The Florida
International University Pre-Professional Advisement and
Evaluation Committee
Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Pharmacy, Optometry,
Physician Assistant, Podiatry
The Florida International University
Pre-Professional Advisement and Evaluation Committee (PPAEC)
is administered from the College of Arts and Sciences and
serves the entire University student population. The
role and function of the PPAEC is to provide advisement to
undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni who are
preparing to apply for admission to medical, dental,
veterinary, pharmacy, physician assistant or optometry
school. Students who are applying for admission to
professional programs are interviewed by the Committee which
provides to the professional schools confidential written
evaluation of the academic and personal qualifications of
these candidates. Prospective Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental,
Pre-Veterinary, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Podiatry and
Pre-Physician Assistant Students should contact:
Dr. John
Landrum
Pre-Health Professions Advisor
College of Arts & Sciences Advising
Center- ECS 482
Florida
International University
Miami,
Florida 33199
Ph: 305-348-3091
Fax:
305-348-3772
e-mail: landrumj@fiu.edu
http://www.fiu.edu/~preprofc
If you are
planning on applying in Summer 2008 for Fall 2009 admission,
you should adhere to this very important timeline.
Committee Membership:
Michael Brown, MD., Ph.D., Instructor,
Department of
Biomedical Engineering
Michael
Christy, Ph.D., Instructor,
Department
of Biomedical Engineering
Jeffrey Joens, Ph.D., Professor,
Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Milagros
Delgado, Ph.D., Lecturer,
Department
of Chemistry and
Biochemistry
J. Martin
Quirke, Ph.D., Professor,
Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Uma Swamy,
Ph.D., Lecturer,
Department
of Chemistry and
Biochemistry
John T. Landrum,
Ph.D., Professor, Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry
Watson
Lees, Ph.D., Associate
Professor, Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Konstantinos
Kavallieratos, Ph.D., Associate
Professor, Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Bruce Dunlap, Ph.D., Professor,
Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Lidia Kos, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Department of Biological Sciences
Maureen
Walter, Instructor,
Department of Biological
Sciences
Polly Phillips, Ph.D., Instructor,
Department of Biological Sciences
Leon Cuervo, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus,
Department of Biological Sciences
Misak Sargsian, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor, Department
of Physics
Brian Raue,
Ph.D., Associate
Professor, Department
of Physics
Richard A.
Bone, Ph.D, Professor,
Department
of Physics
Werner Boeglin, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Physics
Caroline
Simpson, Ph.D., Associate
Professor, Department
of Physics
Kenton Harris, Ph.D., Assistant
Dean, Philosophy, College of
Arts and Sciences
Gregory
Thomas, B.S., Coordinator
Pre-Health Advising
General Information:
Florida International University offers
a variety of degree programs that meet the admission
requirements of medical, veterinary, pharmacy, optometry,
physician assistant, and dental schools. At FIU,
pre-professional students typically major in the fields of Chemistry or Biological Sciences
but our pre-professional students have also successfully
majored in English, Philosophy, Mathematics, Computer
Sciences, Engineering, and Psychology just to name a few of
the possible choices. The requirements for entrance to
most medical schools, dental schools, and veterinary schools
includes a
basic list of science and
mathematics courses. Our students have been admitted to
a wide range of schools in Florida, the US, and
internationally.
Standardized Entrance
Exams:
All students applying to professional
programs must take standardized examinations required by the
admissions committees of medical, dental, pharmacy, and
veterinary schools. These are the Medical College
Admissions Test (MCAT), the Dental College Admissions
Test (DAT),
the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), the Optometry Admission Test
(OAT) and the
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) .
These tests are nationally administered and scored and are
highly competitive. Extensive information is available
about these tests from the testing services and we strongly
advise students planning to seek a professional degree to
become familiarized with the testing process early in their
academic careers. Admission to a professional program
will require that you obtain a competitive score on the
appropriate test. Test scores of FIU students span a
wide range. Only those who pursue a well structured
academic program perform well.
Interview by the
Committee Prior to Application for Admission to a Professional
Program:
Please make sure that you read
all the steps below in order to ready to be interviewed by the
Committee. Here is a FLOW
CHART to help you understand the entire process.
