Pre-Med & Pre-Health Frequently Asked Questions

(FAQ) WorkshopBy UCSC Career Center Pre-Health Advising Staff

❖ Discuss the most frequently asked questions by pre-med students

❖ Provide basic information about various clinical careers starting with M.D.

❖ Recommend on campus resources ❖ Learn how to make an appointment with

pre-health advisers

Goals of Presentation

The Medical School Application Sieve

52,550

20,631

Who wants to be a doctor?

❖ Factoid: 35% of students who apply to medical school get accepted.

❖ What happens to the rest?❖ This doesn’t mean the stats can’t be skewed or

that you will not have a career in health care.

The Stats

❖ Which is better, shadowing or research? Do I need both?

❖ Do I need to have a 4.0 and really-really high MCAT

scores to get into medical school?

❖ What is the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)?

❖ When do I take it?

❖ Can I take the MCAT as often as I want?

❖ What GPA/MCAT score will be competitive?

❖ …..For California medical schools? Nationwide?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

❖ Is the MCAT really hard? ❖ What does MCAT cover? ❖ What is the best pre-med major?❖ Does my high school volunteer experience count?❖ Do my AP courses count towards the prerequisite coursework?❖ Who should I ask to write me a letter of recommendation?❖ It is better if I apply as a Junior so that I can start medical school right

after I graduate?

❖ How can I look better as an applicant?

FAQ’s (cont.)

❖ How do I know if being a doctor is the right career choice for me?

❖ What makes a good doctor?

FAQ’s (cont.)

❖ Prioritize academics➢ Highest and most consistent GPA

❖ MCAT➢ Score should be in the top 30th percentile

❖ Get Experience ➢ Clinical experience vs. research

❖ Other Extra-Curricular activities❖ Understand the value of each

How can I look better as an applicant?

❖ Chemistry with Labs➢ 1 year of Introductory Chemistry w/ Labs (1A, 1B/M, 1C/N)➢ 1 year of Organic Chemistry w/ Labs (108A/L, 108B/M, 109)➢ Biochemistry (BIOL 100, 101L)

❖ Biology with Labs➢ 1 year of Introductory Biology (20A, 20B, 20C)➢ Upper Division Biology Labs (ex. BIOL 20L, BIOL 130L, METX 119L, etc.)

❖ 1 year of Physics w/ Labs (6A/L, 6B/M, 6C/N)❖ 1 year of Math

➢ Math 2, Math 3, Calculus (11A, 11B), etc.➢ Statistics (AMS 5 or 7/L)

❖ Use GEs to take Social Sciences (Writing/English, Socy 1, Psych 1)

Can you help me make a four year plan?

❖ Common pre-med majors include (65%):➢ Biology, Human Biology, MCD Biology, Neuroscience➢ All majors have different graduation requirements

❖ Medical schools prerequisite courses may vary a little from school to school.

❖ It does not matter what major you have, just as long as you finish all the pre-req classes. There have been students (35%) who have majored in psychology or the Arts and have successfully applied to medical school.

Major Choice

❖ Get a good start by mastering time management and prioritizing.

❖ Other study skills (learn, implement and refine)❖ Go to your professor’s office hours ❖ Utilize free academic tutoring such as MSI, LSS and

ACE ❖ Learn from your mistakes and seek help if needed❖ Don’t overextend yourself the first two years, eventually

challenge yourself (Junior year?). Plan! Plan!

Academic Tips

What is the MCAT?https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/about-mcat-exam/

❖ Four sections (see AAMC & Khan Academy)https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat

➢ Biological and Chemical Foundations of Living Systems➢ Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems➢ Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations➢ Critical Analysis and Reasoning (READ! Summarize! Discuss!)

■ Recommendations (Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s Weekly, etc.)

❖ When should I take the MCAT?➢ When you are ready!

❖ What courses can I take to help prepare me for the MCAT?➢ Your Pre-Med Classes (Chem, Bio, Physics, BioChem, Psyc 1, Socy 1, etc.)

❖ How many times can I take the MCAT?➢ Once, maybe twice. The more times you take it, the more it will hurt your

application.

Kaplan hosts MCAT Diagnostic

Tests on campus a few times a year

❖ These numbers prove to medical school admissions committees that you can handle “scientific academic rigor.”

❖ The first years of professional school are rigorous and the school wants to make sure you will succeed.

