1. Health Professions Informational Meeting Fall Semester
How to spend your years at Trinity preparing for a career in the Health Professions

2. Passion Authenticity Commitment
What Does It Takes to be a Successful Applicant to a Health Professions Graduate School?
Passion
Commitment
Authenticity

3. What It Takes to be a Successful Applicant to a Health Professions Graduate School*
“The successful HMS/HSDM matriculant will have had a strong academic record and experiences beyond the classroom reflecting humanitarian concerns, leadership ability, and an aptitude for working with people.”
Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs, Harvard Medical School, Nov. 2016

4. Intrapersonal Competencies Interpersonal Competencies
What It Takes to be a Successful Applicant to a Health Professions Graduate School*
Science Competencies
Intrapersonal Competencies
Interpersonal Competencies
Thinking and Reasoning Competencies
*- 15 Core Competencies, AAMC Admissions Initiative – – July 2015

5. Science Competencies Living Systems Human Behavior
Apply knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and macrosystems including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs
Apply knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the psychological, socio-cultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being.

6. Intrapersonal Competencies
Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
Reliability and Dependability
Resilience and Adaptability
Capacity for Improvement

7. Interpersonal Competencies
Service Orientation
Social Skills
Cultural Competence
Teamwork
Oral Communication

8. Thinking and Reasoning Competencies
Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning
Scientific Inquiry
Written Communication

9. What It Takes to Be a Successful Health Professions School Applicant *
Well-rounded College Education
Classes Related to the Study of Human Beings
Good Academic Performance (High GPA)
Exceptional Development of Indicated Competencies
Evidence of Leadership, Initiative, Lifelong Learning, etc…
Strong Letters of Evaluation
Relevant Healthcare Experiences
Laboratory or Clinical Research Experience
Commitment to Community Service
Maturity and Self-reflection
Preparation and Timely Completion of Entrance Exams
Timely Applications to Health Professions Schools
*- adapted from American Medical Association (2005) and Self-assessment Guide, Brown Univ. (2011)

10. Curriculum
One of the over-riding values that the Deans wanted to see in their applicants was a life-long commitment to learning…essential for students to develop the information gathering skills…applicants demonstrate intellectual curiosity and passion for their chosen discipline is really a mechanism for measuring the applicant’s commitment to a life of continual learning and educational renewal.
Want their incoming students to have the broadest possible education experience, not just in the sciences, but in the humanities and the arts as well…
-taken from the article “Admission Deans’ Roundtable: Medicine as a Liberal Arts” published in The Advisor March 2003

11. Health Care Campuses all within a 10 minute walk
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
Hartford Hospital
Institute of Living
Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center

12. Community
Important that students develop broad cultural sensitivity and ability to appreciate customs and values which may differ from their own…through a wide variety of humanities courses and volunteer work with populations different from the student’s own background.

13. Academics Major Graduate School Requirements GPA Electives
Special Programs
Study Abroad
Health Fellows
Internships

14. “ Speaking for one medical school, students should feel free to study what they wish, be it science or non-science. Demonstrating self-insight (knowing what they like) and ownership of their education is valued by our admissions committee. We don’t care what the major is; we only ask that if the student is a science major, that they take enough non-science so that they learn to think through ethical, cultural, and social issues and complications with the same ease that they determine how mass falls from a tree, and visa-versa. And to this, of course, add the social and interpersonal skills learning so important to health patient/physician relationship that comes from career exploration, service to others, leadership.” David M. Owen, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
“…we are looking for a strong science background (and recommend that non-science majors take at least two upper division basic science courses beyond the minimum premed requirements), depth of academic exploration (in whatever area) and enriching life experiences.
Liliano Montano, Assistant Dean of Admissions, Weill Cornell Medical College

15. Majors of Trinity Students Attending Medical School
Biology
Chemistry
Neuroscience
English
Mathematics
Political Science
Religion
Classics
International Relations
Psychology
Environmental Science

