Health Career Advisors and Staff | Information and Documents Available | Admissions Requirements | Course Selection and Sequence | Summer School Work | What is Important | Timetable for the Health Profession Students (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior) | Preparing for the MCAT | Preparing for the DAT | Preparing for the GRE | The Health Professions Advisory Committee Evaluation | Applications
Washington
and Lee University is vitally concerned with the undergraduate
education of students who wish to enter medical, dental, and veterinary
schools as well as other health professions. Furthermore,
the University has had an excellent record of placing these prospective
candidates into the professional schools: our average percent
of successful candidates is well above the national average in
this regard. In spite of this enviable record, it remains
a sad fact that not all prospective candidates will be able to
secure positions in a professional school of their primary career
choice. For this reason, pre-health professional candidates
should carefully plan their undergraduate academic program, leaving
open the widest possible range of options.
Coordinator, Health Professions
Advisory Committee
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Office: Science Center,
Room A329; Phone 8927
Professor, Department of
Chemistry
Office: Science Center,
Room A313, Phone 8822
Dr. Helen I'Anson (on leave 2006-2007)
Professor of Biology
Office: Science Center,
Room H405; Phone 8974
Professor of Biology
Office: Science Center,
Howe Hall H317; Phone 8895
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Office: Science Center,
Room A427; Phone 8040
Office Manager, Chemistry/Health
Professions
Office: Science Center,
Room A330A; Phone 8872
INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS
AVAILABLE
Information
about Health Professions--dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry,
osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant, pharmacy,
...
The
Medical School Interview
Various
medical, dental and veterinary school catalogs
Information
regarding financial aid.
The following reference
materials are also available:
Medical School Admissions
Requirements
Admission
Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools
Veterinary
Medical School Admissions Requirements
Directory
of Physical Therapy Education Programs
Physician
Assistant Programs Directory
Pharmacy
School Admissions Requirements
The absolute minimum
of required science courses for nearly all medical, dental, and
veterinary schools is:
W&L Course numbers
Biology
(8 credits)
Biology 111, 113, 220, 221
General Chemistry (8 credits)
Chemistry 111, 112
Organic Chemistry (8 credits)
Chemistry 241 or 241S, 242
Physics
(8 credits)
Physics 111/111A & 113, 112 & 114
With this bare minimum,
it is possible to major in any department in the university while
including required science courses. Individual professional
schools may have additional requirements in the sciences, and
many of the schools retain math (6 credits), English (6 credits),
social sciences, and/or humanities courses in their list of specific
requirements - particularly English.
The science courses required
for medical, dental and veterinary school admission are also those
required for minimum preparation for the MCAT
(Medical College Admissions Test), DAT
(Dental Admission Testing Program), and the GRE
(Graduate Record Examination, for veterinary medical school admission).
The MCAT is normally taken in April of the junior year, so it
is important to schedule these courses prior to this time.
The DAT is now taken on computer and should be taken before August
1 of the year that you apply to dental school. The GRE should
be taken in August prior to the senior year.
Biology 215
Biochemistry of the Cell (winter)
Biology 310
Microbiology
(winter)
Regardless of major, some
of the courses required for medical school admission are electives
or cognate courses rather than specific degree requirements.
This means that they may be taken in summer school and the credits
transferred to Washington and Lee for degree credit. The
wisdom of doing this is a matter of some debate. Some medical
school admissions officers have indicated that students presenting
summer school credit for a required course will be asked to justify
why they took it away from their home institution. Some
students have reported being asked about summer school credits
during medical school interviews. Different medical schools
treat this issue differently. It would seem wise, if there
is a need to do summer school work, not to take required courses:
if this becomes a necessity, one should choose a strong institution.
In a survey conducted by
the AAMC in its Group on Student Affairs it was found that the
preadmission variables accorded high importance
by medical school admissions personnel included:
MCAT
scores
undergraduate
grade point average and overall GPA
involvement
in health-related work or volunteer experiences
personal
comments on AMCAS and supplemental applications
interview
ratings
letters
of evaluation
involvement
in extracurricular activities
quality
of degree-granting undergraduate institution
TIMETABLE
FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS
1. Early in
the orientation period health professions students should learn
of the options available in terms of majors so that they, and
their academic advisor, can plan accordingly. An information
table during orientation week is available for this purpose.
