Fill and Sign the Application for Additional Classification Contractor Fill Form

Application for Admission Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program The Pennsylvania State University 126 Ritenour Building University Park, PA 16802 Phone: (814) 865-7620 Fax: (814) 865-7214 (Please print or type) Along with this application, include official transcripts from all the U.S. accredited universities and colleges attended, a photocopy of your SAT, ACT, or GRE scores (sent directly to the address shown above), and a $50 non-refundable application fee (check payable to The Pennsylvania State University). Please request that the two letters of recommendation using the enclosed Request for Letter of Recommendation forms be sent directly to our office. Name___________________________________________________________________________________ Last First Middle (Maiden) Permanent Address_______________________________________________________________________ Apt./Street City State Zip Code Current Address__________________________________________________________________________ Apt./Street City State Zip Code Permanent Phone ( )____________________________________________________________________ Area Code Current Phone ( )______________________________________________________________________ Area Code Citizenship _________________________________________Birth Date: Country ____________________ PSU ID# (if applicable) _______________________________Email Address_________________________ Time you would like to begin this program?  Summer*  Fall** *Summer deadline is March 2 **Fall deadline May 1 (beginning 2015 app cycle) Year:_______ Under title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964), the University is required by the U.S. Government to ask for information regarding race/ethnic origin. You may voluntarily assist us by identifying yourself as a member of one of the following ethnic/racial backgrounds. Alaskan Native  White American (not of Hispanic origin)  African/Black American (not of Hispanic origin)  Latino/Hispanic American (not Puerto Rican Mainland Puerto Rican  American Indian  Asian and Pacific American Other _________________________ EDUCATION: Please list each college or graduate program that you have attended: Institution/Location Dates of Attendance Major Date Degree Granted ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ (CONTINUED) Academic honors (deans list, scholarship, awards, etc.):___________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Extracurricular, community, and/or vocational activities while in college:______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ List all college-level courses in biology, chemistry, and physics that you have completed to date: ___________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Please list employers, beginning with your current position. Include full-time, summer jobs while in college. Employer/Location Date of Employment Position Held Supervisor___ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Work or volunteer experience that you have had in a health care setting:______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Hobbies, interests, special talents:____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ What health professions are you interested in pursuing? medicine dentistry  optometry  physical therapy other _______________________ PERSONAL STATEMENT: This statement will help the Admissions Committee learn something about you as a person. Include any pertinent information regarding career goals, background etc., related to your interest in pursuing a health profession. This statement should be typed on a separate sheet and limited to one page. Certification Statement and Signature I certify that the information in this application and associated material is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that acceptance to this certificate program does not constitute admission to a degree program. Signature_________________________________________________Date___________________________ FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date application received:____________________ SAT: (v) (q) (total) _____ Baccalaureate College:______________________ GRE:____________________________________ Undergrad GPA:___________________________ Health Profession:__________________________ Request for Letter of Recommendation Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program The Pennsylvania State University 126 Ritenour Building University Park, PA 16802 Phone: (814) 865-7620 Fax: (814) 865-7214 To be completed by applicant. Please print or type. Applicant Name:_________________________________________________________________________ Last First Middle (Maiden) Address:________________________________________________________________________________ Street City State/Zip Code Baccalaureate degree from:________________________________________________________________ Institution Year Area of college study:_____________________________________________________________________ Major Desired type of health profession(s):________________________________________________________ Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry Person writing letter:______________________________________________________________________ Name Relationship to letter writer:________________________________________________________________ Teacher, Employer, etc. I hereby voluntarily waive and relinquish any right of access to this confidential letter of evaluation. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature Date I retain my right of access to this letter of evaluation. