Pre-Health Advisory Committee
If you are applying to a health professional school for entrance in Fall 2014, let the Office of Pre-Health Advising help you.
Eligible Loyola students and alumni who submit a satisfactorily completed Pre-Health Advisory Committee Applicant Packet by the deadline of 5:00 p.m., Friday, November 20, 2012, may apply to medical, dental, optometry, and podiatric schools for admission through Loyola University Chicago's Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee. The information packet for the 2014 cycle and be found here: 2014 Cycle Guidelines
Waiver for Letter of Recommendation
If you are re-applying to medical or dental school after unsuccessfully applying for Fall 2013 (or earlier) please complete the Reapplicant Application listed below.
Please check this page periodically for important updates and new information regarding the 2014 Application Cycle.
Supplemental Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee Website Information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant Process
Am I Required to Participate in the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee?
No, participation in the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee is not obligatory. Participation in the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee is also not a right, and Committee participants must meet all applicable deadlines and requirements to remain eligible in any given Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee cycle.
Is this my actual application for medical/ dental/ optometry/ podiatry school?
No, this is only an application to participate in the Loyola Pre-Health Professions Committee process. It provides preparation for the actual application (i.e., AMCAS, AADSAS, AACOMAS) you'll complete next spring and summer.
Who are the Committee Members?
The Committee is composed of the Pre-Health Professions Advising Staff, Loyola staff and Loyola faculty members.
Can I choose my Committee Advisor? How are Committee Advisors assigned?
No, advisors and students are randomly matched. However, it is possible that you will be paired with someone you already know.
What if I Miss One of the Committee workshops?
We offer a number of workshops throughout the Committee process. They are typically as follows: General Committee Information Workshop (October), Mandatory Match Day Meeting (January/February), Personal Statement Workshop (February) How to Apply Workshop (April), Interviewing Workshop (September). You are held responsible for all the information provided at all the workshops. We encourage you to attend all workshops. (Note that each workshop will be often multiple days/times to better accommodate you. Thus when the same workshop is offered multiple times, it is only necessary to attend one.) If you are unable to attend a workshop, it will be important to follow-up with a classmate to find out what information was covered. Additionally, there will also be handouts available in the Pre-Health Professions Office which will provide summary information on each workshop—these materials, while helpful, are likely not as efficacious as attending a workshop.
Can I Miss the Mandatory Match Day Meetings in Late January or Early February?
The “Match Day Meeting” is the only mandatory workshop in the sequence of Committee workshops. All Committee participants are expected to make any and all reasonable efforts to attend one of the Match Day Meetings. Any Committee participant who does not attend one of the Match Day Meetings in late January/early February 2013 will be expected to provide documentation of the circumstances that prevented attendance at one of the meetings (e.g., class schedule, work schedule, doctor’s note, etc.). Of course, Committee participants who do not live in the Chicago area are not expected to travel to these workshops.
Can I participate in the Full Committee Process More Than Once?
No, you cannot participate in a subsequent Committee process if you have gone fully through a prior Committee process (i.e., submitted a primary application to health professional school and having released your Committee letter). However, you may be able to participate in a subsequent Committee if you withdraw from a given Committee process (see details below) prior to stated deadlines. An applicant who is not accepted to health professional school after having applied through the Committee process may be eligible to participate in an abbreviated Re-applicant process (see Re-applicant Section).
Can I withdraw from the Committee process?
Yes, you may withdraw from the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee process any time before the Committee meets in May 2013. A participant who wishes to withdraw from the Committee simply submits a “Committee Withdrawal” form, made available in January/February of 2013 for this Committee cycle, to the Pre-Health Office. If you meet this deadline, you will remain eligible to participate in subsequent Committee cycles. Bear in mind that each Committee cycle is linked to a specific year of admission and it is not possible to reactivate participation in a previous Committee cycle for a subsequent cycle without formally registering for that subsequent cycle. Thus, you will have to fill out a new Committee registration packet and meet all applicable deadlines and eligibility requirements for to participate in a subsequent Committee process.
If I withdraw from the Committee, can I still apply to health professional school?
Yes, but you must do so independently. Due to confidentiality issues, we cannot release letters of evaluation to students who have waived their right of access to their letters. Further, we do not coordinate letters of recommendation for Committee participants who withdraw from the Committee process or are otherwise not participating in that specific Committee cycle. Thus it is your responsibility to ask your recommenders to send letters directly to the schools. You may also utilize a credential file service such as Interfolio. During the application process, some schools require letters from the Pre-Health Advisor at your school. In most cases, a letter from an academic advisor has been an acceptable alternative. Someone who does not participate in the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee is not eligible for a letter from a health professions advisor.
How do I release my letters to health professional schools?
