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The Committee on Health Science Careers, 2006-2007:

Joseph Haydock, Biology (Chair); Kirk Anders, Biology; Maria Bertagnolli, Biology; Gary Chang, Biology; Jeff Cronk, Chemistry; Brian Cooney, English; William Ettinger, Biology; Howard Glass, Physics; Anna Marie Medina, Psychology; Jalal Nawash, Physics; Peter Pauw, Biology; Mike Pringle, English; Ingrid Ranum, English Brook Swanson, Biology; Jeff Watson, Chemistry.

A. University coursework

It is not possible to cover all of the requirements for the various health care professional schools in this memo. It is recommended that you consult books such as "Medical School Admission Requirements" or "Admission Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools" to find the specific requirements of individual schools. Updated versions of these publications are on reserve at Foley Center Library under Dr. Bertagnolli's name. You are also encouraged to use the materials available through the web to obtain specific information about individual schools you are considering, the application process (see for example http://www.aamc.org), and alternative health science careers. In general, the minimum requirements for pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-veterinary medical studies include:

2 years chemistry* (for example, CHM 101/101L, 230/230L, 331/331L, CHM 240/240L)
2 years general biology** (BIOL 101/101L, 102/102L, 201/201L & 202/202L)
1 year general physics (PHY 101, 102 or 103, 204 plus labs)
1 year English (composition and literature)
1 semester calculus° or statistics is recommended

* Most schools specify 1 year of general or inorganic chemistry and 1 year of organic chemistry. In our curriculum the general chemistry requirement would best be fulfilled using Bioanalytical Chemistry (CHM 240/240L) in place of a second semester of general chemistry or inorganic chemistry. One year of biochemistry or molecular biology is strongly recommended by schools such as the University of Washington.

** See your advisor for specific recommendations if you are not a biology major.

° Check with the schools you are interested in attending to determine if they have a specific math requirement.

Most schools have additional specific requirements or recommendations. Many suggest additional biology courses including physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry. It is strongly suggested that students obtain a broadly based spectrum of classes with a good mixture of the social sciences, humanities, language, literature and fine arts.

B. Major

You cannot major in Pre-Med/Pre-Dent etc. While a student must demonstrate strong achievement and aptitude in the natural sciences, a science major is not necessary. The admission rates for students majoring in various fields suggest that admission committees are concerned more with the quality of the work and the attitude of the individual than with the identity of the major. Other studies show that non-science majors perform as well in the professional schools as do their science major counterparts, particularly during the 3rd and 4th years. The Committee on Health Science Careers recommends that you select a major based on alternative career plans or interests and pursue the curriculum that will be most useful towards this goal (in addition to the required courses for the professional school). While we recognize your alternate career may well involve a science major, we suggest that you be careful in obtaining a liberal education to develop yourself in a social and humanitarian sense. A selection of an alternative career will in no way be interpreted as showing a lack of commitment to your health science career. It demonstrates a realistic attitude as well as the fact that your interests are multifaceted.

C. Grade Point Average (GPA)

The student must present a consistent record of high performance and demonstrate the ability to cope with heavy course loads. It should be noted, for example, that the average load during the first year of medical school at the University of Washington is 25 hours of instruction per week. It is clear that a short-term goal of high grades will not help if the material is not digested properly. The admissions tests will give the professional schools an indication of the amount of material you learned while you earned your respective GPA.

D. Admission Tests

It is recommended that the admission tests (MCAT for medical school, osteopathy school and some veterinary schools, and the DAT for dental school) be taken in the spring of the junior year. Thus, students should have completed all of the required courses (see A) before or during their junior year. The examinations are also offered in August with the disadvantage of having scores available later in the application cycle.

Results of the admission tests are utilized as a further indication of the student's academic ability in conjunction with the GPA and transcript.

E. Recommendations

In addition to the applicant's academic abilities, the professional schools are interested in assessing noncognitive qualities. Most rely on three major sources of information - personal statement (see G), letters of recommendation and a formal interview at the professional school.

The Committee on Health Science Careers is the basic source of letters of recommendation at Gonzaga. Students must supply any information that is pertinent to the chairperson of the committee, including a copy of the formal application to the professional school (which includes the college transcript and personal statement), access to MCAT/DAT scores, and letters of evaluation from faculty members not on the committee, physicians or health care practitioners, etc. The committee then interviews the student to help the student prepare for the formal interview at the professional school and to provide the committee with additional information that can be used in drafting the letter of recommendation.

