Some Considerations for Selecting Medical Schools
370 likes | 504 Vues
Choosing the right medical school is crucial for aspiring physicians. All U.S. medical schools offer quality education, making it vital for applicants to find a school that aligns with their academic profile and personal goals. Utilizing resources like the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) and understanding admission patterns—such as GPA and MCAT scores—can significantly influence your selection strategy. Consider factors like course requirements, educational approaches, mission statements, and residency placements when evaluating your options. Tailor your applications wisely to enhance your chances of success.
Some Considerations for Selecting Medical Schools
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Some Considerations for Selecting Medical Schools Spring 2007
All US Medical Schools are Good Medical Schools • If you really want to become a physician, you should be prepared to attend any US medical school, since they will all prepare you well to practice medicine. • Foreign Medical Schools - Several are strong but may take 5 years and residency placement may present issues.
General Strategies • Nothing will substitute for work you put into exploring which medical school is best for you • Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) • WWW.AAMC.ORG • WWW. AACOM.ORG • and other websites….
Find Schools With The Best Fit • 1) Acceptance profile • GPA and MCAT
2002 & 2003National Pomona • Applicants • 65,916 111 • Matriculants • 31,820 91 • % Matriculating • 48% 83%
APPLICANT FACTS:From AAMC website Average MCAT Scores
MCAT (2002 & 2003)Pomona • Applicants • 30 • Matriculants • 31
Applicant Facts:From AAMC website Median Grade Point Averages BCPM = Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math All Other = all courses not classified as BCPM Cumulative = all courses
GPA (2002 - 2004)Pomona • Applicants • 3.5 • Matriculants • 3.6
For more applicant data, go to: http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/start.htm
Who Doesn’t Get In? • Relatively low GPA (<3.5 without other strong, relevant achievements) • High GPA with low MCAT score • Poor selection of schools • Poor interview- no prep, no energy • Various other reasons (e.g. late application, poor essay, lack of experience)
Find Schools With The Best Fit • Acceptance profile (GPA and MCAT) • UCSF: 3.8 GPA; VR=11, PS=11, BS=12 • New York Medical College: 3.6 GPA, VR=10, PS=10, BS=11, W=Q
Applying To Medical School • Submit most of your applications to those with a similar academic acceptance profile • Submit a few to those with a higher academic profile, especially if you believe other aspects of your application would be particularly attractive to them. • Also apply to interesting schools that have an academic profile below yours.
Find Schools With The Best Fit • Required courses • Oklahoma: 3 semesters of English • UCLA: 1 year math (calculus recommended); Spanish, computer science, and humanities are recommended • UCI: Biochemistry, calculus
Find Schools With The Best Fit Educational Approach: traditional? problem based? Some examples: • Harvard: Problem-based, small-group tutorials, self-directed learning • Yale: First two years basic sciences • USC (and increasing across the country): Patient contact begins in first week
Find Schools With The Best Fit • Mission • Stanford University: “Stanford is committed to be a premier research-intensive medical school . . .” • Mercer Univ. (Macon GA): “to educate physicians to meet health care needs of rural and other underserved areas of Georgia” • Uniformed Services: “to prepare young men and women for careers as health care professionals in the uniformed services” • Loma Linda: “overriding purpose is the formation of Christian physicians”
Find Schools With The Best Fit • Special Programs (examples): • Stanford: summer matriculation program for matriculants from disadvantaged backgrounds. • Uniformed Health Services: no tuition, salary • UCSF: MD/MPH program with Berkeley • Tufts: Free Chinatown clinic run by first and second year students. • Many schools have special programs
Find Schools With The Best Fit • State residency • UCI, Arizona, Florida, U South Florida, Southern Illinois, LSU, U Mass, Mississippi, SUNY Buffalo, East Carolina, Northeastern Ohio U accepted 0% or almost 0% of out of state applicants • Duke: 78% out of state matriculants • U Chicago: 68% out of state matriculants • UCSF: 24% out of state matriculants • U VT: 68% out of state matriculants
Find Schools With The Best Fit • Research • MD/Ph.D. • Medical Science Training Program (MSTP) and other funding • MD w/ Clinical Research Experience • Clinical
Find Schools With The Best Fit • Location, location, location
Group Medical Schools by Location • Find places you would like to spend your medical school career • May facilitate grouping your interviews together
A Favorite Interview Question • “Why are you interested in our medical school?” • Now is a good time to begin to explore what attracts you to different medical schools
Implications • Apply to your state medical school(s) • Apply to private institutions • Apply to state schools that accept significant number of out-of-state applicants if a good fit • State institutions with national reputation • Many are very competitive (e.g. Michigan) • State institutions that can’t fill all seats with state residents (e.g. Vermont) • Consider Postbac or Special Master’s Programs to strengthen your application
Appendix Where our students attend Medical School . . .
