CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES College of Natural and Social Sciences Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) Handbook for Health Professional School Applicants BIOS 174 and 170 For appointments call: (323)343-6062 or (323) 343-6063 or Email: healthcareers@calstatela.edu Web site: www.calstatela.edu/healthcareers Facebook:
Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) Robert M. Nissen, Ph.D. Director BIOS 174 323-343-6062 healthcareers@calstatela.edu Alex Martinez, M.A. Elba Muñoz, M.A. Program Coordinator Health Professions Advisor BIOS 170 BIOS 174 (323) 343-6063 (323)343-6062 healthcareers@calstatela.edu healthcareers@calstatela.edu The primary goal of the HCAO is to provide support services and information for pre-health professional students before, during, and after they apply to health professional schools. The HCAO serves pre-health professional students who are interested in the following professions: medicine (allopathic, osteopathic and chiropractic), optometry, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatry, and physician assistant. The HCAO gives students the opportunity to open a confidential recommendation letter file in their freshman year (or later) and to continue to update it until they are ready to apply to a professional school at the end of their junior year. At the HCAO, students find faculty support, advisement, and services they need to achieve their professional goals. HCAO services include: HCAO quarterly orientation One-on-one pre-health advisement HCAO website and Facebook page with links to and about post-baccalaureate programs, summer enrichment programs, volunteer and research programs, conferences and health professional schools Personal and confidential letter of recommendation file Letter of recommendation mailing service Committee letter service (for eligible students) from the Health Careers Evaluation Committee Standardized test preparation assistance (review sessions in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and verbal and written communication skills) Workshops and Seminars Personal Statement assistance Videotaped mock interview
To open an HCAO file, you must: Be currently enrolled at CSULA* Complete the HCAO Enrollment form Attend the HCAO orientation session Attend an Advisement session with the Health Professions Advisor * HCAO services are also available for alumni for two years after last attendance. To request a Committee Letter from the Health Careers Evaluation Committee (HCEC), you must submit the following: HCAO Enrollment Form Letter of Recommendation Checklist Curriculum Vitae or Resume * Word copy of Personal Statement Minimum 3 letters of recommendation** Copies of unofficial transcripts for all college coursework Copy of Health Professional School Application (AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, PHARCAS, etc.) Copy of national exam scores (MCAT, DAT, PCAT, DAT, etc.) *The resume/cv should include the following information: employment, health care activities, other (not health care) activities, research (publications, poster/paper presentations), honors and awards, hobbies/leisure activities, unusual circumstances (health or family) that impaired your academic performance ** Students may not deliver recommendation letters to the HCAO under any circumstances; they will not be accepted. Recommendation letters must be mailed directly from the individual s institution or work place, written on official letterhead, signed and be mailed through the U.S. mail or hand delivered to the HCAO. The required Buckley waiver form must be included with all letters. Letters without Buckley waiver forms will be returned to the letter writers. Health Careers Evaluation Committee (HCEC) The (HCEC) is composed of current CSULA faculty who will evaluate an applicant s complete application package and potentially write a committee letter endorsing their application to health professions schools. In order to be evaluated, an applicant s file must be complete as specified above. The committee letter summarizes all of the information in your file, including details about your personal history, academic performance, extracurricular activities such as volunteer and research experiences, and a summary of comments from recommendation letters. The HCEC meets during the first week of each month during the spring, summer and fall quarters. To be considered by the committee, you should have all requested materials in your file at the HCAO and email the Health Professions Advisor at healthcareers@calstatela.edu with subject heading Committee Letter Request, asking to have your file reviewed by the HCEC by the end of the preceding month. Please allow two weeks for us to evaluate your application package and write your letter if we decide to endorse your application. Consider your deadlines when you plan on a timeline to complete your file. We cannot write a letter until your file is complete. Requesting Letters of Recommendation: Carefully select individuals from whom to request letters of recommendation. They should be familiar with your academic record and you personally (i.e., able to write about your academic capability, lab skills, maturity, social characteristics, leadership potential, ability to cope with stress, initiative, etc. all of which are of interest to an admissions committee. You must have at least three recommendation letters to complete your file. Your file may contain a maximum of eight letters. Once your committee letter you may not add any more letters to your file that application cycle. Your file should include at least two letters of recommendation from science faculty members (e.g. biology,
