Admissions Straight Talk

Meet Temple University’s Dr. Glenn Gerhard (Professor and Chair, Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry), and Dr. Kathy Giangiacomo (Associate Professor, Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry). They’re joining us today to discuss an innovative online MCAT prep option, plus Temple’s postbac programs and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Welcome!

How Temple’s online Biochem MCAT course developed [1:50]

Gerhard: In 2015, Temple was developing a new university-wide initiative to create courses in an online format, across diverse subject areas. This coincided with a curriculum revision at the School of Medicine, and also with AAMC’s changes to the MCAT format. And so the new course coalesced into the biochem MCAT prep course.

Giangiacomo: I had recently developed an undergrad course that would prepare students for the new MCAT. I’d also been creating online materials for a lot of courses, especially for the postbac program (such as videos, etc).

What makes Temple’s MCAT course distinctive? [5:40]

The AAMC recognizes the importance of biochem for incoming med students, but the way biochem is taught at the undergraduate level can vary quite a bit. Since Temple’s faculty teach med students, this course is designed to teach the course from a med-focused perspective and prepare students effectively for med school.

Giangiacomo: The prereqs are streamlined, which allows students to take the course in time to graduate. It’s run like a med school class, so students can apply the concepts they learn.

What is the schedule/timeline? How long is the class? [11:40]

It’s a 5-week online course and is the equivalent of a full semester. Students should budget at least 2 hours a day, 5 days a week to cover the content. There will be a course beginning in September (ideal for students preparing for the January MCAT). The course is also scheduled in March and May.

Their postbac students have already taken the course and reported that they were very well prepared for the MCAT. [14:40]

Any plans to expand to other sections of the MCAT? [15:20]

Potentially yes, they’ll see how it develops.

Postbac at Temple [15:48]

They have two programs: one for career changers and one for academic enhancers. Both are 1-year programs.

The career changer program is a 12-month intensive program. If students earn a 3.6 GPA and a 30 on the MCAT, they can have conditional acceptance at Temple’s med school.

Academic enhancers also have the option of conditional acceptance. The med school acceptance rate is 90% for academic enhancers – lower for career changers.

Requirements for postbac admission [19:45]

For academic enhancers: they need to have a 3.4 GPA (for both overall and science). They don’t have to have taken the MCAT, though most of them have. The program provides MCAT prep if they need it.

For career changers, they need a 3.6 overall GPA, 3.3 science, and there’s a limit on the number of science classes they can have in order to be considered a career changer.

What’s distinctive about Lewis Katz School of Medicine? [21:15] 

Gerhard: Temple has traditionally prided itself on a strong focus on students and education. The med school is committed to training patient-centered physicians who are excellent clinicians. The program integrates basic and clinical science. And the culture of the school places equal value on research and teaching – valuing pedagogy alongside knowledge.

What’s it like to be about to graduate from Harvard Business School? Listen to today’s episode for an insider perspective.

[0:38] Meet Anndrea Moore, a member of HBS’s class of 2016. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2010 with a degree in Marketing and International Business. After graduating she worked as a Brand Analyst at the Nielsen Company and then in Operations at Google. Welcome!

Her path to HBS [1:20]

After studying Marketing and International Business at U of Cincinnati, she interned at Neilsen, and ultimately took a full time job there as a brand analyst. The exposure she gained there to online marketing and social media led her to a marketing position at Google.

Why the MBA, and why HBS [3:20]

Leaving undergrad, she considered pursuing a masters in marketing. But an adviser suggested that she work for 3-5 years and then consider b-school. Having worked in the tech industry, she felt some pushback against returning to school, but she wanted the skills she would gain in b-school (finance, management, etc). She thought HBS was the best fit.

What was the most challenging part of the application process? [5:00]

Managing it: preparing for and taking the GMAT (she took it twice); deciding who she should ask to write her letters of rec. And the essay was pretty difficult – HBS has a broad essay question, and figuring out a strategy was challenging.

How much time did she budget for her essays? [6:35]

She applied Round 2, and started writing in October. After writing a rough draft, she showed it to friends, her mom, and a coach – people she trusted. She went through multiple revisions.

