This document provides information about a prehealth convocation event at George Mason University. It begins with the event details, including a resource fair at 5pm and student organization introductions at 7:30pm, followed by a convocation address. The rest of the document discusses various topics related to becoming a physician, including the usual requirements for medical school admission, how admissions are viewed by the public and advisors, statistics on GPAs and MCAT scores, developing competencies, and resources available to prehealth students.

1. Picture Your Future in Medicine PrehealthConvocation Thursday September 2 Research I first floor 5pm resource fair 7:30pmStudent Organizations introductions 7:45pm Convocation address by Dr. Chuck Mandatory for new and competitiveprehealth/premeds. prehealth.gmu.edu Summer 2009 Fall 2009 Spring 2010 Summer 2010 Fall 2010 Spring 2011 Summer 2011 Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Summer 2012 Sponsored by the Health Professions Advising Office (Student Academic Affairs & Advising), and the Office of University Life.

2. The Competency Manifesto Prehealth Convocation 2010 September 2

3. The usual “getting into medical school content” Prerequisite classes and grades Entrance exam performance Volunteering and shadowing Community service

4. It’s time for a checklist!

5. How “the public” views admissions “Peter Allen applied to 30 medical schools after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh last year. Twenty-eight said no. … “His pre-med adviser told him that with his 3.3 grade-point average, he should apply only to osteopathic schools, but he persisted, and was admitted to The Commonwealth and New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y.” “Expecting a surge in U.S. medical schools” by AnemonaHartocollis (Feb 14, 2010 NYT) Peter Allen and Jessica Sidari, first-year students at The Commonwealth Medical College, a first-year school in Scranton, Pa Credit: Niko J. Kallianiotis for The New York Times

6. How prehealth advisors(?) view admissions Comment #184: “I must laugh at the credentials that this white student has. As an advisor for pre-med students at an Ivy-league school, my Asian students with 3.7-3.8 GPAs in the sciences have a rough time even getting interviews. A 3.3 GPA is a laughable GPA and even more laughable coming from a school like Pitt.” “Expecting a surge in U.S. medical schools” by AnemonaHartocollis (Feb 14, 2010 NYT) Peter Allen and Jessica Sidari, first-year students at The Commonwealth Medical College, a first-year school in Scranton, Pa Credit: Niko J. Kallianiotis for The New York Times

7. AAMC GPA/MCAT (2005-2007 accepted %)

8. “The system produces the result for which it was designed.”Bob Witzberg MD, Boston University SOM, AAMC Holistic Review Project

9. Becoming a physician It’s like growing your own garden… (like Farmville).

11. Fertilizers

12. Light

13. Rain/Water

14. Pollenation

15. Temperature

16. Oxygen

18. Becoming a physician? Really: how do you stand out?

19. Competencies and Learning April 5, 2003, UNC ballroom dance club practice with RobertasMaleckis, Credit: Emil Chuck (personal)

20. Attributes of professionalism Subordinate one's self-interest to the interest of others Adhere to high ethical and moral standards Evince core humanistic values, including honesty and integrity, caring and compassion, altruism and empathy, respect for others, and trustworthiness Incorporate self-reflection about one’s actions and decisions Exercise accountability for oneself and for others Deal with high levels of complexity and uncertainty

21. Attributes of professionalism

22. The future MCAT and admissions

23. Evaluation applicant characteristics Members of the MR5 Innovation Lab Working Group (ILWG) described a survey it administered to the Associate or Senior Deans of Admissions for medical schools about the importance of the following characteristics to medical students' success: Integrity and ethics: behaves in an honest and ethical manner; adheres to ethical principles and follows rules and procedures; resists peer pressure to engage in unethical behavior and encourages others to behave in honest and ethical ways Reliability and dependability: Consistently fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner; takes responsibility for personal actions and performance; has a service orientation; Demonstrates a desire to help others and a sensitivity to others' needs and feelings; demonstrates a desire to alleviate others' distress Social and interpersonal skills: Demonstrates an awareness of others' needs, goals, feelings, and the ways that social and behavioral cues affect peoples' interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues and treats others with respect Desire to learn: Sets goals for continuous self-improvement and for learning new concepts and skills; assesses own strengths and weaknesses; solicits and responds appropriately to feedback Resilience and adaptability: Demonstrates tolerance of stressful or changing environments or situations and adapts effectively to them; is persistent, even under difficult situations, recovers from setbacks

24. Goals of competency-based evaluation Criteria should align with articulated technical standards of admissions (based on multiple personality theory). “Legal compliance” arguments tend to have more resistance to acceptance. Criteria should be transparent and independent of professional degree pursued by applicant to should reflect qualities desired for an interprofessional health care workforce. Can compare pools of applicants in the same year for different paths. Applicants should become familiar with competency-based evaluations as it will be a facet of their professional training and practice. Criteria should assist students with self-evaluation and references with confirmatory evaluation (360-evaluation) Quantitative measures should inform advising, program evaluation, and admissions outcomes.

