medical school admissions

8/2/2019 Medical School Admissions

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What Do Medical Schools

Value in Selecting Students

Gabriel Garcia, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine

Associate Dean for Medical School Admissions

Stanford University School of Medicine

[email protected]


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AP PLICANTS TO ME DICAL SCHOOL - AMCAS

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 2001 2002

05000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

4500050000

% WOMEN % MINORITY TOTAL APPLICANTS


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Likelihood of a College Degree by age 24 in 1999

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 2

Socioeconomic status

Perce

nt


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Designing an Admissions Process

1. Mission of the Medical School

2. Societal Expectations

3. Health care system manpower concerns


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Medical Schools Mission

1. Drive the admissions process to chooseapplicants that will be expected to

embrace the values of the school.

2. Impact the curriculum to maximize thechances that a student will participate in

activities that are important to the school.

3. Assign a higher value to graduates thatengage in activities consistent with the

mission.


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Mission Statements

To educate future physicians and foster theircapacity to make discoveries and leadinnovation in the science and practice ofmedicine.

To prepare medical graduates fordistinguished medical careers in service tothe people of California, with emphasis onthe needs of the underserved, inland and

rural populations.To further the healing and teaching ministry

of Jesus Christ "to make man whole


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Desirable Traits of Physicians

Consider the care of their patients their first

priority

Ethical, honest, dedicated

Make good decisions for their patients

Smart and knowledgeable

Willing to learn and change their practice with

newly acquired knowledge

Develop better ways of treating patients

Relate well to their patients

Communicate well and understand the cultural

context in which care is given


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Elements of a Good

Admissions Process1. Examines and values all the skills and

attitudes of an excellent physician inthe applicant.

2. Evaluates the fit of the applicant withthe mission of the school.

3. Ranks the applicants according tohow they will benefit from andcontribute to your school.


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Steps in the Admissions Process

Review of Application

AMCAS application

Supplemental application

Essays

Mission targeted questions

Letters of Reference

Individuals

Premedical Advisory Committee

Interview

Executive Committee decision


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Is performed by volunteers (a facultymember or a student) or admissions officestaff members.

The purpose of file review is to identify

students who would be good candidates foradmission.

Is a labor-intensive process if performed

correctly. The number of volunteers is usually

inadequate to perform this function in atimely manner.


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Research and scholarly activities

Independence of thought, productivity

Leadership

Role model, legacy

Evidence of originality and creativity

Academic and non-academic accomplishments

Community service, clinical work, sports,

arts, business or other activities

Educational context

Interpret the applicants record with regard to

the distance traveled


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What do medical schools value?

Service (in the broadest sense of this word)

To underserved communities

Scholarly endeavors

Clinical experiences

The mission of the school will determinewhich of these areas would be of most

interest to the committee on admissions.


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How Do You Demonstrate Your

Passion for Medicine?

1. Develop a track record reflecting a desire

to impact the health care of all our

communities Public service

Cultural activities

Educational endeavors Scholarly pursuits


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2. Be a creative and imaginative leader and

role model

You must be the change you wish to see in

the world.

Mohandas K. Gandhi.


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3. Develop the skills and attitudes of

terrific doctorsyour own medicaltoolbox.


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Barometer for Participation in

Any Extracurricular ActivityShowing up

Showing up for a long time

Leadership

Advocacy

Innovation

Legacy


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How much is enough? An Example

Showing up varsity sports

Showing up for a long time for 3 years

Leadership team captain

Advocacy mentored youth

Innovation designed herracing wheelchair

Legacy developed a system forothers to design their own


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Educational Context

Distance TraveledInterpret the scholastic record taking into account

Parental income, education and occupation

Pre-college education Hours per week of work while attending college

for financial support

Cultural barriers

Geographic location where applicant was raised

Prior experiences with any type of prejudice

Impact of stereotype threat

Special family circumstances


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Interview Does your interaction with the candidate

conform to the expectations you derivedfrom reading the application? If not, whatare the discrepancies?

Do you think the letters of support representthe candidate fairly?

Does the candidate have a interest in theworld outside of school and in the welfare

of others? Does the candidate have any significant

knowledge of your program and how itwould benefit her in pursuit of her stated

oals?


