Health-Related Professions FAQ

1. Health-Related Professions FAQ November 6, 2011 Dr. Andreé Elliott, Mrs. Kendra Ericson, Dr. Bruce Hathaway Mrs. Karen Rispin, and Dr. Duane Trogden, Health Professions Advisors

2. Topics • Introductions • Megan Ross • SFC Marion Jordan, US Army • How to Apply • Where to Apply • Preparing Yourself • Other Information • Questions or Comments

3. How to Apply • Programs generally will want grades, contact information, email, picture, money, personal statement, letters of reference or names of referees, but… • BE SURE TO GIVE THE PROGRAM EXACTLY WHAT IT WANTS!

4. Program Information • TMDSAS: Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/ • AMCAS: American Medical College Application Service, for schools in other states. • https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/ • American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) • http://www.aacom.org/Pages/default.aspx • ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)  • http://www.adea.org/dental_education_pathways/aadsas/Pages/default.aspx • Pharmacy College Admission Service (PharmCAS) • http://www.pharmcas.org/

5. More Program Information • American Physical Therapy Association • http://www.apta.org/ProspectiveStudents/ • Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) • http://www.aavmc.org/ • Physician Assistants • http://www.gophysicianassistantschools.com/ • Find out the specific requirements for your program and school!

6. Preparing Yourself: Grades • Aim for A’s in All Academics. • Cum GPA of 3.6 or above: preferably 3.8 or greater. • A low GPA could keep you out of a professional school even with an above average standardized test score. • A low standardized test score could keep you out of professional school even with a high GPA. • Try for no C’s, but one C is not the end of the world! • You will report every course and grade you have ever taken at every college. Course repeats show motivation, but do not help eliminate C, D, or F grades. • Multiple withdrawals are a red flag to evaluators.

7. Preparing for Standardized Tests (MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc) • Keep and study your textbooks and notes from your key science courses. • Have a study plan months in advance. • Study in groups: Eccl. 4:9-12 • 9Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. • 10For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. • 11Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? • 12And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

8. Preparing for Standardized Tests (MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc) • Enroll and complete a preparation course because: • These are targeted reviews, and • They give you extensive simulated testing conditions including the length of testing. • Jared Seaman: Kaplan Course Experience • Take the test when you are best-prepared, preferably near the beginning of the application cycle.

9. Clinical Issues/Observation • Required for the Kinesiology, B.S. Exercise Science Concentration (KES). • You should enroll in BIOL3921 Introduction to Clinical Issues in the spring semester and BIOL4931 Clinical Observation the following fall semester. • Observation is important because you need to make sure you know the profession before you commit such time and intensity to get into professional school. • Some professions require more clinical experience/exposure; 100’s of hours.

10. Foreign Language • Speaking the language of the patient often increases the ministry opportunities and the accuracy of treatment by the clinician. • "In addition to the obvious benefits to Latino patients and their families, medical students with bilingual ability are attractive to prospective employers," says Donna L. Parker, MD, associate dean for Student Affairs. "In states such as California, Texas and Florida, the ability to speak Spanish is almost a job requirement." http://medschool.umaryland.edu/osa/med_spanish.asp • Many schools offer “Medical Spanish” as an elective.

11. Letters of Evaluation • These are requested from your faculty members and other professionals. • They then communicate about your cognitive abilities, character, motivation, people skills, work and volunteer experience, and special circumstances. • This must include a signed release form allowing a confidential evaluation letter. You will not have access to this letter, ever. It is to your advantage to have a confidential letter. • Provide a résumé to the person writing each letter. Please include volunteer and work experiences, honors, awards, and copies transcripts for ALL of your college courses from all the institutions you have ever attended.

12. What Should I Do With My Summers? • Clinical work experience • Undergraduate Research: here or elsewhere • Medical Mission trip/Volunteer work • Take some courses to lighten your course load

13. Why do Undergraduate Research? • You learn more about a particular area. • You learn how to design and conduct a project. • You learn how to present the results of your research to a variety of audiences. • It shows that you are involved in more than just classes. • It doesn’t have to be medically-related to impress a medical school!

14. Wheels: Doing research to make a difference

15. Doing excellent research. Sam working with David and Kristina to collect timed data on the maneuverability of a wheelchair. Students do a comparative study with each child using first one wheelchair and then another. This highlights strengths and weaknesses of each wheelchair.

16. Making a difference on an individual scale Sam moving a child into a chair he’d helped to modify to fit his particular needs. This little guy had been crying in class because the seats hurt his twisted back. The Wheels team worked with BK staff to make him a chair that fit him well.

17. International friendships Taylor and Sam with the young Kenyan clinicians

18. Alumni who worked with outcomes studies Shannon and Molly have finished med school. Nathan is in his third year. Katie is finishing her training as a prosthetist. Cory, Rachel and Tasha are in PT school. It’s wonderful to work with such exceptional people!

19. Conclusion • We are here to help, so seek us out. • We don’t know everything: we are still learning. • Our goal is to help you get where God wants you.

20. Questions or Comments?