25. GMU Prehealth Evaluation Rubric Compare to technical standards of admissions Academic foundation (science and non-science breadth/rigor) Scholarship and lifelong learning (problem-solving, research, entrepreneurship) Social intelligence (interpersonal, teamwork, mentors) Personal awareness (maturity, ethics, resiliency) Managerial experience (time, financial, project, leadership) Aesthetic or observational skills (art, music, literature) Kinesthetic dexterity (lab methods, sculpture, electronics) Communications skills (written/oral English, other) Knowledge of the profession and health care system Evaluators usually cannot comment on specific fitwith institutional mission and culture!

26. Competencies and Recommendations Newcomer: just starting out. Novice: follows instructions without questioning. Intermediate: memorizes steps, needs more practice. Proficient: can perform the tasks satisfactorily (minor difficulties). Competent: fluent; can improve the task/outcome by making minor adjustments. Expert: tests improvements to tasks in a systematic manner. Master: honored for exceptional skill development. No/Concern: general newcomer/novice to competency concepts. General: generally satisfactory/proficient in competencies Strong: shows additional development (competent) with competencies Enthusiastic: generally expert in competencies Highly: consistently honored (especially by peer review processes) to be exceptional

27. How do you rate yourself? Annual survey 2010/2011 self-assessment

28. Advisees Pipeline

29. Academic foundation

30. Emotional intelligence

31. Reapplicants should re-interview.

32. Likelihood of success Solicited professors MSAC Interviewers

33. Competencies and Recommendations Newcomer: just starting out. Novice: follows instructions without questioning. Intermediate: memorizes steps, needs more practice. Proficient: can perform the tasks satisfactorily (minor difficulties). Competent: fluent; can improve the task/outcome by making minor adjustments. Expert: tests improvements to tasks in a systematic manner. Master: honored for exceptional skill development. No/Concern: general newcomer/novice to competency concepts. General: generally satisfactory/proficient in competencies Strong: shows additional development (competent) with competencies Enthusiastic: generally expert in competencies Highly: consistently honored (especially by peer review processes) to be exceptional

34. Average GPA’s (EY 2010 applicants) PRELIMINARY admissions decisions (GMU) as of August 29, 2010

35. Average GPA’s (AADSAS EY 2010) PRELIMINARY AADSAS 2010 admissions decisions (GMU) as of August 29, 2010

36. Average GPA’s (AMCAS EY 2010) PRELIMINARY AMCAS 2010 admissions decisions (GMU) as of August 29, 2010

37. EY2010 application results

38. How GMU advisees use prehealth resources

39. Required reading AAMC Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) Chapters 1-14. AACOM College Information Book ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools Chapters 1-5. Health Professions Admissions Guide On reserve in JC library

40. Typical communications I get… Hi, Dr. Chuck. I’m a premed at Mason and I wanted to know what classes I needed to take. Should I really major in biology? When should I take the MCAT/DAT/PCAT/OAT? Where should I volunteer? How many hours? Where/When/What is prehealth convocation?

41. Prehealth Advising Website is the online “handbook” for all prehealth advisees and alumni who intend to apply. Updated occasionally Advisees (those who have not completed prerequisites) Preapplicants (those preparing applications; need committee letters) Applicants (those who submitted applications and pursue interviews/offers)

42. Comments by preapplicants The Pre-Health Advising site is an under viewed gem. It is a resource that has the potential to make or break your acceptance into medical school. All of the links under Advisees are very useful in providing information or sources of additional information. The "Advisees" section of the Mason Prehealth website had a great amount of valuable information regarding professionalism, careers, volunteering, etc.

43. Pre-applicants use of website

44. Website hits (2009-2010)

45. Prehealth Website This page outlines all the initial steps new advisees must take to begin their prehealth journey. Advisees > Orientation

46. If you have questions: Undecided majors or adding minors: Academic Advising Center Allied health careers: Academic Advising Center Declared majors on coursework: Department major advisors Academic study skills: Academic Skills Center, Counseling Services Mathematics skills: Mathematics Tutoring Center Writing skills: Writing Center Scientific research, volunteering, postbaccalauareate opportunities: Health professions advisor (MasonWiki) Sophomore entry programs: Health professions advisor (Prehealth website) This information is on the Advisees Orientation page on the website.

