UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICES

APPLYING TO HEALTH PROFESSIONS SCHOOLS

Helpful Tips and Advice Regarding the Application Process

UCS, BRYANT HALL @ SCOTT STADIUM

Table of Contents
Coursework Requirements and Scheduling
Choosing Your Major Additional Coursework Beyond Core Requirements Advanced Placement (AP) Credit Prerequisite Spacing and Gap Years **NEW MCAT for 2015** English Requirements for Health Professions Schools Math Requirements for Health Professions Schools Classifying Your Course Work for BCPM (Science) GPA How to Calculate Your Science GPA (BCPM) Independent Research for Biology Lab Credit Taking Summer Coursework Taking Fewer Credit Hours Withdrawing from a Course

Preparation
The Role of Timing in the Application Process Standardized Test Preparation: To Take a Course or Not? Test Anxiety

Letters of Recommendation
Asking for Letters of Recommendation Interfolio
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Letters of Recommendation Submission Interfolio Vocabulary

Personal Statements and Secondary Application Components

A Word on Personal Statements Secondary Essays Photos for Secondary Applications

Choosing Your School List

Texas, California and Florida- Making a Smart School List

Transcripts
Transcript Submission Medical, Dental Application Services

Clinical and Research Experience

The Importance of Clinical Experience Shadowing and Externships Is Research Required for Health Profession Programs?

Interviewing and Post Interview Correspondence

Interviewing Tips -Portfolio, Bags, and Luggage Oh My! Regarding Thank You Notes Professional Dress for Mock Interviews and Professional School Interviews Information About Waitlists, Letters of Intent, and Grade Updates

Bridge Year
Interested in Taking a Bridge Year (or two) and Need Help Talking to Others About It? Taking One Bridge Year and Thinking About Going Abroad?

University Career Services

Professional E-mail Correspondence UCS Drop-Ins and Appointments

Coursework Requirements and Scheduling

Choosing Your Major
Although health profession programs identify basic prerequisites that are necessary to matriculate into a program, these requirements do not dictate what a student should major in at the undergraduate level. Students should explore all coursework and degree programs that are of interest to them. Applicants are not penalized for choosing a major that is not science related.

Additional Coursework Beyond Core Requirements

Pre-requisites for health professions programs can vary within the same field. A student may need to take additional coursework beyond the identified basic prerequisites to be a qualified applicant. The most common areas where pre-requisites can differ are: English composition, math/statistics, psychology or sociology and biochemistry. Some students may need to wait until they have identified the programs they would like to apply to before understanding exactly what coursework they need. For example, specific programs require a course in Medical Terminology or Public Speaking.

Advanced Placement (AP) Credit

Programs vary on whether they will accept Advanced Placement (AP) credit as completion of a pre-requisite requirement. Students with AP credit in science coursework will still need to complete lab courses at the university level. Many students choose to retake science coursework they have already received AP credit for in order to prepare them for upper level coursework, as well as for entrance exams which may require a better understanding of the material than was expected on the AP examination. If you retake a course you already have AP credit for, you will no longer receive the AP credit towards your graduation requirements. Most students exceed the 120 credits needed to graduate, but it is important that you take this into consideration when planning your course load. Students who choose not to retake courses at the university level will still need to supplement the work with upper level coursework in that field.

Prerequisite Spacing and Gap Years

There are many ways to complete health profession school prerequisites. Some students choose to apply following the third year in order to matriculate the fall immediately after completing their undergraduate degree. Other students apply after graduation and take an additional year (or two) before continuing on to professional school. Applicants are not penalized for taking time in between completing their undergraduate degree program and beginning professional school, and it can often be beneficial to spread the course prerequisite out over four years or beyond.

**NEW MCAT for 2015**

For applicants interested in applying to medical school (M.D. and D.O.), a new MCAT exam format will go live in the Spring of 2015 which will likely affect the incoming U Va. class of 2016. It is important for applicants taking the new exam to know that additional coursework in Biochemistry (BIOL 5010 or CHEM 4410 and 4420), Cell Biology (BIOL 3000) and Genetics (BIOL 3010) as well coursework in social sciences may need to be completed along with other pre-requisite requirements in organic chemistry, general biology and physics (with the exception of the second semester of physics) prior to the end of the third year if an applicant would like to sit for the MCAT and apply to start medical school the fall after they complete their undergraduate degree. It is also important that applicants take responsibility with becoming familiar with the material covered in the new examination and have taken the appropriate measures to adequately prepare. The MCAT2015 has four test sections: 1) Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, 2) Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, 3) Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior, and 4) Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Scores are reported on a scale similar to the current 1-15 scale, and a separate score is recorded for each of the four test sections: four sections, four scores. To learn more about the new changes and view practice questions for each section, check out The Preview Guide for MCAT 2015 at: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/266006/data/2015previewguide.pdf

For students impacted by the 2015 MCAT, we recommend that students interested in pursuing the health professions schedule General Chemistry (with lab), Calculus/Statistics and ENWR classes their first year. Those unable to register for General Chemistry should then consider taking the Introductory Biology sequence (with lab) along with Calculus/Statistics, ENWR and any area requirements you are interested in completing.

FAQs About English Requirements for Health Professions Schools

Q: I am in the College of Arts and Sciences and I was exempt from the first writing requirement due to my SAT scores. Does being exempt from the first writing requirement give me credit for one semester towards my English requirement? A: This is an important point--Exemption from a UVA requirement is not the same thing as having been granted credit. If you look on the transcript, you'll see 0.0 credit hours granted for ENWR. Therefore, it would NOT satisfy the requirement(s) at schools for the health professions. Q: I still need to take my second writing requirement. Would a second writing requirement also give me English credit? OR does it only give me English credit if the writing requirement class was taken in the English department? For instance, I was thinking of taking a 2nd writing requirement in another department. A: First point to remember is that not all schools require any English; however, many do. And for those that do, the requirements vary from 1-2 semesters. For those that require 2 semesters of coursework that fulfills a writing requirement, schools vary in their perspectives as to whether that has to be met by a course in English or any writing component course. Here are examples of the varying statements regarding writing component requirements: 1) We'll accept anything that meets the school's requirements (of course the 2nd writing requirement would then count) 2) We'll accept reading/writing intensive classes from a wide variety of subject areas (the 2nd writing requirement would also then count) 3) We want classes only from the English department to meet the writing component requirement 4) We consider classes outside the English department on a case by case basis #1 and #2 are the most common, by far. With that in mind, you need to decide how conservative/cautious you want to be in your approach. The conservative approach is to take writing component courses taught by the
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English department. However, many students take writing component classes in other departments and are fine in their application process. Some advisors would say to take the class that interests you e.g., in psychology, but other advisors who are more cautious in their advice would suggest that you take a writing component class in the English department. Another consideration is that you could use your application year to take an English class if one or more of the schools that you apply to specify that they require that writing component credits be from the English department.

