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STANDARDIZED TESTS
The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is required of all applicants to
dental school. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required of
all applicants for allopathic, osteopathic and podiatric
medicine. The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is required of
all applicants to optometry school. Veterinary schools require
the Graduate Record Examination (GRE),
and there may be a few that will accept the MCAT. The Pharmacy College
Admissions Test (PCAT) is required of all the applicants to pharmacy
schools. Applicants to master's level or doctorate level in the
following health profession
areas should take the GRE: physician assistant, physical therapy and
occupational
therapy. Preferably, the admission test should be taken in the spring
of
your junior year, since that permits early completion of your
application
and will allow you to correct any deficiencies by taking the exam again
in the fall if necessary. Do not use the Spring test as a
"practice,"
however. Even though you will have another chance to take the
test,
you should take it the first time as if it is your only chance!
Grades are the most important initial factor in the
selection process for most professional schools. However, different
schools place varying
emphasis on the results of standardized tests. In general, slightly low
DAT, MCAT, PCAT, GRE, or OAT scores can be offset by relatively high
GPA's,
but the reverse is not as effective. These tests, together with the
GPA,
letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, personal
statements,
and the results of professional school interviews are used in selecting
professional
students.
As has been stated for the GPA, there is no set cut-off point for
admission test scores. If you have concerns about your scores or your
test taking skills,
please see the pre-health professions advisor. Admission committees may
give some consideration to the fact that an applicant has
not
taken all the prescribed courses prior to taking the DAT/MCAT/PCAT/GRE
if they are made aware of that fact in the application. However,
you
should plan on completing all relevant courses before taking the test.
The MCAT and OAT are given twice a year, once in the spring and once
in the fall . The PCAT is given three times in a given application
year, usually in October, January and March. The DAT and GRE are
offered almost any day of the year by computer. Students wishing
to take the GRE, MCAT, DAT can find registration information on the
world wide web. See Other
links for direct links Paper registration packets for the PCAT and
OAT are available
at the OHLPA library.
DAT: Department of Testing Services
American Dental Association
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611-2678
1-800-621-8099
MCAT: MCAT Program Office
PO Box 4056
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
(319) 337-1357
OAT: Optometric Admission Testing Program
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611-2678
(312)440-2693
GRE: Graduate Record Examination
Educational Testing Service
PO Box 6000
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000
(609) 771-7670
PCAT: Pharmacy College Admission Test
The Psychological Corporation
PSE Customer Relations-PCAT
19500 Bulverde Road
San Antonio, TX 78259
(800) 622-3231
It is important to submit your registration packet or register
online for these exams before the published deadlines.
REVIEWING FOR AN ADMISSION TEST
All students should plan for a systematic and thorough review for an
admission test. At the minimum, it is strongly recommended that
applicants use the
review manuals (offered by the testing programs) for at least
3 months prior to taking the test. While high school records usually
play no role at all in professional school admission, SAT and ACT
scores often correlate to scores on standardized tests in general.
Unlike the SAT and
ACT, professional admissions standardized exams test on information
learned
in the sciences. These are not skills based exams. The GRE
however,
will be based on general verbal reasoning skills and quantative
analysis
and a writing sample..
There are commercial programs and publications available to help
prepare students for these tests. Students are advised to research
various options and consider their own needs and learning styles before
deciding how best to prepare. There are local companies in
Gainesville who specialize in test preparation courses, although you
may choose to do a self-directed review of the material. Because
of the high costs of commercial courses, many students choose this
option of studying on their own. Any study program is going to
require a considerable amount of effort - give it the attention that
you would to an academic course. Try not to let your grades suffer. You
can repeat an admissions test, but your academic record is more
important and permanent.
REPEATING AN ADMISSIONS TEST
The effects of repeating an admissions test depend partly on whether
the scores are improved or not. In circumstances where illness or an
incomplete sequence of required courses prevailed at the time of
testing, later testing under better circumstances might show
considerably improved scores. The most
recent test reports generally carry the most weight. It is not
recommended that any of these tests be taken for practice since
some schools make adjustments for repeated exams; some even average all
scores. Some schools will give more emphasis onthe most recent score.
Approach the first test as
if it is your only chance to take it.
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LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Letters of recommendation are usually required of all applicants by
professional school admissions committees. All letters of evaluation
are carefully read by the admission committee, but they have a varying
influence depending
upon the realism and depth of insight into the candidate provided by
the
letters. Many letters are superficial and are only frustrating to the
admissions
committee. In general, the longer the writer has been acquainted with
preprofessional students in general and with the applicant in
particular, the greater the depth and the validity of the evaluation,
thus the letter would have greater influence on the admissions
committee's deliberations. The most meaningful letters are from those
professionals who have known the applicant well as a student, or those
who have supervised the applicant and have a basis of comparison to
other preprofessional students.
