FAQ for All Professional School Applicants

What are professional school programs looking for?
What is the application process?
What is an application service?
What is the general application timeline?
How competitive is it?
Transcripts
Application deadlines
What if I have a problem in my academic record?
Should I retake a course

   What are professional school programs looking for?

Basically, they want everything. However. they have no magic formula. They evaluate each student's credentials and weigh the student's background and judge the fit between the student and the program. They want well-rounded students with broad academic interests and backgrounds. They need students who are interested in learning and who will be life-long learners. You should have good communication and interpersonal skills, a record of community service and leadership, a variety of extracurricular activities, and experience shadowing a professional in your chosen field. As for the specifics: 

  • Prerequisite courses/grades: Each school can decide what prerequisite courses they will ask their prospective students to have. These vary from field to field and from school to school within a particular field. Medicine and dentistry are fairly standard in their prerequisite courses. Other fields vary quite a lot. See the Career Guides for more specific information or the Web sites of the schools you are considering. As for grades, most schools do list a minimum GPA. Many, if not most, programs are so competitive that you will need well above the stated minimum GPA to gain admission. Some types of programs (medicine and dentistry, for example) also consider your overall GPA separate from your science GPA.
  • Course load: Most programs will expect to see a couple of semesters in which you have taken two to three lab courses at the same time. They need to know that you can handle a heavy load and still manage good grades. You should also be careful about taking summer science courses to lighten your load –– this does not impress them. You can still take summer courses, but you want to make sure you have science-heavy semesters as well.
  • Shadowing: If you want to show a professional school that you are interested in being a member of that field, you need to have provided yourself with opportunities to see professionals in action. If you haven't already done so, you need to observe (shadow) a professional in your chosen field. This assures schools that you are keenly interested and that you have a more realistic sense of what it means to be a doctor. Many also like for you to have a recommendation letter from a professional in that field. Shadowing provides you the opportunity to get to know a professional in that field.
  • Service work: Most professional programs see healthcare as a service field so doing volunteer work is important. They don't care what it is, only that you have been doing it on a regular basis and show a commitment to it. Showing up to work at a blood drive during the spring of your junior year just won't cut it. It just isn't enough evidence that you are committed to helping others. Find something you like and stick with it.
  • Leadership: Take charge of a program or student organization event. Work toward a leadership position in your fraternity/sorority/sports team, etc. Professional schools need you to be a leader and a solid team player.
  • Research: Though not required, more and more applicants have some research experience so it is a great thing if you can get it and have an interest in it. The professional schools don't care what kind of research it was –– it is really about what it shows them about your academic development. If you participated in research, you generally were able to balance this with other responsibilities, work without supervision, and see both your portion of a project and the bigger picture.
  • Hands-On Patient Care: Again, not a requirement, but this is seen favorably. This is often difficult experience to get as it generally requires additional training. Some students get their experience through working as a phlebotomist (doing blood draws), working as a certified nurse assistant or as an EMT. Working as a camp counselor at camps for children with special needs is another opportunity. Hospice volunteer work can be very meaningful as well.
  • Extracurricular activities: Professional schools like to have interesting people as part of their classes. They are looking for people with interesting backgrounds and experiences. They also need to know that you can balance your life. Taking part in extracurricular activities helps to show them this.


   What is the application process?

For Medical, Dental, Optometry, Podiatry, Physician Assistant, and a number of other programs:

An application to medical school and the other programs listed is basically completed on two levels. You start with a primary application that is completed online through an application service (see below). Each system asks for demographic information; a listing of extracurricular activities, honors, and research; a listing of every course ever taken (including those that were red-lined) and the grade earned (which is matched with your transcript); and an essay about why you want to work in that field. The application is tedious to fill out and takes considerable time, you can, however, save portions and come back to it so it does not have to be completed in one sitting. There is a fee for submitting the application.

The application services (AMCAS & AACOMAS, etc.) will check your transcripts (which you have sent to them) against the information you submitted. If the information does not match, you will be contacted to figure out the error. Then your application will go to the back of the line to be verified again. It is important that your grades/courses match on your application and transcripts. Once your application has been verified, the schools take over. Some schools then ask all or just selected students to provide a secondary or supplemental application. Often this contact is through e-mail and includes more essays and a request for more money. If the school is still interested after you have submitted your transcript, they will request an interview.

For other health care program applications (physical therapy, occupational therapy, genetic counseling, etc.):

Most other programs have applications that are much less involved, but may require more organization. You apply directly to each school and need to provide them with whatever information they specify. This usually includes an aptitude test score, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Some schools may follow up with your initial application by sending you more essay questions to answer and by gathering further information before they decide whether to interview you.

 

 

   What is an application service?

Online services that collect your initial application materials and submit them to the professional schools are called application services. Not all health care programs make use of this kind of system.  Application services are convenient as they allow students to apply to many schools with one application.

 

   What is the general application timeline?

Medical & Dental Schools

The application process for medical and dental programs starts about 15 months before you want to start medical or dental school. For example, if you want to begin medical school in the fall of 2014, you will begin your application during the spring/summer of 2013. One of the main goals is to apply early. This not only shows enthusiasm, but since most schools use rolling admissions (meaning they fill their class as they go) your best bet is to apply early. The general timeline is as follows:

April-June: take the MCAT/DAT if you have not already done so.

May-July: work on online primary application AMCAS for MD programs and/or AACOMAS for DO programs or AADSAS for dental school.

Mid June-early August: submit primary application.

June-December: Office of Health Professions submits your letters via VirtualEvals or through AADSAS.