Additionally, this CHECK
LIST should help you keep track
of the process. For details, make sure to read the rest of
this web page.
There are several steps
required in order for students to be granted an interview by
the PPAEC.
1) Students must be an FIU student or Alumnus
(of not more than 5 years) in good academic standing. Usually
students are interviewed in their final year of course work
after completing all of the core
requirements for professional school
admission.
2) Students must have taken the appropriate
Admission test: MCAT, DAT, etc. A copy of the scores must be
provided to the Committee.
3) Premedical
Students must obtain a minimum score of 25 on the MCAT, with
no part less than 6; (students whose total
score is 23 or 24 may petition the Director of Pre-Health advising
for an interview) Pre-Dental students must obtain a minimum
(combined total) score of 18 on the DAT; Pre-Optometry and Pre-Pharmacy
students must score at the median or above on the OAT and PCAT
exams. Pre-Veterinary and Pre-PA students must obtain a median
score or above on the GRE.
4) Students must have a minimum
overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in
required premedical courses (see
list). Here is a tool
to assist you in calculating your
GPA.
5)
Students must have at least six (6) individual faculty
member evaluation forms completed. Transfer students who
begin FIU with junior status, as well as postbaccalaureate
students must have a minimum of four (4) individual faculty
member evaluation forms completed. Make sure the evaluator
knows you well, and can give you a great evaluation. We
require:
(a)
at least one evaluation form from a professor in the
student's major (if the major is not a
science)
(b)
at least one evaluation form from a professor not
in science or math (if the major is a science). This does
not apply to postbaccalaureate
students.
(c) at
least four evaluations from science
faculty
It is strongly suggested by
the PPAEC that you waive your right to see the faculty
evaluations by signing in the appropriate location on the
form. Interviews will not be scheduled until these faculty
evaluation forms are on file. The forms must be sent to
Dr. John Landrum in ECS 482 at the University Park
Campus. Forms carried by students will not be
accepted. Faculty must send them through campus
mail.
6)
Students should have a minimum of 2 and a
maximum of 5 full letters of
recommendation on official letterhead. Faculty letters will
must be from permanent full-time faculty at Florida
International University, Professors, Instructors, or
Lecturers. (Letters from adjunct faculty and teaching
assistants or from faculty at other institutions will not be
considered without advance approval by the Director of
Pre-Health Professions Advising.) These may be from the same
instructors as in #5 above, or from a healthcare professional
where the student has volunteered or worked. Must have
at least 2 faculty letters from the from science faculty, plus one from a physician or healthcare
professional (physician, dentist, optometrist, veterinarian, etc as is appropriate to
you planned career). You should give at least one month's notice
when asking a professor or healthcare professional to write a
full letter. These letters will be included in the
packet sent to the professional schools. Therefore, they are not
only for the eyes of the PPAEC, but will
be read by admissions committees of the professional schools
to which the student is applying. The letters should
be addressed to the admissions committee (e.g. Dear Medical School Admissions Committee, or
Dean Dental School Admissions Committee, etc.). The person writing
the letter must seal the signed letter in an envelope,
sign across the seal, and tape the
seal prior to sending the letter. Please, send
all letters through US mail or for faculty through intracampus
mail to:
Professor John Landrum,
Director
The Office of Pre-Health Professions Advising (ECS
482)
Florida International University
11200 SW 8th
Street
Miami, FL 33199
7) Students must provide the Committee
with a complete current official FIU transcript as well as
official transcripts from all universities and colleges
attended.
8)
Students must provide the Committee with a completed, up to
date
personal history and academic summary form. This form must
be typed and a photo attached.
9) Students
applying to medical schools must provide a copy of the AMCAS
or AACOMAS application. Students applying to dental schools
must provide a copy of the AADSAS application. Applications
must be provided for other professional programs.
10) We
strongly suggest the student show evidence of: volunteer work,
shadowing, research experience, extracurricular activities
(clubs, sports, hobbies, student government,
etc.)
Deadlines:
1. Students who have fulfilled all requirements
above by the spring semester and will be applying to
professional schools in the summer or fall can request an interview
once they have received an official admission exam score. This
typically would apply to students who have taken the
standardized exam (MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc.) the previous summer
or fall.