The
Office of Health and Legal Professions Advising (OHLPA) Letter of
Recommendation Service acts as a central agency to:
(a) Give you information that will help you solicit letters of
evaluation.
(b) Develop a confidential file to collect letters of evaluation.
(c) Transmit copies of the collected letters to the professional
schools designated by you.
This process saves you and the letter writers from duplicating their
efforts for each school to which you apply. What is more, the
directions to evaluators should generally result in letters containing
more information of the type considered significant by professional
schools.
WHERE TO OBTAIN LETTERS/ WHO SHOULD WRITE THEM
Anytime after your first term at the University of Florida, and
prior to
applying to professional school, ask at least three faculty members if
they
would be willing to write detailed, supportive and favorable letters of
evaluation
on your behalf. Although you may ask faculty members for letters as
early
as your first year, you will want to wait to provide the evaluation
forms
until the end of your junior year so that the letters will be
dated close
to the time of your application. Keep in touch with such faculty
members until you are getting ready to apply. Some of your letters
should be from professors you have taken courses with recently.
In the fall or by the beginning of the spring term of the year
in which you apply, you should
download the application and instructions and bring the completed
copy into the OHLPA Office to establish a file for the collection of
letters. Your file should be complete no later than August 1st. If
you wait any longer, the delay in the receipt of the evaluations may
delay consideration of your application, seriously reducing your
chances of admission. Request your letters early, as some
have arrived in our office months after being requested.
You should choose faculty who know you well, have had you in
their courses,
and are favorably impressed by you. Many students are uncertain as
to
how to get to know faculty members. The easiest way is to ask your
instructors
(in or after class, or during office hours) about topics in the course
you
do not understand. Not only will you become known to your faculty,
which
may help you obtain better letters of recommendation, but you may
improve your understanding of and performance in the class. You could
even develop a mentor relationship with a faculty member. Keep in touch
with the faculty with whom you feel you have made a connection. When
you ask a faculty member to write you a letter, ask if the letter will
be a supportive one. In addition, offer as much information
about yourself as possible - copies of your transcript, a resume, a
statement describing your motivation for
medicine, and a personal meeting to answer the faculty members'
questions.
Most schools will ask for letters from both science and non-science
professors. It is to your advantage to contact the schools you wish to
apply to in order to determine who they want letters of evaluation
from, since this varies
from school to school. The rank of the professor writing the letter of
evaluation generally does not affect how the letter is received. What
is important
is the experience and familiarity of the writer with many other
preprofessional students with whom the applicant may be compared.
If the writer has established credibility through previous letters sent
to professional schools, then the significance of a letter from that
person is enhanced. Although
faculty are preferred as evaluators by admissions committees, if you
have
had graduate teaching assistants in some laboratory or discussion
sections,
you may ask one of them for a letter and have the instructor in charge
of
the course endorse the letter in the space provided. Do this for at
most one recommendation. In large university classes this procedure
is fairly
common. Junior college and other transfer students may wish to ask for
letters
from at most one or two professors at the schools in which they
were
previously enrolled. Applicants at the University of Florida typically
submit
3-5 letters of evaluation, depending on to which schools they apply. No
more
than five letters may be sent by OHLPA for any one applicant in one
year.
Most applicants also request one or two personal letters of
recommendation. These may come from employers, a volunteer coordinator,
a physician that you shadowed, a research supervisor etc. These
personal letters are to be written on letterhead, but they may be
included in your file. It is best if
they come from those who can impartially evaluate your qualities, not
indiscriminately
praise you. Employers, research supervisors, and faculty advisors to
organizations
you have been involved with can be helpful because they have had the
opportunity
to assess characteristics such as your ability to work with others
cooperatively
better than a family friend. Political letters are not looked upon
favorably
by most medical schools. Keep in mind that schools will ask for
different
sets of letters so you may need to get one or two specific letters for
specific
schools in addition to those in your file.
NOTE: All letters gathered at your request in your active file
will be sent to the admissions committees of the schools which you
designate. Therefore, if someone is planning to write a letter in
support of your application to a specific school, it would be best to
have that letter sent directly to
that school.
You need to establish a new file for every year in which you apply.
If your file is more than one year old, you should solicit at least 2
new letters or request updates of old letters in your file. It is far
better to have
a few knowledgeable and detailed letters than to try and collect the
maximum number allowed with the intention of overwhelming admissions
committees.
Remember the phrase, "Quality, not quantity." No number of letters will
compensate for mediocre academic performance or low admission test
scores.
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THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Students preparing to apply to professional school within the next
year should review Years 3 and 4 of the Timeline for
Pre-Health Professions Students offered in this handbook. This timeline
outlines what prospective applicants need to do prior to, and during,
the application process.