Math Requirements for Health Professions Schools

Q. What courses satisfy the Calculus requirement? Some, but not all, schools require a semester or two of Calculus. Either Math 1210 & Math 1220 or Math 1310 & Math 1320 can typically satisfy the Calculus prerequisite at MOST schools. Please be aware of any calculus requirements you may have for your major, as this may dictate which course you take. Schools that require a semester of statistics will often accept courses from a variety of disciplines as long as the emphasis of the course is statistics.

Classifying Your Course Work for BCPM (Science) GPA

If you are having trouble determining whether a certain course is considered a BCPM course for your science GPA, please refer to the AAMC Classifying Your Course Work link. If you still are unsure, the general rule of thumb is if you perceive the course to have been at least 50% based on science concepts then it should be considered in your Science GPA. If any of your science coursework was completed through DUAL ENROLLMENT, you will want to calculate those grades into the Science GPA as well.

How to Calculate Your Science GPA

Depending on which Health Professions Field you wish to enter, different courses are included in the science GPA. It is important to note that some Health Professions schools do not include math courses in the science GPA calculation. See the following information about the variation in the science GPA calculations of the different Health Professions Schools. While your grades are not the only important factor in your candidacy for a school in the health professions, it's important to be aware of your Science GPA as you work through your coursework. Use our key below to calculate yours. Grade Value A+, A 4.0 A3.7 B+ 3.3
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Grade Value B 3.0 B2.7 C+ 2.3 C 2.0 C1.7 D+ 1.3 D 1.0 D0.7 F 0 Formulas: Credit Hours x Grade Value = Quality Points Quality Points / Credit Hours = GPA Example: Course Grade Value CrHrs QPoints 1 A3.7 3 11.1 2 B+ 3.3 4 13.2 3 A 4.0 3 12.0 4 A 4.0 2 8.0 5 B 3.0 4 12.0 totals 16 56.3 Quality Points / Credit Hours = GPA 56.3 / 16 = 3.52 GPA NOTES: Your cumulative GPA includes all courses, all grades, all colleges attended, including college courses taken during high school. Your science GPA includes only and all grades from courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. The ratio of semester hours to quarter hours is 3:5.

The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) - Does NOT include math in its science GPA calculation: Science GPA= Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Genetics, Physics, and Physiology

Non- Science GPA= English, Math, Statistics, Humanities, Social Science, Speech/Communications

American Dental Education Association (ADEA AADSAS) - Calculates two science GPA's: 1- BCP (biology- chemistry- physics) 2- Total Science (BCP + math and other natural sciences)

Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) - Does not include Math in the Science GPA. You can find more information about the PharmCAS GPAs at http://www.pharmcas.org/applicants/gpa.htm

The Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) - Calculates a science GPA as well as a combined science & math GPA: Science GPA- all anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics courses Combined Science & Math GPA- includes all courses in the Science GPA, plus math The following courses are classified as "OTHER SCIENCE" by PTCAS. These courses are NOT included in the PTCAS Science or Combined Science and Match GPAs. For a complete list of course examples for each PTCAS subject, go to http://www.ptcas.org/Coursework.html OTHER SCIENCE: Agriculture, Astronomy, Bioethics, Biological Anthropology, Computer Science, Electronics, Engineering, Forestry, Geology, Meteorology, Physical Geography, Physical Anthropology, Teaching Science PTCAS staff attempt to verify the correct Course Subject was selected based on the course title and department that offered the course. Staff do not review course catalogs or descriptions to make a determination. There are some nuances to the classification process. If an applicant is unsure about what category to use, they should contact PTCAS staff for guidance. For more information about PTCAS GPA calculations, please visit http://www.ptcas.org/GPAs.html
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American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) - Does not include math in the science GPA. You will find more information about the AACOMAS GPAs at the PDF version of the 2012 AACOMAS Application Instructions: http://www.aacom.org/Documents/AACOMASInstructions.pdf Science GPAs- include Biology/Zoology, Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Other Science, and Physics. Non-science GPAs- include Behavioral Science, English, Math, and Other Non-science Clinical science classes would be classified on case by case basis. Using the examples provided, classes like Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Microbiology would be classified as Chemistry and Biology respectively. Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptpmCAS) - Calculates numerous GPAs.The GPAs and hours will be summarized by academic year within undergraduate (freshman through senior year), post baccalaureate, and graduate work as well as summarized by area of study. There will also be a running total GPA for each academic year that will add all coursework together for an overall total GPA. The GPAs that will be calculated are: Overall Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Post Baccalaureate Graduate GPAs by course subject: Biology/Life Science Inorganic Chemistry Organic Chemistry Biochemistry Physics BCP Totals
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Other Sciences Math English Psychology Other General American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) Applicants are responsible for classifying courses based strictly on the primary content of the course regardless of the department that the course was taken in. For a general guide of course classifications please visit: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181694/data/amcas_course_classification_guide. pdf In the event that an applicant is unable to comfortably classify a course, we suggest that the applicant refer to the description of the course on the schools Web site. Keep in mind that applications will never be placed on hold or returned for incorrect course classifications. Once AMCAS processing is complete, applicants must review their Course Work data including course classification. If an applicant disagrees with any changes made by AMCAS, the applicant is responsible for submitting an Academic Change Request within 10 days of the date AMCAS processing has been completed. When submitting the Academic Change Request they should be able to provide justification of the classification by providing a link to the course description on the schools Web site.