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature Date ________________________________________________________________________________________ To the Evaluator: Please write an assessment of the named applicant’s promise as a candidate for admission to our Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program. Your appraisal may be written in the space below or on a separate page if you need additional space. If you choose to use a separate page, please attach this form to your letter as it contains pertinent information. Besides giving an evaluation of the intellectual capacity of the applicant, we are interested in having you address some of the applicant’s qualities and abilities such as: Appearance Maturity Leadership Independence Reliability Perseverance Self-discipline Self-confidence Curiosity Adaptability Tolerance Enthusiasm Compassion Retention of information Communicative skills Emotional Stability Relationship with others Manual dexterity Moral character Motivation to medicine Please send your letter to the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program office at the address below, where it will be held in confidence and used along with other reference letters and academic information to assist our admissions committee in making a decision on the applicant’s acceptance to the program. Thank you for your assistance. Signature________________________________________________________________________________ Name (type or print)__________________________________________________Date__________________ Return to: Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program The Pennsylvania State University 126 Ritenour Building University Park, PA 16802 ________________________________________________________________________________________ Schedule of Required Courses for the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program The following schedule includes the minimum required science courses needed to prepare for admission to medical, dental and optometry schools. In addition to these courses, optometry programs require microbiology, while some medical programs require calculus and biochemistry. The physician assistant, physical therapy and nursing programs require anatomy and statistics. The new MCAT exam for 2015 will include additional questions on biochemistry, social and behavioral sciences, introductory biological concepts related to mental processes and behavior, and critical analysis and reasoning skills. Any applicant accepted to the post-baccalaureate program may request an evaluation of science courses taken at another U.S. college or university for acceptances as credits towards the program (only as many as three of the required courses will be accepted from another school). Students may tailor their semester course loads to meet their schedules and specific needs. Students in the post-baccalaureate program take courses along with Penn State undergraduate students in large sections (labs have 25-30 students). This schedule does not include PSYCH 100 (Introduction to Psychology) or SOC 001 (Introduction to Sociology). The new MCAT exam does incorporate Psychology and Sociology, so these are good courses to add if you do not have a social science background. SUMMER FALL SPRING SUMMER FALL CHEM 110 (3 cr) Chemical Principles CHEM 112 (3 cr) Chemical Principles II CHEM 210 (3 cr) Organic Chemistry CHEM 212 (3 cr) Organic Chemistry II CHEM 213 (2 cr) Organic Chemistry Lab BIOL 110 (4 cr) Biology: Basic Concepts And Biodiversity CHEM 111 (1 cr) Experimental Chemistry CHEM 113 (1 cr) Experimental Chemistry BIOL 230W (4 cr) Biology: Molecules and Cells *BIOL 141 (3 cr) Physiology (or BIOL 240W Biology: Function & Development of Organisms [4 cr]) PHYS 250 (4 cr) Introductory Physics PHYS 251 (4 cr) Introductory Physics SC 401 (1 cr) Basic Science and Disease SC 201 (1 cr) Medical Professions BMB 401 (3 cr) Biochemistry 7 credits 13 credits 12-13 credits 3 credits 5 credits All 4-credit biology and physics courses include a two-hour laboratory period. *BIOL 240W (Biology: Function and Development of Organisms [4 cr]) can be taken instead of BIOL 141. For students interested in broadening their science foundation, we recommend human genetics, microbiology, immunology, histology, developmental biology, virology, biology of aging, anatomy, tumor viruses and oncogenes, neurobiology, embryology, nutrition, biology of cancer, women health issues, health policy, etc. Student Financial Aid for the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program ELIGIBILTY As a non-degree student in a certificate program, you could be eligible for a Federal Stafford Loan. The following passage is from the Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook issued by the Department of Education (19951996): Preparatory course work: Students who are not enrolled in a degree or certificate programs are eligible for Federal Family Education Loans or Direct Loans for a period of up to one year if they are taking courses that are necessary for the student to enroll in an eligible program. These course must be part of an eligible program otherwise offered by the school, although the student does not have to be enrolled in that program. For instance, a student who has already received a B.S. degree might need an additional 12 hours of specialized undergraduate biology and chemistry course work to enroll in a graduate program. If a student is enrolled at least halftime in these prerequisite courses that the courses are part of an eligible program, the student is eligible for loans for one consecutive twelve month period beginning on the first day of the loan period for which the student is enrolled. (The loan limits for firstyear undergraduates apply. However, if the twelve-month period