❖ They are investing in you, the future of medicine, and their mission as a university

Competitive GPA/MCAT scores

3.64 3.953.33 4.0

GPA

MCAT

1.Biographical Info.2.GPA, Test Scores3.Personal Statement4.Extra-Curricular Activities

1. Employment2. Volunteer/community service3. Clinical or health care exposure4. Other

Med. School Application Sections

Get Experience ❖ Volunteer (ex. CARE, Dominican

Hospital, etc.)❖ Shadow a Doctor ❖ Internships (Summer Programs,

Human Biology Internship, etc.)❖ Research❖ Jobs in Healthcare Field (ex. Medical

Assistant, Scribe, EMT, etc.)❖ Find something you’re passionate

about!

❖ Home Clinics: Try to shadow in your hometown so you have less competition if possible, or speak to your family physician and ask if they know anyone open to allowing students to shadow

❖ Human Biology majors are given internship opportunities and must complete one in order to graduate

❖ Ask around!! There are many local resources willing to take in students eager to become physicians (e.g. Urgent Care, Dominican Hospital, Planned Parenthood, etc.)

❖ Keep a journal to record your experiences!

How do I Shadow a Physician?

❖ Focus on academics first ❖ Continue with volunteer, work and research activities❖ Prepare for MCAT at the appropriate time❖ Attend various medical school admissions and application

workshops, pre-med. conferences, graduate school fairs, etc.❖ Consult the MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirement)

database online to confirm school-specific requirements.❖ Gather letters of recommendation

Prior to applying to Medical School

❖ Generally need three academic letters of recommendation❖ At least one letter from physician❖ Obtain passionate and personal letters

❖ When you are ready!

❖ Path 1: Traditional Path❖ Path 2: Gap Year❖ Path 3: Post Bacc

❖ Variations of the above

When to apply to medical school

Preparing for SecondariesCan you answer these questions yet?

❖ Why do you want to be a doctor?❖ How well do you work with others in a variety of

settings?❖ How do you manage and cope with stressful situations,

or ethical dilemmas?❖ How will you contribute positively to the field of

medicine?

If not, think about what types of experiences would help you answer these questions.

Example of an Ethical Dilemma in Healthcare

❖ Do not worry if you start at a lower math level, graduate schools will not penalize you

❖ Continuous progression in your academics will show you are growing as a student

❖ Extracurriculars only help you as an applicant❖ Become passionate for the career you want to pursue❖ Explore passions or career options outside of medicine

as well

Explore/ Prepare/ Adjust

❖ Physician Assistant❖ Nursing (RN, Nurse

Practitioner)❖ Pharmacy❖ Dentistry❖ Public Health❖ Ph.D. in STEM Subjects

Health Care Career Choices

❖ Physical and Occupational Therapy

❖ Optometry❖ Naturopathic Medicine❖ Podiatric Medicine❖ Chiropractic❖ Veterinary Medicine

And lots more!!

❖ EMT https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/medical-careers/aspiring-docs/

❖ Phlebotomy❖ CNA❖ MA ❖ CLT❖ Scribe❖ Medical Translator

Certification Programs

❖ Get off the best academic start possible❖ End strong❖ Get acclimated to college and the quarter system❖ Do not over analyze or try to out-smart the process❖ Enrich your knowledge:

➢ Read books, newspaper/magazine articles ➢ Internet research (AAMC website, medical school

websites, Ted Talks, etc.) ❖ See a Peer Health Advisor

Next Steps

❖ American Medical Student Association (AMSA)❖ Pre-Student Osteopathic Medical Association (Pre-SOMA)❖ Pre-Dental Society at UCSC❖ Pre-Optometry Club at UCSC❖ Pre-Pharmacy Student Association (PPSA)❖ Pre-Veterinary Club❖ Kappa Gamma Delta (Pre-Health Sorority)❖ Sigma Mu Delta (Pre-Health Fraternity)❖ Global Medical Brigades❖ VIDA (Volunteers for Intercultural and Definitive Adventures)❖ NEW: Aspiring Physician Assistant Association (APAA)

Clubs on Campus

More Information:❖ Pre-Health Advsing Website:

http://careers.ucsc.edu/health/health_professions/medicine.html

❖ Association of American Medical Colleges: https://www.aamc.org/

❖ Blogs: e.g. Aspiring Doc http://aspiringdocsdiaries.org

❖ UC Davis Pre-Health Conference: http://www.ucdprehealth.org/schedule/

Thank You & Study hard!

“Unwilling to give in to that possibility, I keep going, holding on fiercely to the belief that I can make it. Taunts of “you can’t” and “who do you think you are?” have never stopped me before, so why should they now?” ― Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, Becoming Dr. Q: My Journey from Migrant Farm Worker to Brain Surgeon