Faculty of Medicine Admissions Advising Week 1 Halifax and New - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Advising Week Faculty of Medicine Admissions

Halifax and New Brunswick Campuses

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Applicant Categories

• Maritime (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island)

– 99 seats

• Non-Maritime (all other Canadian provinces and territories)

– 9 seats Total number of regular seats = 108 Halifax Campus = 78 New Brunswick Campus = 30

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Place of Residence Definition

In 2017, the Place of Residence criteria was revised and approved by the Dalhousie Medicine Admissions Committee and Faculty Council.

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For the purpose of applying to Dalhousie Medical School, you are considered a resident of a Maritime Province if you meet the following: You are a Canadian citizen or a Canadian Permanent Resident AND you meet the criteria in 1 of the 4 following categories…

Place of Residence Definition cont.…

1. You are an independent student and have resided continuously in a Maritime province for

• ne period of twelve consecutive months immediately prior to the application submission

deadline (Section 2) . This excludes time spent as a full-time student at a post-secondary institution. 2. You are a dependent student and your parents, or guardian resided in a Maritime province for one period of twelve consecutive months immediately prior to the application submission deadline (Section 2) 3. You have completed 6 consecutive years of post-secondary education in the same Maritime Province, immediately prior to the application submission deadline (Section 2) 4. You have been on active duty with the RCMP or Canadian Armed Forces for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to the application submission deadline (Section 2)

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Place of Residence Definition cont.…

For the purposes of this policy, you are considered an independent student if you have been out of high school for four years at the start of the academic medical program. If you are applying this year and graduated high school in 2015 or earlier, you are an independent student.

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Education Equity

The Faculty of Medicine recognizes that affirmative action is required to increase the admission

• f and number of graduates from

underrepresented groups, specifically African Nova Scotians and Indigenous persons of the Maritime region who have a substantial connection with the Indigenous community.

To be considered under affirmative action, applicants are required to voluntarily self-identify in section 4 of the online application form. In support of education equity, these applicants are considered on the basis of their qualifications for the study of medicine rather than in relation to

• ther candidates. All applicants must meet all academic and non-academic requirements to be

eligible for an admissions offer. Faculty of Medicine Indigenous Health Program: Joe MacEachern (joe.maceachern@dal.ca) PLANS (Promoting Leadership in Health for African Nova Scotians: Michelle Patrick (michelle.patrick@dal.ca)

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Admissions Requirements

• Reviewed annually
• Published annually in the Dalhousie Academic Calendar
• Available at https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-

units/admissions/admissions.html

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Your application (tips)

• Think about what qualities a medical student should have
• Reflect on your own unique experiences and education which

provides evidence of these qualities

• For qualities that you are still developing, seek out new

experiences that will help to develop these qualities

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AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students

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https://www.aamc.org/admissions/dataandresearch/477182/corecompetencies.html

Interpersonal Competencies Intrapersonal Competencies Thinking and reasoning Competencies Science Competencies Service Orientation Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others Critical Thinking Living Systems Social Skills Reliability and Dependability Quantitative Reasoning Human Behaviour Cultural Competence Resilience and Adaptability Scientific Inquiry Teamwork Capacity for Improvement Written Communication Oral Communication

Dalhousie Medicine Admission Requirements – Selection Tools

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Academic Non Academic 90-120CH Baccalaureate Degree CASPer (threshold for interview selection) Full Courseload (60CH in 2 senior years) Essay/Supplemental (35) GPA (15) MMI (40) MCAT (10)

Academic Requirements

MARITIME NON-MARITIME 90-120 credit undergraduate baccalaureate degree – ANY DISCIPLINE 90-120 credit undergraduate baccalaureate degree

• ANY DISCIPLINE

A full course load of five full classes (30 credit hours) in each of the two most senior years of the baccalaureate degree being submitted for assessment is required A full course load of five full classes (30 credit hours) in each of the two most senior years of the baccalaureate degree being submitted for assessment is required

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GPA = 3.3/4.0 scale GPA = 3.7/4.0 scale MCAT ≥ 503 (1 category 124) MCAT ≥ 506 (1 category 125)

Academic Requirements

Details

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MCAT Degree and Courseload Requirement The Medical College Admission Test is a standardized, multiple choice examination designed to assess the examinee’s problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine Categories:

• Biological and Biochemical

Foundations of Living Systems

• Chemical and Physical

Foundations of Biological Systems

• Psychological, Social and

Biological Foundations of Behavior

• Critical Analysis and

Reason Skills 90-120CH Baccalaureate degree completed, or in progress to be completed, by start of academic program. Full course load of five full classes in each of the two most senior years of the baccalaureate degree GPA The calculation of your GPA consists of the two consecutive most senior full time years of the baccalaureate degree being submitted. If the degree program has been completed at the time of application, the best three years

• ut of the last four years of full

time study could also be considered. You must meet the stated minimum GPA requirement for the applicant category you are applying in, in EACH year being assessed.

Course load requirements

To be eligible to apply to Dalhousie Medical School, a full course load of five full classes in each of the two most senior years of the baccalaureate degree being submitted for assessment is required. Only fall and winter terms are used for assessment. Summer courses are not typically counted towards GPA or course load requirements No specific courses are required, but students are encouraged to pursue challenging and diverse topics, and to have a natural progression in their course selection of the degree being completed.