WHEN TO APPLY
In general, applications are available in early May and should be
submitted as early as possible in the period between June and
September of the
year preceding the year you expect to matriculate. For most
preprofessional students, this corresponds to the end of their third
year, when they should have completed all their preprofessional course
requirements. You should have letters of evaluation collected in a
confidential file in the OHLPA during
that year, plan to take the admissions test (MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE, PCAT)
in
the spring, and have your initial application submitted no later than
late
August or early September. Submitting your application or taking the
admission
test later can reduce your chances of acceptance. Different schools
have
different deadlines. Make sure you are aware of all deadlines to all
schools
to which you plan to apply.
Admission committees meet all during the fall. Allopathic medical
schools begin accepting students October 15. An early application
enhances the chances for admission because it assists the admission
committee's activities, demonstrates the applicant's enthusiasm and
preparation, and allows for scheduling of
interviews before the end of the year.
EARLY DECISION
The Early Decision Program of the AAMC can be utilized if you want
to attend
one particular allopathic medical school, and if that school
participates. A student electing this option applies to only one
school, and makes a pledge that if that school offers him/her a
position, he/she will accept. If the school notifies the applicants
that it will not make an offer, then, and
only then, is the student free to apply to other schools. Notification
must
be made by October 1. This option is not beneficial for most
applicants;
please see a Pre-health Professions Advisor if you plan to apply early
decision.
APPLICATION SERVICES
The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) and the
American Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS) are
centralized application-processing services which enable applicants to
apply simultaneously to a number of either medical or dental schools
participating in the services. There are similar application services
for osteopathic (AACOMAS), podiatric (AACPMAS), physician assistant
(CASPA), pharmacy (PharmCAS) and veterinary (VMCAS) schools. An
applicant initially submits only one set of application materials and
official transcripts, regardless of the number of participating schools
to which he or she is applying. The application materials are collected
in a standardized format and copies are transmitted to those schools
designated by the applicant. The individual schools then use that
information to make decisions. Most schools will send secondary
applications to competitive applicants. Additional information may be
obtained on-line in mid-April. Not all schools participate in
centralized application services. You should contact each school
to which you plan to apply to find out its application procedures.
WHERE TO APPLY
Students interested in medicine can significantly increase their
chances of admission by applying to both allopathic and osteopathic
medical programs. It is important that you apply to schools that are
suited to you and to which
you have the best chances of acceptance. Begin researching schools in
the
fall of your third year. One good source is the admission requirements
book
published by the professional school organizations (Medical School
Admission
Requirements for allopathic medical schools, American Dental
Education
Association Official Guide to Dental Schools, Veterinary Medical School
Admission
Requirements. Osteopathic Medical College Information Book for
osteopathic
medicine. Schools and Colleges of Optometry: Admissions
Requirements
by The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry for
optometry
can be found in the OHLPA library. Information packets for all
podiatric
schools in the United States are available in the OHLPA library. You
should
check in the OHLPA library, read the catalogs and web pages of each
school,
and visit the schools to talk with the students and faculty
there.
If you can't visit, ask schools for names of recent alumni in your area
that
you might contact. Most applicants will be more or less restricted to
the
state-supported schools in their state of residency or to regional
schools
with which their state has a cost-sharing agreement. Out of state
schools
that are not private are extremely difficult to gain acceptance and
very
expensive. Furthermore, private schools are competitive because
students
from all states and all schools apply to them.
Outstanding students may apply to a mix of 6 to 8 private and
state-supported institutions in order to maximize their chances of
admission. Students with very good but not outstanding records might
want to increase their chances of acceptance by applying to l0 or 11
regional schools. Marginally competitive students should concentrate on
applying to between 8 and l0 regional schools. The AAMC has found that
applying to more than 15 schools rarely increases an applicant's chance
of being admitted. Applying to less than 3 schools
is sometimes interpreted as indicating insufficient interest, except
when
using the Early Decision Program (EDP) of the AAMC. The choice of
schools
generally includes at least one at which you feel you are a strong
candidate,
several at which you will be competitive, and at least one at which you
have
only a slim chance of acceptance, but would prefer to attend..
Applying to more than one type of professional school (i.e. applying
to both medical and dental schools) at the same time should be avoided,
since it indicates to selection committee members some lack of
consistency of
motivation and an uncertainty in the choice of career. This action
should
especially be avoided where both schools are on the same campus and
have
some of the same members sitting on the various admissions committees!
Applying to both medical and osteopathic schools is acceptable.
However,
you should only apply to osteopathic schools if you have researched
osteopathic
medicine and are sure you would be interested in studying it. Most D.O.
schools
require a letter of recommendation from a D.O..
