Premed at Bama Questions - Ask Here - Anyone can reply

<p>A number of us have been thru the Med School app process at Bama, we have children who’ve been thru it, or we are currently in the Med School app process. Many prospective Bama students and parents have questions. We can provide some answers.</p>

<p>I have recently been thru the process with S2, who is currently a MS1 (first year med student). Many of us here on CC like to say that the Med School app process takes at least 18 months (sometimes longer). It is also a costly process, which is probably why it can seem like the whole family is going thru it.</p>

<p>Another poster asked the following:</p>

<p>1)*Ok, one quick question: Would I be able to do the STEM Path to the MBA and follow the pre-med track, or is that not possible for whatever reason? And if it is, will the pre-health advisory folks work with me on that?</p>

<p>2) Alright, make that two questions. If it is possible to do this, since I will be a Computer Eng’g Option major I would have to do the Bio/Chem/Stat/Psych/English requirements on top of my major (except for basic chem, of course) right? Eng’g alone will be tough, is that going to be soul-crushingly difficult? I want to have fun at college too…</p>

<p>3) Ok–last one, I promise. Would AP credits be accepted in the place of pre-med requirements? I got a 5 on my AP English Language Exam, and I’m pretty happy about my chances on AP Bio (I’m a rock star at that class for some reason) and AP Calc AB, so that would help out the courseload I’d think.*</p>

<p>1) There is no reason why a STEM to MBA student couldn’t also be premed. Certainly the Premed Advising Office would work with that.</p>

<p>2) "I would have to do the Bio/Chem/Stat/Psych/English requirements on top of my major " Some of those classes are part of eng’g req’ts. English is req’d. Stats isn’t req’d for premed, Calc is fine and you’ll already have taken it. However, if you want to take stats, it’s a good class to take NO MATTER which career route you go. The Psych or Sociology class can go towards a Core Req’t. </p>

<p>?? Is there a reason why you’re going the CompE route instead of the ChemE route? ChemE is easier to fit the premed prereqs.</p>

<p>3) I would tell ANYONE who has AP Bio credits to AT LEAST use the Bio II part from the AP. That semester deals with plants and will mean nothing to you as a premed student. You can take a different Bio class to make up for that (must have a lab). </p>

<p>Many premeds use their AP English credits. Med schools seem to be fine with that…However, they like to see a mention of your upper division Writing Intensive classes (which at Bama you’ll have at least 6 credits). So be sure to mention those on your app.</p>

<p>I linked this thread to the Bama Sticky Info Thread so that it can easily be found in the future.</p>

<p>Some Basic Info</p>

<p>A Premed student can be ANY major… Music, English, Chem, Bio, History, Philosophy, The Classics…whatever.</p>

<p>Med schools don’t care what your major is…NOR do they care if you double major or have minors.</p>

<p>Both GPA’s must be protected, even if that means not taking “extra classes” that might sacrifice GPA.</p>

<p>Cum GPA…all classes</p>

<p>BCMP GPA…all Bio, Chem, Math, and Physics classes. Eng’g classes are NOT BCMP…altho sometimes there are RARE exceptions.</p>

<p>Premeds should carefully balance each semester so that they don’t get overwhelmed and their GPAs get hurt.</p>

<p>The Premed Prereqs are:</p>

<p>2 semesters of Bio (for STEM majors)
2 semesters of Gen Chem (for STEM majors)
2 semesters of Organic Chem (for STEM majors)
2 semesters of Physics (for STEM majors…and the Physics with Calc is fine)
2 semesters of English
1 semester of Math (usually Calc)</p>

<p>There are some new subjects on the new MCAT so some other classes are now either being req’d or strongly recommended:</p>

<p>Sociology or Psychology
BioChem
Stats</p>

<p>At every college about 75% of frosh premeds NEVER go to med school. So, it’s a good idea to have a Plan B especially with your major choice.</p>

