WELCOME 1 WhoWhat is the PreHealth Association Member

WELCOME! 1

Who/What is the Pre-Health Association } Member Registration } Preparations for your health professional school application ◦ Course Requirements ◦ Undergraduate Research ◦ Admissions Tests } Upcoming events } 2

Spring 2013 Officers } President: Negin Sazgar } Vice-President: Stephanie Warusevitane } Secretary – Cydnee Charles } Treasurer: Natalie Kemanjian } ICC Representative: Alex Robin } Public Relations Officer: Daniel Ershadi, Youram Farzam } Advisor: Dr. Sandra Hutchinson } Advisor: Dr. M. R. Bautista 3

} We are a student organization that seeks to further the interests and success of those students who aspire for a career in the allied health fields such as Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Respiratory Therapy, and much more! 4

} } } Registration Please sign your name on the list that is going around. You must be an AS member in order to become an official member. Sign-in and Attendance You are required to sign in at every event you attend. After 4 events, you will receive a certificate at the end of the semester, be eligible to run as an officer and may also win the title of “Most Outstanding Member” at our End of The Semester Party! 5

IMPORTANT Email Steps } Always contact us through: smcpha@gmail. com OR Search: “Santa Monica College Pre-Health Association” to find us on Facebook! 6

Our Website } ◦ ◦ At www. smcpha. com there is Information about our upcoming events Power. Point presentations from our speakers Contact information Officer Applications We also have a Facebook Page: ◦ search for Santa Monica College Pre-Health Association on } Facebook. 7

What to Expect at our Meetings } Our association invites guest speakers to give all of us valuable and accurate information about all the different aspects of preparing for and applying to health professional schools. } Visit: www. smcpha. com to see our previous events from last semester 8

Your Health Professional School Application 9

1. Course requirements 2. Extracurricular activities l. Clinical Experience l. Research l. Jobs l. Community Services l. Involvement in student organizations 3. Letters of recommendations 4. Maintaining a good Grade Point Average (GPA) 5. Admission Test (MCAT, DAT, and PCAT) 6. Admission application and essays 7. A bachelors degree l. Not a requirement, but most applicant have it. l. Doesn’t need to be in science 10

2 years of Chemistry with labs ◦ General Chemistry (Chem 11, 12) ◦ Organic Chemistry (Chem 21, 22, and 24) 1 year of Biology with labs ◦ (Bio 21 and 22; Bio 23 may or may not be required) 1 year of Physics with labs ◦ Non-calculus based (Physics 6 and 7) OR ◦ Calculus based for science major (Physics 8 and 9) OR ◦ Calculus based for engineering major (Physics 21, 22, and 23) ◦ Note that Biology Majors have to take one of the calculus based physics series Also visit www. smcpha. com for UC course equivalents and major sheets 11

1 year of English ◦ (Eng 1 and 2) Math ◦ Statistics (Math 54) ◦ A semester of Calculus (Math 7 or Math 8) Additional Courses: Dental School: o 1 semester of Biochemistry (Chemistry 31) Pharmacy School: o 1 semester of Mammalian Physiology (Physiology 3) o 1 semester of Biochemistry (Chemistry 31) o 1 semester of Microbiology (Microbiology 1) o 1 semester of Anatomy (Anatomy 1) 12

More Course Requirements Pre-Chiropractic Chemistry 11, 12, 21, 31, English 1 and 2, or English 1 and Communication Studies 35, Physics 6 and 7, Psychology 1, 15 units from transferable Social Sciences and Humanities courses Two Course Chosen from; Biology 21, 22, 23; Anatomy 1 or Physiology 3 (strongly recommended) ◦Respiratory Therapy AA (Pre-Requisites for application to the program. Anatomy 1, Physiology 3, Chemistry 10, Communications Studies 11, 35 or 37 and Math 18 or 20 13

