Preparing for Medical School

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?

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

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”…

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.

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

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

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)

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)

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-specialiste.g., pediatric oncologist, neurosurgeon, etc.

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

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

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

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

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

Academic PreparationGeneral 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 2015 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!

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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 & 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

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.

Psychological, Social, & Biological

Foundations of Behavior

Exam content in this section typically taught in:• Introductory psychology• Introductory sociology• Introductory biology

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

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills

*Specific knowledge of these disciplines is not required for this section

Passages from humanities & social sciences*:• Ethics• Philosophy

• Cross-cultural studies• Population health

Experiential Preparation

Demonstrated commitment of service to others:Working, interning, or volunteering to help othersMedically related experience highly suggestedHospital, clinic, nursing home, public health clinicClinical research through a medical schoolTeacher’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 workEmergency Medical Technician

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

AAMC Data

AAMC Data

AAMC Data

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???”

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.

Grades Matter

What criteria are used to screen applicants?

GPA

(Grade Point Average)

MCAT (Medical School Admissions Test)

Fact and figures can be found at: https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/

Table 19: MCAT scores and GPA’s for Applicants and Matriculants to US

Medical Schools by Race and Ethnicity, 2009

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?

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 ?

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

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!

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: http://www.aamc.org/calendar/careerfairs

Gather Information & Utilize Resources

Register with AspiringDocs for information, guidance, and inspiration about preparation for medical school and medical careers. http://www.AspiringDocs.org

Read “Monetary Decisions for Medical Doctors” which assists premedical and medial students in their planning for the financial aspects of the medical education. http://www.aamc.org/md2

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 StudentsAssociation of American Medical Colleges "Road to Medicine" bookletThe Student Doctor Network (sdn - The Student Doctor Network contains forums for students in all areas of medicine)

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)

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.