ARE
YOU INTERESTED IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS?
Many students entering college express an interest in some aspect of
medicine. The field of medicine may be attractive for many different
reasons. To some, the specific problems of restoring or maintaining
health are uniquely absorbing; it is a well-respected profession in
which one may be of great service to humanity; it often generates an
income sufficient to permit a high standard of living; it seems to be
a very glamorous and exciting type of work. Medicine is also a very
demanding profession, requiring long years of rigorous training, usually
at great expense, and often requires long and irregular hours on the
job. The decision to pursue a career in any aspect of medicine should
not be made lightly.
Because the field
is attractive to so many people, and because the demands made of a medical
practitioner are so intense, most health professions programs are highly
selective, and competition for acceptance to them is intense. The information
that follows can help you to prepare yourself to apply to the various
health professions training programs.
1.
I want a career related to health care. What are my options?
There are many different
careers in health-related areas, each having several possible areas
of specialization. Some of the most popular fields of study are:
Medicine: primary
care of patients in a number of specialties such as geriatrics, pediatrics,
surgery, ophthalmology and psychiatry, as well as the more general area
now called "Family Practice". In the United States, there are two types
of medical schools. Allopathic medical schools grant the familiar M.D.
degree, while osteopathic schools grant the D.O. degree. Osteopathic
medicine is sometimes referred to as "holistic" medicine, and relies
more heavily on non-invasive procedures.
Nursing - primary
patient care. There are a number of options in nursing, from clinical
and hospital settings to at-home care.
Physical therapy
- treatment & management of physical disabilities
Respiratory therapy
- treatment of respiratory disabilities
Podiatry - the
study and treatment of foot problems. Schools of Podiatry are separate
from medical schools.
Dentistry - treatment
of teeth and related structures
Optometry - the
fitting of glasses and contact lenses for vision correction
Medical technology
- perform microscopic and biochemical tests that aid in diagnosis.
Veterinary Medicine
- health care for non-human animals. Specialties include small animals
(household pets), large animals (e.g. farm animals), and zoo animals.
Pharmacy -
preparation & dispensing of medications
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2.
How do I prepare for such a career?
WHAT
COURSES MUST I TAKE TO BE A COMPETITIVE CANDIDATE?
Most health care
professions require a firm grounding in the basic sciences: biology,
chemistry, physics and mathematics, as well as good oral and written
communications skills. Most schools specify a minimum
of:
1 year biology
with lab (Biology 1000, 1020)
1 year general
chemistry with lab (Chem 1211/1213,1223/1221)
1 year organic
chemistry with lab (Chem 2110/2111,2120/2121)
1 year physics
with lab (Physics 1203/1001, 1213/1003)
mathematics at
least through algebra and trigonometry
Some schools also
require calculus. Dental and physical therapy schools may require a
course in public speaking. Many veterinary schools require biochemistry.
Some fields, such as optometry and ophthalmology, rely heavily on physics
(optics), while dentistry and surgery require manual dexterity and good
spatial co-ordination.
In addition, most
schools require some advanced work in laboratory sciences.
CHOOSING
A MAJOR
Health professions
schools generally look for candidates who are well-rounded, with a strong
liberal arts background in addition to the required sciences. The Core
Curriculum at Millsaps fulfills all the requirements for breadth in
the humanities, social sciences and arts.
While many students
preparing to apply to health professions programs choose a major in
one of the sciences, successful candidates have majored in many different
disciplines, including English, theater, history, and classics, among
others. Choose a major based on your interests; if you are going to
spend several years studying a subject, it should be something you really
like. Just be sure to take all the courses required by the professional
schools to which you intend to apply, in addition to the Core courses
and those required for your major. NOTE: There is no "pre-medical
major" at Millsaps. All students must choose a major in an academic
discipline.
SHOULD
I PURSUE THE BACHELOR OF ARTS OR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE?
There is no particular
preference given to either degree; successful candidates may have either
one, as long as they have taken the necessary courses to be admitted
to the program of their choice. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) requires proficiency
at the intermediate level in a foreign language, either modern or classical.
The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree requires a minimum of four semesters
in at least three different laboratory sciences, as well as Analytical
Geometry and Calculus I (Math 1220). Please see the
College catalog for additional information about specific degree
requirements.
Because the preparation
for health professions programs requires so much science, most students
intending to apply to such programs complete a BS degree.
