-
Application Materials
Committee Letter Review Meeting (CLRM)
To All Students Applying to Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Vet, Etc. Schools: A Committee Letter Review Meeting (CLRM) is required in order for the HPAO to prepare a committee letter to the health professions schools. This meeting is strongly recommended since most health professions schools require and/or expect to receive a letter from the school's health professions advisor if the student is an undergrad. These meetings can be scheduled to take place as early as January of the application year. (You are required to attend the mandatory Application Prep meeting which is held in September and October. Be sure you are part of the HPAO ListServ in order to receive announcements about the process and requirements.)
Committee Letter Review Meetings should be booked well in advance of the preferred meeting date since the calendar fills up quickly. The Committee Letter Online Portfolio (CLOP) is a draft of your application, along with required documents, and must be completed and submitted to our office by January 14, 2024 in order to qualify for a Committee Letter Review Meeting that Spring. The deadline is firm!
Below is the CLOP link. Keep in mind, it will take MANY HOURS to complete the CLOP, so allow yourself ample time to submit a well-though-out application draft to the HPAO (which is needed for a supportive Committee Letter). Modifications may not be submitted after the CLOP has been submitted and processed!
The CLOP includes:
- Your Personal Statement
- Your Experience Details and Descriptions (at least 6 and up to 15 experiences)
- Experience Summary Paragraphs by Category
- List of your Medical Schools
- List of your Recommendation Letter Writers
CLOP Link for 2025 Entering Cycle
After you begin the CLOP (REDCap Record), you will receive an automated email message with the subject line of
"*** SAVE THIS LINK for your CLOP *** It is needed to Return to your CLOP."
You will need to use that unique link to edit your CLOP.
HPAO Letters of Recommendation System (LORS)
HPAO Letters of Recommendation System (LORS) link
Click on your initials/photo in the upper right side then select “recommendations” from the drop down menu.
Know Your Science GPA
AMCAS GPAs are reported to medical schools for each Academic Status (High School, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Post-baccalaureate, and Graduate), subdivided into courses listed as "BCPM" (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math) or "AO" (All Other).
The AMCAS Applicant Guide (including the Course Classification Guide), along with this document, gives information on which courses may be considered when calculating your Science GPA/BCPM.
Here’s a tool that can help you determine your science GPA: GPA Calculator. Specify each BCPM course name, select the grade earned, and input the credit hours {units} earned, then the calculator will determine the cumulative science GPA.
Additional Resources
-
Personal Statement
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
-
Interviews
- 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.
-
Scholarships & Awards
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 cycle (2023 Entering Cycle). A faculty committee from the College of Arts & Science will select the Nance Prize Scholars for 2023.
The recipients will receive recognition in the graduation program and a monetary award of either $3500 or $2000. All applicants will be notified of a decision by May 1, 2023.
Applications are due at the Health Professions Advisory Office no later than April 1, 2023 at 11:59 pm CST and should be sent electronically to nance.essay@vanderbilt.edu.
Application Information and Requirements
Government
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.comU.S. Navy
Haley Brown
Medical Officer Talent Scout
Hayley.h.brown.mil@us.navy.milKrystal 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 -
Service
- Activities Tracking Form
- Community Service/Volunteering – Not Medical/Clinical
- Community Service/Volunteering – Medical/Clinical
-
Test Prep
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
386-864-1245Kaplan
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 -
Postbaccalaureate
- 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.
-
Internships
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/