Integrated Undergraduate/Medical Doctorate Program

Application Procedures and Guidelines

I. Consideration of the IUMD Program

Interested Scholars should investigate the IUMD Program thoroughly before preparing an application. Scholars interested in applying must have initiated the IUMD application process by completing all four of the following tasks prior to the sixth week of their fourth semester at Penn State.

A. Read these guidelines.

B. Review undergraduate program requirements [for major(s) and minor(s)].

C. Review the first year curriculum in the COM MD program (http://www.hmc.psu.edu/md/curriculum/index.cfm), and the Medical Student Research (MSR) project requirements (http://www.hmc.psu.edu/msr).

D. Discuss the IUMD Program with his/her honors adviser.

E. Meet with the Associate Dean of the Schreyer Honors College.

Scholars who have completed more than four semesters of study at Penn State prior to initiating the IUMD Application will generally not be considered for this program.

NOTE: The SHC does not control the entrance requirements or the curriculum of the MD degree program. Scholars accepted into the COM through the IUMD Program are subject to all of the Medical School’s curriculum and examination processes.

II. Schedule for Application, Admission, and Completion for the IUMD Program

Timeline	Action
Semesters 1-3 of undergraduate study	Schreyer Scholar takes appropriate courses and earns appropriate GPA to qualify to apply to the IUMD Program. Scholar reviews program requirements and application processes.
Semester 4 of undergraduate study	Applicant meets with SHC Associate Dean, then prepares application materials.
April (or August) after second year of undergraduate study	Applicant takes the MCAT exam.
May 15 after second year of undergraduate study	Scholar submits complete IUMD application to SHC
May 15 to Oct. 1 after second year of undergraduate study	SHC reviews all complete applications, interviews qualified applicants, and determines review status.
October 1 of third year of undergraduate study	SHC notifies all applicants of review status. If an IUMD application is denied, the student may still apply to COM through regular admissions process and timeline. If the application is given a positive review by SHC, it is forwarded to COM.
October 1 to December 1 of third year of undergraduate study	COM interviews each applicant forwarded by SHC.
December 15 of third year of undergraduate study	Applicants receive notification of admission decision from COM. Approved applicants become IUMD Scholars.
Third year of undergraduate study and June through July after third year of study.	IUMD Scholar meets with assigned COM advisers. Scholar achieves substantial progress on Honors Thesis and undergraduate honors and major requirements.
July 31 of third year of undergraduate study (or before)	IUMD Scholar submits completed Honors Thesis or submits Honors Thesis Extension Form (The extension form must be submitted if thesis work is to be extended into the fourth year for any reason, including when the honors thesis research will serve to waive the MSR Project requirement.)
August after third year of undergraduate study	IUMD Scholar matriculates with first year medical students.
August through July of fourth year:	IUMD Scholar completes undergraduate degree requirements for undergraduate major(s) and minor(s), and first year curriculum for MD. If not already finished, IUMD Scholar maintains research production and writing progress to complete Honors Thesis on schedule for August graduation.
July 31 after fourth year of study: (or before)	IUMD Scholar submits completed Honors Thesis, if thesis extension was requested.
August after fourth year of study:	IUMD Scholar receives Penn State Bachelor Degree with Honors (this event concludes the Scholar’s IUMD status). Student begins second year at COM.

III. How to Apply For The IUMD Program

The application for the IUMD Program consists of the following materials submitted by a Schreyer Scholar in good academic standing to SHC Associate Dean’s Office in Atherton Hall.

A. The applicant must submit a “committee letter of recommendation” from the Health Professions Advising Office (http://www.science.psu.edu/premed/) OR three (or more) individual letters of recommendation, at least two from faculty members in science and one from a non-science faculty member.

In either case, the letters must include a recommendation from the Scholar’s honors adviser (i.e., the honors adviser in the department that will award the baccalaureate degree) and one from the prospective research mentor for the Honors Thesis. The honors adviser must explicitly confirm in the letter that the Plan of Study submitted with the IUMD application will fulfill all of the degree requirements for the Scholar to earn the Bachelor degree at the end of four years. The research mentor must address the details of the proposed area of research focus.
All letter writers should be provided with the IUMD Program criteria (given on page 2) and should use this s a guide to direct their comments... Letters should be addressed to “IUMD Program Review Committee.”

B. The applicant must write and submit a personal statement. Overall, the personal statement must be a polished demonstration of the Scholar’s mature scholarly ability, communication skills, and potential for success in the College of Medicine.

C. The personal statement is generally 4-6 pages (double spaced) and must be organized in this way:

The Scholar must start with a short summary of him/herself, to-date, including name, undergraduate major(s) and minor(s), and current cumulative GPA.
The Scholar must describe reasons for deciding on a career in medicine.
The Scholar must summarize her/his academic progress in the major (and minor) areas of study.
The Scholar must review his/her general education and how these course selections and other activities and experiences have helped to balance an accelerated specialization and an enriched general education.
The Scholar must summarize participation in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, especially medical experiences.
The Scholar must describe long-term career goals and how the IUMD Program at Penn State helps to achieve those goals.
The Scholar must identify a research area that will complement this accelerated program.