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS) - A complete list of other science courses, as well as courses for all of the various content areas, can be found within the FAQ section on the AACPMAS application page or try this link: https://portal.aacpmas.org/applicants2012/faq/faq_coursesubjects.html. Other science courses include: Archaeology Astronomy Biomechanics Biotechnology Chiropractic Electronics Engineering
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Epidemiology Exercise Physiology Geology Kinesiology Medical Technology Meteorology Natural Science Nutrition Pharmacy Physical Anthropology Physical Geography Physical Science Radiology Sports Medicine

* Like AMCAS, AACPMAS also considers course categories based on course content rather than the department offering the course.

Independent Research for Biology Lab Credit

If an applicant hasnt taken the Bio 2030 and 2040 labs and is looking to use Independent Research to meet Biology Lab requirements for the Biology Major and for professional school, they may be able to petition for a substitution but it will be up to the individual professional schools to decide whether they will accept this substitution as meeting the criteria. While the Biology Department website states Since each of the BIOL 491X courses satisfies 2 credits, two semesters of independent research must be completed to fulfill one 3-credit upper level lab requirement for the Biology major or minor. Applicants cannot always assume that what works for the University of Virginia requirements will automatically be accepted by the health professions schools. While this isnt a straightforward answer- its a good lesson in realizing that an applicant will not know if he or she has met a schools requirements until they have determined exactly where they would like to apply.

Taking Summer Coursework

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Many health professions students have heard that they should not take any classes over the summer, but often there is little context behind the advice. Heres some rationale behind the statement. One of the responsibilities of admissions committees is to admit applicants that they are confident can successfully complete the coursework that will allow them to become health care professionals. Your undergraduate coursework serves as one of the best indicators to an admissions committee as to whether you have the ability to succeed in their programs coursework. Schools create pre-requisite requirements because they believe that the material serves as either a direct foundation that is needed to pursue advance coursework or because they believe the ability to successfully navigate through a certain subject matter demonstrates specific abilities needed for advanced study. When admissions committees look at an applicants coursework they want to be confident in their assessment that you are in fact prepared to be successful in the classroom. One of the ways to give admissions committee this confidence in you is obviously to be successful in your pre-requisite coursework, but another way is to eliminate variables that may lead them to question whether your grades are truly indicative of your ability. When students take pre-requisite coursework over the summer, they often have fewer responsibilities than during the school year. This may lead an admissions committee to ask, Would this student have received this grade if they were also managing the responsibilities of a full course load? This question is important to admissions committees because they know in professional school you will not have the option to spread out your coursework, but will be taking it all at once during the semester. Often students will choose to take pre-requisite coursework over the summer at other institutions. Sometimes this leaves committee members asking Did this student take this course at another institution because there was less competition or less material was covered? Was this student looking for an easy way out and would they have received the same grade at their home institution? Again, if an admissions committee needs to ask this question about a significant amount of your pre-requisite coursework, it may be a problem. So whats our advice? Obviously there are circumstances where a student may absolutely need to take coursework over the summer or at another institution. Do your best to avoid taking multiple science pre-requisites, try to limit your summer coursework to labs only and make sure there is enough science coursework taking during the school year to demonstrate your abilities in that setting.

Taking Fewer Credit Hours

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Students often express concern when they are considering dropping a course when they are unable or do not want to add an additional course to take its place. This question can arise for multiple reasons. Some examples include students who are preparing to take an entrance exam during the spring semester and wonder if its okay to take 12 credits in order to have more time to study. Another common situation is when a student realizes after the add deadline that they are overwhelmed or not enjoying a particular course in which they are registered. Regardless of the situation which leads you to making the decision to take fewer credits, we encourage you to ask yourself two questions. 1. Am I establishing a trend of taking fewer credits? AND 2. Can I account for how I will be utilizing the additional time? Question one is important, because believe it or not, people that serve on admissions committees are in fact, people! They understand that its possible that youll have a semester where a class was full, something wasnt as interesting as you initially thought, or that you got in a little over your head- or even that you wanted some extra time to prepare for your entrance exam. When admissions committees start to get concerned is when theres a trend of this happening. This is when they may start to wonder, Will this student be able to be successful in our curriculum when they don't have the option to take fewer courses? Or, "Would this student have been as successful if they were taking 15 or 16 credits?" If you've had two semesters where you've already taken a reduced course load you may need to seriously consider whether or not it's a good idea to do it again. Question two is not an exact science. "Being able to account for the additional time" does not necessarily mean you literally need to account for each hour that you won't be spending in class. But in general, you want to be able to identify how you positively utilized the time you gained from reducing your course- load. It's also important to hold YOURSELF accountable. If you justified the lower course-load because you were going to study for your entrance exam, or to get more direct patient interaction, make sure you are setting aside that time on a consistent basis. On the other-hand, if you did it because you were overwhelmed and needed to get your health or time management under control, make sure you're being proactive about addressing these concerns too!

Withdrawing from a Course

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There may be a point in your undergraduate career where circumstances lead you to decide that withdrawing from a course is the right decision for you. Such situations may include realizing that you are in over your head, extreme levels of stress due to being enrolled in a certain course, unexpected family obligations, or an injury or illness that may make you incapable of completing the work load in a course. Many students ask us if it is, okay to withdrawal from a course. In general, Health Professions schools will understand a withdrawal from a course if it is accompanied by a detailed explanation of why it was the right decision for you at the time. That being said, if your academic record shows that withdrawals occurred on a regular basis throughout your undergraduate career, schools may feel that you consistently were unable to manage your time or gauge your studies appropriately. If you need help explaining to a school why you withdrew from a course, stop by our walk-in or drop in hours.

