MEDICAL SCHOOL How to be a competitive applicant Dr. Arthur Frampton,

MEDICAL SCHOOL How to be a competitive applicant Dr. Arthur Frampton, Associate Professor & Pre-Health advisor—Biology Department Melanie Canfield, Advisor- Biology

WHAT ARE MEDICAL SCHOOLS LOOKING FOR IN AN APPLICANT? Overall GPA MCAT score Experience Personal Statement References

SCHOOL East Carolina University Brody Sch of Medicine average GPA: 3.60 UNC Chapel Hill University School of Medicine Average GPA: 3.66 Science GPA: 3.79 Wake Forest University average GPA: 3.65 science GPA: 3.2 Duke University average GPA: 3.85 Campbell University average GPA: 3.6 science GPA: 3.2

MEDICAL COLLEGE ADMISSION TEST (MCAT) East Carolina University Brody Sch of Medicine avg: 507 Campbell minimum: 498 University avg: 506 Wake minimum: 498 Forest University avg: 512 Split into 4 sections: 1) Chemical & Physical 2) Critical Analysis & Reasoning 3) Biological & biochemical 4) Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations of Behavior minimum 507 UNC avg:512 Duke avg: 516 What’s a good score? 127 out of 132 in any one section, or 508 out of 528 for all four sections (ref: MCAT-Prep.com)

MCAT . Is offered throughout the year Ideally should be taken at the end of junior year Definitely should not be taken before completing Organic Chemistry, Physics, Biochemistry, Psychology, and Sociology Should only take when ready—don’t just take it to see what you get! Some schools will take the best score out of 2 (ex. Wake Forest) Some schools will make a superscore where they compile the top scores from each section of the MCAT (ex. ECU) Best bet is to prepare early so that you can get a competitive score the first time you take the MCAT Split into 4 sections: 1) Chemical & Physical 2) Critical Analysis & Reasoning 3) Biological & biochemical 4) Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations of Behavior What’s a good score? 127 out of 132 in any one section, or 508 out of 528 for all four sections (ref: MCAT-Prep.com)

EXPERIENCE Clinical experience very important – all in how you write it up. What did you get from it? Research experience not necessarily needed--get patient care instead. Examples: Medical assistant/technician CNA/NA/EMT/Paramedic Pharmacy tech Hospice Working w/special needs patients An active experience is better than a passive experience Use your Summers wisely. Look for opportunities to gain experience during the Summer.

PERSONAL STATEMENT Should be about you and why you are applying to the professional school (tell your story) Reviewers are looking for a well-written, cohesive story that connects all of your experiences together rather than just describing each experience individually Don’t just write about what you did, but what you learned from the experience. How did the experience impact you? What life-long lesson did you take home? What have you accomplished over the last 2 years of undergrad? Send it to 2 or 3 people who don’t know you very well and collect feedback. Take advantage of services offered by the UNCW career center Explain a leave of absence or a bad semester Proofreading is key!

REFERENCE LETTERS 3 are generally required—some allow a few more Should have 2 from science professors 1 should be from someone who knows you well, who can give the committee a better understanding of your character and abilities AMCAS (Association of American Medical Colleges) Letter Service accepts applicants’ letters and distributes them to participating schools electronically. Allows the ability to submit to several schools at one time. Foster a professional relationship with 3 or more mentors that you will ultimately ask to write a letter for you. How do you establish and nurture these relationships?

PRE-REQUISITE COURSES Each school has required and recommended undergraduate courses but most have these in common: 2 General Biology 2 General Chemistry 2 Organic Chemistry 1 Biochemistry 2 Physics 1 Statistics Psychology Sociology Anatomy & Physiology not required

Resources ebsites School ww.AAPA.org ww.CASPA.liasoncas.com Test prep www.ets.org/gre www.kaptest.com d School ww.AAMC.org terinary Medicine ww.AAVMC.org visors and contact info Art Frampton, Associate Professor & Pre-health advisor, Department of Biology and Marine Bio [email protected] lanie Canfield, Advisor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology [email protected]

Average DAT scores and GPA for students accepted at NC and SC dental Schools ECU: DAT: 19.5 GPA: 3.43 UNC: DAT: 20.9 GPA: 3.56 MUSC: DAT: 19.6 GPA: 3.6 Harvard: DAT 23.5 GPA: 3.85 Average score on DAT (all test takers) is 17

Minimum GPA for students accepted at NC PA Schools Campbell: 3.2 ECU: 3.0 Elon: 3.2 Gardner-Webb: 3.0 High Point: 3.2 Lenoir-Rhyne: 3.0 UNC: 3.2