AED Meeting Minutes

02/14/2016

Announcements
o USC Greenville Tour
Friday, 2/26; tour at 2:30 PM
Sign-up on google doc included in this email.
Carpool will be set out; plan to leave Columbia around
12:30 PM.
o Next Meeting
2/21- Med Student Panel
PHRC 114 at 6 PM
o Students Today, Doctors Tomorrow
Saturday, 2/20 at USC-School of Medicine
$35
Admissions workshops, gross anatomy tour, suturing, MCAT
workshop, etc.
See OPPA website for more information and to register.
http://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/pre_professional_
advising
o Kaplan Discount
LUEAADU1489 for 10% discount on a Kaplan test prep
course
o Consider voting in student body elections this coming week.
Platforms will be included in the weekly email.
Voting takes place on my.sc.edu
o Nicaragua Donations for Spring Break trip
List of supplies was included in the weekly email and is
reattached here
For every item, you will get a point.
You can bring items to the next meeting or email/text
Lauren to meet up.
o Be the Match.
You can be swabbed outside of the meeting and be put on
the registry.
1 in 70,000 chance that you will be a match.
Does not matter if you have traveled out of the country like
giving blood.
o Welcome New Inductees!!!
Thank you for your flexibility this week!
Accepted Students Panel
o Calli Fletcher

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Chemistry major
Medicine
Megan Grogan
USC and MUSC for Physical Therapy
Nathan Biyani
Public Health major
Dental school
Ben Lampe
Public Health
Michael Auten
Chemistry major
Medicine
What role did your major play in the application process?
Was asked about strengths and weaknesses of choosing
my major in interview
Be able to explain why you chose your major and how it
helped you get to where you are. What is unique about it?
What have you learned that makes you stand out?
PT schools only looked at pre-requisites, but upper level
bios stood out and made the course load appear more
rigorous
Being a doctor is microscopic and Public Health is
macroscopic, so it was nice to have both.
Do what you like. Passion is obvious. Know what you want.
Dont fall out of love with it.
Discuss volunteering and shadowing.
It is important to get your foot in the door wherever you
can.
Personal Touch, Good Samaritan, Free Medical Clinic,
mission trips
Non-medical volunteering is important too!
Soup kitchens, orphanages, etc.
You can shadow several specialties for short periods rather
than one physician for 3 months.
Be able to talk about your experiences and explain
why it was meaningful.
Quality vs. quantity
PT schools in SC do not interview; you are accepted based
on your resume.
Variety is key
It is hard to get in to acute care settings.

Make a connection with the physical therapist there

not just the receptionist. They will need to sign off on
hours and provide recommendations.
Show that you are involved in the community beyond
healthcare.
o Ex: tutoring
Make sure you enjoy what you do as a volunteer so that
you can talk about it in interviews and relate it to your
future profession.
Know why you chose to volunteer at a certain place.
Summer is a great time for shadowing.
MedEx Academy
Share storiesgood things and bad things
Jot down some points after shadowing or volunteering so
that you remember them and can draw from the
experiences later.
Physician recommendation letters arent required but are
very helpful.
o Did any interviewer bring up your letters of recommendation?
Calli was asked why she didnt have a letter from a
physician.
Explained that she chose people that knew her better
than physicians that she only shadowed for short
periods
Some brought up comments in the letter (good ones!)
o Do you have any other certifications that helped you?
CPR
Lab experience
Not required
o Research?
Childhood psychology research-Calli
Unique experience
Research professor wrote a phenomenal
recommendation letter
o Get to know your mentors.
Important but not required; highly recommended
Does not have to be in a science lab
Megan did not do research but worked through undergrad
and was able to share the experiences she had as a server
in a restaurant and the lessons she learned.
Nathan was published, so it was brought up frequently in
his interview.

Know about your study and be able to summarize

your part in it.
Stay busy and do what you like so that you have a lot to
talk about.
If you are interested in a research school, you should
definitely do research.
o Common lines of inquiry across all of your interviews?
It varies from school to school.
Length of time varies
Some are mini-interviews with stations.
Greenville is known for situational questions.
PT school in Philadelphia did a group interview with a group
of faculty.
How can you handle stress? Will you be able to thrive
in this environment?
o Explain how you overcame struggles.
Why medicine? Why do you want to be a doctor?
Have a solid answer. You must be able to articulate
this.
If you were to have gotten a bad grade one semester, they
may ask about it.
Turn the negatives into positives.
You have 15 spots for experiences in the AMCAS
application. Three are classified as the most meaningful,
and you have more room to elaborate on these. You will
most likely be asked to expound upon one or all of them in
the interview.
o What was the most difficult question you have come across?
No one is ever trying to trip you up.
Be able to morally back-up your answers. As long as you
can defend what you are saying, youre golden.
5 Applications for a Potato
MUSC
Who is someone in history you most relate to?
PT: The group interview was more about demonstrating
your personality rather than the resume.
Whats the last book you read for fun?
Who would you want to have dinner with, living or dead?
What do you want written on your grave?
Would you rather the surgeon in a particular situation be
moral or ethical?
Google medical school ethics questions.

Do not try to BS your way out of it. You can ask for
clarification.
Practice having professional conversations. Research the
school and what they stand for. Communicate your
strengths.
Current event/controversial topics
You dont have to be an expert, but cover your bases.
It is good to be aware and informed.
o Study Abroad?
Calli did a week-long medical mission trip which came up
frequently because it was medically based.
No members of the panel did a semester abroad.
If you do go abroad, share your unique experiences!
Theres no reason you cannot go.
o How did you go about getting your letters of rec?
Michael- 2 from science professors
Taught for Dr. Handy in the lab
Get to know your professors over time. Spend time
with them. Go to office hours. Get involved in their
research.
Make sure they really get to know you.
Ben
If someone says they cant write you a good letter,
dont use them.
Some professors want some background information
on you and your interests before they write a letter.
Persistence is key
Nathan
Only 1 science letter
Went to office hours
Small classes are helpful because you interact with
the professor more.
Ask questions during class.
Relate personal information to the class.
Megan
You can only have 3 for PT school: a professor, a
physical therapist, and one from volunteering
Professors that you have more than once are helpful.
Present yourself well. Show up to class.
Professors like to know about your experiences
outside of class.
Calli

Spring semester before you submit is a great time to

get your letters together
Can be submitted electronically via Interfolio
contact Calli if you want more info.
Sit in the front row and pay attention. Take good
notes. Little things add up. You dont have to makeup questions or go to office hours all the time.
Take a class from your advisor if you can.
If you are in Capstone, get to know Dr. Hickey.
Difference in applying to med school vs dental school?
(Nathan)
Nathan does not recommend applying for both.
Need at least 100 shadowing hours for dentistry.
International trips are very hands-on.
DAT instead of MCAT
o DAT holds more weight in application than
MCAT does for med school
o A good score really opens up your options.
Can talk to him directly
o Parting words of wisdom?
Have fun.
Maintain horizontal relationships. You need a support
system.
Do what you like. If you like acting, join a theatre. You dont
have to be healthcare specific all the time.
If you feel like you are behind, you are not. Its normal.
Trust yourself and know that you have prepared yourself to
the best of your ability. Stress can be a good thing, but
dont let it overwhelm you.
Making yourself look good on paper is half the battle. Be
able to express your interests and desires and explain why
you are doing what you are doing. Apply to a wide range of
schools.