All Star Essays Medical School News

The 2008 Application Season Is About to Begin!

2007-05-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Medical school applicants will be able to access the 2008 editions of the centralized online application systems for M.D. and D.O. programs soon.

AMCAS, the medical school application service run by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), is scheduled to go online on May 3. Although not all application features may be available at that time, applicants should be able to register for accounts and to begin inputting their basic application information.

Almost all U.S. schools that award M.D. degrees use AMCAS. The significant exceptions are the 6 state-supported medical schools in Texas, which have their own centralized application system, known as TMDSAS; the University of North Dakota; and the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

AACOMAS, the centralized application system for osteopathic medical schools, is scheduled to go online in June.

The personal statement is a major component of the primary essays that med school applicants submit through these centralized systems. It's important for applicants to remember that these essays will be seen by the admissions committee of every school the primary application is submitted to, whereas the personal statement submitted with a secondary application will be read at only one school. For more information about why this makes a difference to how you approach your essay, see the Medical Services page on the AllStarEssays website.

More LSU Grads Choosing to Stay in Louisiana

2007-03-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Almost one-half of Louisiana State University's fourth-year medical students chose to stay in-state for residencies this year, according to the LSU Health Sciences Center's Match Day results.

LSUHSC also filled 93 per cent of its own residencies, up from 87 per cent in the last year before Hurricane Katrina.

LSUHSC and state officials are pleased with the outcome, since physicians tend to stay and practice in the state where they conducted their residency.

Source: "FEMA Funding RSD's Temporary Classrooms," by Stephen Maloney. New Orleans CityBusiness, March 26, 2007.

Match Day 2007

2007-03-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Thousands of fourth-year medical students across the U.S. received envelopes last Friday that contained the name of the hospitals and programs where they will be spending the next several years.

March 16 was 'Match Day,' the annual day on which the National Resident Matching Program announes the outcome of medical students' residency applications. The Match results are sent to schools, which distribute them to students.

According to news reports, over 27,000 applicants took part in this year's Match. Approximately 15,200 were fourth-year students at LCME-accredited (allopathic) medical schools, while the remainder were from osteopathic or foreign medical schools. Approximately 21,845 residencies were available.

44 per cent of the Harvard Medical School's 180 graduating students opted for primary care residencies. Approximately 33 per cent of HMS grads chose internal medicine, and 8 per cent chose emergency care.

49 per cent of Tufts students selected primary care residencies and 18 per cent chose surgical specialties. 5 per cent will perform residencies in the U.S. military.

Over one-third of Louisiana State University's graduating class of 92 students chose primary care residencies. 28 LSU graduates will continue their residencies at the LSU Hospital.

Most U.S. medical schools will hold commencement ceremonies in mid-May. Newly-minted M.D.s will report to their residencies in late June or July.

OHSU Extends 3rd-Year Training to Mid-Valley Region

2007-02-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

The Oregon Health & Science University is reported to have reached an agreement with Oregon State University that will allow third-year medical students to train at hospitals in Corvallis, Albany and Lebanon.

An OHSU official said the satellite program would help the school realize its goal of increasing medical student enrollment by a third. As the only medical school in the state, OHSU is being called on to play a major role in addressing Oregon's growing shortage of trained physicians.

Last fall, OHSU enrolled 120 first-year students. A typical class profile is as follows:

Applications received: Over 4,000*
Applicants interviewed: Over 420*
Applicants accepted: 218
Students enrolled: 120

Average age: 26
Average GPA (overall): 3.63
Average GPA (science) 3.57
Average MCAT: 31
Re-applicants: 32 per cent

* NOTE: Only 9 per cent of applicants were from Oregon, whereas 70 per cent of matriculating students are state residents.

Stanford, Duke, Michigan Deans Talk About Diveristy

2007-01-31T14:51:00.000-08:00

The Deans of Admission for the medical schools at Stanford, Duke, and the University of Michigan spoke about diversity and the medical profession at a recent panel hosted by the Yale College Dean’s Office and the Yale Health Professions Advisory Program.

The three agreed that health care professionals have the potential to promote positive social change through their practice of medicine. "Medicine offers you a license to do an amazing amount of good," said Stanford's Dr. Gabriel Garcia.

They agreed that extracurricular and community activities played an important role in their own preparation for medical school and that their schools look for applicants now who are not only strong academically but also active outside the classroom.