16. Medical School Pre-requisite Courses
Trinity College Course Equivalent
1 year of Introductory Chemistry with Lab
CHEM 111L (fall); CHEM 112L (spring)
1 year of Organic Chemistry with Lab
CHEM 211L (fall); CHEM 212L (spring)
1 year of Introductory Biology with Lab
BIOL 182L (fall); BIOL 183L (springl)
1 year of Physics with Lab
PHYS 101L (fall); PHYS 231L (spring) *
1 year of Mathematics §
MATH 131 (fall); MATH 107 (spring)
1 year of English
Typically a writing intensive course and a literature course
It is strongly recommended that a course in genetics and/or biochemistry be taken
BIOL 224; BIOL 317
* - PHYS 131L and PHYS 231L (calculus-based physics) can serve as substitute courses; please consult the chair of the HPAC.
§ - a fair number of schools do not have a mathematics requirement, please consult the chair of the HPAC
YEAR BY YEAR ENROLLMENT
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
First Year
CHEM 111L; BIOL 182L; MATH 131
CHEM 112L; BIOL 183L; English Writing
Sophomore Year
CHEM 211L; BIOL 224; English Lit.
CHEM 212L; MATH 107
Junior Year
PHYS 101L; BIOL 317
PHYS 102L
Senior Year
Electives; Internships

17. To Take Calculus or Not?
Only 13% of US medical schools require a semester or more of Calculus (UCLA, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Harvard, UT at Austin, Duke)
Over 40% of US medical schools do not require any college math course (Tufts, Yale, Emory, Columbia, Wake Forest) but many others require a year of math (Icahn, Stony Brook,UMass, VCU)
Data obtained from the 2015 Medical School Admission Requirements, AAMC, Washington DC
The stronger your academic transcript, the better…as long as the grades are good!!

18. Acceptance rate for applicants, 2005-2007 (aggregated)
Table 24: MCAT and GPA Grid for Applicants and Acceptees to U.S. Medical Schools, (aggregated)
The table below displays the acceptance rates at different MCAT and GPA levels for applicants and accepted applicants from 2005 to The frequencies are combined totals of all three years. Please us if you need further assistance or have additional inquiries.
Importance of Good Grades and Getting off to a Good Start
Acceptance rate for applicants, (aggregated)
Total MCAT Scores
All
5-14
15-17
18-20
21-23
24-26
27-29
30-32
33-35
36-38
39-45
GPA Total
Acceptance rate %
>3.80
3.6
9.1
19.2
27.9
47.8
74.1
85.5
89.4
91.9
93.0
2.8
4.7
13.2
21.0
35.3
59.6
76.8
83.7
86.0
88.8
58.5
2.5
4.1
10.6
16.1
27.5
45.9
63.2
73.3
76.1
44.3
1.1
2.9
8.9
16.2
20.7
32.9
46.2
55.1
61.0
70.9
30.3
0.6
2.6
7.3
13.8
18.4
25.8
34.8
38.4
52.1
54.1
21.4
0.7
1.9
13.0
16.8
25.6
27.4
38.6
54.2
15.1
0.3
2.4
6.1
10.2
12.4
16.9 22
26.6
36.4
50.0
11.4
1.6
2.2
6.7
9.9
11.0
20.3
25.0
16.7
7.2
2.0
3.0
7.9
7.7
12.8
8.3
100
6.4
9.4
5.3
22.2
3.8
4.5
Acceptances 28
119
617
2,088
5,586
12,793
15,208
10,218
4,708
1,483
52,848
Applicants
2,705
3,565
6,602
12,077
19,401
26,164
23,260
13,541
5,715
1,682
114,712
1.0
3.3
9.3
17.3
28.8
48.9
65.4
75.5
82.4
88.2
46.1
-data table adapted from original data supplied by AMCAS
Source: AAMC Data Warehouse:Applicant Matriculant File, As of 2/22/2008.

