Who determines my status?

Our Program Advisory Committee reviews the applicant files to determine if the applicant will be interviewed.  If a virtual interview is granted, the student will receive three 20-30 minute interviews; two individual ones with a Medical School Admissions Committee member and a panel interview with the Program Advisory Committee.  Once the interviews are conducted, members of both committees will discuss the applicant's file and their interview summaries to determine whether or not the applicant is accepted.

The Program Advisory Committee currently consist of four members including Tonia D. Thomas, Program Director; Shonna Boyd Wagner, Program Coordinator; Tana Didelot, Assistant Director of Medical School Admissions and Sharon Gordon, Student Success Coordinator, U of L School of Medicine.  In addition to the Program Advisory Committee conducting a panel interview; we have members from the University of Louisville Medical School Admissions Committee to conduct interviews.  Our applicants are notified of their status via e-mail. We do not give status information over the phone.

Our primary goal as a committee is to select qualified candidates who have illustrated the potential to succeed in our program and ultimately gain admission into medical school and become the physician they always wanted to be.

Being denied from our program doesn't mean you should give up on your dream. There are other paths to your destination.  

Why didn't I get in?

After you've taken the time to apply to our program, turned in all your materials and were either invited to interview or not; you received an electronic letter that states you have been denied.  First you have to deal with the disappointment of not being selected and then secondly you probably wonder, "Why didn't I get in?"

There are several factors that may have led to our decision.

Your Academic Performance

Grade Point Average and Transcript
We use your transcript as an indication of how well you'll perform academically.  If you've had difficulty with non-science courses or with some of the science courses you may have taken, it concerns us; especially if you've earned several C, D or F grades. An inconsistent undergraduate or graduate record, numerous withdrawals or transferring to several different colleges also raises concern. It makes us question how committed you may be to a strictly science curriculum and how successful you would be in those courses. Keep in mind that the further you are from our 3.3. minimum GPA requirement, the less academically competitive you are in comparison to our applicant pool.

Standardized Tests
Having a low standardized test score also decreases your competitiveness; even if it was taken years ago. A lower standardized test score raises concern regarding how well you will do on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and future standardized exams in medical school (e.g. STEP 1 and STEP 2 board exams).

Your Personal Statement

Writing your personal statement essay is important. It's your chance to express and explain your interest in medicine and becoming a physician. It should tell us the why and what you've done to prepare. Our special circumstances essay allows you to explain any shortcomings you may have on your application for us to take into consideration (e.g., low test scores, gpa issues, etc.). If your personal statement doesn't convey that information, it can raise question about your genuine interest in pursuing this career and commitment to complete our program if selected. 

Your Interest and Exposure to Medicine

We are seeking candidates with a genuine and proven interest in clinical medicine. When we read your personal statement or during your interview, we need to be convinced that you put some serious thought into this career change and that you believe this could be the right career for you. We are seeking applicants who have a heart for medicine; meaning a passion to practice and compassion for people. If we don't sense that or you have trouble conveying that, we may question if medicine is the right career choice and whether or not you will truly benefit from our program.

We are also seeking a proven interest in medicine. Applicants need to illustrate that they've had some exposure to medicine either from shadowing, volunteering in a health care facility and/or doing some career exploration by speaking with a physician or medical students.

Shadowing is important. Shadowing is preferred in person with a physician. The more hours you can spend shadowing is beneficial because it illustrates that you've spent some time in a clinical setting. If your parent(s) is a physician, we would anticipate that you've spent some significant time shadowing them or their colleagues and will indicate that in your personal statement.

Please note: Although Nurses, EMTs,  Paramedics and Medical Scribes have clinical experience, they are encouraged to shadow a physician outside of their regular work hours. 

Students are also encouraged to seek virtual shadowing opportunities and to interview or meet with physicians or medical students to gain some insight into the career of medicine. 

Volunteering and Displaying Humanistic Qualities

We are seeking candidates who have some empathy, compassion for others and are willing to serve.  This is illustrated by sacrificing your time and energy to volunteer with an organization, participate in an ongoing service project, paying it forward with random acts of kindness, donating blood regularly, care-giving for a sick loved one, etc. Some additional examples of service include participating in donation drives, dropping off food baskets, making cards for the elderly, etc. 

Your Letters of Support

In addition to your personal statement, we take your recommendations very seriously. You want to pick people who can endorse you and that you've spoken with about your career interest. They should share the qualities that would make you a good physician and to reiterate why we should select you for this program. We recommend the following; professors, advisors, colleagues, supervisors, mentors, volunteer coordinator, clergy or another professional. We do not recommendfamily members. 

Your Interview

Sometimes what you convey on paper doesn't always shine in the interview. Most people are nervous during interviews and that is to be expected. Interviewing allows us to get to know the applicant better and allows us to dialogue and learn more about the applicant's academic performance, work ethic and career intentions. There are times that interviews can reveal more than their file states and may hinder their chances for being further considered for acceptance (e.g, not a genuine interest in medicine, disengaged or confrontational dialogue, etc.).

The interview is your time to shine and illustrate that you're the right choice and can succeed in this program.  If you share areas of weakness, it is always good to have a plan of action to improve in those areas. For example, if you're a chronic procrastinator, you want to share that you're working on managing your time better by being proactive (e.g., scheduling your study time or working part-time instead of full-time, etc.). Consider having a mock interview to practice with a professional or an objective person you trust.

How you compare overall to the applicant pool

Even if you meet the minimum requirements for our program, you are also compared with the general applicant pool.  You are competing with applicants who may have significantly surpassed the minimum requirements, have substantial volunteer experience, shadowing exposure and gave an excellent interview.  By our program having limited spots and assured admission to the University of Louisville School of Medicine; we are seeking students who illustrate that they can succeed academically in the classroom and on standardized test; know why they wish to pursue medicine and can provide substantial experiences to illustrate that interest and possess attributes that would be an asset to our program.

"When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." - Alexander Graham Bell

Choosing to continue on the Pre-med Path

Being denied from our program doesn't mean that you should end your pre-med journey or not apply to our medical school in the future.  Please contact the U of L School of Medicine at 502-852-5193 or your medical school of interest to learn more about what they are seeking in a medical school applicant.  They have reviewed numerous medical school applications and can give you advice on what you can do to improve your chances for medical school.

If you will be continuing your pre-med education at the University of Louisville, please contact the College of Arts & Sciences Advising Center at 502-852-5502 to schedule an advising appointment with a pre-med advisor.  If you will be attending elsewhere, make finding a pre-health/pre-med advisor one of your first task.

Remember that there are numerous health care fields to consider in addition to clinical medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, dental hygiene, physical therapy, podiatry, physician assistant, public health and more!

Other Post-bac Programs

There are various kinds of post-bac programs. Some are for career changers while others focus on academic record enhancement,etc., such as MEDPREP. Please visit the postbac premed websites to see if there are other programs you may be eligible for or may be more beneficial for your pre-med journey.

We sincerely wish you the best in your academic and career pursuits!