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The Pre-Health Committee is comprised of faculty familiar with the Pre-Health curriculum
and work closely with interested students both in planning their curriculum and orienting them to their professional interests.
The 2008-09 Pre-Health Committee consists of the following faculty:
The Pre-Health Committee functions to provide:
- Mentorship and internship opportunities with Millsaps alumni and supporters in these professions through the Medical Mentorship program.
- Support and guidance through the pre-health advisory email listserv, seminars, and office visits. Sign-up for the Pre-Health email listserv by contacting Dain Hayes, the Science Division Secretary. For more information, contact Dr. Kurt Thaw.
- Recommendations to professional schools by acting as an evaluation committee.
Recommendations
Many programs require letters of recommendation for entrance. The Pre-Health Advisory Committee provides a recommendation partially based on individual student interviews that are conducted in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Download a Pre-Health Faculty Evaluation Form (PDF).
The Pre-Health Committee Student Interview
The committee 1) is responsible for helping the student to gain admission and
2) is responsible to the professional school to accurately evaluate the students.
Individual interviews, by appointment, last for 45 minutes. The meetings are conducted on Friday afternoons. Keeping appointments, being punctual, professionalism and cursory knowledge of the medical field are emphasized.
Student appointments are made with Dain Hayes, the Science Division Secretary.
The committee will require individual recommendation forms or letters from three faculty: two science (computer science, mathematics, etc. count as science), one non-science. Additional recommendations from employers and/or mentors are approporiate, but not from relatives, clergy, scoutmasters, or politicians etc. These letters should be sent to a committee co-chair prior to the interview, along with a personal resumé and a printout of the application form (AMCAS - American Medical College Application Service, ADSAS - Associated American Dental Schools Application Service, etc.). The committee will have a copy of your transcript.
Our committee evaluation will be influenced by your academic record but the medical admissions committees to whom you’re applying will have your GPA and exam scores.
We will also evaluate your campus activities, demonstrated leadership and potential, concern for social issues, time management skills, knowledge of health-care, interpersonal skills, professionalism, etc.
We will forward a committee evaluation and accompanying letter, along with copies of all individual recommendations to the schools you indicate. For medical and dental schools your evaluation packet is forwarded electronically. Since this will happen only once, you must have all necessary supporting materials in on time. It is advisable (but not necessary) to waive access to these documents.
You should pay attention to and carefully follow these instructions concerning the recommendation and interview process.
Individual evaluations (Tips from the keyboard of Goodol’ Bob)
Make it a point to establish some kind of personal relationship with faculty members - this will engender much more meaningful recommendations. “Mr. John Doe was in my bacteriology class, & attended regularly” is good, but could be much, much better. How to do this? A research project, special readings, small seminar courses, mentorships, lab assisting . all are good. An employer or outside preceptor is excellent ... Even if not health-related, they can say something about your reliability, attitude, initiative, responsibility, etc. “I’ve known John Doe since he was a small child in Sunday school” is not helpful.
Be sure you not only meet all deadlines, but apply early in the period. Many schools have rolling admissions, and as time goes by, so do available places in the class.
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