Information for the Spring 2024 Requirements for Evaluation:
Spring 2023 Requirements for evaluation, including the interview:
Submission of the completed dossier, including the required letters of recommendation (details below) by 11:59PM on Monday February 12th, 2024.
NOTE: This deadline is firm. Please keep in mind that the Center for Health Profession Studies closes at 5PM on the day of the deadline, and that technical difficulties on the day of submission and/or late letters of recommendation are not the basis for extensions. We suggest that you do not wait until the deadline day to submit your dossier in order to avoid complications that could result in your dossier review being delayed until the following spring.
Dossier Requirements:
1. Completion of a minimum of 24 UD credits (equivalent to 2 semesters of full-time study at UD) at the time of application. Credits in progress (e.g., those being taken at the time of dossier submission) are not completed, and thus do not apply to the required minimum total of 24 credits.
2. Completion for a grade of at least 28 of the 32 credits listed below. Courses in progress at the time of dossier submission are not completed, and thus are not counted towards the minimum completed credits to be evaluated.
a. Introductory biology including lab (8 credits) BISC207/BISC208
b. Introductory chemistry including lab (8 credits) at the CHEM103/133 & CHEM104/134 level or higher
c. Organic chemistry including lab (8 credits) at the CHEM321/325 & CHEM322/326 level or higher
d. Introductory physics including lab (8 credits) at the PHYS201/221 & PHYS202/222 level or higher
NOTE: Students who completed one or more of the courses or their equivalents from institutions other than UD must provide an official transcript to document their grades in those courses. Students who have not completed the minimum number of credits in the courses listed above must wait to have their dossier evaluated the following spring.
3. A minimum cumulative GPA (not rounded up) of 3.30 for students applying to medical school and 3.0 for students applying to dental, optometry or podiatry schools. Each student’s cumulative GPA is checked in the Blue Hen Success as part of verifying the dossier; students whose cumulative GPA is below the minimum are not moved forward in the evaluation process.
NOTE: Earning equal to or higher than the minimum GPAs above enables a student to go through the HPEC evaluation process but does not guarantee HPEC institutional recommendation. The review is holistic, meaning that your GPA, letters of reference, volunteering, shadowing, and interview are all considered in the evaluation process.
4. Completion of a minimum of 50 volunteer hours verified using the Volunteer Verification Form; a community emphasis is strongly encouraged. Embarking on a career in the health professions is selecting a career with a strong service component. Professional schools look for documented service efforts as part of the application package (check the schools to which you plan to apply to verify their requirements).
Thus, while you can volunteer in a clinical or laboratory setting and technically complete this requirement, students are strongly recommended to engage in public/community service to fulfill the spirit of this requirement.
5. Complete a minimum of 50 hours of shadowing practitioners in a clinical setting within/related to your future healthcare profession verified with a completed Shadowing Verification Form. It is expected, and critical, that you spend significant time shadowing professionals in the field you are pursuing. Shadowing hours can include paid work in the clinical realm, such as EMT, medical scribe, etc.
NOTE: As a medical/dental school applicant, you MUST show that you have significant clinical/patient-contact experience through volunteer, paid or formal shadowing opportunities. Be sure to check with the schools to which you are applying to see their specific requirements, and please keep in mind that shadowing is viewed as distinct from volunteering (see requirement #4).
6. Personal statement. Maximum 5300 characters for medical school and 4500 for dental school consisting of motivations, goals, special interests, volunteer- and clinical-related experiences, etc. (junior year). See these tips for writing your personal statement.
7. Resume/CV: Up to two pages summarizing your education, employment, volunteer experiences, awards, publications, etc. (Shorter is encouraged!)
8. Transcripts: Submit your unofficial UD transcript that is current at the time of application. If you have taken courses elsewhere, you must request an official transcript from the other university or college if the courses do NOT appear on your UD transcript. If courses required for your science GPA were taken at an institution other than UD, you need to submit an official transcript from that institution.
9. Small formal picture: students need to submit a digital “headshot” for the HPEC file. It does not need to be taken by a professional, but it should show you in a professional light. If you have questions regarding the appropriateness of a potential picture, ask an advisor at the Center for Health Profession Studies.
10. Letters of recommendation: You need to provide individuals who have agreed to write a letter of recommendation a completed release form. This form grants your permission for the evaluator to write a letter on your behalf and waives your right to examine the letter.
You will need three letters of recommendation:
Two letters from “science/math” professors (e.g., any level Math, Physics, Chemistry (CHEM), Biology (BISC) course or a 300-level course or above in allied health such as BHAN, KAAP, MMSC, NSCI, NTDT, or BMEG). Note: Check the AMCAS/AACOMAS list of course science subjects and consider requesting letters from faculty in those fields. Letters from Preceptors, teaching assistants or research assistants are not accepted.
One letter from a “non-science” professor (e.g., History, Art, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Anthropology, English, a language class, etc).
Students may also submit a letter of recommendation from physician/dentist/optometrist/podiatrist with whom they shadowed or from a faculty member with whom you studied abroad, conducted research or worked or studied in some other capacity. This letter is NOT required.
NOTE: Each student is responsible for checking their file and keeping track that their letters of recommendation have arrived. Late letters (arriving after the deadline for dossier completion) are not accepted for the current year’s review. Incomplete files are held for the following year’s review.
HPEC Interviews
After the deadline for submission, students who meet the dossier requirements will receive an interview form and the names of 2 HPEC members (typically 1 medical professional and 1 UD Professor) with whom they will interview. Students contact their interviewers to arrange the date/time/place of the interviews. The time window in which the interviews must take place will be announced after the dossier submission date.
Your Committee members will have access to your complete HPEC dossier before the interview and may well as you some questions about your activities and academic record. Committee members may ask you questions about your future plans, and/or what you like to do outside of school, or they may ask you to read something before the interview so as to discuss the material during the interview. You may be asked very specific topics about current events that may or may not be related to the healthcare field.
The style of the interviews will vary because there are as many as 40 members of HPEC. The interviews may vary in length from as little as 20 minutes to over an hour. The length of the interview is not related to the outcome of the evaluation.
The goal of the interview is to get a better feel for who you are and what your goals and interests are. These are good practice for your professional school interviews and a chance to talk about your experiences and goals with highly trained professionals. Take advantage of this opportunity!
We strongly suggest that you thank your interviewers verbally when the interview comes to a close, and that you send them a thank you email within 24 hours of your interview.