Congratulations on deciding to apply Summer 2011!!

APPLICATION TIMELINE

FIVE SECTIONS OF APPLICATION

Science GPA: This demonstrates to admission committees that you can handle the academic rigors

MCAT Score: This demonstrates how you perform on standardized tests.

Personal Statement: Allows you to tell your unique story. To talk about why you are passionate about medicine.

Extra-Curricular: Demonstrates commitment to medicine, leadership, community involvement

Letters of Recommendation: Speaks to how you form relationships.

APPLICATION PROCESS

3 Steps Primaries Secondaries Interviews

Rolling Admissions: So turn things in early and stay on top of deadlines

TIMELINE FOR APPLYING

April-May Draft and Edit

Personal Statement Update Supporters

& Letter Writers Research Medical

Schools List the schools you

want to apply to Open AAMC account

June-July Submit AAMC

Application (including transcripts)

Open Letter Service Request Letters of

Recommendations Work on

Secondaries from automatic schools

TIMELINE FOR APPLYING

August-September Follow up with Letter

writers Work on and Submit

Secondaries Submit Transcripts

and Letters of Rec to individual schools

Prepare for Interviews

October-April Work on and Submit

Secondaries Submit Transcripts

and Letters of Rec to individual schools

Attend Interviews

-Who would you admit?

MOCK ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE

Applicant A

Major: IDS Sci GPA: 3.14 Post-bac GPA: 3.47 MCAT: 26Q

SUBMITTED: Mid August

EC Research/MARC Fellowship

(2 yrs)

Care Attendant (1 yr) Hospital Volunteer (2 yrs) Tutoring (1.5 yrs)

LettersStrong and writers ranged from Berkeley profs, post-bac profs to supervisors

Applicant B

Major: MEB Sci GPA: 3.87 MCAT: 34Q

SUBMITTED: Early July

EC Lab research w/ Publications (2

yrs) Teaching/Tutoring/Mentoring (2

yrs)

Letters Not very strong letters from

prof. Strong letters from supervisors.

PRIMARIES

REQUEST LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Look for a well rounded packet

3 academic letters (2 science, 1 non-science)

P.I. Volunteer Coordinator Mentor Supervisor

Open Career Center Letter Service ($125 for alums)

LETTER WRITING PACKET

Cover letter Draft of personal statement Resume Unofficial transcript Confidentiality waivers

EXTRACURRICULAR WRITE UPS There is room for 15 experiences

For twelve of them 700 characters per experience

3 most important experiences 1325 characters each, list contact information

Use 3 prong approach Briefly describe the organization What was your role within the organization? How will the experience make you a better

person?

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Goal is for the reader Have a better sense of who you are How where you grew up or activities you

have chosen to participate in have shaped you

Most importantly: WHY ARE INTERESTED IN MEDICINE? (beyond liking science and people)

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Dream team (3-4 people max) 2-3 People dedicated to helping you refine

the content Make sure one of these people knows

something about medical admissions (talk to a BSP advisor)

One person that is amazing with grammar to read one you are finished

Your thoughts on these sample introduction paragraphs..

SAMPLE PERSONAL STATEMENTS

INTRODUCTION #1

I love good food. But when I landed in the Dominican Republic is wasn’t so much the arroz con pollo, plantanos, or cana that won me over as much as the children of the orphanage reinforcing my drive to become a pediatrician and obtain an MPH in tropical or community medicine. For once in my life I was with people outside of my family who 1. Do not eat until all the flies around are dead and 2. Greet people you love not with a “hello” first, but rather “Dio te bendiga” or “Bendicion” which literally translates to “God bless you” and “Blessings”.

INTRODUCTION #2

A tall, healthy, boisterous, lively young Indian woman now finds herself withering away and incarcerated by tubes, machines, and immobility. She is dying from metastatic cervical cancer at the age of 26. I will forever remember her as an example of the difficulties that many of the poorest people in the world have in accessing high quality and affordable health care. While working recently in the US as a clinical research assistant at a county hospital in a large metropolitan area, I saw patients experience the same obstacles that were evident in India. I realized that deficient health care is not limited to a backdrop of extreme poverty. Both India and the United States have healthcare delivery systems that provide inadequate care to their disadvantaged citizens. The two tiered systems ensure that wealthy patients are provided with exclusive facilities while those accessed by the poor and uninsured are often low tech and crowded. This realization has strengthened my dedication to improving the quality of health care provided to those most in need.

Where Should I apply?

SELECTING SCHOOLS

PICKING SCHOOLS

Come up with a list of personal priorites Locations, curriculum (traditional vs. organ

based), grading (P/NP, Honors), research/travel/clinical opportunities, how many months would you have to study for boards?

The one thing CA students do is focus primarily on CA, research out of state programs. Do not assume the best academic/professional fit for you is in CA.

Try not to apply to more than 30 schools – it gets overwhelming once it is time for secondaries and interviews

Help me help you!!!

BSP ROLE

WE ARE YOUR ADVOCATE

Advise and assist you in preparing your application

Offer suggestions on secondaries Help you prepare for interviews Advocate for you with Deans Encourage you through the waiting

time Advise as you consider which school to

attend

PHP STATS AND HISTORY

(2004-2010) we have had an overall 80% admission rate to medical school.  (202/250)

For URM students our admission rate to medical school has been 92% (93/101)

 2007 75% overall (25/35);

 100% URM (10/10)  2008

75% overall (30/40);   94% URM (17/18) 

2009 96% overall (30/31);   94% URM (16/17) 

2010 83% overall tentative

(25/30) 90% (18/20) URM  

COMPARED TO BERKELEY

Compared with UCB numbers over the (2004-2008) has had an overall admissions rate of 52% (1,694/3,278) 

2007: 52% overall (308/590)   2008: 48% overall (354/733) 2009: 50% overall (363/726) 

WHAT ADMISSIONS COMMITTEES SAY Deans of Admissions are always

impressed with BSP students Ability to convey passion for medicine Commitment to serving underserved

populations Quality of the application Preparation for interviews

ARE YOU SUBMITTING TO THESE PROGRAMS?

Let me know Specify PRIME Programs UC Davis UC Irvine UCLA UCSD UCSF Case Western, Cornell.

HOW TO HELP ME ADVOCATE FOR YOU Release you AAMC application

When you submit your application. You will be prompted asking if you want to release information to your pre-med advisor.

Check YES. I am the one accessing this information to advocate for you.

Update your email address You may lose your Berkeley account so

make sure I have the one that you are going to check.

RESOURCES

AMSAR which lists in-depth information about each medical school

Refer to AAMC FAQ page for any logistical questions you may have on application process

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/start.htm

Ranging for how much will applying cost, to deadlines, making changes to application.