Instructions

Step-by-Step Process of the Health Professional School Committee

Below are step-by-step instructions for participation in the Health Professional Committee (HPC) review process. Please contact the Pre-Professional Advising Center if you have questions ppac@ecu.edu, or (252) 328-6001. Best wishes with the application process!

In order to to participate in the review process and receive a letter of recommendation from the HPC, students must submit all documents required for an interview by September 1, 2024 (for application to start in Fall 2025). This is to ensure that the committee has time to write and submit your letter by October 1st. If you have an earlier deadline it is your responsibility to plan accordingly. Typically, interviews must be scheduled a minimum of a week in advance. The committee general needs two weeks to complete and submit the letter after the interview.

Minimum academic requirements for participation:

All students must have a minimum 3.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 3.0 science GPA. Students applying to Medical School must have a minimum 500 MCAT score. Students applying to Dental School must have a minimum 17 DAT score in Academic Average and each of the Science sections (Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry). These requirements were set in consultation with admission directors from the Brody School of Medicine and ECU School of Dental Medicine.

If you are told by your Pre-Professional Advisor not to apply to professional school but you choose to do so anyway, you will not be granted an interview during that application cycle.

Special consideration can be made for students applying to schools with more lenient requirements and later deadlines. All exceptions will be made by Mrs. McAllister.

Step 1

Register with the Pre-Professional Advising Center by completing the Applicant Profile Form. This can be completed online and submitted electronically.

Step 2

Read and complete the Statement of Understanding Form. This can be completed online and submitted electronic. By submitting this form you are stating that you understand the requirements and process and that you will not receive an interview until we have all required documentation.

Step 3

Select faculty members to complete your evaluations. You will need a minimum of three faculty evaluations:

2 in the physical sciences (biology, chemistry, and/or physics), specifically those who taught you the prerequisite science courses (or higher level). Letters of recommendation will not be accepted from graduate assistants. Recommenders must be faculty members.
1 additional faculty evaluation — this could be someone from your major, another science professor, or any other professor with who you have had a class or done research.

Talk with your faculty to confirm that they are willing to write you a letter, then complete the Faculty Evaluation Form – Student Portion online and submit it electronically. We will forward this to your faculty along with the link to the Faculty Evaluation Form. Do not fill out the faculty evaluation form before talking with your faculty. This is unprofessional and embarrassing for you and us.

Provide each faculty member with a deadline (be sure to give them plenty of time to complete the form and do not ask at the last minute). The faculty will need to send the completed evaluation electronically, along with a letter of recommendation, to our office. Faculty letters must be on either personal of professional letterhead and contain the letter writer’s signature (electronic signatures are acceptable, but we will not accept typed names as a signature). Letters from lab instructors will be accepted as long as the instructor is not a graduate student.

Step 4

Complete your centralized application (AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, etc.) and submit a copy to the PPAC. This can be sent electronically (save as a pdf) to ppac@ecu.edu. This will include your academic history, volunteer, shadowing, and work history, MCAT or other standardized test scores, and personal statement. If you are interviewing before the application portal is open, you must submit a detailed resume and personal statement to the PPAC. We must have this information before we will schedule an interview.

Step 5

When completing your centralized application, you will create a slot for your committee letter under “Letters of Evaluation.” Please list Elizabeth McAllister as the letter writer and enter PPAC@ecu.edu as the e-mail address. Generate the letter request form through AMCAS/AACOMAS or AADSAS. For AMCAS you will need to save a copy as a pdf and e-mail it to ppac@ecu.edu. AADSAS & AACOMAS will electronically send us the letter request after you have completed your committee letter slot. These forms provide us with the information we need to upload your letter to your application.

Step 6

Once your file is complete (Application Profile form, 3 faculty evaluations, professional school application, and test scores) we will contact you to schedule an interview.
TIP: Prepare for your interview by working with someone from the Career Services.

*Students can select an in person or virtual interview. The Director will coordinate a time that works with your schedule and the committee. Interviews typically take place May, through October. The deadline for participation is September 1st (we will accept test scores after Sept 1st). All documents (copy of AMCAS, AACOMAS, or AADSAS) and faculty evaluations must be submitted to us by September 1st to receive an interview. We can arrange interviews during other months if you have special circumstances.

Step 7

After the interview is complete and the committee letter is returned to us, we will submit your letter(s) where ever you so designate. For more information on the details of submitting letters, please refer to the AMCAS website, AACOMAS, or the AADSAS website.

Step 8

You will receive electronic confirmation from AMCAS, AACOMAS, or AADSAS once your letter has been received.

Step 9

After your letter is written, someone from your interview committee will contact you for a follow-up. Your overall evaluation will not be shared with you, but the committee member can provide you with feedback regarding what the committee liked and think you should emphasize, and if there is anything you can improve upon.

Please keep us posted on your status!