<p>Alabama does do Committee Letters!</p>

<p>Request your Committee Interview EARLY</p>

<p>Alabama Premed Advising
<a href=“http://prehealth.ua.edu/[/url]”>http://prehealth.ua.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>^^ sign up to be on the ListServ (parents too!!!) Scroll to bottom and use the link.</p>

<p>Below is the Premed Honors Society ~ Students Group at Bama
Lots of good info and lots of good speakers
[Alpha</a> Epsilon Delta | Alabama Alpha Chapter](<a href=“http://aed.ua.edu/]Alpha”>http://aed.ua.edu/)</p>

<p>RollTideBio’s post:</p>

<p>Good afternoon, friends. As promised, I’ll answer the questions that have been asked.</p>

<p>One by one:</p>

<p>@texas2bama</p>

<p>If political science is what you want to spend four years studying in undergrad, by all means, do it. You should pick the major that interests you the most. That said, if you want to attend medical school, the current prerequisites are:</p>

<p>1 year of general biology with lab
1 year of general chemistry with lab
1 year of organic chemistry with lab
1 year of physics with lab
1 year of English (freshman comp)
Math – school dependent, most are happy with calculus, but some require a year of college math (i.e. calculus + a stats class).</p>

<p>Since the MCAT is changing in 2015, you will need to also make sure to take biochemistry, psychology, and sociology to prepare you. This has the potential to make elective space a little scarce, but if you’re interested in political science, don’t let this deter you! You will be the most successful if you study something you’re interested in. Medical schools honestly don’t care about your major… as long as you’ve completed your pre-reqs, done well on the MCAT, have clinical exposure, and stay involved out of class, you’ll be fine no matter the major. JD/MD is indeed doable, and I think your major/minor plan sounds good to pursue your variety of interests. New College, if I understand correctly, allows you to tailor your own course of study. It’s very independent, but if you’re content with the poli sci/hard science course offerings, then you would be okay out of New College. That said, if you want to explore your interests a little more, check out NC.</p>

<p>Additionally, it’s worth noting that pre-law requires NO specific coursework. You can take whatever you want so long as you’re prepared for the LSAT. For this, a class in the philosophy department in logic (check out PHL 106) would be useful. I would suggest shadowing lawyers and doctors, checking out some research in the field (look into Harvard’s Petri-Flom Center.) To reiterate, the expense of both professional schools is high. You need to be crystal clear about why you want to do either. I’ve heard first-hand from some dual-degree physicians that most MD/JDs wind up using one degree far more than the other; staying up to date on the cases, research, court rulings, etc. in both fields to remain competent as both a physician and attorney can be nearly impossible.</p>

<p>@wvacupuncture:</p>

<p>I am an in-stater. I can’t really speak for how life is for out-of-state students, but everyone I know is well-adjusted, and there are plenty of different outlets for OOSers. Here is one example, The 49: Student Involvement & Leadership
Other outlets include Greek life (if you’re so inclined,) undergraduate research (labs are fantastic for social connections,) club sports, living-learning communities, Honors College Assembly, Educational Outreach… there’s a lot to do, and the mix of IS and OOS students really gives campus a variety of ideas. It’s not the UA of 10 years ago, where only a handful of students were OOS.</p>

<p>All of this said, as a life-long native of Alabama, I can give you plenty of information on what it’s like here, places to go, sights to see… there is obviously a lot of history here, and if you like nature, there are tons of breath-taking state parks. We have (small) mountains in the north, beaches in the south, rivers and forests in between, cotton fields and cotton fields…</p>

<p>I have been pleased with pre-health advising. They’re good about letting you know the things you need to be doing, and they stay in contact throughout the year by offering information about interesting lectures, job or service opportunities, and deadlines for RUI or med/dental/etc school applications. There is also a service where students can apply to do primary care shadowing at the Student Health Center; many people take advantage of this. There are also many service opportunities abroad.</p>