One of the deans noted that there is a significant difference between a technician and a healer, and that medical schools are looking for candidates with the ethical and social perspectives required of healers.

Source: "Panel Addresses Med. School Diversity," by Alyssa Nguyen-Phuc, the Yale Daily News, January 30, 2007

U. of Hawaii Gets Record High Number of Applications

2007-01-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

The University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine has received over 1,900 applications for the 64 first-year class spaces available in Fall 2007.

This year's applicant pool marks a 16.5 per cent increase from last year and sets a record high for the number applications submitted to the School in a single admissions season.

Only 223 of this year's applications are from Hawaii residents, while the remainder are from non-residents. The School's policy is to enroll no more than 6 out-of-state students in each class.

Source: "University of Hawaii Medical School Attracts Record-High Number of Applicants," by Gregg Takayama, the Hawaii Reporter, January 12, 2007

Virginia Plans Fifth Medical School

2007-01-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

rVirginia officials have confirmed their interest in establishing a new state-supported medical school, the fifth one in that state.

The school would be a partnership between Virginia Tech and Carilion Health System and would be built somewhere in the Roanoke region.

Virginia is presently home to three state-supported medical schools and one private medical school. State officials are concerned that the existing schools are not able to train enough physicians to keep pace with the healthcare needs of Virginia's growing and aging population.

Source: "Kaine to Announce Plans for a 5th Medical School in Virginia," by Sue Lindsey, AP (Roanoke, VA), January 2, 2007

Case Western Plans Joint M.D./D.M.D. Degree Program

2007-01-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

Case Western University is launching an innovative joint degree program this fall that will graduate health care professionals with degrees in medicine and dentistry.

The program, the first of its kind in the country, will enroll approximately five students each fall. Students will pursue a five-year curriculum that is similar to the training that oral surgeons -- who undergo a medical residency following dental school -- undergo.

Students will qualify for dental licensure upon graduation, and for medical licensure after completion of a medical residency.

Case officials said that the program grew out of a growing appreciation for the linkages between physical and oral health. For example, recent research has found linkages between gum disease and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and fetal development.

Graduates of the M.D./D.M.D. program are expected to be well-prepared for expanded general practice dentistry, for further dental and medical specialization, and for research careers.

Source: "Combining Medical and Dental Education," by Paul Thacker, Inside Higher Education, January 3, 2007

Panel Wants U. of Indiana to Increase Enrollment by 30 Per Cent

2006-12-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Indiana University School of Medicine needs to take in 30 per cent more students over the coming decade to keep pace with the state's growing demand for medical professionals, a task force convened by the University says.

If the School does not increase its enrollment, Indiana residents will face a shortage of as many as 1,975 physicians by 2015, the task force said.

The IU School of Medicine is already one of the largest medical schools in the country, enrolling 280 new students each fall. Approximately half of the physicians who practice in Indiana either hold an M.D. from IU or have taken additional professional training there.

Source: "Task Force: IU Med School Should Boost Enrollment," Inside INdiana Business, December 20, 2006

Yale Considers Expansion to Palm Beach

2006-12-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Yale School of Medicine is exploring the possibility of opening a new branch facility in Palm Beach, Florida.

If it materializes, the Palm Beach facility would represent Yale's first out-of-state expansion.

The facility would most likely be an outpatient clinic that also serves as a teaching center.

Source: "Yale Medical School Looks at Expansion Into County," by Patty Pansa, the Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), December 15, 2006

U. of Kansas Tops Family Practitioners List

2006-12-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

The University of Kansas School of Medicine places more M.D.s in family medicine residencies than any other medical school in the U.S., according to a recent survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

In recent years, over 1 in 5 Kansas graduates have chosen family medicine as their specialty. 39 of the School's 2005 graduates went into family medicine residencies.

The AAFP report also found that graduates of publicly-funded medical schools were more likely to go into family medicine than private medical school graduates are. 9.9 per cent of graduates from publicly-funded medical schools were in family medicine residencies in the fall of 2005, compared to 5.8 per cent of private school graduates.

The AAFP has previously reported that the number of M.D.s going into family medicine has fallen by more than half since 1997, contributing to a projected nationwide shortfall of family physicans by 2020.

