Schools Medical in Georgia
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA http://www.emory.edu/WHSC/MED/ Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA http://medicine.mercer.edu/default2.htm Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, Augusta, GA http://www.mcg.edu/som/index.html Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
http://www.msm.edu/
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Medical Schools in Georgia
Your best chance of admission is to a school in your state of residence. Choose your school based on your fit with the school, their style, and mission. Early admission deadline is in August and notification of status is in early October. Regular admission deadline is typically in October or November depending on school with notification of status by March of the following year.
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Medical School Admission Requirements
Course
BIOL1107/L BIOL1108/L CHEM1211/L CHEM1212/L CHEM2411/L CHEM2412/L PHYS1111/L PHYS1112/L ENGL1101 ENGL1102 Humanities/social or behavioral science College math (1 year) Biochemistry Genetics
Emory Mercer MCG Morehouse
Required Choose one Recommended
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Medical School Admission
Course advice from MCG 2nd year med student
Biochemistry Genetics Cell biology Anatomy and/or Physiology Immunology if available Biostatistics if available (boards)
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Medical School Admission
Course advice from MCG 2nd year med student General skills
Review of experiments Data interpretation Oral presentations Writing assignments (essay questions or review of scientific literature Wet labs Keep textbooks as references
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Admission Requirements
Completion of 90 semester hours or 3 years of undergraduate course work (requirement depends on school) for exceptional students. Science degree is not required. Most do not publish a set lower limit for GPA or MCAT score; admission based on many factors Georgia schools give preference to Georgia residents.
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National Medical School Statistics for 2002
33,625 applicants Mean science GPA of 3.36 Mean total GPA of 3.46 Mean MCAT of 27.1 16,488 accepted students Mean science GPA of 3.54 Mean total GPA of 3.61 Mean MCAT of 29.7
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Emory Admissions Statistics 2002-2003
112 students admitted 13% under-represented minorities 41 different undergraduate majors Mean GPA 3.75 Mean MCAT~32
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MCG Admissions Statistics 2003 Entering Class
180 students admitted from 1448 applications received; 825 from Georgia Many different undergraduate majors but most are science or health-related majors (86%) Average GPA of 3.64 Average science GPA of 3.60 Mean MCAT of 28.9
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Mercer Admissions Statistics 2003
Average or mean GPA of 3.46 Average or mean science and math GPA of 3.36 Average or mean MCAT of 25.9
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MCG Admissions Criteria for Evaluation
Responsibilities before medical school application Extracurricular and community activities Background Where are you from? Is your area underserved? Are you interested in practicing in an underserved area?
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MCG Admissions Criteria for Evaluation
Letters of recommendation Why do you want to be physician? Personal interview MCAT scores Grades from undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs
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MCG Technical Skills
Intellectual capacity Good communication skills Physical ability to perform procedures Emotional stability for stresses of medical school, residency, and practice.
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MCG Admissions Criteria for Evaluation
Many criteria go into evaluation for medical school admission. Emphasize your strong points. Give the committee the most complete and accurate view of yourself as you can using the materials they allow you to submit. Be truthful; if you are caught lying you will no longer be considered. Make good impressions on your potential references.
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Responsibilities prior to applying to med school
Let the committee see the responsibilities that you balance. Explain discrepancies or gaps in your academic record (i.e., hardship in your life that lead to poor performance one semester).
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Extracurricular activities
Non-medical volunteering/activities
Choose something that you really believe in.
Medical volunteering
MCG now requires shadowing experience (no set numbers of hours). Shadowing gives you a good idea of what a physician really does. You can get BIOL3222 credit. Volunteer at local hospital to get exposure to clinical side of medicine.
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Extracurricular activities
School Clubs
AMSA national and local member. Circle K (service organization) Be active and if interested hold offices.
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Background
Ethnicity and socioeconomic background
Programs at MCG and Morehouse that are designed to level the playing field for these groups of students.
Programs at MCG
http://www.mcg.edu/careers/specop/pipeline.htm
Programs at Morehouse
http://www.msm.edu/admissions.htm http://www.msm.edu/admissions/summer2003.htm
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Underserved areas of Georgia
Are you from an area of Georgia that is underserved or are you interested in practicing in such an area?
Be truthful about you career goals. If this is not an area of interest for you, down play it on your application.