Nursing Requirements } } } } Prerequisites applying to the SMC Nursing Program An overall grade point average of 2. 5 for the Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Microbiology prerequisite courses with no grade less than "C" for each course, completed in the last five years, and no more than one repetition/withdrawal of any of these courses. You may repeat only one of these courses to be eligible. College level, transferable English, minimum of three(3) semester units with a grade no less than 'C. ' A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2. 5 for all college coursework taken. Good standing student status (academic and in-progress). Successfully pass an approved Admission Assessment (taken while on waitlist). Meet the minimum physical qualifications & essential functions. * Must have a negative criminal background check/drug testing (following conditional admittance). 14

Extracurricular Activities (Clinical Experience) ◦ Most health professional schools want applicants who have had clinical experience. ◦ Specifically, medical schools REQUIRE at least one year of clinical experience. Dental schools encourage applicants to get dental experience in clinical settings. Can be obtained through jobs/volunteer in a doctor’s office, a pharmacy store/counter, in a hospital, etc. Learn how medical professionals work in the field and gain valuable experience by interacting with patients. Something good to put on resume and gain knowledge about the field you want to enter. ◦ We will have various events to inform members about clinical opportunities in certain local hospitals. 13

Undergraduate Research 14

Undergraduate Research, Letter of Recommendation and GPA. Undergraduate Research Recommendation Letter GPA Medical School Application 15

Goals of Undergraduate Research (Usually in Biomedical Sciences) 1. Get excellent letter of recommendation. 2. Learn laboratory and research skills. 3. Learn critical thinking skills. 4. Become more excited about science. 16

What you are expected to do as an Undergraduate Researcher Work under the supervision of a graduate (Ph. D. ) student or a post-doctoral scientist or even the professor. Perform laboratory tasks (e. g. growing bacteria, purifying protein, synthesizing an organic molecule, testing the effect of drugs on mice etc. ). Make appropriate observations and report it to your supervisor. Participate in laboratory meetings and scientific discussion. Read scientific literature related to your research area. Positions are usually voluntary, but could be compensated for specific programs. 17

Time Commitment Hours/week Research skills learned Quality of Rec Letter 4 Minimal Poor 8 Below average Mediocre 16 Average Reasonable 32 Good 64 Very strong Excellent! Students with excellent letters commit at least 1 year to the research project. It is best to start around your sophomore-junior year. 18

Links to undergraduate research sites 19

Admission Tests } For Medicine: ◦ MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) ◦ Visit: http: //www. aamc. org/students/applying/mcat/ } For Pharmacy: ◦ PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) ◦ Visit: http: //www. aacp. org/resources/student/pharmacyforyou/admissio ns/Pages/PCAT. aspx } For Dental: ◦ DAT (Dental Admission Test) ◦ Visit: http: //www. ada. org/dat/ 1

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) Overview: } Required for all* US Medical School Admissions } Current MCAT: Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, & Trial Section (Writing section has been removed) } MCAT 2015 -Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems -Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems -Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior -Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. } CBT (Computer Based Test); $270. } Visit http: //www. aamc. org/students/applying/mcat/ to get important MCAT information from the Association of American Medical Colleges official website. 2

Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) } Not required in California; Approximately two-thirds of the pharmacy schools require students to complete the PCAT. } Important websites - www. aacp. org (American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy) - www. pcatweb. info } PCAT 2013 -2014 Testing Dates July 17, 18 (2013) September 3, 4, 16, 17, 18 (2013) October 28, 29, 30, 31 (2013) November 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (2013) January 7, 8, 2014 } CBT (Computer Based Test); $199. } Topics including biology, chemistry, quantitative ability, reading comprehension, and verbal (with a written section) Registration Deadlines May 17, 2013 July 5, 2013 October 21, 2013 November 7, 2013 3

Dental School Admission Test (DAT) } DAT is required for application to all US dental schools } There are 4 sections of the DAT: 1. Survey of Natural Sciences (Biology, Gen Chem, Organic Chem) 2. Perceptual Ability 3. Reading Comprehension 4. Quantitative Reasoning } 60 -90 days before your desired test date: - obtain a DENTPIN from www. ada. org - be eligible (at least one year of college level biology and chemistry) - submit your application for the DAT at www. ada. org } Important things to remember: - You can only take the DAT once every 90 days - You cannot take it more than 3 times - It costs $385 per each sitting 4