Source: "KU School of Medicine Ranks #1 in Number of Graduates Choosing a Family Medicine Residency" - press release, the University of Kansas Medical Center (Kansas City, KS), December 11, 2006

Wake Forest Dean Elected to Lead Am College of Physicians

2006-12-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Wake Forest University School of Medicine Dean William B. Applegate, M.D., has been elected to head the Board of Regents of the American College of Physicians for 2007-2008.

The ACP is the leading national organization representing physicians working in internal medicine and its subspecialties. It has approximately 120,000 members, including medical students. Its activities include public policy advocacy, supporting continuing medical education, and publishing the Annals of Internal Medicine. The Board of Regents is the main policy-making body of the ACP and oversees its business operations.

Applegate was named Dean of the Wake Forest School of Medicine in 2002. He previously served as chair of the internal medicine department. He is nationally recognized as an outstanding clinician and for his research in managing hypertension in elderly patients.

Application Volume Up 55 Per Cent at U of Kentucky

2006-11-29T13:17:00.000-08:00

As of Thanksgiving week, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine had already received almost 1,240 applications for fall 2007 enrollment. That number marks a 55 per cent increase over last year's application volume.

The UK College of Medicine enrolls 103 first-year M.D. students each fall.

Source: "Medical School Applications Increase by 55 Percent," Jill Laster, The Kentucky Kernel (Lexington, Kentucky), November 22, 2006

LSU Returns to New Orleans

2006-11-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

Louisiana State University has reopened its University Hospital in New Orleans on a limited basis, marking the post-Katrina return of LSU residents and staff to the city.

The Hospital's emergency room, intensive care unit, and a restricted number of general medical care beds were scheduled to back in operation. 85 of the Hospital's orginal 575 beds are available.

LSU's hospital system is working with U.S. federal authorities to rebuild New Orlean's health care system. University Hospital will be the only training hospital in New Orleans until a new facility is build to replace Charity Hospital. Spokesmen for LSU's Health Care Services Division caution that a new facility is still years away, and that funds still need to be secured for the project. If and when a new training hospital is built, University Hospital will probably be turned over for clinical research.

Source: "Scaled Back Hospital Reopens," by Kate Moran, the Times-Picayune (New Orleans), November 17, 2006

U. of California Expanding Enrollment?

2006-11-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

The University of California will soon announce a plan to expand its medical school enrollment by almost 1,000 students, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The plan calls for increased enrollment at the five existing UC medical schools and the creation of a sixth medical school at Riverside.

The plan also calls for increased enrollment in nursing, pharmacology, and veterinary medicine. State officials say the UC system needs to produce more graduates in all of these fields in order to keep pace with the demands of a growing and aging population.

The expanded medical school enrollment would take years to achieve. The target enrollment of 3,429 medical students each year -- a 34 per cent increase over the current enrollment of 2,564 -- would not be reached until 2020.

Source: "New Med School Part of UC Plan to Boost Health Care Graduates," by Tanya Schevitz, the San Francisco Chronicle, November 14, 2006

U of Missouri Says PBL Curriculum Works

2006-11-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

The University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine recently reviewed the effectiveness of the Problem-Based Learning curriclum it introduced 13 years ago and confirmed that its approach has been successful in preparing medical professionals to work in a field where the state of knowledge is constantly growing and changing.

The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum reduces the amount of time that medical students spend in lecture classes and discourages rote memorization of data. Instead, it trains students to understand and practice medicine in a clinical context.

Researchers found that Missouri students' performance on medical licensing exams improved significantly after PBL was introduced. Today, Missouri students' test scores on the basic science and clinical sections of the test are significantly above the national average. Researchers also concluded that students who were taught under PBL did better in their first-year residencies than earlier students had.

The PBL curriculum used by the University of Missouri - Columbia School of Medicine begins with two years of foundational studies, with each year being divided into four 10-week 'blocks.' Each block consists of an eight-week period for learning, a one-week period of assessment, and then a one-week period of rest. The blocks include instruction in basic science and in patient care. Students are assigned to study groups of eight which, under the supervision of a faculty member, use case studies to learn medical science and problem solving in a clinical context.

Third-year students are assigned to a series of clerkships in internal medicine, family medicine, child health care, and other required fields. Fourth-year students have elective rotations.