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MCG Admissions Requirements
Letters of recommendation--Academics
Pre-medical advisor or the pre-medical committee Science faculty Research advisor
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MCG Admissions Requirements
Letter of recommendationPersonal
Two such letters are required. Choose someone who knows you well and can speak about traits that med schools are looking for professionalism, interpersonal skills, communication skills. Ask a physician that you have worked with to write a letter for you (i.e., the physician that you shadow) other letters from medical personnel that you have worked with is O.K.
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MCG Admissions Requirements
Letters of recommendationHints
Author should include information in addition to what the admissions committee can see on your transcript. Get to know your potential references (professors, research mentors, medical personnel etc.) and make a good impression. Ask the reference if they can write a good letter for you. Give the reference ample time to write the letter (minimum of 3-4 weeks). Mark I waive my rights to see this letter on the reference form.
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Why do you want to be a physician?
Be truthful. Be original and make yourself stand out against the sea of other students with good records. Your statement should be well written and concise, yet long enough to tell your story. Give you statement to several people to read for content, grammar, etc. Write the statement well in advance so that you have ample time to modify it and make it perfect.
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Personal Interview
Format will vary from school to school. Could be a one on one interview. Could be with several individuals. By invitation Opportunity to sell yourself and make yourself stand out. Relax and be yourself. Be prepared to talk about the things that you submitted with your application. Dress professionally. Make a good impression. Books to prepare for med school may have typical sample questions for some schools.
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Personal Interview-MCG format
Spend the day at MCG 2 interviews One on one interviews Relaxed format; closed file Interview is a conversation; interviewer is trying to get to know you. Begin with biographical questions Ask about school experiences Ask about extracurricular activitiesbe prepared to discuss your volunteer work, why did you choose that charity or program, what did you gain from the experience?
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Personal Interview-MCG format
How did you come to the conclusion that you want to be a physician? Students ask questions of the interviewer prepare a mental list
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MCAT performance
Test is required for admission, but no minimum score is posted. The better you perform on the exam that better your application looks, but the score is not the deciding factor. Test is given in April and August. For the year that you are applying, it is recommended that you take the MCAT in April, but August is acceptable.
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MCAT performance
You must take the MCAT no earlier than 3 years prior to your application submission. later No than April for early admission for the year that you apply.
Registration deadline mid-March and test mid-April
No later than August for regular admission for the year that you apply.
Registration deadline early July and test mid-August.
Link to MCAT info.
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Grade Point Average
No minimum posted. Check the mean or average GPA posted for each school to get an idea of what is competitive. Important but not the only factor that is considered.
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MCG Admissions Personnel
Linda DeVaughn, Director of Admissions and Student Affairs Dr. Mason P. Thompson, Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs
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Submitting Your Application
Applications must be submitted to AMCAS
AMCA website
Transcript are the most common cause for delays in processing applications. Materials submitted to AMCAS must be received by AMCAS on the date specified by the school. LATE MATERIALS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
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Submitting Your Application
It is your responsibility to check with AMCAS and the school to which you apply to ensure that all of your materials have been received. AMCAS communicates with you by e-mail. When all materials are received by AMCAS, they will verify your application against official transcripts. Application may be returned if there are errors or omissions, so check carefully.
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Submitting Your Application
Transcripts must be received directly from EVERY college or university you attendedeven if it is a single class. Once your application is verified, AMCAS calculates your GPA, sends the application to the medical schools you choose, and notifies you that the application has been processed. Processing time is normally 4-6 weeks at nonpeak processing times with no problems or delays. Begin this process well before the submission deadline.
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Submitting Your Application
Common problems for delay of processing
Missing or incomplete transcripts Nonpayment of application fees Errors or omissions on application.
Warnings or Errors
Missed e-mailsdetected as spam
Contact the admissions staff at MCG often to check on the status of your applicationthey encourage this.
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Submitting Your Application
Deadlines
Deadlines apply to submission and web-certification (like a signature stating the application is complete and accurate) of materials and payment of application fees. If you make changes or additions to application after the initial submission, you must re-certify and resubmit the application. No exceptions for late submission, so do this early.
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Submitting Your Application
Deadlines
Early Decision at MCG
11:59 pm EST August 1 If you miss the early submission deadline, I believe you will be rolled over to the regular admission category.