D. The applicant must prepare and submit an explicit Plan of Study showing how all of the undergraduate requirements are met for the undergraduate degree(s) and the first year of the MD degree. This two-page document must be signed by the undergraduate honors adviser.

Note: As many as 24 of the credits required for the MD degree may be applied to both undergraduate and MD degree programs. Since the first year curriculum in the College of Medicine includes only mandatory courses, each IUMD applicant will propose a substitution of up to 24 credits from the first year MD curriculum to simultaneously meet requirements for up to 24 credits towards the undergraduate (major, minor, and honors) requirement. Thesis credits earned as part of the undergraduate program may not be double counted. An application of more than 24 credits to both degrees requires approval by the Scholar’s undergraduate major department(s) and by the COM.

E. The applicant must submit official documentation of MCAT scores consistent with accepted students at the College of Medicine, i.e. an expectation of approximately 30 for total score. NOTE: The SHC review can begin prior to the availability of the test result, but the Scholar must report having taken the MCAT (in August at the latest) before the SHC will forward the application to the COM.

F. The applicant must submit a transcript and degree audit printed from E-Lion, including 4th semester grades.

G. The applicant must submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.

H. The applicant must submit a completed Penn State College of Medicine application form. The College of Medicine participates in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Scholars applying for the IUMD Program must complete an AMCAS application for central registration purposes. (http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm) The fee for the application is waived by the College of Medicine.

IUMD Application Checklist:

________Letters as described above
________Plan of Study (approved by Honors Adviser)
________Personal Statement
________Current Resume or Curriculum Vita
________Transcript and Degree Audit
________College of Medicine Application
________MCAT Test Date
________MCAT Test Score (if available)

All application materials must be submitted to the administrative assistant in the Associate Dean’s Office in the Schreyer Honors College (mailed to 10 Schreyer Honors College, University Park, or hand-delivered to C-4 Atherton Hall).

IV. Procedure Used by SHC and the Medical School to Evaluate an IUMD Application

A. Each application will be evaluated based on the criteria described on page 2.

B. Applications will be reviewed by the Schreyer Honors College Faculty Advisory Committee or a special committee designated by the Dean. One member of this committee may be a member of the Health Professions Advising Office. All applicants who submit a completed application by May 15 will be reviewed by SHC. Qualified applicants will be interviewed by a member of the SHC review committee. Annually, no more than twelve IUMD applications will be forwarded from the SHC to the COM Admissions Office for further review.

C. Except for the special provisions in this document, candidates forwarded by the Schreyer Honors College will be screened and interviewed by the same process as all other applicants for admission to the College of Medicine.

D. No more than ten IUMD applicants will be admitted annually. Written notification will be sent by the Medical School to the selected applicants and to the Schreyer Honors College.

E. A Scholar accepted into the IUMD Program will have a medical school adviser in the basic sciences appointed by the College of Medicine who, along with the undergraduate honors adviser, will assist in academic planning and will facilitate the approval of a waiver (if appropriate) that allows the Honors Thesis to serve as the Medical Student Research Project requirement of the College of Medicine.

V. Important Things IUMD Scholars Must Know and Do

A. A Scholar who intends to apply to be a member of the IUMD Program may begin their Honors Thesis research with an intention to fulfill both the Honors Thesis requirement and the Medical Student Research Project requirement of the College of Medicine. These Scholars should seek research experience and mentorship in the appropriate undergraduate department and in the College of Medicine. As soon as an applicant is accepted into the program, they should consult with research mentors about whether the intended research project will meet the requirements of both programs. If the Honors Thesis qualifies to meet the medical school requirement for MSR, the fourth year of study may be used for the completion of this work, provided that the IUMD Scholar submitted Honors Thesis Extension Form.

B. If the IUMD Scholar’s honors thesis is not going to replace the MSR Project, the undergraduate honors thesis is due to be turned in by July 31 of the IUG Scholar’s third year. If an extension is required, the Honors Thesis Extension Form must be completed and filed with the SHC.

C. To remain in good standing in the IUMD Program, the Scholar must submit an academic transcript to the College of Medicine admissions office each semester of the third year. Admission to the medical school is contingent on maintaining a 3.70 cumulative GPA and completing all third-year courses as projected in the application.

D. Once matriculated into the College of Medicine, Scholars accepted through the IUMD Program will pay the tuition of a first year medical student based on state of residency. In cases where this coincides with the fourth year of undergraduate study, Scholars will continue to receive the Academic Excellence Scholarship as members in good standing of the Schreyer Honors College.

E. If an applicant or an IUMD Scholar wishes to request any substantial variations to the progress schedule or completion timeline, a formal written request signed by the honors adviser and as needed, the thesis supervisor, must be submitted to and approved by the SHC and the Medical School. Without this signed approval, no extensions or variations will be accepted. A student remaining out of compliance after one warning on the timeline of submissions or completion schedule will have their Program status terminated.

F. If the IUMD Program status is terminated due to a Scholar withdrawing or being dismissed from the Schreyer Honors College, the provisions of allowing courses to count for both medical and undergraduate programs cease to apply, even for courses already completed.

G. An appropriate notation of participation in the Integrated Undergraduate/Medical Doctorate Program will be made on the Scholar’s undergraduate transcript.