What were the most memorable/difficult interview questions she faced? [7:45]

The interviewer asked why, if her goal was brand management, she hadn’t considered going straight to PnG (based in Cincinnati). It was a very specific question based on her education, experience and goals.

Was the interview high stress because of the stakes? Or the questions? [9:00]

Both. Once you’re at the interview stage, it feels like it’s yours to lose. And the interview consisted of rapid fire questions on all aspects of the application.

It’s important to show continuity with your application.

What she wrote about in her interview reflections [10:45] 

She addressed the PnG question with more detail, thanked the interviewers, and referenced the questions she’d asked them at the conclusion of the interview.

Any surprises about HBS life? [11:35]

You really get a chance to understand how people think. The way classmates approach cases shows their reasoning process and can help you create better arguments.

Has HBS met her expectations? [12:55]

Yes! She’s met great friends, heard wonderful speakers, and made connections to a helpful alumni network. It feels like she’s part of a family.

Her FIELD experience (Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development) [14:10]

She went to Peru. Their client was a fast food hamburger chain – their team’s job was to prepare the business for the next 5 years. They visited the food processing center, restaurant locations, etc. And they presented their recommendations to the company’s leadership team, who said they’re going to implement some of them.

Anything she wishes she’d known about the FIELD experience? [15:55]

Even though you prepare at home,

Are you suffering from a case of MCAT anxiety? We’ve got the prescription for you in this week’s podcast episode.

Meet our guest. [0:30]

Meet Bryan Schnedeker, National MCAT Director for Next Step Test Prep and a standardized test expert. He scored 44 on the old MCAT and a perfect 180 on the LSAT, and has worked in test prep for more than 20 years. He’s been with Next Step Test Prep since 2012. Welcome! 

What does Next Step Test Prep do? [1:10]

They’re the world leader in 1 on 1 MCAT prep—they focus on individual tutoring. They also offer full length practice tests and a question bank.

What distinguishes NSTP from other prep services? [2:00]

Their philosophy and focus on individual tutoring. Other services focus on group courses, and if they offer tutoring, it’s an extra. At Next Step, individual tutoring is the entire business – so even their publications are built around that model (customizing for individual needs).

NSTP offers both content review and test strategy. [4:50]

Most students want to focus on test strategy, but NSTP also provides content review. Everything is customized to the student’s needs. 

How have they changed for the new MCAT? [6:20]

The cornerstone of good MCAT prep is AAMC practice exams, and with the new exam, that resource was going away, so Next Step revamped and created new materials, including full length practice exams. They also developed new materials for the new exam sections (biochem, psychology).

How much time should students budget for MCAT prep? [8:20]

It depends on the student.

On average, 2-3 months at the low end, 3 ½ to 4 months at the high end. So about the length of a college semester. And the time per week can vary from about a part-time job (20 hours a week) all the way up to a full time job-level commitment.

A really strong student who scored high on their first practice test will need less time to prepare. And some students – such as non-traditional students who haven’t taken as many courses, or people who struggle with standardized tests – will need more time.

The new MCAT [11:15]

The new exam has more material you need to be familiar with, especially in fields like biochem and psychology. He’s started advising people to take a year of psychology before taking the exam.

His recommended timeline for students [12:40]

Start MCAT prep right after New Year’s (before spring semester starts). Then you can take the exam in April. It takes a month to get the scores back – so you’ll be ready to apply in the spring.

Many people used to take the exam after sophomore year, leaving a fallback option for a retake if needed. Now that it’s necessary to take biochem, that timeline has moved – the window would probably be closer to January of junior year, which would give a fallback to retake in the spring if necessary. [13:55]

Will the additional coursework lead to more people taking gap years? [15:10]

Potentially – they’re seeing a trend at Next Step with their tutor applicants taking gap years.

Is it too late to apply in the current cycle if you haven’t taken the MCAT? [16:55]

It depends! Take a diagnostic test and see where you’re starting from. If you have a strong starting point (say, at least 507) and only need to raise it a couple of points, then that’s reasonable.