19. MCAT/GPA and Acceptance to Medical School Correlation – Percentage of Trinity College Applicants Accepted
MCAT
GPA
<22
( )
22-24
( )
25-27
( )
28-30
( )
31-33
( )
34-36
( )
>36
( )
>3.8 50
100 92 20 70 67 91 97 46 83 84 86 15 51 78 33 42 34 38 75
<3.0 25 16

20. Resources to help get off to a good start
Academic Advisor
HPAP Advisor (including Prof. Church)
Upper-class HPAP peers
College Resources (Dean of Students)
Time Management and Study Skills Resources

22. RESEARCH
The Deans’ felt that research was an excellent way for a student to demonstrate intellectual maturity, independence of thought, creativity, love of learning…all highly desirable qualities in a medical student….the area of research was unimportant.
They want the student to demonstrate a genuine passion for the research and a depth of understanding which showed that he or she was not simply a pair of hands…in the lab.

23. Extracurricular Activities

24. Gaining an Understanding of the Profession
AMSA
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES PROGRAM
Seminars
Health Fellows Program
INTERNSHIPS
Summer Experiences (SMDEP)

25. Importance of Self-assessment

26. Read up on Profession

27. Trinity’s Health Profession Advising Program (HPAP)
Advising during your time at Trinity
Informational Seminars
Coordination of Health Professions Internships
Summer Healthcare Experiences
Advice and Guidance before,during and after the Application Process

28. Health Profession Advising Committee
9 Faculty members
Course planning
Overall Application Advising
Letter of Evaluation
The Deans agree that the premedical evaluation letter was one of the most important components of their admission process. They considered it to be the single most valuable means to explain and expand upon the applicant’s important personal qualities that cannot be gleaned from a transcript.

29. HPAC Letter of Evaluation
Required by most medical and dental schools
Written by HPAC Interviewer following Committee discussion
Edited and signed by Chair of HPAC

30. HPAC Letter of Evaluation
“It’s OK if you fall down as long as you learn something as you get up.”
- John Maxwell
“Mistakes offer us the continual opportunity to learn and evolve. Without them there would be no growth, no reason to change.”
- on the wall in Dr. Church’s Research Lab
Tell me about the road you have travelled to get where you are now.
E-portfolio

31. Utilize “HPAP-approved” Websites
BEWARE
the Pre-med Grape Vine
Studentdoc.com
Utilize “HPAP-approved” Websites

32. Developing the Skills Needed in Health Care
Excellent interpersonal skills were absolutely essential…emotional and social maturity was just as important as intellectual maturity.
Students who had shown leadership, persistence, empathy, an ability to overcome adversity, and a willingness to accept responsibility for their own lives and the lives of others…they were clearly able to demonstrate that they possessed the requisite maturity. This is where the student who has significant real life experience and achievements has a real advantage over the student who can only present academic accomplishments.
At Trinity, real life is lived every day…
on and off campus

33. Helpful Things You Can Start Doing Tonight!
Sign up for the Health Professions Advising Program (HPAP) -
Utilize all of the resources available to you as a result.
Attend all Mandatory Meetings of the HPAP – meeting with your HPAP advisor and Prof. Church often.
Develop Excellent Study and Time-management skills
(the Scheduler program available on HPAP website).
Read articles in the professional journals:
NEJM , JAMA, ADEA, etc.
Read Articles in the General Press and Professional Journals ALL THE TIME
Develop good study habits and academic/social activities and behavior

35. Information Gathering and Self-Assessment
AAMC Resources; Pre-med Navigator
Health Careers Fit
HPAP Advisors
Establish a strong academic foundation – Science GPA MATTERS
Compile a strong portfolio which documents your experiences that illustrate/reinforce your commitment/skill set to be of service to others through a career in the health professions

36. Thanks for coming and…
Questions Anyone?