Regular Admission at MCG
11:59 pm EST November 1
Transcripts can be received by AMCAS beginning May 5.
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Financial Aid
Apply before you know your acceptance status; it takes a minimum of 90 days to process submitted materials (no later than May 1) Total cost at MCG (2003-2004)
First year: $13,794 Second year: $18,342 Third year: $17,959 Fourth year: $11,918
First year costs for Emory are $31,025 for 2002-3 AY. First year costs at Morehouse are approximately 25,000. AMSA meeting, November 20, 2003 37
Financial Aid
Financial aid in the form of
Grants, scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships generally do not have to be repaid. Work-study Service commitmentan organization pays your medical school costs and you work for the organization for a certain length of time upon graduation Student loansmust be repaid; most common way to finance medical school costs.
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Financial Aid
Your loans can also include money to live on maximum that can be borrowed for subsidy. Subsidy is for one person. Average debt MCG medical school graduates is $74,685 for class of 2003.
This must be repaid beginning during residency. Average monthly payment is $800-900.
National average debt for graduates from public medical schools is $91,389 and $123,780 from private medical schools for class of 2002.
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Financial Aid
Research ways to finance your medical school education well in advance. MCG financial aid assistant director
Antoinette Esposito [e-mail] 706-721-4901
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Time line for Medical School Application
Plan well in advance
Fulfill the academic, volunteering, and shadowing requirements. Application process is long and time consuming so start as early as possible; begin in January, February, March of the year you intend to apply to medical school. Have an alternate plan.
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Time Line for pre-med students
What should you do immediately and continue throughout your college career?
Begin your science curriculum as soon as possible. Consult with a science advisor (biology at CCSU) your freshman year (or as soon as you know you are pre-med) to ensure that you are on track.
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Time Line for pre-med students
What should you do immediately and continue throughout your college career?
Participate in extracurricular activitiesno later than junior year.
Join student organizations and go to the meetings. Actively participate in the clubs activities. Hold an office in a student organization. Volunteer with an organization whose cause interests you. Experience the medical fieldknow what you are in for with a medical career.
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Time Line for pre-med students
Sophomore year
Apply to summer enrichment programs or research programs. Continue with shadowing and/or volunteer activities. You should be well on your way to completing the basic, required course work for all medical schools.
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Time Line for pre-med students
Junior year
Plan out upper level courses and set a target graduation date. Set a target year for medical school application. Plan to take the MCAT in spring or summer of this academic year. Prepare for the MCAT
Self preparation. Preparation course (Kaplan, Princeton Review, summer program). Make sure you have taken the relevant course work.
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Time Line for pre-med students
Junior year
Select schools that are of interest to you. Consider:
Location Size of school Student population Faculty/student ratio Type of curriculm (approach to teaching) Mission of school
Obtain information from those schools (internet, sent away for information, talk to representative that visit CCSU, visit school)
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Time Line for pre-med students
Junior year
Obtain application materials from schools of interest (available June 1 for most schools) Begin working on your application materials as soon as possible (Spring semester but no later than beginning of May).
Write statement and ask people to review it. Ask references to write letters of recommendation.
Volunteer, shadow, do research, etc. during the summer.
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Time Line for pre-med students
Senior year
Complete and submit applications and supplementary materials if not already completed. Frequently check application status with AMCAS and medical schools. Complete course workdo your best as your acceptance is contingent upon your satisfactory completion of your program. Continue volunteer and shadowing efforts. Prepare for interview.
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Time Line for pre-med students
Senior year
Summer after graduation
relax before you begin the all consuming medical school experience. Attend pre-matriculation at the the medical school to which you were accepted. Continue with shadowing or volunteering if feasible.
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Time Line for pre-med students
ASMC five step plan for becoming a competitive applicant
Complete required courses and do well in them. Prepare for the MCAT. Volunteer and shadow. Get to know and make good impression on those who will write letter of recommendation. Act in a professional manner.
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Events AMSA could sponsor
MCAT preparation and practice tests. Test taking strategies. Advertisement of summer programs. Workshops on writing your personal essay. Mock interviews.
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Important Websites
http://www.aamc.org/ http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm http://www.aamc.org/audienceamcas.htm http://www.naahp.org http://www.namme-hpe.org http://www.snma.org http://www.amsa.org
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