They get a lot of calls in June/July from applicants saying they rushed and got a disappointing score,

With Mother’s Day coming up, this week’s show features a mother, MBA student, and entrepreneur.

Meet Divinity Matovu, founder of MBA Mama [1:04]

Divinity grew up in Wisconsin, attended USC (where she majored in Political Science and African American Studies), and got bit by the social impact and start-up bug. She’s now studying at Wharton as a member of the class of 2017. Her writing has appeared on Forté Foundation’s Business 360 Blog, Fortune Online, the Wharton Journal, and of course the MBA Mama blog. Welcome!

What did she do in between USC and Wharton, and what was her path to b-school? [1:55]

She moved to Africa! While an undergrad, she studied in Kenya – her first time living abroad. When she graduated, she moved to Uganda, planning to work for a youth foundation there and ultimately look for jobs in Kenya. As it turned out, she stayed in Uganda, co-founded a youth development organization, met and married her now ex-husband, and ran a non-profit with him. Her experience leading the non-profit there is what ultimately made her decide to pursue b-school: she realized she needed to develop her skills. She returned to the US (pregnant with her daughter), worked for a while, and then started the process of applying to b-school. She started MBA Mama during her application process.

What is MBA Mama? [5:47]

It’s an online platform to empower women to navigate family and career strategy. They provide tools and resources to help women be successful in the workplace and at home.

Why did she start MBA Mama? [7:50]

She did a couple of pre-MBA programs: the Forte Foundation’s MBA Launch Program and the MLT MBA Prep Program. In the MLT program, a male colleague commented that he felt inspired by watching her go through the process as a single mother. She realized that there isn’t a lot of visibility: you don’t often see mothers on campus. So she bought the MBA Mama domain name, envisioning it (originally) as a blog. She met her cofounder (now an MBA student at Duke) and they’ve been continuing to work on the site and the business model.

What products are they planning? [10:40]

Some ideas are partnerships, such as test prep and loan financing. But they’re also designing an innovative childcare solution – it will be tech enabled, taking advantage of the sharing economy. And they’re working on a paid coaching platform matching senior women with younger women (around career and family issues). They also want a coaching platform for aspiring entrepreneurs. They hope to launch these over the next 18 months.

What did she hope to get out of her MBA? [13:00]

She wanted to develop her finance knowledge. Also: boost her emotional intelligence and leadership skills.

The hardest part of the application process? [15:10]

The GMAT. She took it 3 times. Partly this was because she was going through a difficult time – going through a divorce – and it was difficult to find time to study.

Wharton’s TBD- her experience [16:45]

She found it hard to prepare, because she wasn’t sure what to expect, but the interview itself was smooth sailing. Who you are comes out.

The most difficult aspect of the interview process? [17:35]

In her personal interview, she had a hard time reading the interviewer.

This week, join us for a re-broadcast of our most popular medical podcast of the year: the inspiring story of a young physician who overcame daunting obstacles not just to become a physician, but to match in one of the most competitive residencies: orthopedic surgery. How did he do it? And what can you learn from his experience and his resilience?

Join us once again for our conversation with Dr. Antonio Webb. And we’ll see you next week for a fresh interview with a brand new guest!

Related Links:

• Dr. Antonio Webb’s web page.

• Interview with Dr. Antonio Webb

• OVERCOMING THE ODDS: From war on the streets in Louisiana to war on terrorism in Iraq, how I successfully overcame the odds by Dr. Antonio Webb

• Dr. Webb on Instagram

• The Definitive Guide to Pre-Medical Postbaccalaureate Programs: The Handbook for Career Changers and Academic Record Enhancers who Want a Chance at Medical School, by Alicia McNease Nimonkar

• Post-Baccalaureate Admissions Advice

Related Shows:

• Student Doctor Diva: A Story Of Med School Inspiration

• Insights, Advice and Experiences of a Non-Traditional Med Student

• Medical School Admissions 2015-2016: A Dean’s Perspective

• Getting Into Medical School: Advice From a Pro

• MCAT Scores, MCAT Prep, and #MCAT2015

• What You Need to Know About Postbac Programs

• Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education

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Tags: Admissions Straight Talk, Medical School Admissions

A funny thing happened on the way to the open mic. Paul Ollinger got a Tuck MBA, had a career in Silicon Valley, grabbed a gig at a little start-up called Facebook, and then wrote a book on MBA admissions. Let’s hear his story.