Preparation: Before You Apply

Here at UCS, the health professions advisors often discuss the importance of taking your entrance exam by the end of April the year that you are applying, and to submit your centralized application as close to the opening of the system as you can. For many application processes this can mean having your entire primary application submitted to your schools by the first week in June, and your secondary applications done soon after. However, as you continue to research programs you may start seeing that many schools dont have deadlines until October. You may be wondering, Wow, this seems ridiculous. You want me to submit something four months before the deadline? Please explain. Okay, here we go... many of you are aware that application deadlines are rolling and thus the sooner your application is reviewed the more interview spots are available at the time it is read. What you may not have known is how big of a difference submitting earlier in the cycle can really make. The University of Michigan Medical School reported that in the last 6 years only 13% of their admission offers were made to applicants who submitted their applications in September or October. You then may ask, Well if my chances are so low, why would they even extend their deadline to that late in the process? First, schools need to keep interview spots available in case an incredibly competitive candidate does submit an application late in the process. This doesnt necessarily mean someone with a perfect entrance exam score, but usually the candidates who are successful late in the process have very strong candidacies overall. Also, if you were part of an admissions
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program that received approximately 2,000 applications each year, wouldnt you like the extra time to review all of those files? In the end, the long duration in which applications are accepted is a benefit for the professional school, not you. So what can you do? Peoples applications tend to be late for a few reasons: 1. Taking their entrance exam too late. Remember- you should add in the time it takes to score the exam, and the possibility that you may need to retake it. You also would like to have your scores BEFORE the application is able to be submitted so that you have a full perspective of your candidacy. 2. Waiting too long to ask for letters of recommendations. People need an appropriate amount of time to write your letter. You shouldnt expect to ask for a letter in May and have it by June 1st! Also, remember that faculty members often have other commitments over the summer and they can be tough to get in touch with. 3. Not requesting your official transcript to be sent in a timely manner. It can take up to three weeks for the centralized application service to process and validate your transcript. 4. Trying to write the PERFECT personal statement. First- there will never be a perfect personal statement, and secondly this is something you could work on for months before the application is submitted. 5. Time Management and preparation. It takes a lot of time to gather all the materials you need sent, acquire the financial resources you need, as well as writing about all of your preparation for professional school in an application. This is why we stress that you should apply when the time is right for you and when you feel good about your candidacy.

Standardized Test Preparation: To Take a Course or Not?

One of the most common questions we receive from students is whether they should take a prep course for their health professions school entrance exam, and if so, which one they should take. As you can imagine, weve seen students who were completely grateful for the course they took and others who felt studying on their own was, or would have been, the best route to take. We encourage students to take time to reflect on their learning style (are you usually more successful studying alone or working in groups? Would you rather learn by reading directly from a textbook or having someone teach you material through lectures?). Also think about ways you have been successful on exams in the past. Unlike standardized tests like the SAT or ACT which largely measure your understanding of what youve learned over many years of
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schooling, health professions school entrance exams are testing you on material that is more directly related to specific subject matter than can be studied from text books . If you do decide that a formal preparation course is the right choice for you, we encourage you to choose a program based on your assessment of how well that program matches your learning style, schedule, and perceived concerns regarding your particular exam. When it comes to choosing a course that is offered online, it seems that students have mixed reviews. The most common critique is that it is easier to not hold yourself accountable for signing in for the online sessions as opposed to needing to physically show up for a session. We hope this helps you with the decision making process!

Test Anxiety
Lately, we have been receiving concerns from students who are rethinking whether they will be sitting for their entrance exams this month. We wanted to address this issue as well as the overall issue of test anxiety. As many of you know we recommend that students not take their entrance exams any later than the last test date in April the year that they are applying. You may also know, we say this because for most exams it takes a month to get your score and that test date (or earlier) provides the opportunity to receive your score in time for submitting your primary application the first week of June. That being said, our job is to create recommendations based on what we know, and then for you to make your own decisions. A lot of this process is about being confident in the decisions that you make for yourself. As advisors were here to help you navigate that process and can give you recommendations about all those things. Based on what we know we cant say its okay to take the exam later in the cycle if we know those results come back after the application opens. Also remember, theres a difference between not feeling ready and not being prepared. Most people will never feel ready for their entrance exam as it is a very stressful experience. When students push back their test dates because they feel nervous, that anxiety will likely occur no matter when they sit for their exam. When people arent prepared, it usually means they are unable or unwilling to find the time that their exam deserves in terms of preparation. We encourage you to think about where you may be in regards to this, and whether youre nervous and adequately prepared, or if you need to re-evaluate whether youre over scheduling yourself or over committed, and should consider applying in the 2013-2014 cycle. Check out the following resources on test anxiety provided by the Center for Psychological and Counseling Services:
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http://thetwocrows.com/ahclem/testanxiety.html http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/overcoming-test-anxiety.html http://www.studygs.net/tstprp8.htm

Letters of Recommendation
Asking for Letters of Recommendation
Most Health Professions Schools require letters of recommendation as part of the application process. The most common requirement is two science faculty letters and one non-science faculty letter, however, requirements can differ across disciplines. Here are some helpful tips to get you started. 1. Start developing relationships with professors now. Make sure you attend class and go to office hours when you have questions- they are there for your benefit. 2. When preparing to ask for a letter of recommendation, try not to catch a professor off guard. This means that you should attend office hours, or send an email to the professor first. If you choose to send an email, ask if there is a time in which you can meet to discuss the possibility of receiving a recommendation letter. 3. When going to meet with a professor about the letter of recommendation, bring any materials that he or she requests. It is also helpful to bring a personal statement or rsum to facilitate the professor's writing of the letter. The personal statement does not need to be a final draft! Keep in mind that the recommendation letter should be about the particular academic area the professor teaches. For example, if you have your chemistry professor write a letter of recommendation, his or her letter should primarily be about your experience and accomplishments as a student in their chemistry course. 4.. Schools prefer that your letters are confidential, so we encourage you to waive the right to your letters as they may not be taken as seriously by health professions schools if you have opted to have access them. 5. Remember to ask your recommenders at least one to two months in advance to write the letter of recommendation. Along those same lines, have an idea as to when you would like the letter to be done. 6. While letters from your faculty members are preferred, if a TA does write you a letter of recommendation, try your best to get a professor of that particular class to co-sign the letter along with the TA that wrote it. 7. Most Health Professions Schools require your letters of recommendation be submitted
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electronically. Interfolio http://www.interfolio.com/ is a common electronic letter service used by centralized applications but make sure it is accepted for your specific centralized application service. You will need to create an account and follow the directions to have your professors write and submit their recommendation letters electronically. Please keep in mind that Interfolio is a third party website and is not affiliated with University Career Services or Health Professions Schools. For other information about letters of recommendation and the process of applying to health professions schools in general, please visit the University Career Services website and watch the "School Preparation and Application Basics" video located there. You can find the video on the homepage under "video tutorials" or at http://www.career.virginia.edu/media/ .