Late July-September: complete secondary/supplementary applications.

Mid September-March: interviews.

Late October-day before start of professional school classes: hear about acceptances.

Other fields

For other programs, you want to start well in advance of their application deadlines. Is there deadline in March?  Try to turn it in by December or January. Most health care programs are highly competitive. Do not wait until their deadline to apply.

 

   How competitive is the application process?

Of the 39,108 people who applied for admission into Allopathic medical schools (MD programs) in 2006, a reported 17,370 of them matriculated at a U.S. medical school. This means that nationwide, 44.4% of all applicants gained entrance into an MD granting program. In light of the American Association of Medical College's (AAMC) endorsement of a 30-percent increase in medical school graduates by 2015, medical schools are being challenged to admit more students. This, however, will probably not change the expected credentials at all. In 2007, for example, a medical school admissions dean reported that over 1000 of his program's applicants had a GPA at or above a 3.8 and an MCAT score in the 30s. That is tough competition. To see the applicant and matriculant information for MD programs, go to http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2006/2006mcatgpa.htm

Osteopathic medical schools are similarly competitive. Enrollment in osteopathic programs has been growing since 2000 and more schools are currently being built. The 2005 entering class saw 8,258 applicants and 3,646 matriculants. For this group the average science GPA was a 3.36, the average non-science was 3.54, and the average overall was 3.44. Average MCAT scores were close to the national average for the test itself: biological science was 8.64, physical science was 8.04, and verbal reasoning was 8.31.

Dental schools have seen an increasing number of applications in recent years. Generally the overall GPA of enrollees is around a 3.5 with a science GPA of 3.4. The academic average on the DAT of dental school enrollees is a 20 with a 19 in perceptual ability. Nationally, about 58% of applicants are admitted.

Optometry entering classes typically have students with an overall GPA of 3.35 and an OAT of 322. About 67% of applicants are admitted.

Podiatry programs accept a high percentage of applicants. The overall GPA is about a 3.1 and MCAT scores are just above a 20.

Public Health programs offer training in a variety of fields. In 2005, 54.7% of applicants were admitted in a public health program.

Physician Assistant programs have seen a growing number of applicants in recent years. Typical age is a bit older at about 27 years as most are coming to the field with significant patient care experience (usually over 1 year). GPA is around the 3.2 range. About 44% of applicants were admitted in 2006.

Veterinary Medicine programs are difficult to enter as there are so few schools that admissions standards are extremely high. Nationally about 57% of applicants are admitted. The overall GPA is typically at least a 3.53.

Other types of health care programs are also highly competitive. Although a minimum GPA is often given for these programs, they very often accept students with much higher GPAs. Sometimes you can find information about acceptances on the Web sites of the professional organizations in your chosen field. Besides the grades and aptitude test scores, some programs expect a lot of time spent in a clinical setting. Physical therapy and physician assistant programs are examples of this.


   Transcripts

You must have transcripts sent from every U.S. school from which you have college credit even if you did not transfer that credit to Purdue. You are the only one with access to your transcripts, so you must be the one to order them. The online application for medical schools and dental schools will have a transcript request form that you should print for each school you attended. Do this as quickly as possible as you start filling out your application. Submit this form to the Registrar's Office. One of the biggest reasons that applications are held up is because they are waiting to receive your transcripts. For other programs, you will need to have official copies (sealed copies) sent directly to the programs to which you are applying.

You should also get a copy of your transcripts for yourself. First, you need to make sure that everything is correct. If your application involves an application service, you will need to list all the courses you took. You want the details of your coursework from each school to match what you type in to your primary application. In fact, you want them to match exactly. If you took Biology: The Detailed Life of Worms and you list it on your application as just Worm Biology, it could cause problems. The application services do a verification process in which they look at your grades and courses and compare them to your transcripts. If anything is a mismatch, they will pull your application from the process and contact you to figure out the problem. Then your application goes to the back of the line to start the process all over again. Moral of the story: work from transcripts and not from memory.

 

   Application deadlines

Application deadlines vary, but to a large extent you shouldn't believe them anyway. Apply early!!  Many programs work on rolling admissions. This means that they accept students to their program as they go. Being an early applicant can, therefore, be very helpful.

 

   What if I have a problem in my academic record?

Having a 4.0 is not required for attending a professional school –– it also does not guarantee admission. Still, your grades need to be as high as possible. Students often face a personal or academic problem that leads to a bad semester or poor performance in a selected course. Here are some things to think about:

  • If it is one grade and it is a 2.0 or above, you should probably just stop beating yourself up about it. That one grade probably won't keep you from getting in to professional school.
  • If it is a prerequisite course for your professional school and the grade is below a 2.0, then you must repeat the course. For most professional schools if the grade was below a 2.0 in a required class, it is like you never took it.
  • If you repeat a course, it is better to repeat it at Purdue. If you take the class at another school, they may think it was an easier class. The only way to show you mastered the material is to take it at the same school.
  • Medical schools do look at trends in your grades. If you had a bad first year and then did better after this, they will see this and take that into account when looking at your overall GPA.
  • You can use your application essay/personal statement to discuss any academic issues you wish. If you do this, it should be carefully worded and should show the personal growth you have had from going through this.

 

   Should I retake a course?

If you had one course that gave you trouble, you should probably just move on and not worry too much about it. If it was a required prerequisite for medical school, you must repeat it if you have below a C. Ideally you would repeat it at Purdue to show that you mastered the material and didn't just find a similar course where it might be easier. Having too many repeated courses on your transcript will not look good for you. How many is too many? Everything depends on the school and your overall record.