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Your Path to Med School
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Date | 02.11.2016 | Size | 11.55 Kb. | | #669 |
| - Andrew McLemore, OMS-I
- Pre-SOMA
- Michigan State University
- November 2, 2009
Taking the Osteo-Path - As you prepare your application, ask yourself these four questions:
- What draws me to my chosen career in health care?
- Am I making an informed career choice?
- Do I have a good head?
- Do I have a good heart?
- Am I prepared to spend the time?
You are your resume! - Purpose of application process is to tell admissions committee who you are
- More than grades, admission test scores, extracurricular activities
- How do you differentiate yourself from others applying for the same spot?
You are your resume! - Be ready for the transition:
- Student -> Applicant
How to be a Successful Applicant What draws me to my chosen career in health care? - Desire to help and to serve is true of all applicants
- Each person has a unique personal journey
- Osteopathic Practices and Principles
- Would make a good introduction to any personal statements you must make on your application
Am I making an informed career choice? - Do I know what it’s like to be a patient?
- Personal or family experience
- Do I know what it’s really like to be a physician?
- Paid or volunteer activity in serving others
- Keep a journal or blog
- Be a part of relevant communities
Do I have a good head? - Do I have the intellectual capacity?
- High GPA
- High scores on admission tests
- Do I have an open, creative mind?
- Can you examine all the information, draw a conclusion, and ask if there is another way to look at the problem
- More than being a “walking biochem book”
Do I have a good heart? - Do I understand the meaning of empathy?
- Must have good interpersonal skills
- Do I appreciate the importance of the doctor-patient relationship?
- Career is built on relationships
- Not the “Dilbert” lifestyle
Am I prepared to spend the time? - Am I prepared to spend the time required for the practice of my profession?
- Am I prepared to spend sufficient time with each one of my patients to meet his or her needs?
Standardized Test: The MCAT Standardized Tests - Veterinary, PT, OT, masters – GRE
- Dental –DAT
- Optometry - OAT
- Pharmacy -PCAT
- Medical (allopathic and osteopathic) – MCAT
Standardized Tests - Usually taken a minimum of 1 year before you plan to matriculate
- This cycle’s test-takers are applying to begin in fall 2011
- Application to medical school is done during summer between junior and senior year.
- Critical to doing well on the test
- Learn as much about the format and content before you take the first test
- Think of this test as the single most important one in your life
- Do it once, do it right
- Material vs. Methods
Preparing for the Exam - Make sure you have taken the required courses before attempting the test
- Need an organized, systematic review of the topics
- Form study groups
- Commercial review courses
- Practice exams
- Self-preparation
Preparing for the Exam - Start studying well before the test date, sometimes as early as 6 months before
- Make getting in “game shape” a routine
- Study 1 to 2 hours/night for the duration
- Do not cram
Applying Choosing which schools to apply to: - What type of city do I wish to live in for the next four years?
- Is it important for me to be near friends and family?
- What is the “culture” of the professional school?
- What about financial considerations?
Application Forms and Services - AACOMAS
- Online, central clearinghouse for DO admissions
- May apply to all 29 osteopathic campuses
- AMCAS
- Parallel system for MD schools
- You may apply to both DO and MD programs
Application Forms and Services - 11742 applicants in 2008 cycle
Personal Statement or Essay - Your first chance to go beyond the numbers
- No universal formula
- Personal journey
- Important experiences
- Strengths you possess
- Goals for education and career
- How you will contribute to class diversity
Personal Statement - Can also be used to explain anything in your background
- Difficult semester
- Bad year due to illness or family problems
- Have your advisor give you critical feedback on essay
- Begin thinking about it now!
Supplemental Application - Once your target school receives your application and evaluates it, you may be sent a “secondary” application
- Answer more questions
- Another essay (different)
- More $
- DO IT QUICKLY!
- Will this person write a strong letter?
- Make sure your professors know more about you than your grades
- Have a good mix of science/non-science professors, volunteer mentors, physicians
- Furnish your evaluator with a resume or list of college activities
Application Timetable Freshman, Sophomore, Junior - Visit your advisor each semester
- Take relevant core science courses at a reasonable pace
- Get some experience in your anticipated career and its community
- Perform community service
- Plan to take MCAT
Junior Year (spring) - Take standardized test
- Keep grades up
- Last chance to make an academic statement
- Upward trend is great
- Register with centralized application services (AACOMAS, AMCAS)
Summer after Junior Year - Complete application
- Request transcripts from ALL schools be sent to appropriate schools or application service
- Arrange letters of recommendation
Senior Year (Fall Semester) - Complete supplemental applications QUICKLY
- Send updated transcript at the end of the semester if requested
- Begin preparation for financial aid
- Go to scheduled interviews
Financing your Education - In-state/out of state issues
- 98% of professional school students receive some form of assistance
- 86% of graduates have debt this is manageable!
Financing your Education - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Grants and Scholarships
- Service Commitment (military, etc)
- Underserved areas
- Loans
- -Subsidized vs. unsubsidized
Be Aware of… - Federal loan limits
- D.O./Ph. D circumstances
- Dependency from parents
- Health Insurance
- Rate of loan repayment
Life in Medical School First Two Years - Classroom-Based
- Final dose of Basic Science
- Anatomy, Physiology, Biochem, Genetics
- Doctor-Patient Relationship, Clinical Skills, OMM
- COMLEX Level I
Years Three and Four - Hospital-Based
- Rotations through various disciplines
- Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Orthopedic Surgery
- COMLEX Level 2-CE and -PE
Internship and Residency - AOA or ACGME?
- Your first work as a paid physician
- Approximately $45,000 in PGY-1
- PGY-1 through PGY-7
- COMLEX Level 3
- Board Certification
Life as a Med Student - Work Hard, Play Hard
- Caregivers Must Be Careful
- Lean on Each Other
- Remain Objective
- Be Good to Yourself
- Remember the Number One Symptom
The Two Kinds of Students in Medical School - The “next thing to do = 17th grade
- The “good kind”
What do you mean- Go another way?? - Public Preprofessional Persona
- The Power of Inertia
- The School of Hard Knocks
- It Happened to McLemore
Contacting Me - andrewmclemore@gmail.com
- 517-803-7324
- Facebook: Andrew McLemore
- AIM: andrewmclemore
- THANK YOU!
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