Preparing for a Health Career

Your Application Profile: A Self Assessment

In a survey conducted by the American Association of Medical Colleges, it was found that the pre-admission variables accorded high importance by medical school admissions personnel included:

1. undergraduate grade point average
2. MCAT scores
3. quality of degree-granted undergraduate institution
4. letters of evaluation
5. involvement in health-related work experiences
6. interview ratings
7. personal comments on AMCAS or supplemental applications
8. involvement in extracurricular activities.

In light of these variables, it is important that you are able to step back and assess your developing profile as an applicant to health professions schools. What are the strengths of your developing application profile? What are areas in need of attention? What are ways you can improve your overall application?

Consider the following self-inventory

Be honest with yourself as you, confidentially, rate yourself according to the following scale:

Ratings:

1 = needs considerable improvement
2= needs some improvement
3= OK
4= very good shape
5= outstanding

Your involvement in health-related experiences	____
Your involvement in extra-curricular activities	____
Your ability to present yourself in person	____
Your ability to present yourself in writing	____
How well you relate to others	____
Ways you exhibit independence or initiative or perseverance	____
Ways you exhibit leadership skills	____
Your sense of purpose and motivation	____
Your sense of intellectual curiosity	____
Your common sense	____
Your ability to handle stressful situations	____
Your interest in science and biomedical research	____
Your breadth of interests	____
How you have demonstrated commitment to service	____
Your familiarity with current issues in health care	____
How you will distinguish yourself as a candidate	____
How well your professors and advisors know you	____
Strength of your overall undergraduate or post-bac grade point average	____
Strength of your standardized test scores	____

Taken from "The Advisor" March 2000/Vol. 20, No.2 "Assessing Your Application Profile: A Workshop for Pre-Health Students" by David Verrier, Ph.D. and Gale Lang, MSW