Commercial Test Preparation Services } } The Princeton Review – **Our Club Sponsor** www. pcatweb. infow. com - telephone: 1 -800 -2 Review Berkeley Review www. princetonreview. com - e-mail: mcatprep@berkeley-review. com } Kaplan berkeley-review. comt. com - telephone: 1 -800 -KAP-TEST We will be having an event with Princeton Review this semester! Join us on April 16 th 5

Types of Health Professional Degrees MD: Doctor of Medicine (allopathic approach) DO: Doctor of Osteopathy (osteopathic approach) DDS: Doctor of Dental Surgery DMD: Doctor of Dental Medicine Pharm. D: Doctor of Pharmacy PA: Physician’s Assistant (MPAS) RN: Registered Nurse PT: Physical Therapist (DPT or MPT) DVM: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Some schools offer combination degrees. These are a good option if you have specific career interests. Some examples are: MD/ Ph. D research MD/ MBA hospital management or healthcare public policy DDS/MD oral surgery 25

Top Health Professional Schools Medical schools in California: • #4 #63 Stanford: http: //med. stanford. edu/ • #5 #3 UCSF: http: //medschool. ucsf. edu/ • #13 #10 UCLA: http: //healthsciences. ucla. edu/ • #16 #27 UCSD: http: //som. ucsd. edu/ • #34 #86 USC: http: //keck. usc. edu/ • #42 #24 UC Davis: http: //www. kaptest. com/ • #44 #86 UC Irvine: http: //www. som. uci. edu/ • Loma Linda University: http: //www. llu. edu/medicine/ • Western University: http: //www. westernu. edu/osteopathy/ • Touro University: http: //com. tu. edu/ Dental Schools in Calfornia • UCSF: http: //dentistry. ucsf. edu/ • University of the Pacific: http: //www. dental. pacific. edu/ • UCLA: http: //dentistry. ucla. edu/ • USC: http: //dentistry. usc. edu/ • Loma Linda University: http: //www. llu. edu/dentistry/ • Western University: http: //www. westernu. edu/dentistry/ 26

Top Health Professional Schools Pharmacy Schools in California • #1 UCSF: http: //som. ucdavis. edu/ • #10 USC: http: //pharmacyschool. usc. edu/ • #23 UCSD: http: //www. usc. edu/schools/pharmacy/index. html • #48 University of the Pacific: http: //www 1. uop. edu/pharmacy/index. html • #71 Western University of Health Sciences: http: //pharmacy. ucsd. edu/pharmacy • #80 Touro University: http: //cop. tu. edu/ • California Northstate University College of Pharmacy: http: //www 1. uop. edu/pharmacy/index. html/ • Loma Linda University: http: //pharmacy. llu. edu/ 27

Medical Schools in Canada } } You can attend Canadian medical schools and get residencies back in the USA. ◦ You do NOT have to take the foreign medical exam Canadian medical schools are MD and are the equivalent of MD within the USA. Medical Schools in Canada: University of BC: http: //www. med. ubc. ca/home. htm University of Alberta: http: //www. med. ualberta. ca/Home/index. cfm University of Calgary: http: //www. ucalgary. ca/Uof. C/faculties/medicine/ University of Sahttp: //www. llu. edu/pharmacy/index. page http: //www. umanitoba. ca/faculties/medicine/admissions/info. html Mc. Gill University: http: //www. mcgill. ca/medicine/ Dalhousie University: http: //www. medicine. dal. ca/ University of Toronto: http: //www. facmed. utoronto. ca/site 4. aspx 28

Caribbean Medical Schools } } } Much lower GPA requirements Much lower MCAT scores can get in 90% are U. S. Citizen or permanent residents 4% are Canadians 6% are International Must have high scores on Step 1 and Step 2 board exams Difficult to obtain residencies in the U. S. 29

Osteopathic Medical Schools } } Doctor of Osteopathy (D. O. ) degree Can place in D. O. residency or M. D. residency programs after graduation Have same practicing rights as M. D. GPA requirements a little lower than traditional M. D. programs 30