<p>I haven’t really been involved in much volunteerism through AED, the pre-health society, or the advising office. I have worked in the DCH ED as an emergency department scribe; I found out about the opportunity through the AED listserv. I also do clinical volunteer work with Hospice of West Alabama as well as non-clinical through Honors College Educational Outreach. As far as shadowing goes, if you want to do something other than primary care (which many schools LOVE to see primary care shadowing,) it’s generally up to you to reach out to the physician and make it happen. Most of my shadowing has been through family friends who are surgeons, although I have shadowed my primary care physician back home for a time, and plan to do some more before I apply starting in 2015.</p>

<p>@TheWolfman
Ok, one quick question: Would I be able to do the STEM Path to the MBA and follow the pre-med track, or is that not possible for whatever reason? And if it is, will the pre-health advisory folks work with me on that?
Yes; I have friends who are STEM Path to MBA/pre-med. Pre-health will help you get all of that sorted out, and your major adviser will also help you in making sure your courses are scheduled. Keep in mind that the two may be at odds sometimes with regard to take classes when… the pre-health office wants to get you done with prereq coursework to get you on your way.</p>

<p>Alright, make that two questions. If it is possible to do this, since I will be a Computer Eng’g Option major I would have to do the Bio/Chem/Stat/Psych/English requirements on top of my major (except for basic chem, of course) right? Eng’g alone will be tough, is that going to be soul-crushingly difficult? I want to have fun at college too…
It may delay your entrance to med school depending on how much credit you come in with, when you can fit classes into your schedule, etc. Honestly, as long as you’re motivated and willing to put in the work, your pre-req classes aren’t difficult. The caveat is that you must be willing to hit the books and do work. Try to schedule your classes in such a way that you’re spreading out the hardest stuff… you don’t want to be taking DiffEq, organic chemistry II+lab, upper level econ, etc. all together at the same time. There is no prize for finishing first. You want your GPA to be sparkling clean, so just be prepared to work, and do long term planning – and then constantly reflect on it, revise, and keep your nose to the grindstone as you work through the courses.</p>

<p>Ok–last one, I promise. Would AP credits be accepted in the place of pre-med requirements? I got a 5 on my AP English Language Exam, and I’m pretty happy about my chances on AP Bio (I’m a rock star at that class for some reason) and AP Calc AB, so that would help out the courseload I’d think.
The short answer is maybe. Med schools will generally take the English credit. AP Calculus will usually be acceptable too. AP Bio/Chem/Physics, etc. is where people run into trouble. DO NOT use your AP credit unless you plan to take the equivalent number of upper-level courses and rock them. That is to say, if you take AP Bio, be prepared to take BSC 300 Cell Biology, and BSC 315 Genetics to show that you have mastered intro coursework and can hack a year of upper level biology. I generally would recommend refreshing any general science coursework. I took AP bio and chem, got credit for them, but took the honors versions of both my freshman year. It was plenty doable, and it was a nice refresher on the material I had seen before (and will see on the MCAT.)</p>

<p>My understanding is that most, if not all, Med schools require you to have Bio as a part of your undergrad course load.</p>

<p>You can “use” your AP Bio, Chem, and Physics credits but not the way some may think. You’re allowed to use AP credits to SKIP the listed req’ts …BUT…you have to take “higher level” courses as replacements…and they have to have labs.</p>

<p>My son used his AP Bio and AP Chem credits…but he took Genetics, Cell Bio, Bio Chem I & II (chem version) and other Bio and Chem courses so he more than made of for skipping the basic req’ts.</p>

<p>*MD/JD…Is the New College something I should look into for this? *</p>

<p>You can if you want. You could create a major that includes the premed prereqs and includes some classes that make you a well-rounded student which is good for any profession: law, med, whatever. English, History, Philosophy, science courses, Math, etc. You’d have to decide what 2-3 majors your upper division classes will be in, but that’s fine for either med or law school.</p>

<p>However, it’s not necessary to do New College. You can just do the Poly Sci major and do the premed prereqs and you’d be fine either way.</p>

