Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do health professions schools look for in an applicant?
Each health profession has requirements specific to its application process, but it is fair to say that all require:
1. Evidence of strong academic ability, especially in the sciences
2. A record of service to others, demonstrated by ongoing volunteer or community service activity
3. Genuine interest in, and understanding of, the healthcare system
4. Strong recommendations from those who have taught you or supervised you
5. Evidence of personal maturity, judgment, and compassion
The good news is that the majority if Hamilton College students arrive on campus with the study skills and time management techniques that allow them to succeed academically while participating in the activities that they care about. Students who find they need some help have a multitude of resources to assist them. Hamilton professors are accessible, helpful, and eager for your success. Students often tutor their classmates, collaborating on understanding the material fully and questioning each other on topics to achieve full mastery. Many professors offer weekly review sessions.
The Q-Lit (Quantitative Literacy) Center offers student tutors for classes in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and economics. The Writing Center offers assistance with papers, reports and labs. Students who want to excel will find the support they need to do so.
There are dozens of volunteer organizations on campus, many coordinated through HAVOC, that allow students to be of service to others and demonstrate their proclivity for helping others. Students who feel they are too busy for significant service during the academic year can participate in Alternative Spring Break or other volunteer activities during vacations.
Hamilton is fortunate to offer several clinical internships for interested students, and others will gain experience through hospital work, shadowing or non-Hamilton internships over vacations. A good number of Hamilton students train as EMT's and work with either the Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps or with the Hamilton College Emergency Medical Squad. EMT's are eligible to work as emergency medical technicians at many hospitals.
At Hamilton your professors will know you well and will be able to write persuasive recommendations in support of your applications. With a 10:1 student- faculty ratio and very small classes, your professors will know you personally and be able to speak convincingly of your personal qualities and abilities.
The personal qualities sought by medical schools include:
psychological maturity
character and integrity
self-discipline
altruism
judgment
compassion and empathy
communication skills
experience and knowledge of medicine
resilience and adaptability
concern for helping others
reliability and dependability
Because medical schools give preference to students who are in-state residents, and because there is often a financial benefit to attending an in-state school, many Hamilton students will attend medical schools in their home states. Obviously, the schools enrolling Hamilton gradutes will change each year. Over the last six years,, the following medical schools enrolled 1-6 Hamilton graduates:
Albany
Boston University
CaseWesternReserve
Dartmouth Medical School
Drexel
Einstein
George Washington
Jefferson Medical College
Johns Hopkins
Mt. Sinai
New York University
Northwestern
Nova Southeastern COM
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Upstate
Temple
Tufts
Tulane
University of Massachusetts
UMDNJ Newark
UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson
Uniformed Services Univ of Health Sciences
University of Connecticut
University of Maryland
University of New England COM
Universtiy of Pennsylvania
University of Rochester
Uniiversity of Vermont
University of West Virginia
Wayne State University
Weill Cornell Medical College
West Virginia COM
Yale
Q: How does AP credit affect required courses?
Advanced Placement credit does not substitute for a course taken in a college environment. If you are confident of your mastery of the AP content, take a higher level class in the same department (e.g. Bio 115 is designed for students with a 5 on the AP Biology test). You can choose to retake any AP class at Hamilton if you are not certain of your mastery. Remember that the MCAT or DAT is an achievement test based on the required sciences. Medical schools want evidence of ability at the college level and in a college environment with the required subjects (biology, chemistry, physics, English, math). Hamilton's curriculum is designed for students who bring advanced work, and our advising system and placement tests in mathematics and foreign languages will make certain you are placed at an appropriate level.
Q: What are the consequences of taking premedical courses at another institution during summer school?
All other things being equal, it is better to take your required premedical courses at Hamilton. First, by taking these courses at Hamilton, you will have professors on campus who know you well in the courses of greatest interest to the admissions committees. Through these professors and their letters, the Health Professions Advisory Committee will know you better and will be able to make a more convincing recommendation to the medical schools that you are applying to. Second, summer school courses are usually not as thorough as semester-long courses, so you won't learn as much. This is particularly important in the required courses, since these courses prepare you to do well on the MCAT/DAT examination and in professional school.
Q: I have been advised to avoid taking two laboratory courses during my first year at Hamilton. Is this a good idea?
The right schedule for you will depend upon your individual circumstances, interests and background. Students who love science, are confident of their study skills, and are eager to attend medical school directly after college should choose two sciences. Do not feel pressure to conform to any formula that doesn't feel right to you. Take the classes that you are excited about, and make a commitment to do your best in them. For many health professions students, science comes more easily than French, English or art history. Be yourself.
Q: I did not decide to pursue medical school until my junior year at Hamilton, and I have not fulfilled many of the requirements? What do I do?
There are several options. First, you can apply to medical school a year or two after graduation. If you have not completed your premedical course requirements by the time of your graduation, then you might consider enrolling in one of the post-baccalaureate premedical programs that are available. Second, it is possible to take one or more of the courses during the summer school programs, although there are certain disadvantages to that plan (see FAQ above). See Leslie North to devise a plan of action.
