1. Preparing for Medical School

2. Questions to Consider What is medical school like?
What are the types of medical school?
Why go to medical school?
What preparation is necessary?
What experiences should I have?
What does a strong applicant look like?

3. Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Traditional physicians and surgeons who practice medicine, and are concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments including invasive treatments.
Over 125 schools in U.S.
Some acceptable foreign medical schools
Admission can be easier overseas
M.D. accepted world-wide
The best option for international work

4. Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Can pursue any specialty training
Can teach in M.D. medical schools
Requires USMLE (three parts)
U.S. Medical Licensing Examination
Tests science and clinical skills
Do not refer to as “allopathic”…

5. Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
Fulfill all the roles of an M.D. within the philosophy of Andrew Taylor Still. Osteopathic physicians use all conventional methods of diagnosis and treatment, but are trained to place additional emphasis on the achievement of normal body mechanics as central to maintaining good health.
D.O. degree after 4 yrs. req. to take the USMLE
May not be accepted in some foreign countries
Basic sciences & rotations same as M.D.

6. Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
Includes osteopathic philosophy & techniques
Holistic, “hands-on” approach with patients
Musculoskeletal manipulation
Other non-surgical, non-drug therapies
Can pursue all medical specialties
Most schools in Eastern US
2/3 of D.O. grads pursue residency in M.D. setting

7. Podiatry, D.P.M. 1st & 2nd years. – sciences, labs, intro to podiatry
3rd & 4th years. – core rotations, orthopedic & podiatry rotations, and podiatric surgery rotation
2 year residency required to become podiatric surgeon
3 year residency to become podiatric surgeon including rear foot and ankle
Licensing exams required throughout training

8. Med School Curriculum Year 1 & 2: The Healthy Body
Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, etc.
Intro to clinical interviewing
Some patient contact (more at some schools)
Some schools use a ‘case study’ approach
Science electives
General topic electives
Can begin research projects
Take Part One of USMLE (science knowledge)

9. Med School Curriculum Year 3 & 4 “The Sick Body”
Core rotations in clinics & hospitals (1-2 mos. each)
Surgery, family, pediatrics, emergency, psychiatry, OB- GYN, internal medicine, etc.
Elective rotations in subspecialties, e.g.
Oncology, orthopedics, dermatology, neurosurgery, etc.
Elective time for research, public health project, experience abroad, study at other med schools
Apply & interview in 4th year for internship/residency
Take Part Two of USMLE (Clinical Skills)

10. After Medical School One year internship in general medicine
Part Three of USMLE after that year
required for medical license
2 to 5+ years residency in specialty area
Can then work as specialist (e.g., OB/GYN)
2 to 3+ years fellowship for “sub-specialty”
Can then work as sub-specialist
e.g., pediatric oncologist, neurosurgeon, etc.

11. Length of Specialty Training
For all M.D. & D.O. graduates:
3+ years: pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine, general practice medicine
4-5+ years: psychiatry, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, radiology, others
6-7+ years: neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, others

12. Cost of Medical Training
You pay for medical school, 4 yrs:
$20K to $60K/year, $30-40K average tuition
Some financial aid available
Students generally borrow significant amount
You are paid for:
Internship year (general medicine)
~ $35K to 40K per year
Residency years (specialty)
~ $40 to 45K per year
Fellowship years (sub-specialty)
More $$$ than residents make

13. Why Go To Medical School?
To help others through knowledge of science
Your love of science, especially biology + chemistry)
You are a problem-solver
Your intellectual curiosity
You want lifelong learning
You enjoy teaching others
It is a “calling” and becomes your “identity”
You enjoy being a leader or making decisions
You enjoy being in“authority” position

14. Personal Characteristics Needed
Maturity & ethical integrity
Motivation and determination to succeed
Interpersonal & communication skills
Demonstrated interest in helping others
Willingness to accept responsibility
Energy, enthusiasm, physical stamina
Compassion, empathy, altruism

15. Personal Characteristics Needed
Problem-solving skills & good judgment
Awareness of the medical profession
Exposure to various cultures & life problems
“Cultural competency”is stressed
Able to accept constructive feedback & criticism
Ability to lead, teach or influence others

16. Academic Preparation General Biology: BIOL 110 and BIOL 240W
Microbiology: BIOL 230W
General Chemistry: CHEM 110/112
General Chemistry Laboratory: CHEM 111/113
Organic Chemistry: CHEM 210/212
Organic Chemistry Laboratory: CHEM 213
Biochemistry: CHEM 472 and B M B 402 (MCAT 2015 requirement)
Anatomy BIOL 421
Physiology BIOL 472
Physics: PHYS 250/251
Calculus: MATH 140/141
Statistics: STAT 250 (MCAT requirement)
Psychology: PSYCH 100
English (3 -6 credits): ENGL 15, 202C
Sociology (3-6 credits):  SOC 001 (MCAT 2015 requirement)
Although not required, many in the health professions run their own practices.  Business courses (3-6 credits) are strongly encouraged!