If the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee decides to write a letter on your behalf, you need to complete the "Release of Letters to Schools" form. If you are applying through AMCAS, you will complete the "Letter of Recommendation" form, using Dr. James Johnson as the author of your Committee letter. We use a secure web-based system, Virtual Evals, to distribute Committee letters to participating medical and optometry schools. AMCAS is using a letter service which works with Virtual Evals in the letters distribution. The first step in the release of your letters is submitting a "Release of Letters to Schools" form. This form is available at the end of the academic year 2012-13. We cannot release letters without this form. You also must provide a copy of your health professions submitted application.
Confidential or Non-confidential Committee letter?
You may elect to retain your right of access to the Committee letter or you may elect to keep it confidential and to waive your right of access to it. Please note, however, that you must elect to keep all evaluation letters (including the Committee letter) either all confidential or all non-confidential; there can be no combination. For example, you may not designate your individual letters of evaluation as confidential and also retain your right of access to the Committee letter.
Below are data and resources on recent matriculants to allopathic medical school, osteopathic medical school, dental school, optometry school, and podiatry school. These data provide a general picture of competitive marks in terms of Cumulative GPA, Science GPA, and relevant standardized test scores. The information below has been gathered from www.aamc.org, www.aacom.org, www.adea.org, www.opted.org, and www.aacpm.org. These websites are essential and extensive resources. Each website of interest should be carefully and thoroughly explored.
The information provided in this section serves only as general guidelines. The marks for individual matriculants and individual health professional schools may vary substantially from these general guidelines. Earning a certain GPA or test score does not guarantee acceptance to health professional school, nor does it destine one for rejection. However, the information provided here is not arbitrary and should be carefully taken into consideration when you reflects on the competitive nature of your own candidacy.
The Green Light-Yellow Light-Red Light Rubric is based on the average Cumulative GPA, Cumulative BCPM, and Cumulative MCAT score and the corresponding standard deviation for matriculants to allopathic medical school in fall 2011. In other words, the Green Light figure is approximately the national average for 2011 matriculants in that category, the Red Light figure is approximately one standard deviation below the average, and the Yellow Light category is the range in between.
Allopathic Medical School:
Green Light-Yellow Light-Red Light
Cumulative GPA
Green Light: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.65
Yellow Light: Cumulative GPA less than 3.65 but equal to or greater than 3.40
Red Light: Cumulative GPA less than 3.40
BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math) GPA
Green Light: BCPM GPA greater than or equal to 3.60
Yellow Light: BCPM GPA less than 3.60 but equal to or greater than 3.30
Red Light: BCPM GPA less than 3.30
MCAT
Green Light: MCAT is 31 or higher
Yellow Light: MCAT is 30, 29 or 28
Red Light: MCAT is 27 or lower
Source: https://www.aamc.org/download/161690/data/table17.pdf
For information on how Cumulative GPA and MCAT score interact with regard to correlation to acceptance rate, the following tables may be of interest:
and
Osteopathic Medical School
The Green Light-Yellow Light-Red Light Rubric is based on the average Cumulative GPA, Cumulative BCP (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), and Cumulative MCAT score and the corresponding standard deviation for matriculants to osteopathic medical school in fall 2011. In other words, the Green Light figure is approximately the national average for 2011 matriculants in that category, the Red Light figure is approximately one standard deviation below the average, and the Yellow Light category is the range in between.
Osteopathic Medical School:
Green Light-Yellow Light-Red Light
Cumulative GPA
Green Light: Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.50
Yellow Light: Cumulative GPA less than 3.50 but greater than 3.20
Red Light: Cumulative GPA less than 3.2
BCP GPA
Green Light: BCP GPA greater than or equal to 3.40
Yellow Light: BCP GPA less than 3.40 but greater than 3.10
Red Light: BCP GPA less than 3.10
MCAT
Green Light: MCAT is 27 or higher
Yellow Light: MCAT is 26, 25, or 24
Red Light: MCAT is 23 or lower
Source: http://www.aacom.org/data/applicantsmatriculants/Documents/2011Matriculantsummary.pdf
Dental School: Cumulative GPA and BCP
- The average Cumulative GPA for accepted applicants for the entering class of 2010 was 3.53
- The average Science GPA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) for the entering class of 2010 was 3.47.
Dental School: “Academic Average,” “Perceptual Ability”, and Total Science” on DAT
- The Average “Academic Average” DAT score for the entering class of 2010 was 19.3. Only 5% of the entering class of 2010 had a score of 16 or lower in “Academic Average” on the DAT.
- The Average “Perceptual Ability” DAT score for the entering class of 2010 was 19.6. Only 10.7% of the entering class of 2010 had a score of 16 or lower in “Perceptual Ability” on the DAT.
- The Average “Total Science ” DAT score for the entering class of 2010 was 19.5. Only 6.8% of the entering class of 2010 had a score of 16 or lower in “Total Science” on the DAT.
