Lolita Wood-Hill Offers 11 Tips for Students Pursuing a Career in Medicine or Dentistry
With the need for health care professionals in high-demand, more and more students are choosing to pursue careers in this fast-growing industry.
鈥淵eshiva College students have consistently sought careers in medicine and dentistry but the past several years have shown a marked increase in the number of students applying to these programs,鈥 says Lolita Wood-Hill, director of at . 鈥淲ith the increased interest in healthcare, we have also seen the quality of our applicant pool rise, attesting to the high-caliber students 黑料社 All is able to attract.鈥
Yeshiva College is not alone. At , 鈥渢he number of students interested in the health fields has grown substantially,鈥 according to Dr. Brenda Loewy, 鈥渁nd the acceptance rate has gotten better and better.鈥
With a medical school acceptance rate of 88 percent鈥攚ell above the national average (approximately 50 percent)鈥攁nd a 90 percent acceptance rate to dental schools in 2011, YU students have gone on to pursue graduate degrees at YU鈥檚 and a host of Ivy League schools including Columbia, Harvard and Cornell.
However, for most students, figuring out how to get started can be a bit confusing and overwhelming.
鈥淚t's never too early to start the process,鈥 says Lolita Wood-Hill, director of pre-health advisement at Yeshiva College. 鈥淪tudents in their first and second years of undergraduate school beginning a pre-health track can do several things now to make the application process go more smoothly as they reach their junior and senior years.鈥
Below, Wood-Hill offers 11 tips for students interested in careers in medicine and dentistry track at 黑料社 All.
1. Get Great Grades
A B+ and above in all science and math courses is essential to any successful application.
鈥淚f your grades are not reflective of someone who can manage the rigors of a medical school or dental school curriculum, you are doomed to fail,鈥 says Wood-Hill. 鈥淗aving a dual curriculum at YU gives you a great bonus when schools consider your application. You can be in class 12 hours a day and take approximately 26 credits a semester! This enhances how you look to professional schools. However, your science and math GPA is the second most important factor in weighing your competitiveness for a medical or dental career. A GPA of less than 3.7 for medical school, and less than 3.3 in the sciences for dental school, will significantly hamper an otherwise outstanding application. And extraordinary MCAT or DAT scores will not compensate for this.鈥
2. Find a Tutor
Great grades may require some assistance. Contact about a private tutor at the beginning of the semester鈥攏ot after you鈥檝e done poorly on your first exam! 鈥淭utors help your organize your thoughts and time,鈥 says Wood-Hill.
3. Discover Your Interests
Think about what you are interested in studying. Visit YU鈥檚 (CDC) and see how your values, interests and skills translate into a major. 鈥淒o not assume biology is the only major for pre-med and pre-dental students,鈥 says Wood-Hill. 鈥淯tilize the many internship opportunities available through the CDC.鈥
4. Connect with Faculty
According to Wood-Hill, students 鈥渘eed to make connections with their science and math faculty as soon as possible.鈥
In fact, you should start to ask for letters of recommendation at the end of your first semester at YU.
鈥淕etting a letter from a faculty member every semester gives a clear picture to schools of your intellectual growth throughout your college career,鈥 says Wood-Hill. 鈥淵ou will also want to ask for letters from courses outside of the sciences that may have been particularly engaging or meaningful to you.鈥
5. Volunteer
Students who go to Israel for a year abroad should plan on beginning their volunteer work the summer they return.
鈥淰olunteer work is more than just getting experience,鈥 says Wood-Hill. 鈥淚t is a potential resume builder that can make a big impression on medical or dental schools, or it can be a mundane, everybody-does-it experience that will not help set your application apart from everyone else鈥檚.鈥
To avoid the latter, do not keep working at the same camp, the same hospital or the even in the same community you鈥檝e been working in since high school. Explore new areas of engagement. Work at a nursing home. Read to children in the hospital. Shadow a local dentist or do some dental research at nearby dental schools.
6. Research
Research is essential. Research can be done in a lab or in a clinical setting. It can be research on the Bible or on the economic conditions that caused the Great Depression. Schools want a set of skills鈥攏ot a finished product. 鈥淎 solution is not what schools are looking for,鈥 says Wood-Hill. 鈥淚t is the way in which you focus your inquiries and the dedication and tenacity you show that will draw positive attention your way.鈥
7. Pay Attention to Deadlines
"Do not wait until the last minute to get things Plan ahead and save yourself the aggravation of missing out on scholarships, internships and research opportunities.
8. Prepare for Your Professional Exams
Mediocre scores on the MCAT or DAT will not be considered. Period!
Check out all the test prep companies and see if one seems particularly worthy of the time and money you will invest. 鈥淧repare continuously,鈥 says Wood-Hill. 鈥淩ead articles in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Atlantic Monthly, and other sources of reading material that will help you continually refine your critical reading skills.鈥 Take full length practice tests as often as possible.
9. Read Broadly for the New MCAT
With the 2015 MCAT, you will have many more courses to complete before you can begin the application process: biochemistry, genetics, statistics, behavioral science. Take advantage of courses that will give you a better understanding of the outside world and the many cultures it holds. Cultural competency, cultural sensitivity, issues related to poverty and public health, as well as familiarity with basic statistical analysis will all be covered in the new exam.
10. Talk to Upperclassmen
Speak to fellow students who know what you鈥檙e going through! Ask for a peer mentor. These are people who have an interest in your success. They have made mistakes that hopefully you can avoid or they have learned how to avoid pitfalls that can negatively impact on your application. Do not be afraid to ask for their guidance.
11. And Most Importantly鈥 Enjoy Your Time at YU!
鈥淭hese are the years for personal, professional and intellectual growth,鈥 says Wood-Hill. 鈥淢ake the best use of all YU has to offer and graduate knowing that you have been enriched by the meticulous care given by the faculty and staff here.鈥
The Pre-Health Advisement Office is here to work with you throughout your undergraduate experience and help you reach your goals. Be sure to schedule an appointment with a pre-health adviser on the or today. You can also join the Pre-Health Advisement Office e-mail list, which provides helpful information about events that would be of interest to your educational and professional goals.
Have any additional questions? Send an e-mail to woodhill@yu.edu.