F. Experience

Exposure to a health-related setting is important as an admission factor but perhaps more importantly as an opportunity for you to analyze the type of duties you will be expected to perform in your career. During this type of activity, many students discover that they are not truly interested in the field that originally interested them. It should be stressed however that it is more important to be familiar with the field as a whole, (e.g. current trends, current problems, new techniques, etc.) than to have experience with performing duties in a narrow or limited setting.

Establishing a long record of volunteer community service provides a strong indicator of one's motivation to "help others". Establishing such a record requires time and commitment. Volunteer early and often, but remember that it is often better to commit to a few long-term opportunities than to have a "shopping list" of short-term experiences. Another important factor considered by admission committees is the applicant's overall life experience. Many schools have discovered that students who have spent time outside the academic world exploring various facets of careers, social experiences, or their own position in the world, have the maturity and motivation necessary to cope with the enormous stresses applied to them in the professional school.

G. Motivation and Commitment

In choosing to pursue a health science career, you are aware of the long-term commitment you have made for formal education as well as the need for continued self-education (the average half-life of medical information before it becomes obsolete is about 5 years). It is important that you carefully consider the reasons for selecting a particular career goal and the full implication of what that means for you in terms of future education, function within the career, impact on family life and leisure time, etc. It is crucial that you be able to address with some degree of conviction and specificity questions such as: Why do you want to be a physician, dentist, osteopath, optometrist, etc.? What alternative careers are of interest to you? What qualities do you possess that would be advantageously used in this quest? What weaknesses do you have that need to be strengthened? Are your principal interests humanitarian? Do you have social intelligence?

There are many personal qualities that a professional school will look for in selecting students. Some of the more important are attitude and maturity. A brief look at qualities listed on recommendation forms used by various schools may be of interest. One school asks about comprehension, application of knowledge, accepting demands, verbal and written communication, utilization of time, resourcefulness, dependability, self-confidence, maturity, compassion, interactive capabilities and motivation. Applications for professional schools include a personal statement written by the student. This narrative helps reveal personal qualities, life experiences and other factors that enable an individual to stand out among a list of candidates with similar GPA and admission test scores.

Professional schools have repeatedly rejected students who present strong academic records but lack maturity or have an uninformed or poorly articulated motive for pursuing a health career.

H. What to do

If you are interested in a health science career, be certain to make your interest known to your academic advisor and also discuss this interest with a member of the Committee on Health Science Careers. It is highly recommended that you ask one of these individuals to serve as an academic advisor or as a special program advisor as soon as you feel strongly committed to a health science career. Enrollment in required courses necessary for application to a health professional school in the proper time frame is important. It is also essential to attend informational meetings sponsored by the Committee on Health Science Careers or by the Health Science Careers Club. We would like all students interested in health science careers to enroll in our Blackboard site to facilitate communication of opportunities and requirements. To enroll, please email Dr. Mulick (mulick@gonzaga.edu) and write "Enroll me in Health Sciences Blackboard" in the subject line. Include your full name and email address you want us to use.

Get experience in a health care setting. There are 6 hospitals in Spokane and several major clinics. Each one of them has a volunteer coordinator. Your position does not necessarily have to be in the ER or any other specific department. Expect to begin in a position that is commensurate with your experience. No matter where you work or volunteer make use of your position to observe health care professionals and their interactions with patients and their colleagues. Talk to them and get to know them. Keep a diary of your interactions with patients and staff. It will help you define more precisely your motivations and rationale for entering your chosen field.

When you are certain that you will make an application for acceptance into a health science program, inform the chairperson of the Committee on Health Science Careers of your decision. You should then initiate the process of supplying information to the committee beginning the spring semester of the year preceding your submission of the application (most often, the junior year.)

USEFUL GUIDELINES OF POLITE PROTOCOL FOR THOSE OF YOU APPLYING INCLUDE:

• It is your responsibility to see that deadlines are met and that your application is complete. This applies to the materials required by the committee.
• Ask an individual for their permission before you use their name for a reference or letter of recommendation.
• Give ample time to an individual before the deadline when asking for a letter of recommendation.
• Make certain individuals supplying you with letters of recommendation are aware of the type of details and analysis that should be contained in the letter and what type of group will be reviewing the letter.
• Supply a list of complete addresses for all the letters of recommendation required (you do not need to supply stamped envelopes for the committee, but it would be polite to do so when requesting letters from other individuals).
• It is customary to inform those supplying you with letters of recommendation of the results of your application. Please inform the committee of the results of all of your applications as well.