ACADEMIC
ADVISING
Good academic advising
is crucial for any student planning his/her college courses. Scheduling
all the courses needed to complete College requirements, major requirements,
and professional school prerequisites can be a challenge. You will need
to work closely with your major advisor in planning your semester schedules
in order to complete the courses you need in a timely fashion.
At Millsaps,
each student is assigned an academic advisor when they first enroll.
For freshmen, this is usually your Perspectives advisor, who may
also be a professor you have for another class such as LS 1000
or an IDS course. Transfer students are generally assigned a professor
in a department you have indicated as an area of interest. Non-degree
seeking students usually are assigned an advisor in the office
of Continuing Education.
Once you have chosen
a major, you should formally record that choice by filling out a Declaration
of Major form, available from the Records Office, and having
the chair of your proposed major department sign it. When you return
the completed form to the Records Office, your academic file will be
sent to the major department and you will be assigned a major advisor
from that department. You may declare your major at any time in the
freshman or sophomore year, but by the end of your sophomore year, or
when you have at least 60 semester hours of course credit, you must
declare a major.
Your academic advisor
can be a big help in planning and scheduling courses, but the ultimate
responsibility for your preparation is yours. You should do your homework
by getting and reading the catalogs for those programs to which you
intend to apply, and making sure you take all the courses listed as
prerequisites. Give your advisor a copy of those requirements, too,
so you both have all the important information.
Get some
experience in a related field
Many people choose
a career in the health professions without any first-hand experience
in the field. Their choice is based on what they've been told by parents
and friends, on admiration for their own health care practitioner, or
what they've seen on television or in films. The reality is often a
shock to such people.
There are several
good ways to get a little practical experience in the health care field.
One is to take a part time job or to volunteer at a clinic or hospital,
especially one in which you have contact with patients, such as orderly,
patient escort, or phlebotomist. Another is to seek out opportunities
for internships in a clinic or other health care facility. Millsaps
has an excellent internship program, administered through the
Career Center, which can help you find internships
in doctor's and dentist's offices, clinics and other medical agencies.
Internships of this type are offered for course credit, usually without
pay.
Research experience
is also desirable if you are interested in health care, because it trains
people to think in a critical, analytical way. The topic of research
does not have to be directly related to medicine; in fact much of the
research that may later find application in human health begins as basic
research in biochemistry or ecology, as well as in the more obvious
areas such as physiology, anatomy, or embryology.
There are many opportunities
to be involved in research as an undergraduate at Millsaps, either as
course credit for Undergraduate Research or through the
Honors Program. Many faculty have active research programs and welcome
interested students to work in the lab with them. Speak to the chair
of the department in which you wish to work to find out what kinds of
research projects are available. Scientists at nearby facilities, such
as the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the VA Hospital
also frequently welcome Millsaps students into their labs to do research.
Again, the chair of a related department at Millsaps can help you find
a research mentor at a nearby institution.
Alpha Epsilon
Delta (AED), the pre-health professions honorary, sponsors
frequent guest speakers throughout the year to speak on topics of interest
to students planning careers in one or another of the health-realted
professions. Be sure to watch for notices of these meetings, usually
posted on the AED bulletin board outside Olin 240 and distributed via
e-mail to students.
AED accepts new
members in the spring of each year. Watch for sign-up sheets to indicate
your interest in joining. They are usually posted throughout Olin and
Sullivan-Harrell in March.
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3.
How do I apply to professional schools?
Identify the schools
to which you might want to apply, and send for their catalogs. Information
on schools of allopathic medicine has been compiled into a reference
manual, Medical School Admission Requirements: United States and
Canada. Each member of the Health Professions Advising Committee
has one. The chair of the Health Professions Advising Committee also
has some information on other options.
Read the catalogs
to be sure you understand their entrance requirements and application
deadlines. If you are not a resident of that state, check to see if
they accept non-residents. Many state-supported medical schools give
preference to residents of that state.
Most medical schools
require the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as part of the application
process. This is given in August and April each year. Forms are available
in the Science Division office, Olin 111. Plan to take the MCAT in the
spring of the year before you plan to apply to medical
school. Most dental schools require the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT);
application forms are available in the Divisions Office.
Most medical schools
subscribe to the American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS).
This is a centralized clearing house for applications to medical schools.
In essence, you fill out one application and specify the schools to
which you would like it to be sent. Member schools look over the applications
sent to them, and ask for further information from those applicants
in which they are interested. AMCAS application packets are available
in the Science Divisions office, Olin 111. Some medical schools consider
only those applications submitted through AMCAS.
Most medical and
health-related schools ask for faculty recommendations for each applicant.
