Wondering what to do now that your application has been submitted? 

MONDAY, July 20 @ 1:15 PM

The Pre-health Advising Office will be hosting a short presentation to help with common questions and new processes, followed by a question and answer session! Come with questions and/or email them ahead of time to prehealthadvising@psu.edu

COVID Violence and Abuse Resource Page

With the outbreak of COVID-19, you may have seen the reports about an increase intimate partner violence, both domestic and dating violence and abuse. Sadly, our Penn State students are not immune to these trends. The Gender Equity Center has partnered with the Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response (OMSPR), as well as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Marketing & Communications to create a web page of resources to address this concern

Looking to Get Involved (from home)?

PSU Serves (At Home) is an event for all PSU students, especially new and change of campus students, to engage in conversation around service, volunteerism, and opportunities at Penn State.

The event will take place Thursday, July 16th, 5:30-6:30 PM EDT. Registration is open until July 15th, 11:59 PM. You will be emailed a zoom link after you register.

Check out bit.ly/ServeAtHome for opportunities to serve during the summer months.

Here are some ways to get involved while at University Park as well!

What the Health Book Club

"What the Health?" wants to hear what YOU have to say about health disparities and issues we are facing in society today. Our next meeting is on Wednesday, July 29th from 7-8 pm, and our book club "What the Health?" will be debriefing and tackling concepts from the book: Just Medicine, A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care by Dayna Bowen Matthew.

-What the Health? Book Club- July 29th Meeting Event Page

-Link to book on: eBay. Amazon

-Learn more about PRW here

PAEA Virtual Fair

July 22, 2020 

Meet school representatives from PA programs at colleges & universities across the U.S. Register now! 

AAMC Guidance on Peaceful Protests by Medical Students and Residents

Both aspiring physicians and medical school administrators have expressed concern that being arrested for lawful protesting may impact admission to medical school or residency. In response, the AAMC has developed guidance in support of medical student, resident, and applicant participation in demonstrations and other forms of peaceful public protest against police brutality and systemic racism.

Achieving our goal of fostering a more diverse and equitable health care workforce and system requires the critical examination of how we recruit, select, prepare and educate the next generation of physicians, including how we evaluate and consider the lived experiences and external circumstances encountered by applicants. This guidance is intended for medical school administrators, the admissions community, and residency program directors for their consideration as they review and refine their communications and processes for the upcoming selection cycles.

Read More: AAMC Guidance on Peaceful Protests by Medical Students and Residents

Articles & Books Consider

Thinking about how you can make a difference in our current climate? See this list of things you can do to become more informed of the issues surrounding diversity and COVID-19.

See more here! 

Study Smarter Sessions 

Learn how to study more effectively!

July 15, 5:00–6:30 p.m. | bit.ly/StudySmarterJuly15

July 22, 10:00–11:30 a.m. | bit.ly/StudySmarterJuly22

July 24, 10-11:30 a.m. | bit.ly/StudySmarterJuly24

July 27, 7:00–8:30 p.m. | bit.ly/StudySmarterJuly27

July 30, 5:00–6:30 p.m. | bit.ly/StudySmarterJuly30

Tips for Virtual Interviewing 

Almost all health professions interviews will be done virtually this cycle. Get ahead of the game and start preparing now for your virtual interviews with some tips and tricks! 

Interesting & New Courses

Check out some new and interesting courses for the 2020-2021 school year!

We will also be getting a new Social Justice and Advocacy minor. The first class, CI 185 is advertised here!

See list here!

PharmCAS now live!

The new and improved PharmCAS website and school directory are now live! 

The site offers enhanced navigation and functionality in a mobile-friendly and contemporary design. As a bonus, every photo features real student pharmacists and faculty! We encourage you and your students to visit the site to learn the latest about the pharmacy admissions process.

• View and download the 2020-2021 instructions for the 2021 entering class.
• Find important dates for the cycle.
• Research pharmacy school admission requirements.
• Compare PharmD programs using multiple criteria.
• Export program lists into EXCEL format.

The 2020-2021 PharmCAS application opens on July 14.

Students and advisors are also invited to join us for a PharmCAS applicant webinar on July 29! Learn important tips and tricks to help applicants breeze through the application. Register today. It's free! 