Source: “Problem-Based Learning Curriculum a Success for Medical School,” press release, University of Missouri – Columbia, October 31, 2006

California Court Tells MCAT to Follow State Disability Guidelines

2006-11-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

A California court has ruled that the MCAT must follow state and not federal guidelines in determining the type of accommodations that disabled test-takers are entitled to. If the ruling stands, it may have ripple effects on MCAT administration and medical school admissions nationwide.

The ruling comes out of a class action suit filed on behalf of test-takers with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The plaintiffs had asked the AAMC, which administers the test, for additional time to complete the MCAT. The AAMC refused, saying that the the test-takers' conditions were not extensive enough to qualify as disabilities under federal guidelines.

The court ruled that since the test was being administered in California, the AAMC had to follow California guidelines in determining which test-takers are entitled to special accommodations. Because California law uses broader language than federal law does to define disabilities, the ruling would force the AAMC to extend special accommodations to more test-takers than it does now.

Because it would not be practical to change MCAT administration in just one state, the California court ruling may affect the way that the MCAT is given nationwide.

Source: "Judge Challenges MCAT Rules," by Paul D. Thacker, Inside Higher Education, November 6, 2007

Pioneering Pediatric Cardiologist on U of Kentucky Admissions Committee

2006-11-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Applicants to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine may find their application being reviewed by a pioneering figure in the field of pediatric cardiology.

Dr. Jacqueline Noonan was already recognized as a leader in that speciality when she joined the faculty at the recently established UK College of Medicine in 1961. During her training at Boston Children's Hospital, she had observed and described a congenital cardiac condition she called "hypoplastic left heart syndrome." Later, while teaching at the University of Iowa, she identified another congenital heart condition that became known as Noonan syndrome.

Dr. Noonan went on to become a pillar of the UK College of Medicine and of the surrounding community. Now 78 and nominally retired, she still sees patients at local health clinics, teaches a class at the medical school, serves on a board overseeing medical research -- and helps to select admits for the College of Medicine.

The University of Kentucky Vice President for Health Affairs Michael Karpf told a reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader that students are perennially taken by how approachable and supportive Dr. Noonan is. "People tend to just see this lady who works with first-year medical students and goes to clinics in Eastern Kentucky," Karpf told the paper. "Many don't realize how important she has been on the national and international scene as a cardiologist. She's a true pioneer."

- Source: "A Hero for Young Hearts," by Jim Warren, the Herald-Leader (Lexington, Kentucky), November 3, 2006

Registration for 2007 MCATs Opens Soon

2006-10-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Registration for the 2007 administrations of the MCAT will begin in a few weeks.

Registration for the January 27 and 29 MCAT will open on November 15 and close in mid-January.

Registration for the April and May test dates will open on December 13 and continue until about two weeks before the test date. (Late registration is available until about a week before the test date.)

For more information about 2007 test dates and registration procedures, go to the AAMC's MCAT website (aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm).

U of Hawaii Med School Guest Stars in ABC's 'Lost'

2006-10-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

The University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine provided the set for a flashback scene in an upcoming episode of the ABC series, 'Lost.'

Producer Jean Higgins said that the Burns School's state-of-the-art lab facilities were just what was needed for the scene. "We really needed a very advanced-looking lab," she told a reporter for the Star-Bulletin of Honolulu.

The School facilities used in the shooting included a second-floor laboratory, the gross anatomy lab, and interior and exterior passageways. (Any 'bodies' that appear in the 'Lost' episode will actually be manequins. Cadavers were removed from the gross anatomy lab, and the area was sterilized, before shooting began.)

The scenes shot at the Burns School will be used for a flashback sequence involving the 'Lost' character Juliet, played by Elizabeth Mitchell. It was not clear when the episode will be aired.

Source: "'Lost' Goes to Medical School," by Katherine Nichols, the Star-Bulletin (Honolulu, Hawaii), October 24, 2006.

Med School Applications & Enrollment Both Rising, AAMC Says

2006-10-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that medical school application volume and medical school enrollment both increased between 2005 and 2006.

The number of people applying to enter M.D. programs at U.S. schools this fall grew by approximately 4.5 per cent over last year, the AAMC says. Over 39,000 individual applicants sought medical school admission during the 2005-2006 application season.

Medical schools also increased their intake of first-year students, although, on the national scale, enrollment only grew at about half the pace that application volume did.

