PreMed

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Pre-Med

• Jacob Boone, M.D.
• May 2009

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Who am I to say?

• 2005 Pepperdine graduate, Sports Medicine degree
• My statistics (in order of importance) 3
  significant clinical experiences, Science GPA
  3.7, MCAT 28, No research, Tutor and TA for
  Physiology and Chemistry, Captain of the Surf
  Team, Vice President of Sigma Nu
• Applied to 14 schools. Interviewed at 3 schools.
  Wait-listed at all 3 schools. Accepted off the
  waitlist to 2 schools in home state of Virginia.
• Graduated in the top 25 from the Medical College
  of Virginia (VCU) in 2009. Now doing a 6 year
  Urology residency at the Kaiser LA Medical Center.

3
Choosing a Major

• Bottom line It doesnt matter
• It should be something that youre interested in
  or passionate about
• Read youre more likely to do well as a
  chemistry major if you love all things chemistry
• If you decide to go the non-science route, make
  sure you can fit in all the science prerequisites
  without killing yourself
• Make sure you do well (mostly As)

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Majors contd

• My recommendation Sports Medicine
• Covers all pre-med courses
• Exposure to anatomy and physiology
• Basis of medicine (see if you like it, right?)
• This is what you will be studying in med school,
  so its great preparation
• Unique major
• Will prompt questions at the med school
  interviews
• Will make you stand out

5
Putting the A in GPA

• Academics comes first (not sports, surfing, or
  Greek life)
• If youre a night-before-the-test crammer, try to
  start studying 3 nights before, especially for
  the science exams
• I made this change my junior year and went from a
  3.6 to a 4.0
• Form study groups if you learn better that way

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My Regimen for studying

• Read through your notes slowly and thoroughly for
  understanding one time without attempting to
  memorize anything
• Read through a second time and make a BRIEF
  outline of key things that will be or you think
  will be on the test.
• Devote one page to what you need to memorize
• Night before the test
• Study your outline a few times through
• Memorize what you need to memorize and quickly
  look over those notes right before the test

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More on Grades

• Impressing teachers is important
• Get to know your teachers very well
• It will help you do better in class and will
  definitely help them remember you when it comes
  time to ask for a letter of recommendation
• Ask questions in class, after class, etc. BE
  INVOLVED and INTERESTED in learning!!!
• Come to class on time! (I was always 5 minutes
  late freshman year, and it gave the false
  impression that I didnt care)

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Grades ad nauseum

• View every class as an opportunity to get an A
  (OK, now breathe and read the rest).
• Dont fret the GPA number, just try to do your
  very best and take one semester at a time.
• Getting a B or even a C in a science course is
  not the end of the world.
• Learn from it. Correct the problem. Move on.
• I got a C in Second Semester Organic Chemistry.
  The next semester, I validated that I could
  handle upper level chemistry courses by getting
  an A in Biochemistry.

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MCAT

• One of the most important tests of your life.
• My recommendations
• Take it one month after you finish your junior
  year
• Use that month to eat, sleep, and breathe the
  MCAT (studying at least 6 hours a day and doing
  questions 2 hours a day). This is how you
  prepare for the boards in med school and it
  works.
• Take a prep course during that time

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MCAT contd

• What other classes besides science prerequisites
  do I take?
• If you can, add these courses Biochemistry,
  Genetics, Physiology, Psychology
• Practice tests take as many as possible its
  just as important to learn how to take the test
  as what is on the test

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Clinical Experience

• 1. Admissions committees want to see that you
  are dedicated to medicine and that you know what
  you are getting yourself into
• 2. Make sure this is what you want to devote the
  rest of your life to
• 3. It is a MUST for admission
• 4. You can shadow a physician for a day, but
  that doesnt count as a meaningful clinical
  experience
• 5. Volunteer to be involved in patient care at a
  free clinic, a hospital, or a physicians office.
  Get SIGNIFICANT experience (an entire summer or
  as a weekly commitment during the school year)

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Clinical Experience Contd

• Do things that are interesting
• Example, teaching the mentally disabled of Malibu
  how to swim and play golf
• Example, go to Fiji with the Surfers Medical
  Association to do volunteer clinic work
• Get involved with the underserved population
• Create an organization at Pepperdine with a bunch
  of other pre-med students that reaches out to the
  community
• The more things you have on your application that
  make you stand out, the better
• Dont overwhelm yourself. Remember, grades come
  first. The summer is a great time to get clinical
  experience.

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Extracurricular Activities

• If youre passionate about things outside of
  medicine, get involved as a LEADER.
• Dont add a bunch of clubs for the sake of
  padding your resume (wastes your time and doesnt
  help a whole lot).
• Be smart making money as a chemistry tutor looks
  better than being a valet at Dukes.
• On the flip side, being a rock climbing
  instructor in Chile for a summer or a Division I
  athlete makes you unique.