<p>Be aware that the JD/MD process is a VERY expensive route. If you have family to pay then super. Otherwise you could end up with $500k in debt from doing that.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any ideas for careers that are available for people who have taken all of the pre med classes but did not achieve the desired gpa? Is going the pre med route a big risk?</p>

<p>Does anyone have any ideas for careers that are available for people who have taken all of the pre med classes but did not achieve the desired gpa? Is going the pre med route a big risk?</p>

<p>Keep in mind that being premed is NOT a major. You’ll still have your major. Depending on what that major is, the premed classes may be already part of it. </p>

<p>I think the big risk would be if you don’t have a Plan B. So, choose a major that gives you other options. My son was ChemE so that he’d have the eng’g option if he didn’t go to med school. </p>

<p>So, the “careers that are available” if you don’t go to med school will largely depend on what your undergrad major is. If you’re a music major premed, then you might do something with that. If you’re a Chem premed, then you might go into Chem research.</p>

<p>What majors are you considering?</p>

<p>Edited to add…Your D is a frosh at Bama. Is that who you’re wondering about? What is her major?</p>

<p>Medicine and Community</p>

<p>[Medicine</a> & Community | Honors College](<a href=“http://honors.ua.edu/medicineandcommunity/]Medicine”>http://honors.ua.edu/medicineandcommunity/)</p>

<p>HONORS INDEPENDENT STUDY (2 credits)
Applications due before January 14th, 2014
Medicine and Community
UH 400 005 15811
Students will receive an override into the class upon completion of the Honors Special Approval Application. Please contact Hannah Zahedi at uamedicineandcommunity@**********, for more information.</p>

<p>HONORS EXPLORATIONS (2 credits)
Issues and Trends in Healthcare
UH 120 003 15858
The course is designed to enhance the learning and understanding of healthcare. The course serves as an introduction to healthcare, in which trends and issues will be identified and discussed. In addition, policy-making, healthcare delivery models, healthcare management, technology, and research will also be addressed. The course focuses on understanding the role of the healthcare professional in healthcare education, practice, and research. The course will primarily explore how the use of policy-making impacts the current trends in healthcare.</p>

<p>HONORS EXPLORATIONS (1 credit)
Diabetes and Obesity:An American Epidemic
UH 120 320 15834
This UH 120 course is designed to enhance the student’s understanding of diabetes, obesity, nutrition, exercise and health. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to hear lectures from local physicians and dietitians on topics such as the state of our health care and disease prevention. The class will involve a service learning component with Diabetes Education Team student organization where you will have an opportunity to lead educational sessions in the Black Belt and Tuscaloosa communities. Instructor Permission Required.</p>

<p>HONORS INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL MEDICINE (3 credits)
Introduction to Clinical Medicine
UH 330 001 12942
School of Medicine
This course is designed to acquaint students with the major patterns of illness in the U.S. and with the medical disciplines that treat those diseases. Limited to junior and senior students who are in the Honors College. Only 10 seats available. For more information, please contact Pat Murphy at 348-7707 or <a href=“mailto:pmurhpy@cchs.ua.edu”>pmurhpy@cchs.ua.edu</a>.</p>

<p>Great class to take if you’re premed…(really it’s just great for any career prep! There’s a non-honors version that is just as good.)</p>

<p>PHL 106 Honors Deductive Logic</p>

<p>This course examines some of the formal techniques developed by philosophers and mathematicians to distinguish a good argument from a bad one. It is a self-paced course using both computer-aided learning techniques and one-on-one guidance from the instructor and the teaching assistants. The Honors version of Introduction to Deductive Logic expects mastery of more concepts, tools, and techniques of formal deductive logic than the standard version.</p>

<p>At Bama and elsewhere, premeds apply to med school either the Traditional Way, Glide Year Way or the Non-Trad way:</p>

<p>Traditional Way: Take MCAT during junior (not senior) year. Apply to med schools during summer BETWEEN junior and senior year. Interviews and acceptances will take place during senior year. After graduation, the student begins med school.</p>

