June 1
Start filling out application now
Want your MCAT to report as close to June 1 as possible
Secondary applications follow a few weeks later
Fill out completely, ASAP
Follow instructions on web carefully:
Let your advisor know when you have made your decision to apply.
You letter will not be written until your complete application is complete and all materials are received by HC HP office

13. Application process
Interview and selection process starts as soon as mid-July, usually Sept.
Interviews continue through May (or after)
Go to interview with good questions
Be prepared to answer why you want to be a doctor
Use examples from your experiences
Traffic rules day April 30: you must choose one school
Earlier: if you are certain you will turn down an offer, do it!
Do not turn down an offer unless you are accepted elsewhere
Final wait list decisions sometimes not made until August, often start mid-May

14. General advice Apply once Apply early Be professional
Much harder to get together as a “reapp”
Apply early
This is essential! It is better to apply a year later for the first time then as a reapp.
Be professional
Be formal in all correspondence – s, phone calls, etc.
Use correct grammar, spelling in all communication
Always use titles, never first names
Be polite and friendly to everyone
Use a professional-sounding address
Watch your public profile
Med schools will Google you, look at your Facebook page, etc.
Behave
Don’t let a foolish mistake jeopardize your chances