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Research

• Always looks good shows you are inquisitive and
  may be interested in academic medicine (hint
  people on admissions committees and interviewers
  for medical school are almost always involved in
  academic medicine)
• Doing research at Pepperdine is also a great way
  to pursue something that interests you and get to
  know a professor who could write an excellent
  letter of recommendation

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More on Research

• My recommendation Do a research project with a
  physician over the summer at a medical school.
• 1. It combines clinical experience, volunteer
  experience, and research all into one summer
• 2. You will most likely be working with someone
  who is connected at the med school and/or other
  med schools
• 3. It will continue to help you when applying to
  residency positions, especially if youre an
  author on a published paper
• 4. How to do it? Go to any med schools website
  and find the email of the Research Coordinator
  for a field that interests you (example,
  orthopedics). You can even call the admissions
  office to see if they have any advice.

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Dr. Engorns Top Ten

• Branden Engorn, M.D. is a former Student
  Admissions Committee Member at VCU School of
  Medicine
• Number 1. Significant clinical experience is the
  MOST important thing on your application.
• 2. Its not all about the numbers. Schools look
  at your entire application. In particular,
  people with unique stories or experiences tend to
  stand out.
• 3. Pick your letter writers wisely. You need to
  have people who truly know you and are
  comfortable writing more than a few sentences.
• 4. Everything you do will be on your file (e.g.
  if you take the MCAT 9 times, they take into
  account all 9 scores).
• 5. Improvement always looks good.

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Dr. Engorns Top Ten Contd

• 6. Research the schools you are applying to and
  will be interviewing with. They will always ask
  you, Why here? and you need to have a response
  that shows youve done your homework.
• Good Answer I applied to VCU because of its
  non-competitive atmosphere, unique Project Heart
  program, and the Foundations of Clinical Medicine
  class.
• Bad answers Because my advisor told me to.
  Because this school takes a lot of California
  applicants. (actual answers)
• 7. Be nice to everyone, including the Admissions
  secretaries and staff, and even the taxi driver
  who drops you off for your interview.

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Dr. Engorns Top Ten contd

• 8. Be prepared for this question What are you
  going to do if you dont get into medical school?
  Or If not medicine, what field would you choose?
  Answer Medicine is the only thing that I am
  interested in pursuing and I will do whatever
  necessary to get in.
• 9. Always a good idea to keep in contact via
  phone calls and e-mails with the admissions
  committee. It may help you land an interview or
  get you off the waitlist. If you do not get in,
  e-mail the schools you are interested in and ask
  them what you can do differently in order to get
  accepted next year.
• 10. Apply as EARLY as physically POSSIBLE!!!

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Reality Check

• Dont let anybody ever tell you what you can and
  cant do. SOMEBODY has to get into these medical
  schools, right?
• Nevertheless, it is important to have a back-up
  plan and be realistic in your goals.
• Remember to be true to yourself. Make sure this
  is what you want to do. Make sure you are
  willing to sacrifice your time, your life, and
  your geographical location for the pursuit of
  medicine.

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Back-up option D.O. schools

• Easier admissions than MD
• Great for primary care, but you can still do any
  specialty with a DO degree.
• For specialties (I.e. non primary-care fields),
  it is more difficult to secure a residency spot
  with a DO degree than it is with an MD from a US
  school.
• My opinion Its better to get in the game now
  than be stuck in the middle indefinitely. If my
  option was to go to DO school now or to reapply
  for the MD, I wouldnt hesitate to go to a DO
  school. I would go to a DO school over a
  Caribbean MD school because of your options for
  residency and likelihood of success. This is my
  opinion based on my experiences and those of
  residents I know. Definitely do your research on
  this issue if you are considering it.

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Back-up Option Post baccalaureate premedical
program

• Originally intended for college graduates who
  decide on medical school late and need the proper
  prerequisites
• An option for those who didnt get into medical
  school the first time around
• Expensive, especially when you consider the total
  number of years of school
• No guarantees for admission
• Need to do well in order to have a chance
• Nevertheless, a valid option if you definitely
  want the M.D.

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Back-up Option Caribbean MD

• Easier admissions
• Have to perform relatively well in order to stay
  enrolled and eventually get a residency
• More limited than a DO degree for residency spots
  because you will be competing against US MDs and
  DOs
• Can transfer to a US MD school after the first
  year if you do extremely well

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Back-up Option Dental School

• Easier admissions than med school
• No required residency after 4 years of school
• Better hours (9am-5pm for 4-5 days a week with no
  call)
• Less stress, few emergencies
• Lots of cool procedures with option to go into
  oral and maxillofacial surgery (wisdom teeth,
  facial trauma, jaw surgery, facial cosmetic
  surgery)

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Must Reads

• Isersons Getting into Medical School
• Your go-to guide
• Isersons Getting into A Residency
• has info on specialties, what medical school is
  like, etc.
• The Ultimate Guide to Choosing A Medical
  Specialty by Dr. Brian Freeman
• great insight into what being a doctor is all
  about

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Conclusion Dont reinvent the wheel

• Make several meetings with Dr. Nelson, your
  pre-med advisor. She is excellent at what she
  does and will help you beyond belief.
• Contact alumni or physicians who have already
  accomplished it.