AAMC addresses concerns and questions from MCAT examinees and medical school applicants

Medical school applicants have expressed concern about this year's unprecedented application cycle and how several AAMC services and programs (MCAT, Accommodations, AMCAS, FAP, VITA) have been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AAMC has developed an overview of the issues raised and how we are addressing concerns. This overview is intended to help premeds, including MCAT examinees and AMCAS applicants, the advisor community, and the admissions community navigate the many changes and challenges that are part of this very unique application cycle. Read More

AMCAS 2021 Cycle Important Updates

Data transmission for the 2021 application cycle began on July 10. Applications will continue to be delivered to medical schools as they are verified. AMCAS is within our current 8-week verification turnaround. We will inform applicants, advisors, and medical schools if there are changes.

• The Early Decision Program (EDP) deadline for the 2021 cycle is Monday, August 3, 2020. EDP applications and all transcripts are due by this date. Typically, the EDP deadline is August 1 of each year unless that date falls on a weekend, then the deadline is the next business date.
   
• AMCAS has received over double the number of transcripts for the 2021 cycle compared to previous cycles. AMCAS provided additional transcript delivery options for institutions, which resulted in a high number of duplicate transmissions, significantly increasing the number of transcripts for processing. Transcript processing times remain within our stated timelines. These processing timelines reflect arrival to AMCAS, not the date the transcript was requested.
   
• Applicants with changes to their MCAT testing date will need to update their AMCAS application. They can make this change at any time during the application cycle by signing into their AMCAS application, making the change, and clicking on the "Resubmit your Application" button on the Main Menu to officially submit the change. This will not cause any processing delays of their AMCAS application.
   
• The Demonstrating Competence in an Unconventional Application Year webinar is now available on our website. This webinar helps applicants understand the 15 core competencies for entering medical school, learn about creative ways to articulate competence using current courses and experiences, and consider how to use the AAMC Anatomy of an Applicant Self-Assessment Guide to support their medical school application.
   

We will continue to provide updates to applicants on our website, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and AMCAS page, and Twitter feed (@AMCASinfo). Applicants can also reference current transcript processing statuses and the transcript processing tool on our website

ADEA AADSAS Guidelines for Dental Schools Extending Offers of Admission

The Offers of Admission Guidelines establish an open and fair process among dental schools when extending offers of admission to applicants and allow applicants a reasonable time frame for which to consider all offers of admission. Extending the initial notification date to Dec. 15 allows applicants and schools the same time as previous cycles to submit and review applications. Applicant response periods will also be delayed two weeks.

The new 2020-21 dates are:

• Earliest acceptance notification date: Dec.15.
• Applicant response periods:
  • For applicants who have been given a provisional or final acceptance between Dec. 15, 2020 and Feb. 14, 2021, the minimum response period shall be 30 days.
  • For applicants accepted on or after Feb. 14, 2021, the minimum response period may be reduced to 15 days.
  • The response period may be lifted after April 1, 2021, or two weeks before the beginning of the academic year—whichever comes first.

This unprecedented year has seen changes not just in the cycle timeline, but also in school-specific deadlines and requirements. Visit the ADEA AADSAS COVID-19 Application Updates page for more information on these changes

Pharmacy School Virtual Fair

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) invites you to join us for the next Pharmacy School Virtual Fair of the summer on Saturday, July 18 from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm ET! 

• Learn about Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree programs and master's & PhD programs in the pharmacy sciences.
• Discover exciting career opportunities in pharmacy practice and research.
• Get helpful tips to navigate the pharmacy admissions process.
• Chat with pharmacy students, faculty, and admissions officers to gain valuable insights.

Registered students will also have a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
Register today for free!

Virtual Fairs & Open Houses

-MANY NEW EVENTS!-

Feel like you are missing out by staying at home? Want to learn more about osteopathic medicine, medical school in the Caribbean, or postbacc opportunities? Visit and connect with these and other programs virtually at these live events!

Financial Literacy Trivia

Come have fun and play financial literacy TRIVIA, hosted by the staff of Penn State’s Sokolov-Miller Family Financial & Life Skills Center via Zoom & Kahoot. 

Trivia questions and discussion will address making the best choices for student loan repayments, as well as the different banking options and accounts available.Please join us!  To play, you'll need a screen (like a computer or iPad) and your cell phone handy. 

Thursday, July 9, 2020

4:00 PM-5:00 PM EST   

https://psu.zoom.us/j/493258891   

Miss an issue of the newsletter? 

Head over to our website for an archive of past issues to see what you missed!