Interfolio
Interfolio is a third party service not operated by the University of Virginia. Applicants are required to pay for the service and will need to select a subscription length. Letter writers do not need to pay for their accounts. If you are applying to health professions programs through a centralized application service that utilizes Interfolio to organize and submit letters of recommendation, you will be asked how long you would like to subscribe to the service. Students who intend on applying this year often ask us if they should choose a one year or a three year account. Its really up to you which one you would like to choose, but you will have the option of extending it beyond one year if you choose to apply in a different cycle or if you need to access the letters in the future for scholarships or other types of opportunities.

Letters of Recommendation Submission

As you complete and submit your secondary applications (preferably within 1-2 weeks of receipt) youll want to be sure that you have designated (through application service/Interfolio) that your letters of recommendation be sent to the schools to which youve applied. Remember just sending your letters from Interfolio to AMCAS, for instance, doesnt mean that they will be sent from AMCAS to the schools. This is something you need to do by following the instructions provided by the application service which for AMCAS includes checking the letters or medical school summary screen in your application and make sure the letters were added to that specific school.

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For more AMCAS specific instructions please visit: What Are My Peers Asking About / FAQ section. Using Interfolio to send your letters of recommendation to AMCAS Using Interfolio to send your letters of recommendation to AADSAS

Interfolio Vocabulary
Document ID: The Identification Code that allows your letter writer to upload their letter. AAMC or AADSAS ID: The Identification Code that identifies you as an applicant for that particular Centralized Application.

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Personal Statements and Secondary Application Components

A Word on Personal Statements
The personal statement is important but its only a small piece of your overall candidacy. Many applicants make the mistake of thinking that if they have a great personal statement it can help overcome a low GPA and/or entrance exam score. This is not the case. The personal statement helps the admissions office to know more about you, about your motivations, inspirations, readiness, etcfor the next step (medical school, dental school, pharmacy school/being a health care professional). This statement is combined with the descriptions you provide in your activity section and the answers to your essay questions on secondary applications. The entrance exam and GPA numbers are primarily used to gain a sense of whether or not you can handle the coursework and make it through professional school. Its likely that if you had some trusted friends/family members read your essay to ensure its well written, describes you well, and is relevant you should feel confident submitting it without our feedback. Its important to be comfortable trusting your instincts especially when it comes to writing the secondary application essays so that you can return them within one to two weeks of receipt. Otherwise you could be unnecessarily holding up the processing of your application and chances for an interview - which, of course, would not be advised.

Secondary Essays
Weve received a number of questions regarding open-ended and optional secondary essays like: While we no longer require an essay, some applicants feel that additional information is necessary in order to provide us with a comprehensive understanding of their strengths as a candidate for a career in medicine. If you wish, use the space below to offer an essay or any other information, up to a total of 3000 characters (approximately 500 words), addressing any issue you feel is of importance. If you choose to use the space, please do not duplicate information provided elsewhere in this supplemental application or in material you have submitted to AMCAS.

Optional Essays
Some students have concerns about whether they need to answer a question that is specified as optional. We want to reassure you that professional schools want the application process instructions to be as clear as possible, and they are quite blunt concerning what is mandatory and what is optional. Essays that are identified as optional are completely optional and should not be viewed as a secret test from the school to see whether you are legitimately interested in attending there. These optional opportunities exist because some applicants have a very specific circumstance or experience they feel that they would need to share with the committee in order to fully assess their candidacy. It is quite likely that many applicants do not feel that this is true for them personally.
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Open-ended Essays
Some open-ended essays are not optional and can cause some trepidation for applicants. Similar to your personal statement these essays are purposely open-ended so that you can tailor your response with what you believe to be the most pertinent information. Another reason that a school may use an open-ended question is because what you choose to write about also provides insight into who you are as an applicant- often just as much if not more as what is actually on the page. If you are specifically told that you cannot write about anything that is already included in your application materials this does not mean that you cant talk about a specific experience in a role that you wrote about in an activities section. Just make sure you didnt tell the story in your personal statement already!

Photos for Secondary Applications

Weve received a number of e-mails about the guidelines applicants should follow for the personal photograph that some health professions schools request. We encourage you to have a photo which: 1. 2. 3. Only includes you. Clothing that would be considered business casual or business professional. Is not blurry, and focuses on your face. The photo is just another opportunity for you to show good judgment by submitting a professional looking photo. We recommend getting a passport photo taken for these purposes. They are taken with a quality camera on a neutral background, and are from the shoulder up. These photographs are often used to help admissions committee members remember applicants when they are in committee meetings after your interview.

Choosing Your School List

Texas, California and Florida- Making a Smart School List
After reviewing some of the Mock Interview Packets, weve had some concerns about the school lists that people are submitting. If you havent had a chance to review our Making an Informed Health Professions School List Handout, please do! More specifically, we encourage you to limit (or eliminate) public schools located in Texas, California or Florida from your list if you are not a current resident of those states and if you dont have a previously strong connection to those areas. The reason we say this is because these three states have such large populations that they have difficulty accommodating the needs of their in-state applicant pool thus the out-of-state applicant pool is incredibly competitive for very limited spots. Even the
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most competitive applicants will have difficulty receiving interviews from these schools. For example these statistics are from the 2010 entering class: Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine Number of Out-of-State Applicants: 465 Number of Out-of-State Applicants Interviewed: 20 Number of Out-of-State New Entrants: 16 (2 were M.D./Ph.D) University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine Number of Out-of-State Applicants: 2754 Number of Out-of-State Applicants Interviewed: 181 Number of Out-of-State New Entrants: 34 (6 were M.D./Ph.D.) University of Florida College of Medicine Number of Out-of-State Applicants: 946 Number of Out-of-State Applicants Interviewed: 19 Number of Out-of-State New Entrants: 5 (1 was M.D./Ph.D.) For a complete list of acceptance rates for these state schools visit the Health Professions Advising Blog.

Transcripts
Transcript Submission
You must submit official transcripts from each institution you have received college credit. This includes Dual Enrollment, Community College courses and Study Abroad programs that are not affiliated with the University of Virginia. When it comes to sending transcripts, make sure you are aware of the policies and procedures of the Office of the Registrar. For those of you that are graduating in May, you do not need to wait until your transcript reflects that you

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have graduated, you can go ahead and send it once all the grades from this semester have been posted. Final confirmation of your degree will be verified prior to matriculation.

