The University of Utah School of Medicine answered questions from students interested in careers in medicine Thursday, in the Skaggs Biology Building.
Dr. Victoria Judd, associate dean of admissions, and three fourth year medical students responded to a multitude of questions about the admissions process.
The afternoon dialogue ran a gamut of topics, including tips on the application process, medical student life, the curriculum and the state investigation of its admission practices.
Accusations of bias in the schools? admissions process prompted a state audit in mid August.
Although the investigation won’t be finished until November, Judd said she is “confident” the investigation will yield positive results for the U.
“I think the auditors involved are beginning to understand the complexity of the [admissions] process,” Judd said. “We are sure that when the investigation is done, [the state] will find the [admissions] process is fair.”
Judd denies any discrimination based on religion, race, gender or an applicant?s school of origin, occurs in the admissions process.
She admits the school openly prefers Utah students.
?We will definitely discriminate against out-of-state students,” she said. “We’re a state school, so we give in-state students priority.”
The school interviews about 400 students for the 102 spots. She said a good portion of the students who are not accepted get into other medical schools. About 100 re-apply, according to Judd.
“I hope you get in [medical school] with us,” she said, “but if you don’t, I’ll be happy to sit down with you and go over your application.”
Fourth-year medical student Rafe Connors defended the U’s admission process as well.
“I don’t think people have a true understanding of how competitive [the admission process] is,” Connors said.
“In my view, everything is very fair. I’ve talked to a lot of people about this before. The process [students] go through is unbelievable?It’s sad everybody can’t get in, but you can’t take everybody.”
With more than 1200 applicants each year for 102 spots, Judd characterized the admissions process as “extremely competitive.” She said there are 10 criteria for admission mandated by national medical school accreditors, including extra curricular as well as academic considerations.
A 1973 federal law prohibits the school from releasing applicant files to audit officials, which is why auditors are focusing on the process itself, Judd said.
There are three full-time investigators at the school, state legislative audit manager Tim Osterstock said in a phone interview with The Daily Utah Chronicle.
Osterstock declined to comment on any audit findings until the second week of November, when a report is expected to be released.
And with a limitation on state funding, Judd doesn’t see admission odds increasing any time soon, noting the school is “physically limited by classroom size.”
In fact, the U delayed plans to ask the state for a $40 million education building. It?s now second priority behind structural renovations to the Marriott Library.
The education building would house classrooms for pharmacy, nursing, physical therapy and medical students, according to Judd.
Fourth-year medical student Alison Schick offered interview advice to the potential students.
“Just anticipate questions that are going to be asked,” Schick said. “I got questions like ?If you could invite two or three influential people to dinner, who would they be?’?Prepare so you don’t falter and sound like you’re lying.”
Practicing interview questions with someone you know is also a key to doing well in the interview, Judd said, adding, “They can see things in you that you don’t see in you?It’s really like a job interview, and you’ve really got to think on your feet. State what you think, state why you think it and explain your answer. Just practice, and take it seriously?don’t take it lightly.”
Judd said the interview is meant to see if the applicant can make a connection with the interviewer.
“Yes, it’s very intense and very stressful, but it’s very relevant to what you’ll be doing [in medical practice]. These are skills you need for the patient,” she said.
An ethical question, as well as a host of others will be asked, said Judd. She added, “Whatever you put in your application is fair game for us to ask.”
“It’s okay to say ?I don’t know.’ If a patient asks a question, and you don’t know, it’s all right. You can tell them you don’t know, but that you can find out,” Judd said.
The written application is evaluated just as thoroughly as the interview, Judd said.
“Punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors may sink your chances,” she said.
About 14 percent of the medical students are what Judd calls “people of color,” a population that she said contributes to the diversity of medical students? educational experience.
“When we get down to it, the diversity of your experience plays the biggest part?You have to find a cure for what the patient needs, regardless of where they came from or their background. You have to be sensitive to that.”
Medical student Lisa Lloyd said she’s impressed with the togetherness of her 2002 class.
“It’s not a competitive atmosphere,” she said. “We’re all in this together.”
Judd thinks the ethnic diversity of each class isn’t the only form of diversity at the U.
“One of the things we’d like to emphasize is the breadth of curriculum we have here,” she said.
Judd said only one person drops out of the school every three or four years on average. The national average is three percent per year.