POMONA MATRICULANTSCalifornia: UCsFrom 1996-2005 • UCSF-29 • UCLA-24 • UCI-17 • UCSD-34 • UCD-21
POMONA MATRICULANTS California: PrivateFrom 1996-2005 • USC-50 • Stanford-10 • Loma Linda-9
POMONA MATRICULANTS Rest of the WestFrom 1996-2005 • Arizona-6 • Colorado-4 • Hawaii-7 • Nevada-1 • New Mexico-5 • North Dakota-1 • Oregon-11 • Utah-2 • Washington-23
POMONA MATRICULANTS New York: From 1996-2005 • New York Medical College – 25 • Albert Einstein – 20 • NYU – 12 • Rochester – 17 • Albany Medical College– 10 • Mount Sinai – 8 • Columbia – 5 • Cornell – 5 • SUNY Brooklyn - 1 • SUNY Syracuse – 3 • SUNY Stony Brook – 3 • SUNY Buffalo – 1
POMONA MATRICULANTS PennsylvaniaFrom 1996-2005 • Jefferson Medical College– 13 • Drexel (MCP-Hahnemann) – 14 • Pittsburgh – 14 • U Penn – 8 • Temple – 6 • Penn St. – 3
POMONA MATRICULANTS Rest of EastFrom 1996-2005 • Tufts – 21 • Boston U – 9 • Harvard – 6 • Vermont – 11 • Yale – 3 • Dartmouth – 7 • U Conn – 2 • UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson – 1
POMONA MATRICULANTS Mid AtlanticFrom 1996-2005 • George Washington – 16 • Georgetown – 9 • Johns Hopkins – 8 • Maryland – 3 • Uniformed Services – 6 • Virginia – 3 • Howard – 2
POMONA MATRICULANTS IllinoisFrom 1996-2005 • Northwestern – 17 • U Chicago – 20 • Rush – 7 • Illinois – 6 • Chicago Med – 3 • Loyola – 2 • Southern Illinois – 1
POMONA MATRICULANTS MidwestFrom 1996-2005 • Michigan – 13 • Washington U – 13 • Case Western Reserve – 9 • St. Louis – 7 • Med College of Wisconsin – 6 • Creighton – 5 • Ohio St. – 4
POMONA MATRICULANTS Midwest: From 1996-2005 • Minnesota – 3 • Iowa –2 • Mayo – 2 • Cincinnati – 4 • Wayne St. – 2 • Wisconsin – 2 • Missouri – 1 • Oklahoma – 1 • Indiana – 1 • Kentucky – 1
POMONA MATRICULANTS TexasFrom 1996-2003 • Baylor –10 • UT Southwestern – 4 • U T San Antonio – 3 • UT Houston-1 • UT Galveston-1 • Also: Texas Tech, Texas A & M
POMONA MATRICULANTS Rest of SouthFrom 1996-2005 • Tulane-15 • Vanderbilt-13 • Emory-2 • Also: Arkansas, East Tennessee, Louisville, Medical College of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee (1 each).