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Q. What is HPAP?

A. The Health Professions Advisory Program (HPAP) is a counseling, advising, and resource service sponsored by The College of Arts and Sciences for students interested in learning about and applying for admission to health professional schools or seeking careers in the health field. It is available to any student or graduate of Syracuse University, or SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, without charge.

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Q. Advising and the HPAP Schedule
A. In your first year, stop by the HPAP office in 323 Hall of Languages and sign up to be put on the mailing list for newsletters and invitations to advising sessions. With other members of your class, you attend advising sessions to learn about HPAP and University resources. Workshops in your first and second year help with study skills as well as managing time and stress. Your name also will be added to an e-mail listserv that announces events of interest to you and solicits your opinions. Check our web site for summer programs.

In subsequent years, topics for advising sessions (at least one for each class each semester) include succeeding in science, internships, and other hands-on experiences, research, financing graduate school, and preparing for application and admission to professional school. if your career goal is medicine, dentistry or podiatry, you will meet with your advisor, a faculty member of the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC). Advising helps keep you on schedule. You enhance your academic record by pursuing research, community service and internships.

As a junior, you begin the application process by selecting the professional schools best suited to you, writing your personal statement, and assembling materials such as recommendations for your dossier- all with the help of the HPAP staff. A full-length, practice MCAT is given on campus on a Saturday each spring, two to four weeks before the official test day. There is a charge for this test. This helps you prepare for the formal MCAT a few weeks later.

During the summer before or in the fall of your last year, you send in your applications- early. You then prepare for interviews with the help of the HPAP staff; an interview workshop is conducted for seniors and practice interviews (that can be videotaped) can be arranged. You write up your interviews for future students and keep in regular touch with HPAP about the progress of your applications.

Throughout your college career, you are encouraged to schedule individual meetings with HPAP staff members to discuss both academic and personal matters.

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Q. Resource Center
A.
The Resource Center in 323 Hall of Languages contains catalogues of U.S. and other health professional schools. There are admissions and financial aid guides, and other reference materials. There are admissions tests, review materials, interview guidelines, and up-to-date information about health-related issues. Computers are available to update your HPAP file, and download and complete electronic applications. There is also a list of summer opportunities and a notebook with comments from former students about their experiences at interviews. The Resource Center is open and available every weekday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm during the school year.

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Q. Recommendations
A.
Recommendations are directly requested by HPAP from faculty, supervisors, and employers after you ask for the references. Your advisor, a faculty member of the HPAC, drafts your committee letter of recommendation using his or her personal knowledge about you and your letters of reference. The letter is reviewed by the Committee with your credentials at hand. HPAP sends your Committee letter and copies of your individual recommendations to the schools where you apply. A credentials service is provided for those who choose not to have, or who do not qualify, for a Committee letter.

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Q. Does Syracuse University have a medical school?
A.
No. There is a medical school next to campus, the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical College of Medicine.

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Q. Do you have a pre-med major at SU?
A.
No. We believe you are better off majoring in an area you find particularly interesting in which you can pursue research or other scholarly work.

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Q. What does it take to get into medical school?
A.
In our experience, students with very good to excellent chances for admission have cumulative grade point averages of at least 3.40 out of a possible 4.00, including the standard courses recommended by medical schools, and an averages score of 10 or better on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

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Q. How many students do you get into medical school?
A.
No college "gets students into medical school." You are admitted on the basis of college academic records, admission test scores and extracurricular activities. There latter experiences include patient/medically-related and community service as well as research and fun. Personal evaluations add much to your credentials as an applicant.

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Q. What percentage of applicants from Syracuse get in?
A.
It varies; what is important is that, with diligence on your part including taking full advantage of HPAP, you will know your chances for admission before you apply.

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Q. What are your students average MCAT scores?
A.
MCAT scores are correlated with SAT or ACT scores, for the most part. One should try, while in college, to improve study skills and efficiency of time management in order to exel in increasingly difficult subject matter. The MCAT scores can be much better than those predicted by SATs. Our average scores equal average scores of the national pool of test takers. Almost all of those with scores above 30 gain admission.

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Q. Do I have to major in science?
A.
No. Many successful applicants decide to major in science, but that's because they like the subject. Choose a major you enjoy and elective courses appropriate for the kind of graduate or professional school you want to attend.

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Q. What courses are required?
A.
Most health professions schools require a year of English including composition, a solid background in math, and a year each of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and other general physics. Science courses must include labs. Except for the Graduate Record Exam required by veterinary schools and the Dental Admission Test, which does not test physics, other admission tests evaluate your ability to use science knowledge as well as your verbal and reading skills. You take the appropriate admission test in the spring of your junior year, which means you complete the required science courses by the end of that spring.

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Q. What one thing can I do to most improve my performance and chances of admission to professional school?
A.
READ, READ READ! Also, learn for the long range; don't memorize and forget it- you don't want to have to learn again and again the same material, particularly if that material forms the basis of the curriculum at your desired graduate or professional school.

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Q. Is there anything else I should be aware of?
A.
Yes. HPAP is implementing new procedures regarding how we recommend students. To read about this change, please see the committee policy or pick up Words to the Wise in 323 Hall of Languages.

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Syracuse University o Health Professions Advisory Program o 323 Hall of Languages o Syracuse NY 13244-1170
Phone 315-443-2321 o Fax 315-443-9397 o Email: HPAP@syr.edu
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