- Eighteen (18) Optometry Schools reported the average mean for accepted applicants for fall 2011 entry. These means ranged from 3.21 to 3.60. The median was 3.45 and 3.49 (middle pair of GPAs in this range).
- Nineteen (19) Optometry Schools reported the “Academic Average” on the OAT for accepted applicants for fall 2011 entry. These mean scores ranged from 304 to 349. The median score was 323.
- Nineteen (19) Optometry Schools reported the “Total Science” on the OAT for accepted applicants for fall 2011 entry. These mean scores ranged from 295 to 356. The median score was 321.
Source: http://www.opted.org/files/public/Profile%20of%20Applicants%202011%20updated%201-26-12.pdf
- The average Cumulative GPA for matriculants to Podiatry School for the entering class of 2011 was 3.3
- The average Science GPA for matriculants to Podiatry School for the entering class of 2011 was 3.1
Source: http://www.aacpm.org/html/statistics/PDFs/MatrStats/Matriculant_GPA.pdf
- The average Verbal Reasoning Score on the MCAT for matriculants to Podiatry School for the entering class of 2011 was 6.7
- The Average Physical Science Score on the MCAT for matriculants to Podiatry School for the entering class of 2011 was 6.8
- The Average Biological Science Score on the MCAT for matriculants to Podiatry School for the entering class of 2011 was 7.2
Source: http://www.aacpm.org/html/statistics/PDFs/MatrStats/Matriculant_MCAT.pdf
Please note that based on the data above you can be Committee eligible even while it may not be advisable to apply to a health professional school.
Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant Process
If an applicant applies to health professional school through the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee and is not accepted during that application cycle, he or she may be eligible to participate in the Re-applicant Process administered through the Pre-Health Professions Program.
The Re-applicant Process is not as robust as the Committee process, and first-time Committee applicants enjoy the top priority during times of overload, limited resources, and the like. However, the Re-applicant Process may be helpful.
Only Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee participants who have applied to health professional school and released their Committee letter for a previous admission cycle are eligible for the re-applicant process.
An individual participating in the Re-applicant Process is not reviewed by the full Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee. Rather, an individual Pre-Health Professions Advisor writes an addendum to the applicant’s previous Committee letter detailing how the applicant has improved his or her candidacy. The applicant is responsible for providing supporting information to the Pre-Health Advisor writing this addendum.
Pre-Health Advisors are randomly assigned to Re-applicants.
You must register as a Re-applicant by the first Friday in June of the calendar year prior to the intended year of admission. For example, those participating in this cycle of the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee (year of admission fall 2014) would have to register as a Re-applicant by Friday, June 6, 2014 to work with the Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant process for the 2015 year of admission. Similarly, those who applied to health professional school in summer 2012 (for admission in fall 2013) through the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee would need to register as Re-applicants by Friday, June 7, 2013 to work with the Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant process for the 2014 year of admission.
To register as a Re-applicant, you must fill out a Re-applicant registration form, which is made available in the Pre-Health Professions Office in the spring—typically in April. Additional information is required, but may be submitted after the first Friday in June deadline. This additional required information includes an updated autobiography detailing your activities and accomplishments since participating in the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee and at least one new letter of evaluation that speaks to your recent activities whether they be academic, clinical, or professional in nature. All information must be received before your Re-applicant letter can begin being processed.
If you reapply within two (2) years of your initial Committee application, you are required to provide at least one (1) to two (2) new letters of evaluation. (Note that some health professional schools will not accept letters of evaluation that are even one (1) year old. It is your responsibility to find out how the health professional school to which you are applying treats old letters and act accordingly.) If you reapply more than two years after your initial Committee application, it is recommended that you provide all new (or updated) letters of evaluation.
Registering as a Re-applicant does not require you to discontinue your current application to health professional school. It is understood that some who register as Re-applicants will likely be selected off of wait lists and earn admission during their initial Committee application. We simply ask that those who had intended on being Re-applicants inform us of your subsequent acceptance and change of plans.
Earning admission to health professional school is highly competitive. It is not uncommon for applicants to have to reapply to health professional school. However, some health professional schools—either formally or informally—discourage a third application. Applicants who applied to health professional school through the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee and again through the Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant process, and wish to apply through the Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant process a second time (amounting to three total applications through Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee process and Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant process), would need to demonstrate substantial improvement in his or her candidacy such as completion of a graduate or structured post-baccalaureate program to be allowed to participate in the Pre-Health Professions Re-applicant process for a second time.
MAMS students who applied to the medical school through the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee and wish to reapply must register with the MAMS program. The MAMS Office administers the Re-applicant process for MAMS students and writes all letters for MAMS Re-applicants.
Re-applicants are held to the same policies and procedures for releasing their Re-applicant letters as first time Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee applicants.