Pre-Health Application Process

Almost every professional school requires some type of standardized admission test to judge and compare applicants. Medical schools require the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT); dental schools, the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT); optometry schools, the Optometry Admission Test (OAT); pharmacy school, the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT); and veterinary schools, the MCAT, or Graduate Record Exam (GRE). These admissions tests serve as another important indicator of academic ability and act in concert with GPA to indicate your overall academic ability and performance.

One of the most frequent questions the pre-health advisors hear is “When should I take the MCAT (DAT, PCAT, etc.)? For students who wish to apply for direct entry—that is, to attend medical school directly after completing their undergraduate degree—then they should expect to take their entrance exam in the late spring of their junior year (between April and June). If you plane to take one or more gap years, it is best to consult with a pre-health advisor about the optimal time to take your entrance exam (most schools will not accept a score that is more than three years old, and some require a score no less than two years old).

Plan to take the test only once. Do not take the MCAT or other exam as a practice or with the attitude that you can repeat the test if you do not do well. Familiarity with any standardized test is expected to improve performance; therefore, your repeat scores must jump radically to be considered significant. This rarely happens. On the contrary, it is quite common for students on the second test to improve a point or two on sections in which they performed poorly before, only to decline on those sections where they formerly performed well. If you feel you may need to repeat the exam, discuss this with the Health Professions Advisor.

Everyone must study in preparation for the MCAT, DAT, OAT, etc. Start at least four to six months before you actually take the test. Set aside a definite time each day or week to study; use an MCAT review book. Practice exams will show your weaknesses; return to your class notes or textbook to review those specific concepts. Study for the test like you would for a four-credit-hour science course and take as many updated practice tests as possible. Commercial preparation courses are available, and many students find them helpful. Knowing how you learn best should suggest which method of study best suits you. In any case, you need to prepare carefully; do not try to take the examination "cold."

What is a Health Professions Letter Packet?

Letter packets are available to Tulane University undergraduates and recent graduates. In order to be eligible for a letter packet, students should have attended the Application Kickoff Meeting in the fall semester (or watched the recording) prior to their application year and should have met with a pre-health advisor during the following spring semester of their application year. Students not eligible for a letter packet should use the “individual letter” option and ask letter writers to upload letters directly to their application services.

A Health Professions Letter Packet will consist of 3-5 Letters of Recommendation, along with a cover letter from your Health Professions Advisor, which will then be sent to your specific health professions application service. There is more detailed information provided on this site about how to obtain recommendations.

Requirements for Letters of Recommendation

The majority of health profession schools want three letters of recommendation from faculty members who have taught you in class (not a lab instructor). Schools recommend two letters from science faculty and one from a non-science faculty member. One of the recommendation letters should also be from your major. At least two of the evaluations should be from Tulane faculty. Also, you may add one or two additional letters of recommendation for a maximum of five.

Two Science Recommendations

The science recommendations can be from any of the hard science disciplines, as defined by the AAMC: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math. [Note: Students who plan to apply to LSU NO will need to submit three letters of recommendation from science faculty.]

One Non-Science Recommendation

Medical schools are looking for well-rounded individuals; therefore, we recommend that you ask a professor who has taught you in an area of Humanities or Fine Arts. However, we will accept a letter from any non-science discipline (business, public health, etc.).

Optional Recommendations

You may submit up to two additional letters of recommendation to the Pre-Health Office to be added to your file. A good source for these letters would include directors or supervisors from activities such as research, health-related experience, employment, or service-oriented activities, or it can be another recommendation from another faculty member. It is not necessary to get additional recommendations. If you are applying to dental schools it is important to obtain a dental recommendation for your packet.

How do I request a Letter of Recommendation?

Ask for a recommendation in person. Sit down with the faculty member to discuss your credentials and your application. Make sure the evaluator will be able to support your application (i.e., ask if the person will be able to write you a good letter). Provide your evaluator with a copy of your transcript, and resume (and any additional information such as an essay and photo, if available). In addition, if you have written a paper or have done a piece of work for the evaluator, bring a copy of that work as an aid to memory.