17. Your Transcripts AP units can count for required courses
All grades count in GPA, except APs
Original grades of repeated courses count
No B-, C, D or F grades. Isolated instances only.
Better to get “W” than to repeat “D” or “F”
Not too many “W” or “CR/NCR” grades
Upward GPA trends look good
Light course loads do not look good; <12 credits

18. Medical College Admission Test
Test of general biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, verbal reasoning, writing
As of January 2015, MCAT will change into an area- based test
Need average or better scores to be admitted – top 33%
Repeated MCAT scores are not averaged
Many take commercial MCAT prep course

19. Medical College Admission Test
MCAT2015 has new components that should be addressed by your academic preparation:
Sociology – freshman level course will suffice
Biochemistry – CHEM 472 is necessary
Statistics – STAT 250 or equivalent is suggested

20. Medical College Admission Test
4 Sections, 4 scores:
Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior
Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills

21. Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
What it tests:
Combine knowledge of foundational concepts in the biological and biochemical sciences with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.
The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Section.
Asks examinees to solve problems by combining their knowledge of biology and biochemistry concepts with the scientific inquiry skills I just described.

22. Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Exam content in this section typically taught in:
Introductory biology
Introductory general chemistry
Introductory organic chemistry
First semester biochemistry
The content of this section is typically taught in a two-semester
introductory biology,
introductory general chemistry, and
organic chemistry sequence.
As well as the first-semester of biochemistry.
Schools can prepare their students for the MCAT Exam in different ways. We encourage you to look at the Preview Guide for the MCAT 2015 and review detailed content lists to determine which of your courses would best prepare students to the current exam.

23. Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
What it tests:
Combine your knowledge of foundational concepts in the chemical and physical sciences with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section asks examinees to solve problems by combining their knowledge chemical and physical sciences with their scientific skills.

24. Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Exam content in this section typically taught in:
Introductory biology
Introductory general chemistry
Introductory organic chemistry
Introductory physics
First semester biochemistry
As with the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section, students can prepare for the exam in a variety of different ways.
The content of this section is typically taught in a two-semester
introductory biology,
introductory general chemistry, and
organic chemistry,
Physics sequences.
As well as the first-semester of biochemistry.
As noted earlier, remember to look at the Preview Guide for the MCAT 2015 and review detailed content lists to determine which of your courses would best prepare students to the future exam.

25. Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior
What it tests:
Knowledge and use of the concepts in psychology, sociology, biology, research methods, and statistics that provide a solid foundation for learning in medical school about the behavioral and socio-cultural determinants of health and health outcomes.
The Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior tests asks examinees to solve problems by combining their knowledge of psychology, sociology, and biology concepts with their scientific skills.

26. Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior
Exam content in this section typically taught in:
Introductory psychology
Introductory sociology
Introductory biology
Exam content in this section is typically taught in typical one-semester introductory and sociology courses, as well as a typical two-semester introduction to biology sequence.
Remember, students can learn this content in variety of ways. We encourage you to review the Preview Guide and talk to your students about the best way to prepare for this content at your school.

27. Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills
What it tests:
This section asks you to critically analyze, evaluate, and apply information presented in a passage.
Comprehension
Evaluation
Application
Incorporation of Information
The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section tests analysis and reasoning skills by asking students to analyze, evaluate and apply information presented in passages.
It is different from the other sections of the exam because specific content knowledge is not needed. All the information students need to perform well is included in the passage and associated items.

28. Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills
MCAT The Basics
4/19/2017
Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills
Passages from humanities & social sciences*:
Ethics
Philosophy
Cross-cultural studies
Population health
The passages on this section address topics from a wide range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. The MR5 Committee asked us to emphasize passages about ethics, philosophy, cross-cultural studies, and population health.
It’s important to note that no additional coursework or specific knowledge of these disciplines is required to do well on this section. Everything students need to know to answer questions is contained in the passages and questions themselves.
For your reference – does not need to be read
Humanities
Passages in the humanities are drawn from the following disciplines:
Architecture, Art, Dance, Ethics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Popular Culture, Religion, and Theater.
Social Sciences
Social science passages are drawn from the following disciplines:
Anthropology, Archaeology, Cross-cultural Studies, Economics, Education, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Population Health, Psychology, and Sociology.
*Specific knowledge of these disciplines is not required for this section

29. Experiential Preparation
Demonstrated commitment of service to others:
Working, interning, or volunteering to help others
Medically related experience highly suggested
Hospital, clinic, nursing home, public health clinic
Clinical research through a medical school
Teacher’s aide or tutor (any school level)
Community agencies (homeless shelter, geriatric)
Leadership on or off campus – sports, SGA, etc.
Medical mission work, other church work
Emergency Medical Technician

30. Experiential Preparation
One or two highly involved experiences are far more important than a laundry list of ‘hit-and-run’ experiences where you barely played a part!!!
Keep record of your service hours
Keep supervisor’s name, address, phone for reference letter when applying
START YESTERDAY!!!