Meet Paul Ollinger [0:50]

He’s a Tuck MBA who discovered a passion for stand-up comedy – while in business school. We’ll learn about his subsequent career in Silicon Valley (including stints at Yahoo and Facebook). Welcome!

Why he chose to pursue an MBA [1:51]

He wanted to accelerate his career. He’d assumed he would go into a corporate job, and had never thought about comedy. At Tuck, he co-hosted a talent show and realized performing and comedy were important to him.

What he values most from his MBA experience [4:05]

The people and relationships. Tuck has the reputation of being a cozy, collegial environment, and it really is: he made lifelong friendships there, along with relationships that are still benefiting his career.

How did Tuck help his career? [5:20]

The standards he observed people setting for themselves showed him a model for business success – and also how to work extremely hard without burning out.

His career path and how he broke into standup comedy [7:40]

After working at Launch and then Yahoo, he moved to LA to do stand up full time. After that, he joined Facebook as a startup. After leaving Facebook 4.5 years ago, he started a blog and found that he enjoyed writing. He briefly went back to work for a small software company, but realized what he’d always been passionate about was writing and comedy. So he decided to write a funny book about business.

Writing You Should Totally Get an MBA [10:10]

He set out to write a funny business book, and realized it was becoming something of a b-school guide book. The title is tongue-in-cheek, but also kind of a sincere look at who should get an MBA.

What niche does the book fill? [11:20]

Hopefully the funny one! He thought he would write a snarky one, but you can’t really sustain snark for a whole book. He knew he’d had a great time in b-school, and it was great for his career. Humor is a tool for people to get through the book – a way to help people think about things.

He went through the application process 20 years ago and reviewed it for the book. He learned how much has changed in 20 years! Including changes in the classroom, changes in the application process, how we present ourselves online. Advice: be your authentic self in presenting who you are through the application process.

The book emphasizes knowing what you want to get out of the MBA – why? [15:30]

The things that will make you successful are your drive and ambition, and your clarity in knowing where you want to go. Knowing how the school fits into your plans will help you achieve your objectives – both in the application process and during the MBA itself.

His future plans [17:55]

He wants to continue using humor in business to help people with their careers and work lives – ie through standup, writing, speaking engagements. He’s planning a second book.

He writes about how applicants should not talk about money as a reason for the degree – why? [18:40]

The best moves in his career were not based on money: they were based on passion. If you’re lucky, you’ll find out it really isn’t about the money.

Linda adds: Another important reason not to mention money in your application is that it doesn’t

Three continents. Two master’s degrees. One amazing year. That’s the program we’re going to explore today!

[0:45] Meet Dean Cyndy Huddleston, Associate Dean, Graduate Admissions Corporate Relations at the McIntire School of Commerce at UVA. Dean Huddleston is an alumna of the College of William and Mary where she earned her bachelor’s degree as well as a Master’s in Education with a focus on Counseling and Higher Ed Administration. She worked in career services and other administrative capacities at several top schools in the DC area before arriving at UVA in 1999. Currently Dean Huddleston serves as the Associate Dean for Graduate Admissions and Corporate Relations. Welcome!

What is the MS in Global Commerce? [1:26]

It’s a new program launching in fall 2016. It is a deeply immersive one year global MS for recent business grads. Students will study at three schools (on three continents!): McIntire, ESADE in Barcelona, and Lingnan College (at Sun Yat-sen University) in Guangzhou, China. The student body will be international, too – 50-60 students drawn from the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Students will earn two master’s degrees: a degree in Global Commerce from McIntire, an MS in Global Strategic Management from ESADE, and a certificate in International Management from Lingnan.