represents more than one academic year, the student may receive multiple loans). And spring) or, in other words, more than once academic year. What this means is that students may apply for the subsidized Federal Stafford Loan during this twelve-month period, at the fifthyear undergraduate loan limit of $5,500. Students must be registered for a minimum of 6 credits per semester to be eligible. HOW MUCH AID CAN YOU GET? A student enrolled in the PostBaccalaureate Premedical program could be eligible for federal student loans for a twelve-month period. A twelve-month period at Penn State consists of three consecutive semesters (summer, fall, (2) Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces? The amount of subsidized loan, available to both dependent and independent students, depends on how much federal money the student has borrowed while obtaining his or her baccalaureate degree (the set limit for Federal Stafford Loans for undergraduate, dependent students is $31,000). If the student is a dependent student, his or her parents may apply for a Federal PLUS loan in order to cover the cost of remaining expenses. Students who fulfill the criteria of an independent student may qualify for an additional unsubsidized loan of up to $5,000 per 12 month period. A student must meet one or more of the following criteria to be considered an independent student: (1) Are you at least 24 years old? (e.g., for a 2002-03 application, the student’s birthdate would need to be before Jan. 1, 1978) (3) Do you have legal dependents? (4) Are you married? (5) Are you an orphan or ward of the court? THE APPLICATION PROCESS The first step towards applying for student financial aid is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available online www.fafsa.ed.gov, or by calling 1-800-433-3243 or by writing to the Federal Student Aid Information Center, PO Box 84, Washington DC 20044. The FAFSA must be completed in order to process student financial aid. The processing of this application takes four to six weeks. There are three sections in the FAFSA that always generate questions. (1) In Section C (titled Your Plans), questions 30-32 should be answered keeping in mind that the Post-Baccalaureate program is a fifteen-month educational certificate program, and the courses taken fall under undergraduate credit (students are enrolled as non-degree status). (2) Question 42 in Section D should be answered “no” (this program is not a graduate or professional program). (3) For Section H (titled Releases and Signatures), the Title IV school code for The Pennsylvania State University is 003329. The FAFSA covers an academic year of fall, spring, and summer. For example, the 2012-13 FAFSA is completed for fall 2012, spring 2013, and the summer 2013 semester. Therefore, a student starting in the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical program in the summer of 2012 will complete a 2011-12 FAFSA form for the summer and then a 2012-2013 FAFSA for the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013. See deadline information on the FAFSA form. Once the FAFSA is processed, the student will receive a pre-certified Federal Stafford Loan application from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). Separate Federal Stafford Loan applications must be filed for the summer, fall, and spring semesters. A lender must be chosen from the Preferred Lender List provided by the Office of Student Aid, 314 Shields Building, University Park, PA 168021220. The loan awarded will be used to cover expenses for the semester of application. The amount of the loan will not exceed the cost of attendance for that particular semester. To qualify for financial aid, students are required to have all previous institutions attended send a Financial Aid Transcript (FAT) to Penn State. The Office of Student Aid at Penn State will not process any loan paperwork until the student is enrolled in classes at the University Park campus. ADDITIONAL FINANCING OPTIONS PLANNING AHEAD Detailed information about Payment Plans can be found on the Bursar’s website: http://www.bursar.psu.edu/payplans.cfm It is recommended that applicants sit down and determine an estimated figure to cover costs for the four or five semesters they plan to take to complete the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical program. Tuition and fees, books, course materials, and other miscellaneous items should all be considered when determining total cost. Standard cost allowances are set by the Office of Student Aid using federal guidelines. Having this information summarized beforehand will save you some surprises and help you to plan ahead! This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is an affirmative action, equal opportunity university. Published by the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program U.Ed.SCI 97-1 Direct Federal Parent PLUS Loan: **ONLY** the parents of dependent students are eligible to apply. Refer to http://www.psu.edu/studentaid/aidprog/plus dl 0910.shtml for further PLUS loan information. However, paper PLUS request forms will be provided to your program contact for your parent’s use. As it is a manually awarded process, like your Stafford Loan awarding, parents may not be able to use the standard e-Lion PLUS request from process. Non-degree Private Alternative Loans: Independent students or dependent students needing more assistance can apply at: http://www.psu.edu/studentaid/aidprog/altloan.shtml General Information on Admission to Medical Schools in the United States The life of a physician can be a For this reason, any person A variety of alternative health care very rewarding experience. It can interested in a health care professions can be