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Course load requirements cont…

• If the curriculum design of your program (i.e. Nursing, Co-op,

Engineering) does not meet the course load requirement as

• utlined on our website, there will be opportunity to request

consideration for course load requirement exception within the application

• Transfer credits from another institution do not constitute sufficient

reason for a reduced course load prior to applying

• IB program credits do not constitute sufficient reason for a

reduced course load prior to applying

• If you study abroad, you must ensure your transcript shows grade

values for all courses (check with home-partner institution, option

• f WES evaluation)

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Non-Academic Requirements

CASPer Essay & Supplemental Forms MMI Score must be greater than 1.5 standard deviations below the applicant category mean to maintain eligibility Online Application completed and submitted by stated deadline MMI weekend – November Arrive on time, in the right place

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CASPer Requirement

• 90 minute computer based test. Assesses for non-cognitive skills and

interpersonal characteristics important for successful students and graduates of our program. CASPer is currently used for interview selection purposes only.

• Score must be greater than 1.5 standard deviations below the applicant

category mean to maintain eligibility

• www.takecasper.com

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The Essay

In a 1500 (max) word essay, please provide a narrative that describes how your experiences have shaped your motivation to become a physician and informed your decision to study at Dalhousie Medical School. Please describe the qualities and skills you have that are applicable to the study and practice of medicine and how your experiences have helped you to develop them. The Admissions Committee is interested in your community connections, relationships, experiences in group settings as well as hearing about challenges, including successes, adversities, strengths and weaknesses, which make you an ideal applicant for Dalhousie Medical School.

Non-maritime applicants are also required to submit an additional 250 word statement describing your knowledge of, your connections to and past experiences with the Maritime Provinces and how these have contributed to your selection of Dalhousie University as your preferred choice of medical schools.

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Your application – essay (tips)

• Tell your own narrative that speaks to your motivation,

understanding of medicine and how your experiences have helped you develop qualities that are applicable to medicine

• Avoid a chronological list of achievements

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The Supplemental Form

Categories Extracurricular Activities Medically related experience Volunteer experience Employment Awards and Accomplishments

You can view a detailed working document of the supplemental form by visiting the Admissions website under ‘Application Process’ https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/admissions/application-process.html

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The Supplemental Form

• Provide accurate information
• Verifiers are required for Volunteer, Employment and Medically

related Experiences

• A word about Verifiers:
• Talk to your verifiers
• Provide CORRECT contact information (email, phone)
• Verifiers are contacted between November and February.
• Unverifiable activities can negatively impact file

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Your application – Supplemental Activity (tips)

• Be truthful
• Include experiences/activities that support/demonstrate qualities

transferable to medicine

• Medically related experience – experiences that have helped to

develop your understanding of the roles of a physician, and the medical profession in Canada

• Provide accurate contact information for verifiers.

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Discretionary Points

Assigned at the discretion of the Admissions committee member that is reviewing your file Discretionary points may be allotted for any outstanding features in the file, such as but not limited to:

• Research / Publications
• Varsity sports
• Excellence in a particular field, discipline or activity(eg dance, music,

writing, community service)

• Scholarships received in university
• Recognition for community service
• Were there exceptional circumstances that you overcame?

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The MMI – Multiple Mini Interview

• Usually 10 station circuit – applicants move between stations at

timed intervals

• Each station lasts 8 minutes; a 2 minute break between each one
• Applicants interact with or are observed by a single rater
• Stations are designed to assess applicants personal qualities

such as: Critical thinking Awareness of societal health issues Communication skills and ethics Scientific knowledge is not assessed This is your opportunity to give 10 of your best “first” impressions!

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Your application – MMI (tips)

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Eat breakfast and lunch
• With each scenario, reflect on your own qualities, skills and

experiences and how they can inform your response to the scenario

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Snapshot of an MMI

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Scored Components – how do we make decisions?

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Assessing The Applicants File

GPA 15 points MCAT 10 points Supplemental 20 points Essay 10 points MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) 40 points Discretionary 5 points TOTAL 100 points

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Deadlines are important!

Important to note! If you miss an application deadline you are setting yourself back a minimum of TWO YEARS!

Please be sure to monitor the Admissions website for the most up-to-date information!

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Medical School Curriculum

• Dalhousie offers hands-on training. There are many opportunities for you to

get real-life clinical experience throughout your four years of study.

• Our first-year students begin meeting patients in their first week of medical

school

• Our program is divided into three sections: Med 1 (first year); Med 2 (second

year); and clerkship (third and fourth years)

• Med 1 & 2 is where you’ll learn all about the basic foundations including

anatomy and the systems of the body as well as philosophical and ethical aspects of medicine in a case-based format.

• Unit objectives emphasize uncovering the issues in a particular case and

understanding “why” and “how” they occur.

• https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/undergraduate/program.html

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Typical week in Med 1 & 2

A typical week in your first or second year may include:

• Tutorial group meeting for 2-3 hours, two times a week
• 3-5 hours of lectures
• A patient contact experience for 3-4 hours, emphasizing patient-

doctor relationships

• A ½ day for Research in Medicine
• A ½ day of electives in second semester
• A 3-hour laboratory related to the cases under study

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Stats – The Dal Med Class of 2021

TOTAL APPLICATIONS = 1066 Maritime = 350 Non Maritime* = 716

*60-100 NM applicants are invited for an interview

IMG/International** = 19

** External Contract positions – supernumerary

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Average Age: 24 Average GPA: 3.9 Average MCAT: 510 Number of Males: 39 (35%) Number of Females: 71 (65%)

Meet the Class of 2021!

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Med 1 – Class of 2021 “Scrub Day”

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Contacts & Questions

WEBSITE: http://admissions.medicine.dal.ca EMAIL: Medicine.admissions@dal.ca ASK A MED STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: askadalmedstudent@gmail.com

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