47. Sidebar Short information for advisees interested in a specific career option.

49. Science Foundation: It’s NOT about taking the prerequisites! It’s about applying the knowledge from your classes.

52. Prehealth.gmu.edu website Applicants Steps Before Applying (Timeline) Entrance Exams (Test Prep Options) Sophomore Entry Programs George Washington University Early Selection Virginia Commonwealth University Guaranteed Admission Centralized Application Processes

53. New “reapplicants” page. Based on popular questions asked, a page on the questions most reapplicants ask about the committee evaluation process has been created.

54. The MCAT (or DAT, OAT, PCAT, GRE, etc.)

55. Prehealth.gmu.edu website Communities Combined Degrees (Add a PhD) International Applicants and Schools Non-Traditional Reapplicants Transfers Underrepresented

56. Prehealth.gmu.edu website Evaluators Holistic evaluation and rubric Medical Sciences Advisory Committee Recommendation Letters Administrators Visiting campus (for recruiters) Institution profile Diagnosis Reports

58. Communication strategy Listservs, Facebook, and iTunes

59. Communications Must subscribe to prehealth listserv. Emails and open house/recruitment events. Facebook “fan” GMU Prehealth Advising. Interesting articles, event reminders. Facebook “fan” GMU Undergraduate Research. Research careers, Undergraduate Apprenticeships Should receive Constant Contact periodic email.

60. Weekly (more or less) newsletter PREHEALTH-L@listserv.gmu.edu ALSO be added to Constant Contact email to receive weekly newsletter.

61. courses.gmu.edu “WebCT/Blackboard” site Must be manually enrolled by Dr. Chuck with your GMU email address!

63. Facebook “fan” page

64. Facebook fan page interactions

65. Other Facebook fan pages AAMC AMCAS Aspiring Docs SMDEP ADEA NIH PharmCAS Optometry program admissions offices

66. Podcasts.gmu.edu Log to launch iTunesU for GMU. Also open iTunes and search for George Mason Prehealth.

67. iTunesU site 41/172 claimed to have subscribed to the GMU PrehealthiTunesU.

68. Favorite iTunesU tracks Accepted Students Panels EY2009, NEAAHP 2007, AACOM 2010 Application Services Presentations Convocation Addresses The First Lecture (2008) Great Expectations (2009)

69. iTunesU site If you logged into podcasts.gmu.edu: iTunesU site will show a “GMU-only files” tab. EY2010 Accepted Students Panel (4/30/2010). This recording will move over to “Others’ presentations” in October/November. AED/VCU Consortium discussion (4/13/2010). This recording will move over to “Others’ presentations” in October/November.

70. AMCAS 2010 presentation (2009) Q&A with potential AMCAS 2009 applicants.

71. Central Admissions Officers presentations (Chicago 2008) Presentations to advisors from administrators representing PharmCAS, VMCAS, AACPMAS, and PTCAS.

72. Favorite iTunesU tracks Interviewing Skills Career Services Workshop Presentations Insights from Medical Sciences Advisory Committee Tell Me About Yourself: The One Minute Biosketch

73. On reserve (JC library) Test Prep sample textbooks Admissions guides Writing Sample guides Interviewing Prep Admissions brochures & DVD’s Career guides Recommended books to read NEW: DVD of Kaplan Medical School Insider Webinar (2010)

75. Student Doctor Network

76. OldPremeds.org

77. Explore Health Careers.com

78. AspiringDocs.org

79. SMDEP website

81. Radio Rounds webcast and podcast Student-produced at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University Episode 402: About the White Coat Ceremony. http://www.radiorounds.org/

82. Teach for America

83. NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education http://training.nih.gov

84. NIH OITE Prior Events Archive https://www.training.nih.gov/events/prior

85. NIH Training Programs Office https://www.training.nih.gov/programs

87. Three things I wish I had known before starting medical school

88. Getting into medical school without spectacular MCAT scores and GPA

89. Make This Year a Great Year

90. Sexy Premed “Porsche Instead” (music video)

91. Do You Have to Volunteer to Get Into Medical School?

93. The cutting edge of policy

94. The cutting edge of policy

95. National Academies workshops

96. Erich Jarvis presentation (2007) NSF Waterman Award recipient, HHMI Associate Professor of Neurobiology Erich Jarvis gives a presentation at GMU.

97. HHMI Dialogues of Discovery lecture (2008) Nobel laureate and then-outgoing HHMI president Tom Cech discusses his research.