as rewarding also be a very demanding career profession should obtain some as that of a medical doctor. that requires dedication and a practical experience by Dentistry, optometry, physician strong commitment to a lifelong volunteering in a healthcare assistance, occupational therapy, education in the field of medicine. setting, talking with health physical therapy, nursing, and Even though the framework for professions, and reading surgical technicians are only some medical services is changing appropriate literature. Individuals of the possible careers available rapidly, the physician will always interested in becoming Doctors of for exploration. play a key role in disease Osteopathy (DO) should become prevention and providing health familiar with the philosophy and Allopathic medical school care. clinical practice of osteopathic admission requirements are medicine. detailed in the Medical School Admission Requirements Students preparing for application Medical schools also are interested publication of the Association of to medical school, allopathic and/or in well-rounded individuals who not American Medical Colleges osteopathic, should be well only excel in science but also have (AAMC). This publication is informed regarding admission interests, hobbies, and talents in available at most school libraries requirements. Specific admission other areas. and premedical advising offices or requirements vary from one a personal copy can be purchased medical school to another, but in There are presently 131 allopathic by writing to: general, most medical schools medical schools in the U.S. and require: Puerto Rico, with a total of about AAMC  One year of general biology 18-19,000 first-year slots for admission of new students. The 2450 N STREET, NORTH WEST with labs; Pennsylvania State University has WASHINGTON, DC 20037  One year of general a very good reputation for physics with labs; or calling  Two years of chemistry with preparing students for medical school admission, and the overall (202)828-0400. labs (general inorganic and acceptance rate for all Penn State organic); students applying to medical Or visit www.aamc.org  One year of mathematics school for the past several years (some schools require has been about 65 percent. More Osteopathic medical school calculus); than 525 Penn State students are admission requirements are  One course in Biochemistry currently enrolled in over 70 detailed in the Education of the  One year of English; allopathic medical schools and Osteopathic Physician. This  Competitive scores on the publication can be purchased by Medical College Admission about a half dozen osteopathic schools. writing to: Test (usually > 10 or better in each section); In recent years the overall AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF  Competitive grade-point acceptance rate for admission to COLLEGES OF OSTEOPATHIC average (usually 3.6 or allopathic medical schools has MEDICINE better). been around 37 percent, with 5550 FRIENDSHIP BLVD. about 58 percent being male and SUITE 310 The decision to pursue a career in 42 percent female. About 12 CHEVY CHASE, MD 20815-7201 medicine should be based on a percent of matriculants are from genuine desire to help others. underrepresented minorities. For or calling Most medical schools prefer to the 26 osteopathic medical (301)968-4100 select applicants who have shown schools, there are 5,788 first-year a commitment to community slots, and generally about 100,000 Or visit www.aacom.org service and have some exposure applicants for those slots. to the field of medicine. POST-BACCALAUREATE PREMEDICAL PROGRAM CHECK SHEET This table will help students tailor their curriculum to include the minimum required courses needed for application to the health profession of their interest. However, students should check the admissions criteria for individual schools since some may have additional course requirements. Medicine Dental Optometry PA PT Nursing BIOL 110 BIOL 230W BIOL 110 BIOL 230W BIOL 110 BIOL 230W BIOL 110 BIOL 129 or KINES 202, BIOL 110 BIOL 129, BIOL 141 and BIOL 142 BIOL 129, BIOL 141 and BIOL 142 BIOL 141 or BIOL 240W CHEM 110, 111, 112, 113 BIOL 141 or BIOL 240W CHEM 110, 111, 112, 113 BIOL 141 or BIOL 240W CHEM 110, 111, 112, 113 BIOL 141, BIOL 142 CHEM 101 OR CHEM 110, 111 CHEM 210, 212, 213 PHYS 250R, 251R, or PHYS 211R, 212R, 213R, 214R SC 201 SC 401 CHEM 210,212, 213 PHYS 250R, 251R, or PHYS 211R, 212R, 213R, 214R SC 201 SC 401 CHEM 210, 212, 213 PSYCH 100 CHEM 110, 111, 112, 113 PHYS 250R, 251R, or PHYS 211R, 212R, 213R, 214R PSYCH 100 PSYCH 270 or PSYCH 470 PSYCH 212 OR HD FS 129 MATH 021 or higher STAT 200, or 240, or 250 MICRB106/107 or MICRB201/202 PSYCH 212 STAT 200, or 240, or 250 MATH 021 or higher STAT 200, or 240, or 250 MICRB 106/107 or MICRB 201/202 Recommended: BIOL 230W, KINES 203, BMB 211 CHEM 202/203, BIOL 222 NUTRN 251 Recommended: Upper level BIOL (3-6 credits) Recommended: NUTR 100 or 251 CAS 100 BMB 401* PHYS 250R, 251R, or PHYS 211R, 212R, 213R, 214R MATH 022, 026, 041 MICRB 201/202 CHEM 110, 111, 112, 113, PSYCH 100 SC 201 SC 401 Recommended: STAT 200 or 250, MATH 140, 400 level BIOL Recommended: BMB 211, STAT 200 or 250, MICRB 201/202 Recommended: BMB 211, MATH 140, STAT 200 or 250 PT= Physical Therapy, Phys. Asst. = Physician Assistant (most physician assistant programs require ranges between 200-1000 hours of health care experience) *The new MCAT exam (beginning in Spring 2015) will add sections including Biochemistry, Psychology, and Sociology. BMB 401 is the course we recommend currently to prepare for the Biochemistry section, and BMB 401 has a pre-req of CHEM 212 making our program a minimum of 5 semesters long for most career-changer students.