Resources

Application Materials: 

When applying to all professional healthcare programs and schools (A-Z: Athletic Training to Veterinary Medicine), there are several key items you will need to prepare. One component of your application submission entails planning for letters of recommendation. 

For full advice and resources on preparing for letters of recommendation as a Vanderbilt pre-health student, please: 

1. Join/visit our HPAO Brightspace community. 
2. Go to "Content" and select "Apply” and “Letters of Recommendation" sections. 

Applying to medical or dental school? Consider the "committee letter" option at Vanderbilt University. 

Historically, many medical and dental programs across the country encourage a "committee letter" of evaluation as one of the options for your required letters of recommendation submission. 

While submitting a committee letter is not mandatory for your professional medical or dental school application, it may be strongly encouraged by many admissions guidelines. 

At Vanderbilt, the overall process to obtain a committee letter is referred to as the CLOP application (Committee Letter Online Portfolio) and CLIM (Committee Letter Interview Meetings). Please note that there are eligibility requirements and deadlines for participation. Be sure to plan accordingly with the resources below.  

To learn more, full advice and resources to prepare for a committee letter opportunity as a Vanderbilt pre-medical/pre-dental student, please: 

1. Join/visit our HPAO Brightspace community. 
2. Go to “Committee Letter” section to review all advice, resources, eligibility requirements and deadlines. Please plan accordingly.  

Resources

• A Good AMCAS Essay by Dr. Agnes Fogo, VUSM Admissions Committee Member
• Writing the AMCAS Essay, by Dr. Tom Oeltmann, former Pre-health Professions Advisor
• The Application Process by Dr. David Charles, M.D., Associate Professor & Vice-Chairman of Neurology for Education & Development
• Critical Elements of an AMCAS Personal Statement by Dr. Jayant Shenai, VUSM Admissions Committee Member
• Essay Examples 1-5 Writing a better application essay.doc by Laurence Solberg, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• Tips for Writing a Successful AMCAS Essay by Laurence Solberg, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Vanderbilt University Writing Studio

The Vanderbilt Writing Studio offers free consultation services to Vanderbilt students. Students have the opportunity to meet individually with trained consultants to talk about any writing project including the application Personal Statement. [The Writing Studio is unavailable during the month of May, so please plan accordingly.]

Writers Workshop Materials

• Consider Your Reasons AMCAS
• Essay Forms and Structures AMCAS
• Show Don't Tell

• Students are encouraged to schedule a Mock Interview with the Career Center.
• Ever wonder how you come across during an interview? Why not have a virtual mock interview and critique yourself? The Career Center provides a Virtual Mock Interview Module in DoreWay which is an excellent resource to guide you to being a great interviewee. Click here for instructions on using the interview module.
• How to Have a Good Interview by Dr. Zic, Associate Dean of Admissions for Vanderbilt Medical School, from AED meeting 9/18/2007
• Medical School Interview: Interviewer's Perspective by Dr. Jayant Shenai, VUSM Admissions Committee Member
• Preparing for Multiple Mini Interviews [MMI]
  
• Vanderbilt student applicants are encouraged to visit the HPAO to review the Interview Survey Binder containing interview surveys completed by previous applicants. After interviewing, students are encouraged to complete the Medical School Interview Survey and return it to the HPAO. [It will not be added to the binder until the next application cycle.]
• Students interviewing for medical school may be asked questions about medical ethics. Here is a link from the AMA website which has a large database of clinical situations which highlight the of medical ethics in the context of actual patient care. After each situation is outlined, there are commentaries written by physicians from a variety of specialities. We think this will be useful for students as they prepare for their interviews, especially those students who have not taken a medical ethics course.

Nance Prize

In 1985, the family and friends of Dr. Dana W. Nance [B.A., 1925, M.D., 1929] endowed the Nance Prize to provide an annual award given to a student in the College of Arts & Science. The award recognizes an outstanding graduating senior from the pre-medical curriculum who has demonstrated perseverance in overcoming academic, financial, or social obstacles to succeed, who is well-trained in the technical skills acquired through the undergraduate pre-medical curriculum, and who possesses an abiding sense of ethical and moral concern for the patient.

