Applying to American Medical Schools: A Canadian Student’s Perspective Elizabeth Wu University of Toronto 2010 Honours Bachelor of Science June 6, 2010

Outline 1. Why do I want to be a doctor? 2. How do I make myself competitive? a. Academics b. Volunteering c. Research 3. How do I apply to medical school? a. Personal statement b. MCAT c. Letters of Recommendation 4. How do I prepare for the interview? 5. What happens now?

Why do I want to be a doctor?

Why American medical schools? 1. Greater choice 132 AAMC accredited M.D.-granting schools (vs. 17 in Canada) 132 AAMC accredited M.D.-granting schools (vs. 17 in Canada) 2. Access to resources Research facilities and personnel Research facilities and personnel Clinical opportunities Clinical opportunities International opportunities International opportunities 3. Caveats Expensive (escrow) Expensive (escrow) Future practice Future practice

How do I make myself competitive? What makes me unique? 1. Academics 2. Volunteering 3. Research 4. Interpersonal and intrapersonal traits

How do I make myself competitive? 1. Academics GPACoursework: Basic requirements (also needed for the MCAT): 1 year each of biology, general chemistry, and physics with lab 1 year of organic chemistry Variable by school: 1 year of calculus or statistics 1 year of English Courses in literature, languages, and social sciences

How do I make myself competitive? 2. Volunteering Altruism, compassion, long-term commitment CommunityClinical KNOWLEDGE OF THE HEALTH CARE SETTING International opportunities Volunteers for Intercultural and Definitive Adventures (VIDA)

How do I make myself competitive? 3. Research Course-based Research opportunity programs Thesis Summer research Summer studentships - NSERC (National Science and Engineering Research Council) - CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) Long-term commitment /Diversity of experiences

How do I make myself competitive? 4. Interpersonal and intrapersonal traits What makes me special? - One size does not fit all BUT - Don’t give yourself plastic surgery Character traits - Intellectual curiosity, altruism, leadership, well-roundedness - Thematic organization

MCAT, AMCAS…SOS? In the U.S.: 1. American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS): School-specific secondary applications What do I need? 1. PERSONAL STATEMENT 2. REFERENCE LETTERS 3. MCAT scores Also useful: - CV or List of Activities

MCAT, AMCAS…SOS? 1. AMCAS - June 1 st : First day to submit primary - August 1 st : Early Decision Program - Regular admission deadline varies (majority October 15 th ) 2. Secondary Applications - Deadlines vary SUBMIT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE

MCAT, AMCAS…SOS? 1. MCAT Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning (/15) Writing Sample (M-T) 2.Personal statement Revise, revise, revise Other readers 3.Reference letters DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO WRITE ME A STRONG LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION? - Personal statement, 1-2 page CV, transcript

How do I prepare for the interview? Thematic preparation 1.Personal qualities 2.Pivotal experiences and their significance Research Volunteering 3.Am I a good fit? Additional: - Current and future state of health care - Non-medical current events - Medical ethics

How do I prepare for the interview? Resources: - Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) - So You Want To Be A Doctor? (Niriksha Maladi, 2005) - So You Want To Be A Doctor, Eh? (Anne Berndl, 2007) University Career Centre/Interview Service - PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

What happens now? 1. Back-up plan(s) 2. Offers/Waitlists/Rejections May 15 3.Financing the future - Canada student loans - Personal lines of credit

And the moral of the story is…

Good luck, all!