Ask your evaluators for a recommendation as soon as possible. Allow four to six weeks for letters to be written. Preparing careful evaluations takes time, so rushing your evaluator is not productive. Finish your part early so that your evaluation can be completed.

Recommendations should be sent directly to the Health Professions Advisor’s Office. You may check to see if they have arrived at any time. However, it is up to you to check with the faculty member if they have not been received, in order to provide the necessary reminder. Once a recommendation is written and received, it is thoughtful to relay a note of thanks to your evaluator.

Letters of recommendation from non-faculty members should be on their own letterhead and addressed "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN." These outside letters of recommendation should be sent to the Health Professions Advisor and will be sent to the professional schools along with the other recommendations. We will only send five letters of recommendation (the three required--two sciences, a non-science, and one or two optional letters.)

In accordance with the Policy on Family Educational Rights and Privacy, you have the right to read your letters of recommendation. If you choose to exercise that right, you may review your recommendations. However, admissions committees consider confidential letters much more seriously, and for that reason, it is strongly recommended that you waive your right to access on the waiver form and on each recommendation form. If you do not waive your right to access, we are obliged to inform both those who write on your behalf and admissions committees that your letters are not confidential. The decision to waive or not to waive this right requires your signature. If students choose not to waive this right, they will not be eligible for a letter packet and should request individual letters instead.

As part of the primary application you will include a personal statement (approximately 5,300 characters or 1.5 pages single spaced), which is sent to all of the schools on your application list. This is your opportunity to speak about yourself and to persuade the medical school that you are a unique, attractive candidate. Your essay should demonstrate that you are well prepared for medical school and that you can express yourself clearly and succinctly. Above all, the personal statement should give a clear and concrete answer to the question: why medicine (or dentistry, or veterinary medicine, etc.) for me?

Because this is a short essay, you must be highly selective. The important task is to decide what you want to say. You may wish to discuss significant courses that have influenced your decision to pursue a medical career. Perhaps you wish to stress your interest in medical research and therefore wish to focus on your research experience at Tulane. Has volunteer work been decisive? Or are you someone who has combined scientific interests with humanistic pursuit?

Whatever points you wish to make, remember to be concise, focused, positive, and personal; never be apologetic. Illustrate the central ideas of your essay with concrete examples drawn from your own experiences. Always be specific. When discussing your reasons for wishing to enter medicine, do not spout generalizations about your love of people or science or state that you are compassionate. Illustrate your point with tangible examples of your behavior which would lead your readers (the admissions’ committees) to the same conclusion. Make sure you assume an active role in these episodes, but do not exaggerate your responsibilities or importance either. Remember that medical school admissions committees already have a list of your activities and your academic transcript. Don't waste space duplicating information.

Your essay should go through many drafts as you simplify and refine it. Work on it carefully and get input on it from others. The admissions committees should not be the first outside eyes looking at your work. Also, when writing your personal statement, consider the following: Does each paragraph have a clear focus? Have you said exactly what you mean? Are there any sentences that are too long? Are there any statements which sound awkward? Are your verbs active and strong? 

The Pre-Health Advisors are available to work with you on any stage in the drafting process. You can also visit Tulane's Writing Workshop and the Career Center for assistance with personal statements and resumes.

For most health profession schools, the primary application is the first of a three-step application process (primary application, secondary application, and interview). The primary application includes the following items:

• basic background information including name, birthday, schools attended, citizenship, ethnicity and race, and more
• all coursework from any college or university attended
• work experience and extracurricular activities
• standardized test scores (MCAT, DAT, OAT, etc.)
• personal statement
• letters of recommendation

Most health profession schools use a centralized application service (CAS) to collect and distribute this information to individual schools (similar to the Common App for undergraduate admissions). See the links below for the various health professions’ centralized application services.

The timing of your primary application is an important and often overlooked aspect of the application process; for many students, the application process begins earlier than expected. For future M.D.’s who plan to attend medical school directly after graduation, the AMCAS application service opens in May of the junior year, and students can submit their application for processing in the first week in June—well before the start of senior year. It is to the applicant’s advantage to submit the primary application as early as possible.