The Dean of the College of Arts & Science joins with the Health Professions Advisory Office in calling for applications from Vanderbilt University pre-med students who have applied to medical school in the current (2024-2025) application cycle [2025 entering medical school]. A faculty committee from the College of Arts & Science will select the Nance Prize Scholars for 2025.

The recipients will receive recognition in the graduation program and a monetary award of either $2,500 or $3,000. All applicants will be notified of a decision by May 1, 2025.

Applications are due at the Health Professions Advisory Office no later than March 31st, 2025 by 11:59 pm (CST) and should be sent electronically to nance.essay@vanderbilt.edu.

Application Information and Requirements

Government

• National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

Military

U.S. Air Force

SSgt Sarah D. Kelley
Cell: 615-775-6457
Office: 615-885-9980
sarah.kelley@us.af.mil
http://www.airforce.com/

U.S. Army

Sergeant First Class Barry L. Boone Jr.
Army Medical Department Recruiter
Cell 877-349-5527
Office 615-874-5002
barry.l.boone.mil@mail.mil
http://www.healthcare.goarmy.com

U.S. Navy

Haley Brown
Medical Officer Talent Scout
Hayley.h.brown.mil@us.navy.mil

Krystal M. Chunaco, RN/BSN
Lieutenant, United States Navy
Medical Programs Officer Advisor
Navy Recruiting District Nashville
640 Grassmere Park, Suite 104
Nashville, TN 37211
Office: [615] 332-0755 ext. 225
Cell: [615] 336-0735
krystal.m.chunaco@navy.mil

• Activities Tracking Form
• Community Service/Volunteering – Not Medical/Clinical
  • Anchor Link Service Organization Directory
• Community Service/Volunteering – Medical/Clinical
  • Shade Tree Clinic
  • Siloam Family Health Center
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center Volunteer Services
  • Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Volunteering
  • Vanderbilt Care Partner
  • VA Hospital | 615-873-6978
  • St. Thomas Ascension
  • Salt Wagon Clinic | saltwagonclinic@gmail.com
  • Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center

AAMC Test Prep Resources

The Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC] is excited to announce a new resource now available to students to help them as they prepare for the MCAT exam. “How I Studied for the MCAT Exam” includes profiles for 17 students who self-identified as having performed well on the exam. The profiles include insight on how the students performed, their overall study approach, tips, any challenges they faced and overcame, and “do’s and don’ts” for students to be aware of as they prepare. They can be found at: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/how-i-prepared-mcat-exam/

KhanAcademy

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat

Test Prep Companies

Many students choose to prepare for an admission test on their own, while others prefer to take a prep course. Applicants can certainly be successful either way. For those students considering taking a prep course, below is contact information for just a few of the local options which have been recommended by our students:

Altius Test Prep

Roger Muir
Office: 435-671-5783
Cell: 801-706-8125
Free Practice Test: https://altiustestprep.com/take_free/

Examkrackers

Examkrackers website
Janis Stott
Janis@examkrackers.com
386-864-1245

Kaplan

Free practice tests and free sample classes
1-800-KAP-TEST [527-8378]

The Princeton Review

MCAT Demo test and additional free online materials
Hailey Carl
Hailey.Carl@review.com

• Vanderbilt University Master's Program in Biomedical Sciences
• AAMC Post-Bac Information
• Programs Listings
  • AAMC website - Internet Explorer is not a supported browser for the AAMC website link. Please use Firefox or Google Chrome.
  • Osteopathic Medical Schools [DO] Programs
    
  • Vanderbilt University - The Center for Medicine, Health, and Society Post-Bac Programs: 4+1 BA/MA or 1 year MA.

Internship Opportunities

• Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy
• Summer Programs for pre-MD/PhD students
• Funded International Summer Program [Science and Pre-medical Research]
• Summer Surgery Experience and Summer Neuroscience Experience

Volunteer and Paid Summer Service Programs

• Victory Junction - Paid and volunteer positions available at their summer camp for children, ages 7-15, with serious or chronic medical conditions.
• The Center for Courageous Kids

Teach For America

• Teach For America website: www.teachforamerica.org
• The urgent need for science majors: http://www.teachforamerica.org/admissions/math-science-and-engineering/