98. Gerstner Sloan Kettering PhD advisor visit 2009 Nobel laureate and GSK program president Harold Varmus (former NIH director) May 2010: named to direct the National Cancer Institute. “Varmus majored in English Literature at Amherst College, earned a master's degree in English at Harvard University, received his medical degree from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was trained in internal medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.” (New York Academy of Sciences).

99. Virginia GovernorBob McDonnell Town Hall meeting at Center for Innovative Technology, Herndon, Virginia (August 24, 2010)

100. Meeting Dr. Anthony Fauci (2010) Cosmos Club presentation (DC)

101. AMCAS 2011 presentation (2010) Presentation of AMCAS 2011. to GMU prospective applicants.

102. How to get great science LOR’s Krasnow Institute seminars Mondays at 4pm (Fairfax campus) Chemistry/Biochemistry seminars Thursdays at 4:30 pm Molecular/Microbiology seminars Fridays at noon (Prince William campus)

103. Other opportunities to grow NYCDC AIDS Ride (September 23-26) We’re supporting Dr. Yuntao Wu and his research lab by raising $200,000 to accelerate their work to decode how the AIDS virus destroys T cells. http://www.nycdc.org/ Science, Medicine, and Islam (October 20) USA Science & Engineering Festival “The Elephant Man” by Bernard Pomerance GMU players (March 31 to April 10)

104. Resources Mason Offers Making Yourself a Better Applicant/Candidate

106. Advanced reading skills

107. Scheduling & Time Mgmt

108. Motivation & Goal-settingDon’t wait until you get a lower-than-expected grade on an exam.

109. Public Health & Policy at Mason Global and Community Health Information Sessions: Sep 22 (eve) and Oct 2 (morn). Global Health Students Beyond Borders MPH Health Administration and Policy MS in Health and Medical Policy Center for Health Policy Research & Ethics chpre.gmu.edu

110. Evaluation applicant characteristics Members of the MR5 Innovation Lab Working Group (ILWG) described a survey it administered to the Associate or Senior Deans of Admissions for medical schools about the importance of the following characteristics to medical students' success: Integrity and ethics: behaves in an honest and ethical manner; adheres to ethical principles and follows rules and procedures; resists peer pressure to engage in unethical behavior and encourages others to behave in honest and ethical ways Reliability and dependability: Consistently fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner; takes responsibility for personal actions and performance; has a service orientation; Demonstrates a desire to help others and a sensitivity to others' needs and feelings; demonstrates a desire to alleviate others' distress Social and interpersonal skills: Demonstrates an awareness of others' needs, goals, feelings, and the ways that social and behavioral cues affect peoples' interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues and treats others with respect Desire to learn: Sets goals for continuous self-improvement and for learning new concepts and skills; assesses own strengths and weaknesses; solicits and responds appropriately to feedback Resilience and adaptability: Demonstrates tolerance of stressful or changing environments or situations and adapts effectively to them; is persistent, even under difficult situations, recovers from setbacks

111. Honor Committee

112. Prehealth Ally Safe Zone Training Fall 2010 sessions: Sep 21 (Tues), Oct 13 (Wed), Nov 16 (Tue), Dec 03 (Fri) Prehealth training session to be determined.

113. Service Leadership Opportunities http://clce.gmu.edu/ Leadership Mason Conference (Sep 25) Mason Volunteers Program AIDS Walk (Oct 2) Volunteer OpportunitiesPetsDC This organization assists pet-owning people with AIDS or HIV to keep their pets healthy and with them as long a possible.

114. Multicultural Resource & Research Center with New Century College

115. Prehealth Expectations Success depends on how you use these and other resources.

116. Gotta know the rules, or ask for help Dustin Johnson, 18th hole, Sunday, PGA Championship 2010 Was ahead by 1 shot when he grounded his club in a bunker. He was penalized 2 shots to become ineligible to playoff for championship (August 15, 2010).

117. Deadlines are important. Take responsibility for not knowing the rules or deadlines. Don’t whine for more points, for extra credit, for deadline extensions UNLESS it is really warranted.

118. Find a mentor,be a mentor. How are you perceived as a community leader? A spokesperson for George Mason University?

119. Accepted Students Panel 2010 GMU applicants who successfully received offers of admission from medical, dental, and pharmacy reflect on the past year.

121. Discover your passion for health care.

122. Select a major and well-rounded classwork.

123. Become familiar with University resources

124. Become informed of challenges to health care delivery.

125. Developing credentials

126. Understand the criteria for success.

127. Identify mentors.

128. Practice communications skills.

129. Develop professionalism and cultural competency.

130. Preparing the application.

131. Evaluate academic opportunities.

132. Understand the evaluation process.

133. Understand the application process.

134. Planning for the future.

135. Seek financial aid information.