<p>Glide Year. Student takes the MCAT some time during college years. Student graduates from college. Applies to med school during the summer right after graduation. Student spends the year after graduating interviewing and hopefully getting acceptances.</p>

<p>Non-Trad. Student is older and decides to go to med school. Student may have worked for awhile. Takes the MCAT at some point and applies to med schools.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>For those considering the pre-med route, it’s very beneficial to have an alternate plan in case one doesn’t get a high enough GPA, decides they don’t want to attend med school, etc. Many pre-med students choose to major in Biology, however Biology majors who decide not to go to med school typically have low starting salaries. A number of students have decided to major in Chemical Engineering as ChemE majors typically have high starting salaries and a wide variety of career options. The business school has been encouraging pre-meds to major in some form of business, particularly Health Care Management, as many doctors will eventually be running their own small businesses.</p>

<p>“have clinical exposure,”</p>

<p>the question about what is “clinical experience” comes up often…</p>

<p>As the famous LizzyM says, “if you can smell the patients, it’s clinical.” </p>

<p>So, you can shadow, be a EMT, volunteer in a hospital, etc.</p>

<p>LizzyM is a physician and Adcom at one of the top SOMs. Her advice is Bible…she kindly reveals the ins and outs of the med school process. She has developed the famous (infamous) LizzyM score calculation which helps premeds determine whether their stats are med-school-worthy.</p>

<p>(GPA x 10) + MCAT </p>

<p>However, there now is a new MCAT with a totally new number system, so I don’t know what the new calc is. I’ll try to find it.</p>

<p>Once a person has their LizzyM score, they put it into this LizzyM spreadsheet and it roughly tells you if/where you’d be competitive. However, if you’re OOS, and the public SOM doesn’t accept any/many OOS students, that would also be a consideration.</p>

<p>If you’re a premed (at any school, not just Bama), do not make a common mistake and take on too much as a Fall Frosh. Every year kids sign up for Bio, Chem, Calc, and something else their first semester and are overwhelmed. then they get their first semester grades are are shocked. </p>

<p>The med school app process for the traditional applicant:</p>

<p>Take the MCAT soph or junior year.</p>

<p>Come up with an application list based on your stats and whether your state residency matters.</p>

<p>Junior year: ask several profs and others for LORs. Get those lined up. Your LORs will get sent to the Committee and from those AND from your Committee Interview, a Committee Letter will get created. </p>

<p>Students do not directly apply to med schools. There is a central clearinghouse, AMCAS, that students use to apply. This is like a SUPER Common App process…but much more than a Common App. Everything goes thru AMCAS…your transcripts, LORs (or Committee Letter), your app, etc…all go thru AMCAS. AMCAS verifies your app (which takes 1-2 months), verifies your transcript, RECALCULATES your GPA to a standard method, and then your app, etc, gets sent to the med schools that you’ve selected. </p>

<p>After schools finally receive your app info, Secondaries are sent out. Secondaries are usually a list of MORE questions and essays specific to each med school. </p>

<p>The process gets expensive because you pay to apply to each school, you pay AGAIN to submit secondaries, you pay travel expenses to attend interviews, and so forth. </p>

<p>How could a premed student have a study abroad experience which is normally done in junior year without messing up his MCAT testing schedule and regular med school App process? Should they just do summer program?</p>

<p>Well, it would be a timing issue.<br>
Summer between soph and jr year might be best, but some kids use that time to study for the MCAT. I guess if the summer program isn’t too long, then a student could do the SA and also do MCAT practices before and after.</p>

<p>A rising JUNIOR student could study for the MCAT during the summer and then take a July MCAT and do a Fall SA, but if they haven’t yet taken physics that would be a problem. </p>

<p>All premed prereqs must be taken in the US. What is your child’s schedule for taking Physics and Biochem? </p>

<p>My son didn’t do any long-term SA programs. He did the Spring Break medical one in Nicaragua and he did the Honors in Costa Rica.</p>