If you don’t get in } } } } You can always make yourself more competitive. Increase your MCAT score More Research Obtain higher degree (Masters, Ph. D) More volunteering Good Application Essay More extracurricular activity Attend Conferences!!! Summer enrichment programs: ◦ SMDEP Summer Program: Summer Medical and Dental Education Program: www. mcgill. ca/medicine/ ◦ UCLA Prep: pre-medical/pre-dental enrichment program: http: //www. medstudent. ucla. edu/offices/aeo/prep. cfm } 31

Spring 13 Event and Activity List Feb 26 (Tue): SMC Pre-Health Association Orientation Mar 5 (Tue): Catherine Mullinis CSULB Nursing Mar 12 (Tue): No School (Flex Day) Mar 19 (Tue): Dr. Eva Gordon, Director of Clinical Research at the Susan Love Breast Cancer Research Foundation Mar 26 (Tue): Michael Nedjat-Haiem of Care Extenders Apr 2 (Tue): Dr. Bruce Sanders from UCLA Dental School **Officer Application Due Apr 8 (Tue): No Speaker (SPRING BREAK) Apr 16 (Tue): Heather Owen from Princeton Review Apr 23 (Tue): Katie Brennan, RN at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center Apr 30 (Tue): No Speaker (CLUB ROW and Officer Elections) Thurs. May 2 nd May 7 (Tue): Peter Dean of USC's School of Pharmacy May 14 (Tue): Dr. Dutson, Bariatric Surgeon at UCLA, *specializing in Robotics May 21 (Tue): END OF THE SEMESTER PARTY!!!! : ) 32

We want Officers for Fall 2013 Officer positions will be open for next year, Fall 2013. Applications will be accepted this semester, on April 2 nd for Fall 2013 - Eligibility Requirements What do officers do? What are the benefits? How exactly do I become one?

} } } You need to have your AS fees paid and have your AS sticker Prompt email and phone responses Enrolled in a minimum of 6 units Minimum GPA of 2. 0 *available Tues 11: 00 AM-12: 45 PM (so there is flex for speakers) & Thurs 11: 10 -11: 40 AM A moderate class schedule } ◦ If you are taking too many units, you probably won’t have time to be an officer

} President: ◦ ◦ Oversee club as a whole Step in for other officers Work on Club Funds with Treasurer Organize Officer meetings } Vice-President: ◦ ◦ Event Organization Email event reminders Work closely with secretary & president Keep record of all guest speakers

} Treasurer: ◦ Write proposals and requisition forms ◦ Get receipts and signatures from officers ◦ Attend AS finance meetings and board meetings } Secretary: ◦ Take minutes and notes of meetings ◦ Maintain list of active members ◦ Take care of new member registration

} ICC Representative: ◦ Attend Inter-Club Council meetings ◦ Advertise events at ICC meetings ◦ Attend finance meetings if necessary } Public Relations 1: ◦ Create and photocopy event flyers ◦ Distribute flyers across campus ◦ Look for new ways to publicize club

} Public Relations 2: ◦ Update PHA Facebook page ◦ Update the PHA website ◦ Look for new ways to publicize club

} } } Leadership Experience Recommendation Letter Create contacts throughout the school and through guest speakers Valuable experiences to mention in personal statements Meet other SMC students with similar career goals Could put in your resume

1. Fill out and submit an officer application from our website: www. facmed. utoronto. ca/site 4. aspx -Due April 2 nd. 2. Then we will interview you. 3. Officers will be selected for each position 4. You will then observe closely the tasks each officer performs to prepare for the Fall

} } } Get to know the current officers well Club Row is a great day to help out the club and show your ability as a future officer Be an active member throughout the current semester ◦ Actively participate in events ◦ Come to at least 5 events (not a requirement but shows dedication) It is best to come to more meetings than the regular member.

} Please remember to: ◦ Sign in your name to become a member. We’ll see you next week on Tuesday at 11: 30 -12: 15 pm in SCI 157 43