HURDLES WHILE IN COLLEGE - CALENDAR

1. MCATS - take in April, not September, if possible - application is due 30 days in advance of exam date. Apps are available from A. Harrison or Career Services office usually in late Jan or early Feb - to take in September puts you late in admissions process and that's a NO NO!

• a) take Kaplan or other review course
• b) distributed exam is available
• c) Nat MCAT Review Manual is available
• d) need 10+ to be sure of entry, 8 is average and may allow entry with other good supporting credentials, more likely not. 9 is probably okay.
• e) recommended subjects to take in preparation are A&P, Principles of Biology, Gen Chem, Org Chem, Genetics, Physics and one semester of Calculus
• f) plan to take and do well the first time- can take and cancel scores but not get them for self only

2. Med School app comes out in June, get from A Harrison or Career Services Office. Now you can also file electronically. It's best. Tho due date is usually January 15 or following year, submit as soon as possible, preferably in July or August. App will not be considered complete until MCAT scores, letters of rec and supplementary forms etc. are in. Check up on completeness. Temple lost some letters of rec!

• a) finances- a standard fee to AMCAS plus added dollars per each school named for application most allopathic medical schools participate in AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service)
• b) each school asks a supplementary form and more money
• c) apply to a minimum of 6-8 schools, 10 is, perhaps, best. select various kinds, read write ups to know whether worth your while... eg out of state
• d) read Advisor magazine on reserve in library or Harrison office on how to write biographical sketch... that's a critical part
• e) notify Cmtee for Health Professions member to write letter- select 4th member of Cmtee if desired - summer after Junior year
• f) get PP3 forms filled out from other profs and supply Cmtee with junior biographical sketch form, obtained from Harrison
• g) major- can be anything, science listed above needed irrespective of major
• h) check up on Cmtee to be sure letter is sent

3. Interview- comes only if first hurdle of credential check is passed- some schools use most recent MCAT scores if more than once taken and others average the scores

• a) you pay your way to the interview- save your pennies
• b) may be single, double or committee
• c) may be friendly or hatchet
• d) may be more than one interview
• e) may be blind or have your app
• f) have your thoughts crystallized and your questions about their school ready- read ahead and know what you can of the school, especially on questions such as:
• 1. why to be a Dr.
• 2. hot topics in medicine such as Baby Jane Doe, disconnection from respirator, status of AIDS research
• 3. ethics and controversial issues
• g) request a "mock" interview if you like from A Harrison or Committee Members

4. Get some experience in the nitty- gritty of medicine or take summer program at York Hospital

5. Some schools require research during the time you are there- sometimes undergrad research can replace it

6. Financial aid-worry about this after your accepted-sources

• a) PHEA-GSL, $7500 max, file gapsfas form, 9% repay after out of school plus grace period
• b) HEAL, Health Ed Assocn Loan, $20,000 max, variable interest, cmpded immediately, always available but most expensive
• c) NSDL, Nat Direct Student Loan, approved by your med school, 5%
• d) York County Med Soc - 5% max=? but at least $2400
• e) school- based loans
• f) Health Professions Services Award- service for time
• g) Armed Services Med School- join the service
• h) move to Texas for cheap med school

THE ARENA - HURDLES IN MEDICAL sCHOOL

1. Medical schools cost $10,000 to $25,000 per year - books about $500/year

2. Organization

• a) First year-usually basic sciences, 3-6 week segments during which you get about as many notes as you do in organic in the whole semester- there are notes services to participate in- exam at end of each segment- you take 4 or so segments simultaneously
• b) Second year-usually more sciences and beginning of hospital and clinical exposure, some patient work-ups-lectures may be on or off faculty
• c) Boards Part I take early in June after second year
• d) Third and fourth year- clerkships of 6 weeks plus through each of the possible specialties - you schedule order and get what you get
• e) Boards Part II in June after fourth year
• f) if you fail Boards there is an alternate exam - also you can take Boards either 2 or 3 times
• g) Residency follows fourth year - you apply for residency in a specialty and it may be 3 years or more....some surgery is as long as 11 years - you work 120 hr weeks and are perpetually on call - residency is by interview and again credentials count- they like to see 1 or 2 papers and great grades - some schools don't give grades but Honors, Pass and Fail while others give grades