Note: you can submit your application for processing without a standardized test score (MCAT, DAT, etc.); however, schools will not consider a student for an interview until the application file is complete (primary application with test scores, secondary application, and letters of recommendation).

Once schools receive your primary application and test scores, they will send out a school-specific secondary application. Many schools send out secondary applications to all applicants; other schools will do an initial round of evaluation (usually based on GPA and MCAT score) before sending out secondaries to select candidates who meet their specific criteria.

Health Profession Centralized Application Services

Allopathic Medicine: American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

Osteopathic Medicine: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)

Dental Medicine: Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)

Physician Assistant: Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)

Veterinary Medicine: Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)

Pharmacy: Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS)

Physical Therapy: Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS)

Once you submit your primary application, medical schools will begin sending requests for secondary or supplemental applications. The secondary application is a school-specific application, usually consisting of short answer essay prompts. If the primary application is supposed to answer the question, Why do I want to go to medical school?, the secondary application answers the question: Why do I want to go to this medical school?

Your secondary application is an important piece of the application process—you are essentially attempting to demonstrate that you are a good “fit” for a particular medical school. For each school that you are applying to, make sure that you understand that school’s particular mission, values, and curriculum to help tailor your secondary application essays. There will be some overlap between secondaries, and you may recycle material from one secondary to the next, but overall, every secondary application should be finely targeted to each individual school.

Some schools do an initial screening of primary applications before deciding who to send secondary applications to; most schools, however, will request a secondary from all applicants. There is typically an additional processing fee associated with the secondary application. (If the cost of submitting a secondary application is prohibitive, you can request a secondary fee waiver from individual schools. Some schools will automatically grant a fee waiver to applicants who are eligible for the AAMC’s Fee Assistance Program/FAP)

Below are some common secondary essay prompts. You can also often find secondary questions from the previous year’s application on medical schools’ websites or through a basic web search.

• Our University School of Medicine strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the Our School of Medicine community and bring educational benefits to our student body. (1,000 characters)
• Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1,000 characters)
• Why have you chosen to apply to Our University School of Medicine, and how do you think your education at Our University will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (one page, single spaced PDF)
• Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat AMCAS application information. (2000 character limit.)
• If you have already received your bachelor’s degree, please describe what you have been doing since graduation, and your plans for the upcoming year. (This space is limited to 700 characters.)
• Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (This space is limited to 900 characters.)
• How do your experiences match the mission and values of the University of Our State School of Medicine? (250 words maximum)
• How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician? (250 words maximum)
• What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them? (250 words maximum) 
• (For re-applicants) From your most recent previous application until now, how have you strengthened your application? (250 words maximum)

If you get invited for an interview, you know your application passed the preliminary screening. Your test scores, academic record, recommendations, and personal statement are at least minimally acceptable. However, medical schools interview many more students than they can accommodate. (Schools typically accept between 25-35% of the students that they interview.)

Medical schools use a variety of interview formats. You may be interviewed by one or several people; interviewers may be faculty (clinical or basic sciences), admissions officers, or students. The invitation to interview at a medical school usually includes orientation, a tour of facilities, lunch, and two to three 30-60 minute interviews. Dress nicely and look your best. This is a professional, not a social, occasion.

The most important advice to follow is also probably the hardest: be yourself and relax. While you should try to anticipate questions the interviewers are likely to ask, you should not prepare "pat" answers for questions. Be honest in your answers. Many times the interviewer is less concerned with your answer than with the reasoning that prompted it. 

A short list of the many personal qualities that admissions committees seek includes integrity, motivation, altruism, self-discipline, stamina, communication skills, and individuality. They try to summarize your total accomplishments--academic record, honors and awards, extracurricular activities, employment, hobbies, community service, and demonstration of leadership skills, to name a few--and to get a feel for your personal qualities. It is easy to claim a particular quality, but that claim is verified only through actions and accomplishments.