Medical/Dental Application Services

1) Applications will not be ready to be reviewed until they have a submitted application and all official transcripts have been received by AMCAS. AMCAS will not start sending data to the medical schools until mid to late June, even if the applications have been processed prior to that date. a. Remember, this does not mean you should submit your application in mid to late June, its just the first possible day after your verification has taken place which can take several weeks that your application could be sent to the medical schools. b. You can submit your application without your letters.

c. If you have already processed your letters from Interfolio to AMCAS individually you can go forward with what you have knowing that you may be limited to sending only three or four individual letters to the schools. At a minimum we recommend that you forward the two science faculty letters as they are the most commonly required letters at the majority of schools.

Clinical and Research Experience

The Importance of Clinical Experience
While many students find the academic component to their candidacy the most stressful, it is important to remember that it is not the only thing taken into consideration. Your clinical experiences are also a significant factor in whether or not you are prepared to go into a health profession. One myth about the application process is that as long as someone has a high GPA and strong standardized test scores that they will be accepted to professional school. This is simply not true. In the same way that your academic success demonstrates to an admissions committee that you are a good fit for professional school, your clinical experience shows that the profession is a right fit for you. Admissions committees are not willing to take a risk on a candidate who may realize half way through a program that this is not the right career path for them. In order to prove your commitment it is important to demonstrate thoughtful career exploration and a firsthand understanding of the rewards and challenges of the profession. Clinical exposure allows you to confirm to yourself that the financial, emotional, and time scarifies you will make in the future will result in a career that you find fulfilling.

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Clinical exposure can essentially be classified under two different types of opportunitiesshadowing and one-on-one patient interaction. A combination of experiences that fit into these categories is ideal because each opportunity provides critical information to an individual interested in the particular field. Shadowing a physician is a great way to get an introduction to a field because it allows you to observe a current professional at work. Shadowing a variety of professionals can potentially expose you to different environments in which professionals practice, various specialties, and different approaches to patient interaction. All of these things will provide you a more in-depth understanding of the variables that impact the experience of professionals even within the same field. At some point along your career exploration process you will realize that mere observation is not enough for you to fully understand if a particular health profession is right for you. Shadowing is a great opportunity for you to see how others have progressed through a career path, but ultimately you need to see for yourself how your specific personality and interests fit with the field. Wed like to clarify that hands on clinical experience does not necessarily mean administering clinical care. If you were already qualified to extract teeth, give stitches, or prescribe medication there would be no need to continue onward to professional school. What we mean by hands on experience is related to patient interaction. Hands on clinical experience also allows you to develop rapport with individuals who are seeking the type of care you hope to eventually be able to provide. Examples of hands on clinical experience include but are not limited to taking patient histories in a hospital or clinic, working as a receptionist in a private practice, volunteering to converse with patients receiving dialysis, hospice care or living in an inpatient facility such as a nursing or group home. As you may notice none of these positions require administering healthcare, but its clear that you would learn a significant amount about the field by participating in these activities. Also remember how other activities completely unrelated to health care, will still help develop the skills needed to be a successful health care provider. A student working as a camp counselor is developing their communication skills with children- a demographic that receives a significant amount of health care!

Shadowing and Externships

Shadowing experiences are a great way to get exposure to a health profession career. Students can be successful in gaining a shadowing experience through participating in a formal shadowing program through a health professions student organization at U.Va. or through arranging these experiences with health care professionals on their own. We encourage students to consider looking for shadowing opportunities in locations outside of Charlottesville as the demand for these experiences can be quite high in a university community. Think about contacting health care professionals you may already know in your hometown that you may be able to shadow during breaks and holidays.

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An externship is a short term job shadowing experience (usually one week). Each extern experience is different depending on your interests, the career field, and the particular sponsor with whom you extern. All externships are unpaid and externs do not earn academic credit. UCS does not place students directly with externship sponsors. However, we do provide you with a list of resources and tips to create your own experience. By initiating your own job shadowing opportunity, you gain valuable job search, resume writing, networking, and interviewing experience. Externships and Job Shadowing: https://www.career.virginia.edu/externship/ Externship Guide: http://www.career.virginia.edu/students/handouts/extern_guide_fall11.pdf

Is Research Required for Health Profession Programs?

Research is not required to pursue a medical or other health profession education after undergrad. Even programs that incorporate a research component into their medical school curriculum do not require that applicants have prior research experience. In actuality, students who feel obligated to participate in research often only do so for a brief period of time because it serves as a confirmation that they are interested in the practitioner side of medicine as opposed to the clinical research side. Students interested in pursuing undergraduate research should only do so because they have a genuine interest in the field, not because they believe they have to in order to be a qualified applicant for medical school. For applicants interested in an MD/Ph.D or MSTP program, research will be a significant aspect of their application and a strong candidate for those programs will have a considerable research background, however, those pursuing this degree path will also have identified that they would like research to play a significant role in their career.

Interviewing and Post Interview Correspondence

Interviewing Tips -Portfolio, Bags, and Luggage Oh My!
Have you thought about how you will take notes or organize your personal items during your health professions school interview? We suggest acquiring a Black or Brown Portfolio (see photo below) to organize your notepad and any other paperwork you may need to bring for your interview. Also, if you are someone who carries a bag or purse to organize personal items you may want to take a moment to consider the professionalism of your bag, and whether your things are organized well so that if need be you can quickly and easily find the item you need. Finally, if your travels involve a flight and overnight stay in a hotel, you may need to bring your luggage to the health professions school and keep it somewhere while you interview. Schools
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are aware of this and often have a closet or area for you, but make sure your belongings are well organized and are not bursting out of your duffel bag, travel bag, or suitcase!

