HEALTH PROFESSIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Health Professions Advisory Committee consists of biology faculty members devoted to advising students interested in pursuing careers in healthcare fields. A word to the wise, if you are considering applying to a postgraduate health professions program you need to start NOW in the application process. Chances are if you haven’t already started the application process you are behind schedule!! If you haven’t already discussed your interests with your advisor you should do so as soon as possible and/or make an appointment to discuss your career interests with one of the members of the HPAC as soon as possible.

The HPA Committee members are:

Dr. Rick Puzdrowski (Committee Chair)

Dr. Bob Ferebee

While the application process may vary depending on your area of interest and the particular school you want to apply to, in general the steps to follow in preparing and applying are:

1) Decide what schools you are interested in and visit their website and/or visit their campus. Find out what courses they require of their applicants, and especially whether they have special application requirements. In general, students planning to apply to medical or dental school are advised that many medical schools require the following courses:

General Chemistry One year with laboratory

Organic Chemistry One year with laboratory

General Physics One year with laboratory

Calculus One-half year (requirement varies)

Biology Two years, one with laboratory

2) Familiarize yourself with the application deadlines for the schools or application services you are going to submit your application to. For Med/Dent School Applicants, it is strongly advised that you prepare and submit your application as early as possible (May-August) the year before you plan to begin med/dent school. Many schools in Texas begin interviewing early to mid-August for entrance starting the following fall. If you wait until August or later to submit your application, the likelihood of getting an interview for entrance the following fall is lower.

3) In consultation with your faculty advisor decide what courses you need to take that will prepare you for taking the aptitude exam (ex. MCAT, DAT, etc.) relevant to the area of medicine you are interested in.

4) Get to know your profs (especially those on the committee) and let them know your plans. These people will be writing you recommendation letters.

5) Many medical schools also look very favorably on an applicant’s extra-curricular activities, such as:

· Gaining experience in a medical setting (volunteer at a hospital, shadow a physician on rounds, working in a physicians office, etc.). Some schools require this type of experience.

· Participating in a scientific research project.

· Becoming involved in a community organization (serve as an officer, participate in the organization’s activities, etc.). Doing community service (coach a youth soccer team, visit the sick, get involved in a charity, etc.). Some schools expect applicants to have done community service.

Letters of Recommendation:

Students requesting letters of recommendation from the HPAC Committee should provide:

All required forms to be submitted with the letter.
A list of addresses to which the letter should be sent.
A brief resume summarizing your accomplishments, honors, and community service.
A statement of purpose explaining why you are interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field of your choice.
A photo of yourself (a clear photocopy of your drivers license photo will be fine)

The committee meets on a regular basis May-September. Requests for letters of recommendation from the committee must be in the Committee Chair’s office (suite 3525, office 7) no later than the third Monday in September. Students requesting a recommendation letter from the committee may not also request letters from individual committee members.

Application Timeline for medical school, dental school, and vet school:

Deadlines & Important Dates (Please check the TMDSAS web page to insure accuracy of these dates)

Deadlines:

August 1: Submit the application for either the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine or UNTHSC-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Early Decision Program. Certification page, fees and photos must be received by August 10, 2004. Submit all required official transcripts and letters of recommendation to TMDSAS by August 15th (this date is for the EDP program ONLY).

October 1: Submit Veterinary Medicine School Application. Certification page and fees must be received by October 10.

November 1: Submit Medical School Applications. Certification page, fees and photos must be received by November 10.

November 1: Submit Dental School Applications. Certification page, fees and photos must be received by November 10.

November 1: Receipt of SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: transcripts, letters of evaluation and test scores. (TMDSAS does not wait for the receipt of all supporting documents to process the application. The schools will begin reviewing the application with what TMDSAS has to provide them, but it is ultimately the applicant's responsibility to have ALL of their supporting documents to TMDSAS in a timely manner. FYI: some schools will not extend an interview offer until TMDSAS has received the letters of evaluation.)

Mid January: Medical school applications must submit final ranking of schools at which they interviewed via the web (interviewed medical applicants only).

Important Dates

August 1 through December 31: Most interviews for the Medical and Dental schools are held in this time frame.

October 1: Date by which Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and UNTHSC-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Early Decision Program applicants are notified of admission action.

December 1: Dental Schools begin extending offers of acceptance.

February 1: Medical Schools mail initial acceptance letters (rolling admissions continue through date of matriculation).

Matriculation: Dates vary, contact schools for further information.

NOTE: These dates and deadlines may vary for private and out of state schools. Check with the schools you are interested in applying to regarding specific dates, deadlines, and requirements. Students interested in applying to the Baylor College of Medicine and out of state medical schools may apply through the American Medical College Application Service (see web link below).

Some Links of interest:

Dental School:

American Dental Association DAT Website (http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat.asp)

Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/)

UTHSC at Houston Dental Branch (http://www.db.uth.tmc.edu/)

UTHSC at San Antonio Dental School (http://www.dental.uthscsa.edu/)

Baylor College of Dentistry (http://www.tambcd.edu/)

Medical School:

Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/)

MCAT website (http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/)

American Medical College Application Service (http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm)

Association of American Medical Colleges (http://www.aamc.org/)

Medifools: Medical education from start to finish (http://www.medfools.com/premed/application.html)

American Osteopathic Association (http://www.aoa-net.org)

Nursing School:

Discover Nursing (http://www.discovernursing.com/)

Texas Nurses Association (http://www.texasnurses.org/)

UTMB School of Nursing (http://www.son.utmb.edu/)

UT Tyler College of Nursing (http://www.uttyler.edu/nursing/nursing.htm)

Pharmacy School:
UH College of Pharmacy (http://www.uh.edu/pharmacy/)

TSU College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (http://www.tsu.edu/academics/pharmacy/index.asp)

Physician Assistants School:

American Academy of Physician Assistants (http://www.aapa.org/)

Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (https://secure.caspaonline.org/)

Physical Therapy School:

American Physical Therapy Association (http://www.apta.org/)

Texas Physical Therapy Association (http://www.tpta.org/)

Vet School:

Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/)

Information on the VCAT (http://www.hbtpc.com/pse/g-vcat0.htm)

The American Veterinary Medical Association (http://www.avma.org/)

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (http://www.avma.org/)

This web page is managed by Dr. Rick Puzdrowski. Comments and suggestions may be directed to puzdrowski@cl.uh.edu

This page was last modified on 2/7/2007