General Board Meeting #4

WINTER 2021
PLEASE BE ADVISED
This Zoom session will be recorded and subsequently uploaded to our website, along with these slides.
 Welcome!

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 ➢ Announcements
Meeting
➢ Application Logistics
Overview
➢ Contents of Application
➢ Gap Year
Announcements
 Announcements

➢ Executive Board Applications for PMWB Board 2021-2022 Released!

○ DEADLINE Friday February 19th 11:59 PM!!!

○ If selected for an interview, you will be contacted to schedule a date and time. Interviews will be

conducted WEEK 8 of WINTER QUARTER.

○ Those selected will begin training during Spring Quarter.

➢ GBM 5 Next Wednesday 2/17 8-9 PM (Exec Board Application Info + Destress Sess)

➢ MCAT REG OPENS Wednesday 2/17 and Thursday 2/18 at Noon ET (9 PT)

➢ FINAL Winter GBM 6 Wednesday 2/24 8-9 PM (Week 8)

Application Logistics
Deadlines
 Costs

➢ AAMC Fee Assistance Program (Saves ~$1.5k)

➢ Primary Applications
○ AMCAS ($170 + 40 per school), AACOMAS ($195 + 45 per school), TMDSAS ($185)

➢ Secondary Applications ($75-100 per school)

➢ Transcripts, CASPer, and other requirements

➢ Interviews/Travel Cost ($500-$1k per school)

Contents of
Application
 Core Competencies

➢ Can be divided into 3 or 4 categories

○ Pre-professional
■ Intrapersonal and interpersonal
○ Thinking and reasoning
○ Science
 Extracurriculars

➢ Medical School Related activities

➢ Non-medical School Related activities

○ A Fun Interview
 Course Requirements

Required Recommended
➢ Writing (1 year) ➢ Upper div bio courses (1 year)
➢ Math (1 year) ➢ Psychology and sociology (1 course)

➢ Physics + Labs (1 year)

➢ General Chemistry + Lab (1 year)
➢ Organic Chemistry + Lab (1 year)
➢ General Biology + Lab (1 year)
Transfers:
➢ Biochemistry (1 course)
➢ Don’t need to take Organic Chemistry at UCSD
 AP Credit
➢ Most med schools accept some AP Credit, but some do NOT
➢ Plan beforehand: research pre-requisites of the med schools you’re
interested in
AP Class Accepted by Med Schools? Courses to Take at UCSD

Math/Calculus Usually yes

Chemistry Usually no CHEM 6H Series

Upper Div Chemistry

Biology Yes, but... Upper Div Biology

➢ Can also take at a 4-year university extension program or at a community

college (unless you transferred to UCSD)
➢ Some med schools require a CASPer test
○ https://takecasper.com/about-casper/
➢ Assesses non-academic skills
○ situational judgement test
○ “people skills”
➢ Used as a screening test
➢ 60-90 minutes long
 Service/Volunteering Requirements

➢ Usually no specific requirements

➢ Many recommend 100 hours of community
service/volunteering
➢ Healthbeat: Demonstrate compassion for others by
volunteering with underserved and disadvantaged
communities
➢ Volunteer in what you’re interested in!
Not because you have to
 Essays
➢The AMCAS personal statement prompt—“Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school”.
- Is intentionally vague and gives you the opportunity to write about anything you want.
- Roughly corresponds to 500 words or 1.5 single-spaced pages.
➢Allow yourself 6 months of writing and revision to get your essay in submission-ready shape. This gives you the time
to review what you’ve written, and re-work your draft.
➢Your personal statement must be well-organized and show a clear, logical progression.
➢Find your unique angle!
- What experiences and things can you say about yourself that no one else can?
- Bring your own voice and perspective, and highlight interesting aspects of your journey.
- Start with a "catch", make the admissions committee want to read on!
➢Your personal statement should explain why you want a career in medicine.
- Questions to consider and ask yourself include:
- What is it about the practice of medicine that resonates with who you are?
- What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
- What are events that led you toward this path?
- Your dependability/leadership skills.
➢Resources: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/medical-school-personal-statement-analysis
- Offers a step-by-step approach on how to write a personal statement and includes example personal statements.
- Often times, many students will look at example statements first, and while there is no problem with that, it is resist
reading too many before having a draft of your own. Otherwise, you’ll risk trying to make your essay sound like
someone else’s.
 Interviews

➢ Types of Interviews:
➢ Traditional Interview:
- One-on-One, lasts for 30-45 minutes.
- Each interviewer may be given a certain set of character traits to evaluate and comment on, or may
have a structured format with standardized questions.
➢ MMIs:
- Involve 6-10 interview stations, each focused on a different question or scenario.
- You will be given a description to review, prepare for 2 minutes, and then have a 5 to 8 minute time
slot.
- Discuss a topic, interact with a patient/family member, or react to an issue.

➢ Example Questions of MMI:

- You are told that this weekend you’re going on a camping trip. Before you is a table of random objects.
You have 20 seconds to pick 5 objects you deem to be of the most importance and value, and explain.
- You are told that you are entering a hospital staff room 10 minutes prior to performing surgery with Dr
‘X’. As you enter, you see Dr ‘X’ take a swig of a clear drink from a bottle which you suspect is alcohol.
Over the course of the conversation, the Dr beings to forget things and slur their words. How do you
handle the situation?
 Grades
➢ Generally want to at least be north of a 3.5 GPA, with a 3.8+ being
competitive for almost all schools
○ However, there is no GPA requirement for most medical schools, and less than stellar
grades can be made up for in other aspects of the application (good letters of req/MCAT
score/achievements or explaining why in an essay)
➢ GPA is split into overall GPA and science GPA
○ Both are important, but science GPA is more heavily weighted in medical school
admissions
○ Science GPA only considers grades from medical school prerequisite courses
 MCAT
➢ A score of 500 is the median score for all test takers for a particular MCAT
➢ Most successful M.D. applicants achieve a score at or above the 75th
percentile (507-508+)
○ If your MCAT score is lower than the 75th percentile, this does not mean your application is
doomed; however, to increase your likelihood of receiving acceptances, other parts of your
application must make up for a lower MCAT score
Competitive GPA and MCAT
Gap Year
 Without Gap Year

➢ Take MCAT as a 2nd-3rd year

➢ Gives time to prepare application

➢ Build research/clinical/volunteer hours early

➢ Complete/submit application by summer before senior year

➢ Enjoy summer & start med-school journey in August

 With Gap Year

➢ Most students do this nowadays!

➢ Fulfill pre-reqs & strengthen GPA by completing additional coursework

➢ Study for MCAT

➢ Gives more time to obtain:

○ Letters of rec.

○ Research/internships/shadowing/volunteer

➢ Fulfill extracurriculars to enhance application

➢ Take the time for reflection & rejuvenation!

 Other Programs
➢ Post-bacc program

○ Enhance current science coursework to stand out among competition

○ Structured vs. Unstructured

○ Program length usually ranges from 1-2 years

➢ DIY post-bacc

○ Less cost!

○ Retake science courses

➢ MS programs

○ Obtain master degree in ~1.5-2 yrs.

Thank you for ➢ Next GBM (2/17)
○ Board Application Process

attending our ○ Social

➢ Board Application Due Friday

meeting! (2/19)
➢ Final GBM (2/24)
 Follow Us Here!

Instagram: @pmwbucsd

Facebook Group: Pre-Meds Without Borders (UC San Diego)

Website: pmwbucsd.weebly.com
***Our Facebook Page is currently not in our control/access,so instead our Facebook Group is listed above.

THESE SLIDES AND A RECORDING OF THIS SESSION ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE
(ABOVE)