Your Path to Med School

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.

Preparing for the Exam

• 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!

Letters of Recommendation

• 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!