Pre-Health Events and Opportunities

Tip of the week: Know your AAMC Core Competencies! What are these? They are a set of specific skills, traits, and “competencies” that medical schools and MANY other graduate and professional programs in healthcare expect of entering students. In other words, it answers the age-old question: What do I need to do to get into medical school (or dental, optometry, PA, etc.) in addition to a strong academic performance? Medical school admissions committees closely assess the 17 Pre-Med Competencies for Entering Medical Students when evaluating candidates.

Office of Pre-Health Advising

Check out the Spring 2024 Pre-Med Program Guide for a full list of events and RSVP links! From application workshops to Q&A with Netter School of Medicine, there is much to take advantage of this semester.

Pre-Med 101

Want to enroll as pre-med or pre-dental (and access advising and resources)?

For anyone that missed Pre-Med 101 in the fall, there are two enrollment periods this semester (Feb 7-9 and Apr 2-4). Attendance at one session is mandatory for enrollment in Pre-Medical Studies or Pre-Dental Studies. Overview of course requirements and early-college strategies for pre-med, pre-dental, and any other clinical doctorates (optometry, veterinary med, pharmacy, podiatry, etc.). Highly recommended for anyone considering healthcare professions. RSVP required (via Handshake or links below). Repeat sessions, choose one:

Wed, Feb 7 at 1:00pm (SC-207) [RSVP]
Wed, Feb 7 at 2:00pm (SC-207) [RSVP]
Friday, Feb 9 at 11:00am (SC-116) [RSVP]
Friday, Feb 9 at Noon (SC-116) [RSVP]
Tues, April 2 at 10:00am (SC-116) [RSVP]
Tues, April 2 at 11:00am (SC-116) [RSVP]
Thurs, April 4 at 2:00pm (SC-207) [RSVP]
Thurs, April 4 at 12:30pm (SC-207) [RSVP]

NOTE: Sophomores and juniors are strongly encouraged to re-attend Pre-Med 101 for an overview and refresher.

MCAT Prep: Work Smarter, Not Harder

Tuesday, February 27 at 4:00pm or 5:00pm (SC-207)

Review of content, strategies, timelines, pre-requisite courses, scores, and date selection. Anyone wanting an overview of the exam or planning to prepare in 2024 should attend. RSVP HERE for the 4pm session or HERE for the 5pm session.

Need advice? Meet with a Pre-Health Ambassador!Appointments available for pre-health first years and sophomores (pre-med, other clinical doctorates, pre-PA, undecided/exploring). Get help with pursuing clinical, research, or volunteer opportunities. Guidance on summer experiences, programs, and internships. Explore career options, find campus support and resources. Make the most of your Quinnipiac experience. Plan for summer 2024!

BU SPIN Summer program (June 3 – July 25, 2024)

The Summer Program in Neuroscience (SPIN) is an annual 8-week program for undergraduates hosted at Boston University. SPIN is a unique program that combines mentored research activity with parallel organized clinical and didactic experiences to create and enhance an understanding and appreciation of the relationship between investigation and medicine in the neurosciences. SPIN is open to rising junior and senior undergraduate students interested in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, computer science, and medicine. The priority deadline is February 16^th, 2024, and general application deadline is March 16^th, 2024 Interested? Apply here.

Gap Year Options

FoodCorps Service Program

FoodCorps connects students to the joy and power of food. We do this through education in the classroom and garden, as well as promoting nourishing school meals and new menu items in the cafeteria. To support these initiatives, we hire FoodCorps AmeriCorps service members. These service members are placed in schools for 11 months (August-July), and in CT they receive a living stipend of $33,000 for their time. They also receive professional development opportunities in the field of nutrition, agriculture, and education. It’s truly a great opportunity for anyone that is interested in pursuing a career in teaching, agriculture, policy, or the nonprofit sector. See attached flyer and website for details. Interested seniors or alumni can apply here – applications are rolling (apply by April) and interviews begin in February. (Questions? Contact Matt Dempsey at matt.dempsey@foodcorps.org)

NOTE: FoodCorps will be at the university-wide career fair on Feb. 28!

Test Prep

Casper Situational Judgement Test – Applicant Webinar (Feb. 27 at 1pm EST)

Many medical schools, dental schools, clinical doctorate programs, and graduate schools require situational judgment tests (in addition to entrance exams testing foundational sciences). Casper is an online, open response test asking what you would do in difficult situations and why. Resources about Casper can be found HERE, including Casper: Everything You Need to Know (PDF), What Casper scores mean (video), The Ultimate Guide to Holistic Admissions (PDF). On February 27 at 1:00 pm EST, Acuity Insight will host a webinar for applicants on the essentials of the Casper test. Students and applicants can register here(a recording will be available to review at takecasper.com after the webinar). Attend or view the webinar to learn:

What it is and how it works
Why programs require or recommend Casper
Tips to set yourself up for a successful testing experience

AAMC Preview

Many MD programs require the AAMC PREview situational judgement test in lieu of Casper. The AAMC PREview^® professional readiness exam is designed to look beyond academic metrics to assess and evaluate professional competencies such as resilience and adaptability, service orientation, ethical responsibility to self and others, empathy and compassion, cultural awareness, cultural humility, and teamwork and collaboration, among others. PREview is offered March-September. See HERE for more information and resources.

Resources

Pre-PA Data

Curious about PA applicant and matriculant trends (GPA, GRE, age, gender, major, etc.)? PAEA has released the 2023 CASPA Applicant Data Report (GPA and GRE). See here for end-of-cycle applicant and matriculant data (age, gender, major, and more) via cycle-to-cycle comparison reports: