Cornell Career Services

It is the responsibility of the student to attend the Premedical Freshman and Transfer Orientations or to listen to the audio Information for Transfer Premed Students - All Colleges available in the Career Library, 103 Barnes Hall, and on the web.

Overview

Students apply to medical school more than one year before they plan to matriculate. At Cornell about one-third of all applicants apply the summer after their senior year. This latter time may be particularly suitable for students who have transferred to Cornell in their junior year and believe that a year between Cornell and medical school will benefit their personal or professional goals (see Year Between/Gap Year) or who want to improve their academic or experiential credentials.

The Health Careers Evaluation Committee (HCEC) is responsible for the letter of evaluation that is part of the application to most medical/dental schools. Candidates usually register with the HCEC at the beginning of the spring semester of the year they plan to begin the application process.

Registering with the HCEC

The chart below details an alternate timeline for junior transfer students to allow completion of 30 credit hous at Cornell.

HCEC Schedule

Usual

Transfer

HCEC Orientation

November

same

HCEC Registration Step I

January/February

same

HCEC Registration Step II

March (early)

early July

Deadline for letters of recommendation

March (mid)

early July

Interview with HCEC

April/May

summer

Junior transfer students with fewer than 30 hours at Cornell planning to apply after junior year should register at the usual time and submit transcript(s) from other institution(s) to the HCEC. (The HCEC will obtain a copy of your Cornell transcript.) An interviewer will be assigned only after thirty credit hours (not including PE or S/U grades) at Cornell have been completed and all non-Cornell transcripts have been received.

Interviews for transfer students are typically conducted in Ithaca during the summer at the convenience of the interviewer. The deadline for completing your file is the end of the first week in July. This allows junior transfers more time to obtain their letters of recommendation and gives the HCEC a more complete picture of a student's work at Cornell.

Options for Junior Transfers with less than 30 Credits

For juniors who have completed two semesters with fewer than 30 credits and a strong intention to apply after junior year, the options include:

1) taking a Cornell course during the 3 week summer session from late May to June,
2) taking a 6 or 8 week course with the understanding that the letter of evaluation will be prepared after the completion of that course,
3) not using the HCEC,
4) getting the letter of evaluation from your previous institution, or
5) waiting until your senior year to register for the HCEC and apply to medical school.

Advising

See the health careers advisor to discuss:

1) the pros and cons of using Cornell's HCEC or of using the committee at your previous institution,
2) suitable sources of letters of recommendation and supplementary letter, and
3) issues to consider in deciding the optimal time to apply.

Fluctuations in Grade-Point Average (GPA)

Some students transfering to Cornell have seen a drop in GPA in their first semester at Cornell. This observation is not made to suggest an individual's future performance; but to alert transfer students to the possibility that their GPA may drop, at least initially, at Cornell. Therefore, transfers may want to wait until they see the trend of their GPA before deciding to have their interview with the HCEC and/or when to apply to medical/dental school.

Core Courses or Preprofessional Requirements

See "Cornell University Courses Recommended to Satisfy Medical and/or Dental School Requirements" (the pink sheet).

Science Courses

Students should try to complete some of the science course prerequisites for medical school (introductory biology, introductory chemistry, organic chemistry, and introductory physics) at Cornell if possible. If you complete the science course prerequisites for medical school before attending Cornell, you may want to consider taking at least one advanced level biology course at Cornell in order to enable the HCEC and the admissions committee to have the basis for comparing you with other Cornellians.

Non-Science Courses

Students are also encouraged to explore courses outside the natural sciences. Courses in the humanities and social sciences are highly recommended for all students seeking to become health care professionals.

Advanced Courses

Advanced level courses at Cornell often enroll graduate students and, therefore, often are aimed at that population. Undergraduates who have been at Cornell for a year or more may have learned the reputation for the difficulity of certain courses and may know how to plan their course load and work schedule to take that difficulty into account. Transfer students are advised to discuss this topic with their faculty advisors as well as counseling and advising professionals in their college or major in order to avoid overloading their schedules.

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

MCAT scores may be especially valuable in the case of transfer students particularly if they previously attended a small institution and/or one that prepares small numbers of premedical students. If an admissions committee is not familiar with a college and its grading policy, it may rely more heavily on the MCAT scores. Also it is helpful to know your MCAT scores before applying, if possible. Do not, however, delay submitting your application solely because your MCAT score will be available later that summer.

Resources

The following are available in the Career Library, 103 Barnes Hall, and on the web.

Cornell Health Careers Guide for Preapplicants

Sophomore Orientation audio
Briefings on MCAT and other topics regarding applying.

103 Barnes Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607/255-5221

career@cornell.edu