1. Office of Health Professions
Information Session for 2019 Applicants to
Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Schools

2. Objectives
Introduce key concepts that are foundational to admission processes of health professional training programs
Applicant characteristics for successful outcome
Process for 2019 applicants
Timing of your application and other information

3. Key Areas of Assessment for Admissions
Cumulative GPA/Science GPA
Admissions Tests*
Health-related experiences
Community Service/ADVOCACY
Research experiences
Recommendation letters (and committee letter)
Interview Performance (MMI, panel, one-on-one)
* MCAT, DAT, GRE for Medical, Dental, Veterinary Schools

4. Professional Schools Selection—Holistic Review
Holistic review is a flexible, individualized way of assessing an applicant’s capabilities by which balanced consideration is given to experiences, attributes, and academic metrics and, when considered in combination, how the individual might contribute value as a medical student and physician. (AAMC)
Distance traveled a key concept.
Self-Assessment Guide will help you appraise the elements of your application.

5. Professionalism and Character
Professionalism and integrity are essential components of the selection process.
Exhibit high personal standards (social media!)
Williams Code of Conduct and Honor System--know and follow.
You must disclose disciplinary actions, misdemeanors, and felony convictions on both the AMCAS and some secondary applications.
In general, TIME and EVIDENCE of humility, reparation, and/or lessons learned are necessary before applying.

6. When to Apply
You should apply to medical school/dental school/veterinary school when all aspects of your application are strong, competitive, and you have a chance to be interviewed.
This means your MCAT/DAT/GRE and GPA are competitive.
You have assurance of quality of your references.
You have a meaningful accumulation of medically-related experiences and volunteer work that speaks to your commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
If you have shortcomings in one aspect (Metrics), and you have a great story (e.g. DISTANCE TRAVELED) or a well-defined record of ADVOCACY, you need to speak with Barbara Fuller or Dr. Howard.
The Self-Assessment Guide should assist with this decision.

7. Health Professions Process 2019
The process of preparation by student, HP advisor, faculty evaluators, employers, mentors, supervisors requires enormous investment of dedicated time, focus, and energy.
Robust process with a timeline for all required elements and actions.
Objective is to evaluate readiness and promise of health professions candidates from Williams College in a narrative (committee letter).
Extracurricular activities
Experiences in a relevant medical field
Student’s personal story
Academic record
Letters of recommendation

8. Health Professions Committee Process for 2019
Intent to Apply Form – Google doc that you complete and submit before January 15.
After February 1, need special permission.
Important to have a firm count of participants in the application cycle.
Submission of the form triggers manual authorization of your veCollect account (paid for by Williams).
veCollect is the virtual filing system that stores these documents and letters of evaluation.

9. Health Professions Committee Process for 2019
Three required elements before committee interview (with Dr. Howard or Barbara Fuller) can be scheduled.
Pre-Health Self-Assessment Guide*
Resume
Biographical Report
You will upload these documents to your veCollect account.
Directions for creating letter records for these documents are linked on the application timeline.
*Note: The Guide is meant to provide the opportunity for self-reflection and honest assessment of your candidacy. It will not be used by the HP committee.

10. Health Professions Committee Process for 2019
veCollect Special Instructions
You create three evaluator records for each required document in addition to creating evaluator records for all the letters of recommendation and committee letter.
After you create the records, you have to select the envelope icon for an automatic to be sent to you
Will look like this: “collect+4575c77f….” Check trash or spam. Open in your inbox.
Find link to which you attach your document.
It may take up to 24 hours for veCollect to upload to your file.

11. Health Professions Committee Interview
Objective is prepare you for AMCAS submission and to assess for Williams HP Committee review
Biographical Report mimics the AMCAS application, so reviewed during the interview
Choice of “most significant” activities and wording of activities
Experiences before college should be included only if relevant or significant (e.g., 7 years of volunteering at your local hospital)
Personal statement draft review
Choice of medical schools (have a list ready)
Alternative plans
90 minutes – 2 hours in length. Schedule on Handshake

12. Health Professions Committee Candidate File
Resume
Biographical Report (Word doc)
Activities during academic year, spring break trips, winter term, summers
Experiences before college should be included only if relevant or significant (e.g., 7 years of volunteering at your local hospital)
Personal statement incorporated in the Bio Report
This is your narrative and should provide a rationale on why this professional path; focus on something that is distinctive or less prominent in the rest of your application
Transcripts (HP Office can download your Williams transcript
You must send transcripts of coursework completed elsewhere to us. You will also have to send transcripts to AAMC when filling out AMCAS.
Letters of recommendation