chemistry, physics, math). Other letters to include would be those from individuals who supervised you in a research or volunteer position(s), non-science academic coursework, or an employer. Request your letters during your junior year. Do not wait until the last minute to ask for letters of recommendation. You risk that instructors will not remember you from an earlier course, or that the letter will not be written in time. If you receive a good grade in a course and have made every effort such that the professor should know you reasonably well, ask them if they can write you a good letter of recommendation and then keep in touch with them. During your junior year request that the letter be sent to the HCAO before the end of the academic year. Give each letter writer the following items: A. Signed Buckley Amendment Waiver Form. You have the right to read any recommendation letter written on your behalf or to waive that right. The Buckley form contains places for you to indicate your choice; you may sign either place but not both. Many health professional school admissions personnel believe that waiving your viewing privileges results in a more candid and thus more credible letter. We send copies of your Buckley waiver forms to schools that request them. The HCAO will never release any letters to you regardless of whether you reserved your right to see the letter. B. Letter of Recommendation Format. This is a guide for individuals unfamiliar with the process and has the mailing address of where letters of recommendation should be sent to. NOTE: No one is required to write you a letter of recommendation. Therefore, ask politely and give the individuals plenty of time so you do not have to rush (irritate) them. It will be helpful to also provide them with your personal statement and curriculum vitae or résumé. The mailing service process: Programs with a centralized letter of recommendation collection system For health profession programs that have a centralized letter of recommendation collection system such as AMCAS and AADSAS, letters are uploaded directly to these systems. Applicants have the option to select from the following types of letters: Individual letter letters written by individuals Letter packet a packet of individual letters of recommendation Committee letter comprehensive letter written by the HCEC If you select the letter packet option, all your letters in that packet will be sent to the schools that request your letters of recommendation. Only applicants who have been endorsed by the HCEC may select the committee letter option. Regardless of the type of letter you select, you must bring in the letter request form that each application system provides for applicants. The Advisor will then upload a PDF of your letter. Programs which do not have a centralized letter of recommendation collection system For health profession programs that do not have a centralized letter of recommendation collection system i.e., AACOMAS, letters will be sent via U.S. mail. The envelopes and postage are provided by the HCAO. Applicants using this process must fill out their own envelopes with the appropriate address and leave them at the HCAO. The applicant should also indicate which letters to include in the envelopes. If you would like to check the list of schools to which we have mailed your packet, the HCAO keeps an Applicant Mailing Log in all students files. The HCAO may not ever release letters of recommendation to a student. If you have not attended CSULA for more than two years and no longer wish to have us retain your file, you have two options for obtaining your letters: 1. We can mail the letters back to the authors, who then can determine whether to give them to you.
2. We can mail the letters to your new school, program of study, or pre-health professions service office. To select this option, the HCAO must receive a written request directly from the school. Note: All files older than two years may be destroyed.
Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) Required Courses for Most Health Professional Schools COURSE (units) BIOLOGY (BIOL) MEDICINE (Allopathic & Osteopathic) PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT DENTISTRY PODIATRY VETERINARY PHARMACY OPTOMETRY CHIROPRACTIC 100ABC Introductory Biology I, II, III (5,5,5) X X X X X X X X 340 General Genetics (4) X* X* X* X* X 380 Cell Biology (4) X* X* X* X X* 433, 434 Animal Physiology I, II (4, 4) X* X X 200AB Human Anatomy/Physiology (5, 5) X X* MICROBIOLOGY (MICR) 300 General Microbiology (5) X X* 430 Bacterial Physiology (3) X 433 Bacterial Physiology Laboratory (2) X CHEMISTRY (CHEM) 101-102-103 General Chemistry (5,5,5) X X X X X X X X 201 Quantitative Analysis (5) X* X* X X X X 301ABC Organic Chemistry (lecture) (3,3,3) X X X X X X X 302AB Organic Chemistry (lab) (2,2) X X X X X X X 431ABC Biochemistry (3,3,3) X* X* X X* X PHYSICS (PHYS) 101-102-103 Physics w/o Calculus (4,4,4) or 211-212-213 Physics w/calculus (4,4,4) MATHEMATICS (MATH) X X* X X X X X X 091 Intermediate Algebra (4) X X X X X X X X 104A Precalculus: Algebra(4) X X X X X X X X 105 Introduction to Mathematical Models in Biology (4) X X X X X X X X 204 Applied Calculus I (4) X* X X 205 Applied Calculus II (4) or 230 Calculus for Biological Sciences (4) X* X X 274 Statistics or Econ 209 or Biol 300 X* X* OTHER ECON 201, 202 Economics I + II (4, 4) X* PSY 150 Introductory Psychology (4) X** X** X** X** SOC 201 Principles of Sociology (4) X** X** X** X** STANDARDIZED TEST MCAT** GRE or MCAT** DAT MCAT GRE PCAT* OAT GRE* or MCAT** X= required by almost all schools (if no check, consult with advisor) * = required or recommended by some schools to maximize your competitiveness. **= required for students sitting in for the MCAT 2015 and after.
Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) Recommendation Letter Check List Name CIN Name of Recommender Institution or Company 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. NOTE: You must have a minimum of 3 letters and a maximum of eight letters of recommendation in your file.
