The HPAB Process

Applying to medical school but unsure where to begin? The following can be found in the University of Pennsylvania Career Services Medical School Applicants' Manual for 2010 Admission:

Applying to medical school is a very manageable process, so long as you are well organized. You will need to plan ahead, and keep track of the procedures you have to follow and deadlines you have to meet.
Your pre-health advisors in the Career Services office are here to guide you. However, you must realize that there is no magic involved in applying to medical school. You must assume responsibility and see that you follow the appropriate steps.

All medical schools require applicants to have a letter of recommendation from their undergraduate school’s pre-health committee. At Penn, this committee is called the Health Professions Advisory Board (HPAB), and is composed of administrators and faculty from across the university, together with your pre-health advisors at Career Services. The committee letter at Penn (better known as the HPAB letter) is essentially a cover letter, and will be sent to the medical schools as part of a packet that includes other individual letters of recommendation that you will obtain from professors, TAs, research supervisors, and other mentors. As a cover letter, the HPAB letter serves several purposes: it introduces you to the medical school admissions committees, reviews all of your strengths and accomplishments, and advocates for your acceptance.

We, your pre-health advisors, are the ones who actually compose the HPAB letter, and we pride ourselves on being able to offer all Penn students and alumni a thorough, detailed, and individualized recommendation. Because of the large number of students who apply to medical school every year, we have developed a system of procedures that enable us to accommodate everyone who needs an HPAB letter, and meets our deadlines.

Here, in brief, are the steps you will need to take to obtain an HPAB letter:
1. Attend a mandatory Applicants’ Workshop and open a credentials file in the Career Services office. Check out the calendar for a schedule of these workshops.
2. Schedule a one-hour “Advisor Interview” with a Pre-Health Advisor following your Applicants’ Workshop (make sure to specify that you are scheduling an Advisor Interview, not a regular appointment).
3. Meet with your Health Professions Advisory Board member for an “HPAB interview” following your Advisor Interview.
4. Have at least 3 appropriate letters of recommendation in your Career Services Credentials File by June 1.
5. Provide us with a draft copy of your AMCAS application (see page 10) for Fall 2010 admission by June 1. This is just for our records; you will have to submit your completed application to AMCAS after June 1.
6. Submit to our office your List of Recommenders form (list at least 3 and no more than 6), by June 4.

Please refer to the manual for more detailed information about each step, or arrange to speak with a counselor.

Preparing for the Spring Career Fair

Attending career fairs are a great way to network with recruiters and learn about full-time or internship opportunities. Check out upcoming Penn-affiliated Career Fairs. Here are some tips to maximize your time at a career fair:

NEW Video: Tips for Mastering a Career Fair

1. Dress to impress. Suits are not required, but dress in professional looking attire.
2. Do your homework before you go. Research the companies attending.
3. Think ahead about which employers you are most interested in so you can be sure to seek out their tables first.
4. Before you approach a table, think a minute:
• Is there anything that you already know about the employer?
• Think of questions that you can ask.
• Be prepared to give a brief summary of the type of work you are seeking.
• Be prepared to say a little bit about yourself (interests, projects, research, goals, etc.)
5. Shake hands and make eye contact when you introduce yourself.
6. Be prepared to initiate conversation, by asking questions or saying something that gives the person an invitation to talk. The idea is to converse with employers, not to just have a question & answer session.
7. Do not monopolize a recruiter’s time. If you are not particularly interested in working for this organization, thank the recruiter for his/her time and walk on. If you are very interested, say something like, "I'd like to speak with you further, but I see that you have others waiting. May I come back later to see if you have more time?"
8. Be discreet in talking about employers. Even if you know the recruiter keep in mind that they represent the employer now. All conversations should be on a professional level.
9. Bring plenty of copies of your resume.
10. Avoid grabbing too many give-aways. Some organizations will bring promotional gift items. Don't take more than you can carry inconspicuously and never take an item without first having a conversation with the employer.
11. Ask for the recruiter's business card for future reference.
12. Take notes. After the event, jot down some information about each representative that you spoke to.
13. Follow-up. Sending thank you notes or emails is recommended for those companies you are especially interested in pursuing. Try to trigger the representative's memory of you by stating something that you had discussed with them.