31. Scientific Research Research exp. required for M.D./Ph.D. program
Pre-med research experience shows:
Independent interest in science
Dedication & initiative in independent work
Intellectual curiosity
Can be a good source of faculty reference letter
Summer research programs
Desire to contribute to scientific knowledge
Length and breadth most important

32. Scientific Research
Research does not/should not: …Take time from a higher GPA …Be a replacement for people-contact experiences …Make up for deficiencies in MCAT or GPA

33. What are Admissions Committees Looking For?
THEY WANT YOU SUCEED IN MEDICAL SCHOOL
They don’t want to waste their time or YOURS
To predict success in 1st & 2nd years of medical school:
Total college GPA (from all colleges)
Science GPA:
all math, biology, chemistry, and physics grades
MCAT scores
Rigor of academic experience
Including caliber of bachelor’s degree institution
Course load difficulty

34. What are Admissions Committees Looking For?
To predict success in 3rd & 4th years & beyond:
Reference letters (from faculty and others)
Application essays, including life experiences
Answers to specific application questions on:
Challenges and hardships
Diversity of background and experience
Handling of ethical dilemmas
Goals for the future
Interview the applicant to learn:
What is motivating the student
Their interpersonal skills
The sincerity of their goals

35. Many applicants take one or more years off after college graduation before applying to medical schools This is becoming the preferred route – apply once, apply right

36. The Screening Process
Medical School Admission Committees WILL NOT read every applicant’s personal statement and the rest of the application.
 Every school has to screen its applications to reduce the number they actually have to read.
 Once the screening process is done, then they start reading the applications.

37. AAMC Data

38. AAMC Data

39. AAMC Data

40. Grades Matter
I am a wonderful, amazing person who…
Rescued children from burning houses
Built 50 houses with my bare hands by myself for 50 different families
Volunteered in the ER
Holds leadership positions in 10 different organizations
“It doesn’t matter that I have a 2.9 GPA and a 25 MCAT score, right???”

41. Grades Matter WRONG! Grades matter.
Don’t bank on being the outlier case.
It’s stressful to take that risk (both financially and emotionally).
No one will see how wonderful you are unless your numbers get by the screening.

42. What criteria are used to screen applicants?
GPA
(Grade Point Average)
MCAT
(Medical School Admissions Test)
Fact and figures can be found at:
Table 19: MCAT scores and GPA’s for Applicants and Matriculants to US
Medical Schools by Race and Ethnicity, 2009
Stacey-Ann

43. What To Do If You Are Rejected?
Take a deep breath, then
Call the schools and find out why
Assess your chances for reapplication
Assess what you need to improve
Ask yourself how determined you are
Choose best course of action
Should you consider alternate careers?

44. Maybe You Need More Experience, or ?
Peace Corps, Americorps, or ?
More exposure to health care?
More time helping others ?
Could research experience help ?
Should you repeat some courses ?
Should you repeat the MCAT ?
Do you need stronger reference letters ?
Evidence of maturity & responsibility ?
Post-baccalaureate programs ?

45. Post-baccalaureate Programs
1 to 2 year programs after B.A./B.S. degree
To show potential to succeed in med school
Can be a Master’s degree or just courses
Some courses are with medical students
MCAT prep included
Research project usually included
Strong programs at:
Georgetown, Boston U., Chicago Medical College, Drexel U.
Some programs for underrepresented applicants
Good admission rates to medical school

46. Gather Information & Utilize Resources
Rule #1: Decide to devote a significant time commitment to preparing for medical school.
Rule #2: Research national medical school acceptance data based upon GPA and MCAT scores.
Rule #3: Seek advice from those well-versed in the medical school application process.
Rule #4: Get to know your pre-med office!
Lindsay

47. Gather Information & Utilize Resources
Confer with premed advisors, mentors, and upperclassmen who can support you through the application process.
Attend a medical school recruitment fair to learn from representatives about their schools.
AAMC Calender:
Lindsay

48. Gather Information & Utilize Resources
Register with AspiringDocs for information, guidance, and inspiration about preparation for medical school and medical careers.
Read “Monetary Decisions for Medical Doctors” which assists premedical and medial students in their planning for the financial aspects of the medical education.
Lindsay

49. Helpful Links
To start your journey to medical school, you should visit the American Association of Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.  Here you will find free guides to medical programs, statistics on application rates and acceptances, and information on the many medical career opportunities.  AACOMAS is the application service for D.O. medical programs.
Resources for students interested in M.D.
Association of American Medical Colleges Students
Association of American Medical Colleges "Road to Medicine" booklet
The Student Doctor Network (sdn - The Student Doctor Network contains forums for students in all areas of medicine)

50. Helpful Links Resources for students interested in D.O.
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA - includes D.O. search feature; helpful for shadowing contacts)
What is Osteopathic Medicine (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine)
About Osteopathic Medicine (America Osteopathic Association)

The Osteopathic Medical Student Website (Student Osteopathic Medical Association)
Frequently Asked Questions (AACOM)
Osteopathic Medical College Information Book (AACOM)
The Student Doctor Network (sdn - The Student Doctor Network contains forums for students in all areas of medicine)

51. Gather Information & Utilize Resources The MSAR aka Your Best Friend
The Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) profiles every medical school in the US and Canada.
Check the MSAR before applying to get a sense of what a school’s numbers are, their requirements, and their curricula.
For example, more and more schools require biochemistry, and same require two semesters of calculus.