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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. HPAP services are 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. HPAP advising helps keep you on schedule. You can enhance your
academic record by pursuing research, community service and
internships.
As a junior, you will begin the application process by
selecting the professional schools best suited to you, completing your A4S personal statement, and assembling materials such as
recommendations for your application portfolio- all with the help of the
HPAP staff.
During the summer before or in the fall of your last year at SU/ESF, you will submit your applications - do this early! Medical and dental application services become available for you to start working on your application in early May; you are able to hit the submit button in early June. In general, health professions schools use "rolling admissions." At the beginning of the cycle, all the seats in a health school are available. As the season goes by, many of those seats will be filled and the number of available seats will be reduced. You want your application to be ready for consideration by admissions people when the majority of the seats are available. You then prepare
for interviews with the help of the HPAP staff; an interview
workshop is conducted for seniors; individual mock interviews can be arranged once you've received an admission interview offer. Int's important to 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 related to your professional goals.
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Q. HPAP Resource Center
A. The HPAP office in 323 Hall of Languages maintains some catalogues of U.S. and other health professional schools, as well as admissions and financial aid guides, and other reference
materials. 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 office is open and available every weekday from
8:30 am to 5:00 pm during the school year; 9am to 4:30pm during summers. HPAP's web site (hpap.syr.edu) is a comprehensive resource for prehealth students, providing information on professional programs, career paths, summer and research opportunities, information about post-baccalaureate programs, and many other relevant links.
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Q. Recommendations
A. You will be asked to complete Request fo Evaluation (R4E) forms in the HPAP office after you've discussed recommendations with the people from whom you want to get your letters (HPAP can help you decide whom to ask). You should have at least two letters from science faculty who've taught you in class. After completing the request forms, lettesr will be directly requested by HPAP from your recommenders.
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Q. Does Syracuse University have a medical school?
A. No. However, the State University of New York Upstate Medical University (SUNY UMU), Crouse Hospital, and the Veterans Administration Hospital, as well as a skilled nursing facility, are all within easy walking distance of SU. Many of our students participate in volunteer or research experiences at these facilities.
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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 and can excel in, 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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