1. Students
should participate in Alpha Epsilon Delta activities; most of
which are open to everyone. New members are chosen at the
end of the academic year from the rising junior class. To
be considered for AED membership a student must have at least
a 3.0 grade point average (overall and in science courses), have
had two years of undergraduate study, and be working towards a
health care career.
2. Spend some
time with a doctor, dentist, or veterinary doctor this summer
to help focus your interests and gain exposure to the field.
1.
Particular attention should be paid to AED activities relating
to MCAT, Kaplan Pre-test, AMCAS,
AACOMAS (American Association
of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service), AADSAS (American
Association of Dental Schools Application Services) and VMCAS
(Veterinary Medical College Application Service) applications,
the interview process, etc. Read your email on a regular
basis for announcements about seminars, arrival of applications,
and other relevant items.
8. In summer and/or early fall, students must notify Mrs. Higgins as to where they wish to have evaluations sent.
The Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT, is a 4.5-hour examination. The exam tests students in the following areas: Physical Sciences, including Physics and Inorganic Chemistry; Verbal Reasoning; Biological Sciences, including Biology and Organic Chemistry; and a Writing Sample, two half hour essays on assigned topics.
In preparing for the MCAT, the student
should first become familiar with the content, depth and type
of questions, how the test is scored and how the scores are used.
The MCAT Student Manual from the Association of American Medical
Colleges is the best source to use for this purpose, although
the student may decide to use other MCAT preparation booklets
when actually reviewing for the test. A student should identify
areas of greater and lesser academic strength in order to make
best use of preparation time. The health professions advisor can
be helpful in this regard. Review all areas that are covered by
the test, putting greater time and effort in the areas of greatest
academic weakness. After a thorough review of the subject matter
and practice sessions in the science problems and skills analyses
areas, students should take several self-administered, full length
practice MCAT to familiarize themselves with the rigors of time
and pressure in taking the test. It should not be forgotten that
a test of this intensity and length is a physical challenge, and
attention to good sense in exercise, diet and sleep habits in
the time leading up to the actual test can be of significant value.
The Dental Admission Testing Program (DAT)
administers a four-hour examination. The exam tests students
in the following areas, in order: natural sciences, including
biology, general chemistry and organic chemistry; perceptual ability;
reading comprehension; and quantitative reasoning.
In preparing for the DAT, the student
should become familiar with the content, depth and type of questions,
how the test is scored and how scores are used. The DAT
Application and Preparation materials booklet is the best source
for this material, and is available in Mrs. Higgins’ office.
Since the DAT is now given solely on computer, the student should
take a practice test on their web site, located at: http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/index.asp.
As with any standardized test, practice
is important. (See Preparing for the MCAT, second paragraph).
Less practice materials are available for the DAT, but MCAT practice
manuals on the natural sciences and reading comprehension areas
can be useful.
Most veterinary medical
schools now require the GRE as the standardized test of choice.
In addition to the general test, some schools also require the
Biology subject test. See the current Veterinary Medical School
Admissions Requirements (in the Science Library) to determine
what is required for schools of interest to you.
1. Medical school and dental
school interview invitations typically come during the first semester;
dental school interviews from November to February; veterinary
school interviews, second semester. You should not
go into an interview cold: i.e., without a sense of what
to expect. The best preparation comes from participation
in a mock interview, with one of the health professions advisors.
1. At the end of winter term of the junior year, each student should come to Mrs. Higgins' office and complete a biographical data form. This is how you indicate those professor(s), in addition to your choice of health professions advisors, from whom you wish to obtain evaluations.
2. In the spring term of the junior year, your choice of health professions advisors and additional professors will be asked to complete a standard evaluation form.
3. During the summer, this information is compiled into a single composite letter, which is the format preferred by most professional schools.
AMCAS - for allopathic medical
schools. It goes online in mid May at: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm.
May be submitted in early June. Allopathic schools award
an M.D. degree.
AACOMAS - for osteopathic medical
schools. It goes online in May at: https://aacomas.aacom.org/.
May be submitted on June 1. Osteopathic schools award a
D.O. degree.
AADSAS - for dental schools.
It goes online in June at: http://www.adea.org/AADSAS/default.htm.
May be submitted on June 1. Dental schools award either
a D.D.S. or a D.M.D. degree.
VMCAS - for veterinary medical
schools. It goes online in June at: http://aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm.
Veterinary medical schools award a D.V.M. degree.