How the program came into being [4:00]

McIntire has been integrating global concepts in other programs – for example, its MS in Commerce includes a 1-month global immersion. This international orientation was attractive for recruiters – it’s increasingly critical for employees to be able to work across cultures. They wanted to provide this deep training by creating partnerships.

For whom is the MS in Global Commerce? [5:30]

The program is targeted at students who have undergrad training in business/management.

What will students learn? [5:55]

At McIntire: global strategy, cross cultural management and communication. At Lingan, finance and operations. At ESADE, innovation, corporate social responsibility, and entrepreneurship. At each university, there’s also a focus on “doing business in X” (China, EU, US).

What are they looking for in applicants? [8:55]

Strong academics, leadership skills. Also, students who will thrive in an international/cross cultural environment: people who are resilient, adaptable, and open to working with people from different backgrounds.

They want applicants with under two years of work experience [9:37]

The application process [9:50]

All three schools are recruiting students. US students can apply through McIntire – students from outside the US can apply to one of the other campuses if they prefer. The required application materials are: test scores (GMAT/GRE, plus TOEFL/IELTS for non-native English speakers); academic transcripts; essays; letters of rec. If invited, an interview is the next step. The adcom members at McIntire are faculty; they review completed applications and make admissions recommendations. Counterparts at ESADE and Lingan also meet and make recommendations.

What does McIntire’s holistic admissions approach mean? [12:10]

They want to understand applicants’ story – not just the GPA. For example, they read transcripts to understand the context behind the numbers – trends, courses, etc. And that prompts interview questions that give applicants a chance to fill in the blanks. Ultimately, they want applicants to be successful and gain from the program – so they’re looking for people who are a good fit.

How has the first year process been? [14:30]

They’re about halfway through the application process,

Wife, mom, and medical resident: This week, a show about succeeding in med school and residency while juggling multiple commitments.

Meet Dr. Jasmine Johnson, the blogger at Mrs. Mommy MD and a second year ObGyn resident at UNC Chapel Hill. Her first child was born while she was applying to med school – and she’s been juggling her multiple roles ever since! [0:57]

Dr. Johnson’s path to medicine [1:25]

Growing up with a physician father (a urologist), she was interested in medicine from a young age. As an undergrad at the U of Michigan, she majored in Brain Behavior/Cognitive Science. In her senior year of college, while she was applying to med schools, she gave birth to a baby boy. When she became pregnant, she decided she would still apply that year.

While she had interviews, she didn’t get in anywhere. However, she had the opportunity to enroll in a postbac program at Indiana U. The postbac made a huge difference in terms of strengthening her application for the following year. She was able to raise her MCAT score, and taking the first-year med school curriculum during the postbac program helped boost her GPA (and also gave her added skills and confidence for med school – especially given that she was starting with a young child). The second time she applied, she was accepted to med schools, including IU, where she decided to go.

Did she apply to postbac programs or DO programs alongside MD programs? [5:46]

No, she didn’t apply initially to postbac programs (and didn’t consider osteopathic programs). The opportunity to join the IU postbac came along with their rejection letter from the med school program. But she thinks that applying to postbac programs can be a very smart choice for applicants, especially for people who might need to strengthen one part of their application.

Is the IU postbac program restricted to state residents? [7:43]

No – she had classmates from all over the country and all walks of life, including career changers.

Looking back, what were her challenges in the application process? [9:00]

She was anxious about beefing up her stats (especially the MCAT). But a big concern for her was also how much to disclose about her personal situation as a new mom. She opted to be conservative, since she was worried about how readers might react to issues around working mothers, etc. But in her residency applications, she was much more open about her personal situation. And looking back, she thinks she was over-concerned when applying to med school.

Would she advise applicants with children to be more open than she was? [11:15]

It’s a strength to be able to juggle responsibilities and achieve all that you have – a mark of maturity. And being a parent can also show your ability to relate to patients and be empathetic.

What were the hardest or most memorable interview questions she faced? [13:15]

She was asked to explain a semester when her grades fell – it was a blunt question. This forces you to discuss a weakness straightforwardly in a way that shows growth and maturity.