2. Students who want to
make first-round deadlines of professional schools should
have all materials turned in by to the
Office of Pre-Health Advising no later than June 15. Interviews may take
place in July, August, or even in Fall term depending on the
date of receipt of the exam scores and the number
of students seeking an interview. The latest exam date for students applying for
entrance to medical school is typically in in early September.
4.
Other exceptional cases will be considered on a case-by-case
basis.
The Interview with
the PPAEC:
A Personal History: The
student's personal history is reviewed with the Committee -
usually beginning with the student's graduation from high
school and progressing to the present. This includes an
outline of the student's employment history and participation
in relevant programs including hospital volunteer work, and
can include a discussion of the student's personal aspirations
and goals.
Nature of the Interview: The
interview is typically 45 minutes to one hour, and students
should wear business attire, as they would for a professional
job interview. Questions will be directed to the
interviewee by Committee members. The number of faculty
present at an interview will be three to five. Committee
members often ask questions about current topics and
questions that probe the depth of a student's commitment to
his/her chosen career. The interview process while
formal, is not adversarial. The Committee members are
all committed to helping the candidates feel relaxed during
the interview. Students should prepare extensively for the
interview.
The
Committee Letter:
The
Committee drafts a letter that includes the following
components:
1) Scholastic Record: The scholastic
record summary begins with the student's high school
graduation and includes all college and university enrollment,
outlining the institutions where course work was taken, the
degrees sought and earned, the academic standing of the
student (GPA), and any honors received. The letter will
address the rigor and quality of course work, including full
time vs. part time, relative difficulty of major, grades in
major courses.
2) Level/quality of volunteer
activitiesand
work experience.
3) Level/quality of research
experience.
4) Understanding and appreciation of what it
takes to be a ______. Why do they want to be a
______?
5) Extracurricular
activities.
6) How do the students handle the interview? (a)
personality (b) preparation (c) ability
to answer questions
7) Is student in "good standing" with regard to
academic misconduct?
8) Extenuating circumstances
9) Standardized Exam Scores
(MCAT, DAT, PCAT, OAT, GRE ): A summary of the scores
obtained and evaluation of the score in relation to the
national percentile ranking, e.g. average, above average, or
well above average.
10) Instructor Evaluations: A
summary of the evaluations provided by the student's
instructors. (See link 1 below.) Make sure that
the instructor can give you a great evaluation. If not, ask
someone else. A summary spreadsheet is made of the instructor
evaluation forms, and any written comments are transcribed.
Full letters on letterhead are photocopied and sent along with
the Committee letter.
11) A Summary of the Interview with
the Committee
All students given an interview are
assigned a recommendation level by the Committee from among
the following list:
-
Very Highly Recommended - Very rarely
awarded, indicates exceptional ability and the highest
levels of achievement in all categories
-
Highly Recommended - granted to
students deemed to have excellent personal and
intellectual attributes
-
Recommended Plus - granted to students
who have very good personal and intellectual
attributes
-
Recommended - granted to students who have
acceptable personal and intellectual attributes
-
Recommended with Reservations -
granted to students who show a weakness in one or
more areas but who are otherwise qualified
-
Not
Recommended - the Committee has worked hard to establish
interview criteria that will avoid the necessity to deny a
student a favorable
recommendation
Each student
is apprised of the Committee's decision and must, in writing,
request and authorize the Committee to write and send
confidential letters to the applicant's schools. This
letter is not released to the student. This is done in order
to assure admissions committees that the letter is a candid
and accurate assessment of the student. It is the
Committee's intention to endeavor to assist all students to
achieve their goals and to do so by providing an objective,
realistic, informative, and accurate evaluation. The
PPAEC Committee and the University cannot maintain its
credibility with admissions committees and faculty at
prestigious institutions without a diligent effort to maintain
high standards of expectations. We are proud that many
of our finest students have been selected for admission into
some of the most competitive professional schools in the
United States.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Committee Forms You will need:
1.
Faculty Evaluation Form: Print this out (signing the
waiver at the top is strongly recommended) and give to
faculty members who know you well.
2.
Personal History and Academic Summary Form Questionnaire
(Word document)- Type on it directly. Then, print and submit
to the office.
|