Regarding Thank You Notes

After an interview, it is often encouraged to write a thank you note to the people who conducted your interview as a way of showing your appreciation. If the information is not given to you, make sure you write down the names and titles of the people you interview with. It is also important to remember to personalize the thank you rather than writing the same message to three different people. Try to add at least one thought that is specific to the recipient of the thank you note. As for the design on the thank you note, make sure that it is professional looking; try avoiding pictures, but designs or things dealing with UVA are fine. Lastly, the thank you note can be hand written or by email based on your discretion, but send it within a week of your interview. If you are a current applicant who is still under consideration at any of the health profession schools to which you have applied, it is important to remember that you update those institutions with your grades for the Fall 2011 semester. Some applicants prefer to send an email update of their unofficial grades in order to reiterate their interest in the schools and others opt for sending their official transcript from the Registrars Office. Whichever you decide to do, please do it in a timely manner as this could help push you into the interview pile for after the winter break. As always, make sure you are following any particular guidelines that have been sent to you from a school. Sometimes wait list applicants are sent specific instructions on how they should contact the school with any updated grade information. You may also choose to include additional updates when you send your grades. If since you have submitted your application you have been published, had a significant clinical experience or been recognized for an achievement such as a scholarship or award, you should make sure to include this with your correspondence.
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Professional Dress for Mock Interviews and Professional School Interviews

This information comes from Laura, a career counselor on our staff. Her primary focus is on transitions counseling, specifically helping students adjust to moving into their next step after graduation. She has all the professionalism advice you need whether you're moving onto a health professions program or the professional world. For more information on professional dress, feel free to ask her or one of the Health Professions Advisors.

Youve repeatedly heard about the importance of wearing a business suit to your mock interview and your health professions school interview during advising sessions. You want to be taken seriously by admissions committees, so you take the plunge over spring break and purchase a suit, or you start seriously shopping for one. One way to transform a suit from something I have to wear or else into something Im Ok with wearing when necessary and makes me feel confident is to pay attention to tailoring. 3 areas to watch for men are: Length of sleeves and pants: Aim for the end of your jacket sleeve to rest at your wrist bone, with the edge of your shirt sleeve resting at the crease between your wrist and hand. Pants should end about an inch off the ground based on the shoes you plan to wear with the suit, and you should bring those shoes with you to have the suit tailored. How the jacket fits: pay attention to your mobility in the jacket. You should be able to move your arms freely above, in front, and behind you without straining the jacket. When standing with your arms at your sides, the jacket should appear fitted, but not tight to your torso. The edge of the jackets shoulder should line up with the edge of your shoulder. The jacket buttons shouldnt look like theyre pulling away from each other. Choosing the right shirt: button down Oxford shirts are not appropriate for suits-theyre seen as too casual. Invest in a quality dress shirt in a slimmer fit to prevent bunching up under your jacket, and look for a collar that will accommodate a variety of tie widths. 3 areas to watch for women are: Length of sleeves, pants, and skirts. Choose a skirt that ends in the middle of your kneecap or just below. Dont leave the fitting room without sitting down in the skirt and crossing your legs to ensure that it doesnt ride up inappropriately.

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 How the jacket fits: certainly pay attention to mobility, but also ensure that youre not swimming in the jacket. Optimally, a jacket should be fitted throughout, but not snug, highlight your natural waist, and fit in such a way that it doesnt look like its pulling across the chest. Color and pattern choice: Stick with a solid color that compliments and enhances your natural skin tone, coloring, and overall image you want to present to an admissions committee.

Information About Waitlists, Letters of Intent, and Grade Updates

During the months following your application submission, those of you who have interviewed for health professions programs will continue to hear news of acceptances, waitlists, or possibly rejection. Many of you may fall into multiple categories so please take a moment to read the information below.

To those of you who have been offered admission-Congratulations! Were happy that you have found success in the application process! Make sure you are keeping up with any correspondence you receive from the program or programs that have accepted you. We recommend that you review and understand all of the conditions regarding the deposit and return the deposit prior to the stated deadline.

For those of you who are waitlisted or have not received interviews - If in December you are still under consideration at any of the health profession schools to which you have applied it is important to remember that you update those institutions with your grades for the Fall 2012 semester when they become available. Some applicants prefer to send an e-mail update of their unofficial grades in order to reiterate their interest in the schools and others opt for sending their official transcript from the Registrars Office. If since you have submitted your application you have been published, had a significant clinical experience or been recognized for an achievement such as a scholarship or award, you should make sure to include this with your correspondence. Whichever you decide to do, please do it in a timely manner as this could help push you into the interview pile for after the winter break. As always, make sure you are following any particular guidelines that have been sent to you from a school. Sometimes wait list applicants are sent specific instructions on how they should contact the school with any updated grades or other pieces of information. Interview opportunities will continue into the spring semester, so continue to work on your interview
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preparation. If you have concerns about how your application process is going please speak with an advisor in an appointment or drop- ins.

Letters of Intent
Many students have contacted us regarding whether they should send a letter of intent to follow up with schools they have not heard from at this point in the application process or to schools in which they have been waitlisted. We strongly advise that you do not pursue this outreach at this time as many programs feel that secondary applications should be utilized for expressing your specific interest in a program. Remember the application process for most programs continues well into June and even the first day of classes. If you have questions or concerns regarding contacting admissions offices outside of your specific application, please stop by drop-ins. And for everyone- remember The Waiting http://vimeo.com/31471806

Bridge Year
Interested in Taking a Bridge Year (or two) and Need Help Talking to Others About It?
Sometimes it can be difficult to talk to family and friends about a potential change in your professional plans (especially if it involves changing your application timeline). Weve included some information that can help you start the conversation, and address common concerns that others may have. Does taking time between graduating and applying to health professions school hurt my chances of being accepted? No. In fact, if you look at the average age of applicants and matriculates to the most popular health professions, youll see that they are higher than a traditionally aged graduate. This means that a majority of people are taking time off before going to professional school. What do health professions schools expect me to do during that time off? It depends. A good bridge year choice for one person, may not be a good choice for someone else. In general, professional schools will expect that if there is a weakness in your application that youre using that time to improve. For example a student who needs to work on increasing their Science GPA would be best served by taking additional science coursework, not by focusing on increasing their clinical exposure (to learn more about post baccalaureate options click here). On the other hand, an applicant with little clinical exposure would not
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likely want to pursue a masters degree during their bridge year, but instead would be expected to be devoting more time to clinical experiences. Are the only applicants that take bridge years, people who have weaknesses in their candidacy? No. Every year we have strong applicants who choose to take a bridge year or years for a variety of reasons. The five most popular reasons include: More time to prepare for entrance exams. More time to complete pre-requisite coursework. More time to gain clinical exposure. More time to prepare their application materials in order to submit their application early. More time to explore additional opportunities such as full time employment, study and travel abroad, or hobbies and other student organizations and interests outside of pursuing the health professions. Are there any negative consequences to applying to just a couple schools to see how it goes and then applying as a re-applicant if Im not successful? Yes, there can be negative consequences for being a re-applicant to health professions school. First its important not to underestimate the financial, emotional, and psychological drain that being unsuccessful in the application process can create. Most application processes from start to finish are 18 months long and consistent rejection during such a long period of time can have a major impact on you during that time. Secondly, health professions schools do take into account good decision making and judgment skills of their applicants. The decision to put forward a candidacy with low academic or clinical qualifications can lead admissions committees to question whether you took the time to research the application process and make sound decisions. As good decision making skills are an incredibly important quality of a health professional, a decision to go forward previously could have an impact on your second application attempt. It is possible to be successful as a re-applicant to health professions schools but it is important to identify the weaknesses that lead to your previous unsuccessful application cycle. Applicants that are able to identify these weaknesses, pro-actively improve them, and update other aspects of their application (including personal statements and letters of recommendation) have a good chance of having a successful application cycle. It is also important to remember that some weaknesses may take longer than others to improve upon therefore it is not always possible for a candidate to make the changes necessary in time to reapply the very next cycle.