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Interview

Are there specific concerns that the candidate

may have about your school?

Does the candidate have a reasonable

understanding of the positive and negative

aspects of a career in medicine?

Do you detect any characteristics that cause

you to question candidates suitability for a

career in medicine or the ability to thinklogically and critically?

Have you explored answers to questions raised

by file reviewers?


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Committee Decision

1. How will this candidate contribute to andbenefit from your school?

2. Will accepting this candidate be in

keeping with the mission of your school?


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Practical Points

Applicants

Ensure that your track record as stated in theapplication is a fair and honest reflection of whoyou are.

Complete the supplemental applications knowingthe unique mission of each school.

Explain any unique or challenging factors indetail.

Advisors Make sure the letters of evaluation and support

address the skill set, character traits and attitudesthat make the applicant particularly suited for a

career in medicine.


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Why Stanford?


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Distinct Core Values at Stanford

GOAL = Encourage Scholarly Activity

Flexible Curriculum = OPPORTUNITIES

Medical Scholars Program (Basic and

Clinical Research, Arts and Humanities,

and Public Service) and Traveling Scholars

Program

Top-notch Basic Science and ClinicalFaculty in Both the Medical Center and the

Rest of the University Are Committed to

You.


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SCHOLARLY CONCENTRATIONS

Spring

8 Weeks 6 Weeks 4 Weeks Selectives

ElectivesInternal Medicine Obstetrics & Family Medicine Ambulatory Practice (8 weeks)Pediatrics Gynecology Psychiatry SubinternshipSurgery Neurology

Critical CareYear3,4

,[5]

Autumn

FOUNDATIONS OF MEDICINE I

Winter

Year2

Year1

The Nervous System Immunology

Gross Anatomy of Head & Neck Introduction to Organ Systems

Cardiovascular Pulmonary

FOUNDATIONS OF MEDICINE II HUMAN HEALTH & DISEASE I

PRACTICE OF MEDICINE I PRACTICE OF MEDICINE II PRACTICE OF MEDICINE III

SCHOLARLY CONCENTRATIONS

HUMAN HEALTH & DISEASE II HUMAN HEALTH & DISEASE III

Renal/Genitourinary

Gastrointestinal/Liver

Endocrine/Reproductive

Brain and Behavior

Hematology

Multi-Organ System

PRACTICE OF MEDICINE IV PRACTICE OF MEDICINE V

TRANSITION TO CLINICAL CLERKSHIPS

April May

1-month Study for USMLE

intensive Begin clinical

preparation for clerkships

clerkshipsSCHOLARLY CONCENTRATIONS

Block 1

FOUNDATIONS OF

MEDICINE

Block 2

HUMAN HEALTH & DISEASE

Block 3

PRACTICE OF MEDICINE

Block 4

CLINICAL CLERKSHIPS

CLINICAL CLERKSHIPS

Cells to Tissues

Molecular

Foundations ofMedicine

GeneticsDevelopment & Disease

Mechanisms

Gross Anatomy

PRACTICE OF MEDICINE VI

APPLIED BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Block 5

APPLIED BIOMEDICALSCIENCES


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GOAL = Non-competitive Environment that

Promotes Both Individual

and Collaborative Achievement

No Grades

No Ranking of StudentsNo AOA or Awards Until Graduation

= Value Teamwork!
http://frank.harvard.edu/~howard/photo/stanford/bigpix/hoover_and_bldgs.jpg


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http://frank.harvard.edu/~howard/photo/stanford/bigpix/hoover_and_bldgs.jpg


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GOAL = No penalty for staying longer tocontinue to explore your education.

Nominal tuition (fees only) after 13

quarters of attendance

Generous financial aid. Our maximum

grant for our neediest students pays 83%

of tuition.

Mean debt for 2002 graduates:

$91,000 at public schools

$124,000 at private schools

63 000 at Stanford!


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DEBT AT GRADUATION OF INDEBTED GRADUATES

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

YEAR

DOLL

ARS

National

Stanford


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Questions?

Go to our web site -

http://www.med.stanford.edu/osa/

Call us650 723-6861

E mail us - [email protected]
http://www.med.stanford.edu/osa/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.med.stanford.edu/osa/

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