COLLLEGE OF NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) Buckley Amendment Waiver Form In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, commonly known as the Buckley Amendment, we require that all applicants sign this form and present it to each person from whom they request a letter of evaluation. The letter of evaluation must be submitted with this signed form attached or it will be returned to the author. To the Evaluator: As a service to our students, the Health Careers Evaluation Committee (HCEC), composed of University faculty, may review an applicant file to compose a composite letter of support for the applicant. Your original letter would accompany this cover letter. Please check the box below if you do not want HCEC to use or reference your letter in this process. Feel free to call the HCAO at 323-343-6062 if you have any additional questions. Name of Evaluator: I do not want HCEC to use my letter To Applicant: Indicate whether you will waive or reserve your right to inspect your letter. Fill out one section, not both. The undersigned hereby waives any right to inspect the evaluation submitted by the person whose name appears above. First and last name Date (month, day, year) Applicant signature The undersigned hereby reserves the right to inspect the evaluation submitted by the person whose name is listed above. First and last name Date (month, day, year) Applicant signature NOTES: Letters of recommendation will not be accepted without a signed Buckley waiver form. Letters of recommendation will not be accepted unless the applicant selects and signs one of the options shown above.
COLLLEGE OF NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) To: Evaluators of CSULA Health Professional School Applicants From: CSULA Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) Subject: Letter of Recommendation Format The HCAO provides a mailing service for letters of recommendation for currently-enrolled students. This service is also extended to recent CSULA graduates for up to two years after their graduation date. Recommendation letters are photocopied and mailed to health professional schools. Each recommendation letter submitted to the HCAO must be accompanied by the Buckley Amendment Waiver form signed by the student who requested the letter. Recommendation letters that are received without the required Buckley form are returned to the sender. Students should present a signed form to each person from whom they request a recommendation at the time they make their request. Individuals who feel they cannot write a positive recommendation letter for a particular student can refuse the request. We ask that individuals who are submitting recommendation letters to the HCAO for distribution to health professional schools through our mailing service follow the suggestions listed below: Use official letterhead. Sign the letter. Date the letter and address it to the Admissions Committee for the type of program to which the student is applying. Example: Medical School Admissions Committee or Dental School Admissions Committee. Please note that it is not necessary to leave any space between the date and the salutation because the letter will not be modified in any way. Avoid form letter styles. The most valuable letter is one that reflects some familiarity with the student and contains pertinent observations about the candidate s abilities and performance. Useful information includes comments about academic performance relative to past and present peers, laboratory skills, nonacademic skills, maturity, social characteristics, leadership potential, ability to cope with stress, imagination, initiative, enthusiasm, sincerity, compassion, etc. The professional schools will have a complete record of all applicants grades, so please do not simply repeat what is evident from an applicant s record. Rather, your comments should amplify this information. Health professions schools request letters after applicants have passed preliminary screens that involve GPA and standardized test (e.g. MCAT, DAT, etc) considerations. All letters must be sent by mail or walked in personally by the letter writer. To ensure confidentiality, handdelivered letters from students are not accepted. Mail or walk over your recommendation letter, with the required Buckley form to: Health Careers Advisement Office California State University, Los Angeles c/o Health Professions Advisor 5151 State University Drive Los Angeles, CA 90032-8201 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032-8201 (323) 343-6062 Fax: 323-343-6451 www.calstatela.edu The California State University: Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Fullerton, Hayward, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Maritime Academy, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San José, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos, Sonoma, Stanislaus
Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) Enrollment Form Name Date of Birth Last First Middle Month Day Year CIN Email Phone - - Address City State Zip Code Ethnic Identity (check one) American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander White or Caucasian Other Citizenship Status (check one) U.S. Citizen Permanent Resident Other Disadvantaged Status (if applicable) For federal reporting purposes only. See the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Professions definitions below. Attach separate sheet explaining your status. Academically/Educationally Disadvantaged Economically Disadvantaged Individuals who are considered educationally disadvantaged: Come from an environment that has inhibited them from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school or allied health program. For example, an applicant is considered educationally disadvantaged if he/she is the first in the immediate family to pursue a BA/BS degree or higher. (Applicants with at least one parent with a BA/BS degree are not educationally disadvantaged.) Individuals who are considered economically disadvantaged: Come from a family with an annual income at or below thresholds according to family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, adjusted annually for changes in the consumer price index, and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health and allied professions High School High School Name City State Graduation Year Class Level (check one) Freshmen Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate Post-baccalaureate
Post-Secondary Education (list in chronological order) Institution Major/Course of Study Dates attended Degree(s) Date Advisors Health Professions Advisor Major Advisor Grades (list grades earned for these CSULA courses or their equivalents) BIOL Grade CHEM Grade PHYS Grade Math Grade 100A 101 101 104A 100B 102 102 105 100C 103 103 204 300 201 201 205 340 301A 202 380 301B 203 433 301C 204 434 302A 211 302B 212 431A 213 431B 214 431C GPA Cumulative GPA BCPM GPA Career Interests Allopathic Medicine Osteopathic Medicine Other Chiropractic Medicine Pharmacy Dentistry Podiatry Optometry Veterinary Medicine Physician Assistant Allied Health Standardized tests taken or planned MCAT DAT PCAT OAT GRE Date taken/planned Please note that your signature below will grant us permission to release any information you include in this application to our granting agency (U.S. Department of Education) and indicates that you will grant the Health Professions Advisor access to your health profession application (AMCAS, ACCOMAS, etc.). We will release information for reporting purposes only. Your signature below also indicates your consent to have your name publicized upon acceptance to a health / allied health professional school or program, as required by our program guidelines. Signature Date