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Taking One Bridge Year and Thinking About Going Abroad?

Some applicants who choose to apply to professional school the summer after they graduate from U.Va would like to spend some time abroad during the application cycle. Many times these students will come to us asking when is the best time to leave the country during the application process. Answering this question can be tricky. During the months of June, July and early August applicants are primarily responsible for responding to e-mail in a timely manner. Applicants will be completing secondary applications during most of this period, and beginning in mid to late August will be responsible for corresponding with schools to accept interview dates. Individuals who choose to visit a developed country with consistent internet access may be okay with a short trip during this time frame, however, we encourage applicants to consider the likelihood that they will be in an environment where they can sit and write numerous secondary application essays. During the time period of late August through the end of March, applicants have the potential to be offered an interview spot. Applicants often ask us how flexible schools are with the dates that they assign to applicants for interviews. While it may depend on the health profession, many of these schools are interviewing hundreds of applicants, and the ability to accommodate individual applicants is almost impossible. Interviewing remotely though options like Skype are also highly unlikely, as schools strongly rely on in-person interactions to determine your fit for the program. In general it is usually safe to make travel arrangement in April. However, we want to remind you that everyone's application timeline is different. Some applicants will be lucky enough to be admitted to their preferred program as early as October, while others will not know the final outcome of their candidacy until mid to late June (sometimes even the first day of classes!) Ultimately, the application process is a time where it's important to be diligent and available. Applicants who feel that an extended time abroad is a critical experience that they need before attending a health professions program may want to consider taking more than one bridge year before commencing their studies. If you have specific questions about an opportunity abroad that you are considering, feel free to schedule an appointment or discuss it with us during a drop-in slot at Monroe Hall!

University Career Services

Professional E-mail Correspondence
We know that e-mail is an excellent tool to ask a quick advising question, but it is important that students and alums are utilizing it appropriately and effectively in order for it to be a meaningful way of communicating information. As a professional in any industry (but even potentially more so for health care) there are severe ramifications for not communicating
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information effectively, professionally, and appropriately. Susan and I hold ourselves to a high standard when it comes to responding to student inquiries in an appropriate time frame, and we do our best to offer you the most extensive response we can. Please take the time to show us the same respect by being thoughtful with your e-mail communication. Also remember, often a quick question may actually require us to ask some follow up questions to make sure we are giving the best information or advice as possible. If you feel that your question may require more discussion please come in for walk-in or drop-in hours, and understand if we ask you to come in instead of sending a detailed response its because we want to give you the best response we can. Here are some other things to think about when contacting professional staff, professors, health care professionals and admissions offices. - Subject: Always include a subject in your email and make it as specific as possible. This will help your recipient find the email should they need it at a later date. - Short and to the Point: Longer emails tend to be skimmed due to the heavy volume of emails that the recipient may receive during the day. Keep the email concise and directly ask your questions or state your needs. Avoid excess introductions and niceties. - Politeness: Even though the emails should be concise, they should also be polite. Re-read the email before you send it and ask yourself whether the tone of the message could be misconstrued as it often is in any written form of communication. It might even be helpful to have a friend look at the email before it is sent. - Correct Grammar: Make sure you write in complete sentences with correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You should also avoid overly familiar phrasing, text messaging syntax, and emoticons. It is also helpful to avoid writing in all caps and to not use too many exclamation points as these forms of typing could potentially be translated as yelling and make the email harder to read. - Standard Signature: In addition to signing your name, you should have a signature at the end of the email that includes your name and contact information.

UCS Drops- Ins and Appointments

University Career Services offers both counseling appointments and walk-in hours to all students at U.Va (except those in the Darden, Law and Medical schools, which have their own student and career services). Also remember that the UCS website is a great tool that is loaded with information and resources so make sure to check and see if your question is addressed there before you make an appointment or send an email. Unless otherwise indicated, all counseling is at the UCS center in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium.
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Walk-Ins
General walk-ins last about 15 minutes and are only for resume and cover letter critiques. If questions are not quick, the counselor will give some starting guidance and then encourage the student to make an appointment. During the semester, general walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 1:00pm to 3:00pm at UCS. Specifically for Health Professions Advising, drop-ins are held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:30pm until 4:30pm and are located in Monroe Hall in Room 263. Students may sign-up for a time slot at the beginning of drop- ins on that given day. Sign- up sheets will be set out at the beginning of each session for students to sign up. Once you have signed in you are not required to wait at the location, but you are responsible for returning for your drop-in or walk-in slot time. We hope that this new process allows students more flexibility with their time and that they will also know if they will be seen that day.

Appointments
Appointments are offered throughout the year, Monday through Friday. Call 434-924-8900 or come by UCS in Bryant Hall to schedule a time at the front desk. Do not send an email straight to the advisor you wish to meet with. General appointments are typically 30 minutes in length for a Health Professions Appointment and 45 minutes for a General Career Counseling Appointment and are held at the University Career Services Office in Bryant Hall which is located at the football stadium.

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