Millsaps College has a Health Professions Advising Committee to facilitate
this process. In the fall of the year before you hope to enter medical
school, contact the Committee chair to set up an interview. The Committee
will ask you to get three written evaluations from faculty, then will
meet with you for a short interview. The interview serves two functions:
it gives you some practice in an interview situation, and it allows
the committee to formulate a group evaluation which will be sent to
the schools you are applying to along with the individual evaluations
from your faculty.
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4.
How am I going to pay for this?
This is a question
that deserves some careful thought. Professional schools are expensive.
State-supported schools tend to be cheaper than private schools because
they are heavily subsidized from state taxes (this is why so many of
them do not accept out-of-state residents). Most curricula are so intense
that schools actively discourage students from taking part-time jobs,
at least initially.
The majority of
students support themselves by taking out massive student loans. This
can be a daunting proposition; four years of medical school costs an
average of $100,000.00 in tuition, books and living expenses.
Most schools have
some financial support, based on aptitude or on financial need. Ask
about scholarships and fellowships when you apply.
There are also several
national scholarships available. The Public Health Service funds some
students who pledge to work in rural areas for a certain period of time
after graduation. The Army, Navy and Air Force each offer financial
support to students who enlist as reserves for the period of schooling,
then agree to serve on active duty for a specified period of time following
graduation. Information on these programs is available from the Chair
of the Health Professions Advising Committee.
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5.
When should I do these things?
Sophomore and
Junior year: Begin to gather information on schools. Check to be
sure that you can meet the requirements for your chosen schools.
Spring of junior
year or fall of senior year: take any entrance exams (MCAT, DAT,
etc.)
Summer: Fill
out AMCAS application. Pay special attention to the essay. Use this
as an opportunity to fill in any information that is not obvious from
your transcripts or supporting documents.
Fall of senior
year: arrange your interview with the Health Professions Advising
committee. The earlier you do this, the better.
How do
professional schools choose the students they accept?
Each professional
school has its own process and selection criteria, but all have one
thing in common. All of them have many more applicants than they have
spaces in the entering class, so they must be very selective in who
they accept.
The information
on which admissions committees base their decisions includes grade point
average, both overall and in the natural sciences, performance on standardized
entrance examinations such as MCAT or DAT, recommendations of faculty,
especially the composite evaluation of the Health Professions Advising
Committee, and your written application, especially the personal statement.
If this material indicates that you have the potential to do well in
their program and to become an effective practitioner, you may be invited
for an interview.
As a general rule,
professional programs look for evidence of intellectual ability, as
indicated by performance in college courses and on entrance examinations,
but a high GPA and high exam scores are not necessarily enough. They
may indicate that a candidate has the ability to successfully complete
the necessary course work, but they do not measure other, equally important
qualities such as ability to work with other people, integrity, maturity,
perseverance, or how well a candidate understands and is prepared for
the rigors of the profession. Thus, the candidate's personal essay and
the thoughtful comments of faculty evaluators provide very important
insights into an applicant's preparation for professional training.
Sometimes, a candidate
who has outstanding scores and a very high GPA may not be accepted,
while another, with seemingly lower qualifications on paper, may be
accepted. Often, applicants are not accepted the first time they apply,
but may be accepted a year or two later. There may be several different
reasons for such outcomes. An applicant who maintained a very high GPA
by taking lots of relatively easy courses, or dropping courses when
a low grade seemed likely might be perceived as less desirable than
one who worked hard, even thought the final grade a course was less
than an A. An applicant who has spent four years in college doing nothing
but taking courses might appear not to have developed the interpersonal
skills necessary in the profession. A year or two of experience "in
the real world" may demonstrate to the admissions committee that the
candidate is ready for professional training.
Always
have a "Plan B"
No matter what you
choose to do in life, or how confident you are of the outcome, always
have at least one alternative path in mind. Life is full of surprises,
and as Alexander Fleming said, "Chance favors the prepared mind". As
you plan your college curriculum, think about what else you might enjoy
doing if your first choice does not pan out for some reason. Be alert
to new possibilities, and if opportunity knocks, at least be willing
to listen. For instance, some students who have not gained acceptance
to a clinical training program have taken advantage of the Health Care
Administration concentration in Millsaps' MBA program. Others have found
that their real interests lie in basic research in physiology, biochemistry,
or other sciences, working to understand the causes of certain medical
conditions and means of correcting them, rather than in primary patient
care, and have gone on to graduate programs in those areas.
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