13. Health Professions Committee Process
Committee review takes place in early-mid May.
Standardized test scores not included in the file, so no worries if you have not taken the test.
TWO of four required letters should be in your file by April 15, 2018; optimal to have all in by May 15, but June 1 is deadline.
You will be rated according to the following:
Academic Rigor/Strength of Schedule
Leadership
Community Service
Extracurriculars
Clinical experience
Research Experiences (clinical, lab-based, public health or community-based)
Letters of Recommendation
Maturity/Readiness

14. Health Professions Committee Process cont’d
Committee is Barbara, Lisa Howard, and 3 other faculty/community members,
Task is to assess each Candidate’s file.
Committee arrives at final confidential rating for each candidate:
Recommended
Good
Very good
Excellent
Outstanding.
Health Professions Advisors
Write the official committee letter.
Send the veCollect letter “quiver” to AMCAS.

15. AAMC Data on 2018 Williams Applicants
Mean GPA
Applied
Accepted*
Williams
National
CUM BCPM
3.56
3.47
3.65
3.71
CUM AO
3.63
3.69
3.83
CUM UG GPA
3.59
3.58
3.67
3.77
Mean GPA
Mean MCAT
Applied
Accepted
Section
Williams
National
CPBS
128.6
126.4
128.9
128.2
CARS
128.7
125.9
127.6
BBLS
128.8
126.7
129.2
128.5
PSBF Behav
129.6
126.9
129.8
Total

16. Data on 2017 Williams Applicants
55 total applicants
52 MD; 3 dental
46 gained acceptances and matriculated—85% acceptance
6 are currently reapplying
Schools
# of EPHS
Emory, Harvard, Michigan, Cornell, USC, U Mass
3 each
Brown, Penn, Dartmouth, Tufts, Drexel
2 each
Stanford, UCSD, UCSF,
1 each
Dental: Harvard, U Conn
MD/PhD: Tufts, Vanderbilt, Duke 1

17. If You Plan to Apply for 2019 Matriculation
Submit the “Intent to Apply Form”
“Get your house in order”—
Think carefully about evaluators and ask them in a timely, polite manner
Maintain your academic/work obligations, gain practical (hands-on) experience
If possible, gain research experience with results and a product (thesis, poster, article)
Hone your interpersonal skills: teamwork, cultural competence, leadership skills
READ and BE INFORMED about health care and other topics (emergent diseases, end-of-life care, population medicine, substance abuse, social justice…).
Literature of medicine is particularly rich: Humanities and Medicine programs at many medical schools.
PLAN TO APPLY EARLY. All applications open around June 1.
Have BACK-UP PLANS. There are no guarantees.

18. Our Ongoing Commitment
Communication is vital to the process. Office of Health Professions will provide the structure but you must have initiative.
How best to communicate with Health Professions Advisors
any time
Schedule appointments in Handshake
Application Timeline is the guide for the process.
Adhere to the deadlines. Your maturity and readiness for this process and for a professional career are demonstrated by your behaviors and attitude.
More information will be added to this timeline as the year progresses.

19. Deadlines for 2019 Applicants
January 15, 2018
Intent to Apply Form, Open veCollect Account
January 31, 2018
Start on Evaluator Records; Request Outside Transcripts
February 15, 2018
Pre-Health Self-Assessment Guide and Resume
February 23, 2018
Biographical Report (Personal Statement included)
March-April 2018
Interview Scheduling with Ms. Fuller and Dr. Howard
April 15, 2018
Two letters of recommendation must be in veCollect
June 1, 2018
Your candidate file must be complete
Three documents by you; MD 3-4 letters of rec by evaluators; MD/PhD 4-6 letters; and outside transcripts

20. One more thing….
Filling out the AMCAS/AACOMAS/VMCAS/TMDSAS requires reading instructions.
The Williams guidelines for converting course units have changed.
All courses are 3.75 semester hours, and for every associated one hour of lab, and additional .25 semester hours is added. Biology and physics lab courses are 4.5 hours, and chemistry lab courses are 4.75 semester hours.
Winter study classes are given 1 credit, and no semester hours.
AMCAS/VMCAS/AACOMAS will manually make those changes after you submit.
Read instructions online before you us with questions!