Total U.S. medical school student enrollment grew by about 2.2 per cent over the past year.

Approximately one-fifth of the 128 AAMC member schools increased their intake by 5 per cent or more. Several top-ranked schools, including Brown and Boston University, increased their enrollment by 15 per cent or more.

Source: "U.S. Medical School Enrollment Continues to Climb" - press release, AAMC (Washington, DC), October 18, 2006

Out-of-State Applicants Drive Application Increase at West Virginia's Med Schools

2006-10-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Out-of-state students appear to account for most of the increase in applications to West Virginia's three medical schools, the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

Application volume is up dramatically at all three schools.

The West Virginia University School of Medicine received 2,037 applications last year, 55 per cent more than the 1,307 applications it received in 2004-2005. Application volume appears to be strong again this year, with 1,749 applications having already been received a month before WVU's November 15 deadline. WVU enrolls 110 students each fall.

Marshall University received 1,573 applications last year, more than twice the 785 applications it received the year before. A school staff member said she thought Marshall's increased outreach to prospective students helped explain the increase. Marshall accepts about 65 new students each year.

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine is seeing a smaller but still significant increase in applications, with a 2005-2006 applicant pool that is about 11 per cent larger than the 2004-2005 pool. Last fall, approximately 2,500 people applied for the 200 spaces the School has available.

Officials from WVU and WVSOM both said they would like to see more in-state applicants, but that for now the majority of their applicants come from out of state.

Source: "Out-of-Staters Filling Med Schools," by Jessica K. Karmasek, the Charleston Daily Mail, October 16, 2006

Arizona Gains 2 New Medical Schools

2006-10-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

Two new medical schools -- one allopathic and one osteopathic -- were officially inaugurated in Arizona this week.

The University of Arizona held opening ceremonies for the College of Medicine in Phoenix on October 10. The school, which marks an innovative collaboration between UA, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and a biomedical research firm, the Translational Genomics Institute (TGen), hopes to enroll its first group of two dozen medical students next summer. Eventually school officials hope to graduate 150 M.D.s each year, which would make the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix the largest medical school in the state.

Several weeks earlier, Missouri-based A.T. Still University received accreditation for an osteopathic medical campus it had established in Mesa. The Mesa campus will welcome its first class of 100 D.O. students next July.

State officials hope that both schools will graduate physicians who elect to stay and practice in Arizona, which has a chronic shortage of trained medical personnel.

Sources:

"UA Medical School Opens Its Phoenix Campus Today," by Howard Fischer - the Arizona Daily Star, October 10, 2006

"Medical School Prepping in Mesa," by J.J. Hensley - the Arizona Republic, October 13, 2006

MSU Expansion Plans on Track

2006-10-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

Officials at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine say that the school's plans to establish an additional medical school in Grand Rapids, effectively expanding the College's enrollment, are on track and that students could be using the new facility by 2008.

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Aron Sousa told MSU's State News that 50 of next year's admits could be assigned to the proposed West Michigan Medical School facility for their 3rd and 4th years of classes.

MSU officials are already hiring additional staff to support a larger graduating class, negotiating teaching arrangements with area hospitals, and examining possible sites for the building that will house the West Michigan Medical School in Grand Rapids.

Officials expect the West Michigan Medical School to be fully functional in 2010.

For more information, see "Medical Expansion on Schedule for 2008," by Justin Kroll, the MSU State News, October 9, 2006.

UTHSC & Mexico City's UNAM Sign Exchange Agreement

2006-09-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

The University of Texas Health Sciences Center (UTHSC) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) have signed a three-year agreement that will facilitate student exchanges and joint research projects.

The agreement also lays the foundation for faculty exchanges, the sharing of medical reference material, and joint sponsorship of classes, workshops, and seminars.

UNAM, which was founded over 400 years ago and which enrolls over 5,000 students, has partnerships with over 1,000 public and private hospitals. UTHSC President Dr. Francisco Cigarroa said that UNAM offers some of the most sophisticated clinical training he has ever seen.

UTHSC plans to start exchanges slowly, with as few as 10 of its roughly 2,700 students going to Mexico each year. However, both schools hope that the exchange program will take root and grow over the coming years.

Source: "UTHSC Signs Pact with Major Mexican Medical School," by Scott Huddleston, the San Antonio Express-News, September 22, 2006