The other question she found challenging was: “If you didn’t do medicine, what would you do?” Because she had no other real goals. But a question like that forces you to think on your feet.

This week, join us for a discussion about Haas, McCombs, consulting, and case interviews.

Meet Erin Robinson, Destin Whitehurst, and Robin Ligon, the team behind Consulting Interview Coach. [0:45]

All three have extensive experience in consulting prior to starting their MBAs – Erin and Destin at Deloitte and Robin at McKinsey. And all three are currently first-year MBA students – Erin and Robin at Haas, and Destin at McCombs. Welcome!

What is Consulting Interview Coach? [1:30]

It’s an interview training service to prepare candidates for the case interview method. They also provide behavioral interview prep, resume and cover letter review. All three coaches have experience as recruiters and consultants.

How did they found this company? [2:43]

Destin and Erin started the company. They were thinking about ways to give back and help other candidates while also creating a venture during b-school. And they wanted something that would draw on their consulting skills. Robin joined the company this year – he had previously worked with candidates in Belgium.

What are firms looking for? [4:50]

The case interview screens for intellectual horsepower and problem solving skills – there’s not always a right answer to the question. The other big point of the interview is identifying candidates’ cultural fit with the firm. Some of that also comes across in a behavioral interview or in networking events. (And it’s one reason why networking events are important – so that candidates can get a read on the firm’s culture and understand whether it’s a good fit.)

Since “culture” can sound intangible, what are some ways to understand it? [6:45]

The firm’s work culture has to do with how consultants operate — whether they take a more academic approach, more time doing research, etc, or spend more time in the field with the client, for example. Another aspect is the tone of the work interaction: competitive? Cooperative? Team-oriented? Networking events can help you get a feel for firm’s corporate culture.

Their book: 20 Days to Ace the Case [10:00]

It’s a 20-day boot camp to prep for the case interview. (It also contains advice about consulting in general.) The book features industry insights, firm profiles, etc. It provides a structure for candidates. Their preparation strategy focuses on critical thinking, not memorization – the goal is to fit the framework to the case, not the case to the framework. They also provide profiles of successful candidates, networking tips, behavioral interview tips, etc.

Does the book give cultural insight on firms? [13:25]

It lets consultants speak about their experiences. But networking is really the best way to learn a firm’s culture. 

Robin and Erin are first years at Haas. What’s going well and has met/exceeded expectations? [14:22]

Robin: The professors are really accessible, the classmates are great, and the location is ideal.

Erin: The way the classes are taught (discussion more than lecture) allows for exciting exchange of perspectives. And the class is diverse.

Anything they would change/improve? [17:30]

Erin: Because Berkeley’s a public university, it can be a little resource constrained.

Robin: There can be some extra challenges for international students.

Destin is a first-year student at McCombs.

This week, join us for a rebroadcast of one of our most popular shows – our discussion of how to address a low GPA.

Many applicants are concerned about their undergrad GPAs, and nervous that their GPA might be too low for their target graduate program. If this is you, don’t miss this episode! Accepted’s founder & CEO, Linda Abraham, walks you through five practical steps to analyzing and dealing with your low GPA.

She also addresses important questions unique to international students: how can you tell if your non-US GPA is low in US terms? Should you translate your GPA to a 4.0 scale?

Whether you’re considering applying to b-school, med school, or any other graduate program, this episode has practical advice for you. There’s a reason it’s our most popular show of the year! Don’t miss it.

Related Shows:

• All Things Postbac

• What You Need to Know About Post-bac Programs

• Train The Brain, Nail The GMAT [Or GRE]

• The GMAT, the GRE, and the Guy Who Knows Them Well

Related Resources:

• Round 3 vs Next Year, upcoming webinar for MBA applicants

• MBA Admissions A-Z: U is for Undergrad Grades

• Boost Your GPA for Medical School Acceptance

• Tips for Medical School Applicants with a Low GPA

• MBA Admissions Tip: Dealing with a Low GPA

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Tags: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions, MBA Admissions, Medical School Admissions