Given the University and nation-wide responses to COVID-19, we have received questions from many students and alumni about next steps and what may/may not be happening this spring. Though information is still evolving as more data about the virus becomes available, we wanted to put together for you an FAQ of what we know thus far.
Q: How will the default grading mode P/F with an option to choose a letter grade affect students who are pursuing pre-med, pre-dent, pre-nursing or other allied health professions program requirements?
A: As of March 26, 2020, there is no consensus among health professions schools regarding whether P/F grades will be accepted in place of letter grades. Many schools seem to indicate that if Pass/Fail is an option available to students, they wish to see students completing their courses with assigned letter grades.
Because UMD students are being offered an “opt-in” for letter grades rather than a universally-imposed switch to all P/F grades for all students, the campus Health Professions Advising Office strongly recommends that all students opt-in to selecting the assignment of a letter grade for all math and science courses being taken to fulfill pre-health requirements. The same guidance holds for specific social science course requirements for nursing, PA, PT, pharmacy and all other allied health schools. You may consider P/F for other courses such as general education or elective courses, though this is not encouraged
Choosing the letter grade option is the best and safest course to ensure that your coursework can be applied in the future to professional school requirements.
Q: Since UMD is moving to online instruction for a period of time, will HPAO advisors still be available for appointments?
A: Yes! As face-to-face appointments have been curtailed through April 10, all scheduled appointments will take place by phone or on Zoom, as the advisor you have scheduled with prefers. Appointment Plus confirmation emails have been updated to reflect this and the advisor you have scheduled with will communicate with you in advance of your appointment to let you know their preferred method for completing the appointment.
HPAO staff will be back at work on March 18 and available then to respond to your questions by phone and email.
Q: I have heard that profession schools don't like online courses. How will they respond to the fact that some of our instruction is being done virtually? What about lab courses?
A: Nationwide most universities are moving to remote instruction for the spring. Schools have stated that they will be quite flexible on this, even if the course is a stated pre-requisite, given that we are in a very unusual time. So proceed with your classes as scheduled this spring and have confidence that the classes will "count." The university is continuing to discuss the conundrum with respect to lab courses and we will update you as we learn more.
Q: I may not be able to do my usual volunteering, research, extra-curricular activities, etc. Will the schools be concerned about my gap in activities?
A: Again, admissions deans have stated that they recognize the limitations that all will face this spring, and it will not be counted "against" you in the application process to have a period of time that is light on activities. For students planning to use the next couple of months to address weaknesses in these areas where they have not yet spent time, that may not be possible- but in these cases, a gap year was advisable in any event. A conversation with an HPAO advisor about your particular situation would be useful in that event.
Q: I planned to sign up for a test prep course. Are they still happening?
A: Please consult with individual test prep companies about their plans.
Q: I am scheduled to take the MCAT/DAT/OAT/GRE this spring. Will this be cancelled? What happens if it is?
A: As of right now, the exam websites are stating that all exams will continue unless you have received an email stating otherwise. You are encouraged to monitor their sites as well as the testing site webpages and their Twitter accounts. If your testing site is affected, or if all testing sites wind up affected, remember that this will not be a problem exclusive to you--thousands of people will be affected. As such, we would presume that the schools will offer flexibility in terms of their test deadlines.
Q: I am currently in the HPAO Committee Process to apply this spring. Will anything change the Committee Letter timeline or process?
A: Not at all! Thankfully, our system is already built as an electronic one, so we expect an uninterrupted process. and our deadlines are unchanged. Interviews in the next several weeks will likely rely on Zoom, Webex or other remote conferencing tools. We will keep you abreast of the planning.
We did announce yesterday that we will no longer require official transcripts be submitted as a part of the Committee Letter application requirements. You will still need to collect them for yourself to use as you fill out common applications later this spring and you will still need to send them directly to the CAS systems when they open.
Q: Is the national application process being postponed at all?
A: Not as far as we know. The start of the process is not for a couple of months, and the process itself is electronic, so we presume that all will continue as usual.
Again, we will stay in regular touch with you all to provide updates as we receive them, and to answer the questions and concerns that you may have. We know this is a very uncertain, confusing, and perhaps even disappointing time for all of us as our plans have needed to shift remarkably. Know that we are all in this together, and will do what we can to help processes continue on as smoothly as possible.
Q: Do you have any suggestions for how to stay involved in pre-health activities while I'm home/for the rest of the semester?
A: This is a time of uncertainty and disruption for everyone, so it may be hard to start a new volunteering position or other formal activity since folks in charge of organizations may not have time to bring new people on. Many in-person volunteer and clinical activities will also be suspended to try to maintain social distancing. Here are a few ideas--we've started developing a list and we'd love to hear other ideas that you might have.
Be an active, helpful member of your home community. Volunteer to cover childcare needs for neighbors or to check in on the elderly. If you're part of a religious community, see if there are ways that you can provide support through them. Check with organizations where you have volunteered in the past to see if you can step back into previous roles.
Recognize that there are cases where volunteers are not helpful in crisis-management situations and you may be asked to stay away. Respect that. Also realize that some of you are already trained as professional healthcare workers -EMT’s, medical Scribes, dental assistants, etc. If your shifts are not being canceled, that means they are counting on you to be a part of the response team and your professionalism and dependability has never been more important. Think about how you feel being a part of an essential work team because this is your future you are looking at.
Use idealist.org, volunteermatch.org, and local volunteer opportunity databases to seek other local options, but be ready for slow responses.
Read books that provide insight about being a doctor, applying to professional school, or learning about other health careers. https://www.naahp.org/naahpwwwsite/professional-resources/bibliography
Listen to the All Access Medical School Admissions podcast. Attend Virtual Fairs (AAMC is preparing to announce an additional one on March 27, given that so many in-person ones have been canceled. We will send out information as we get it), virtual open houses, and other educational opportunities online (we'll post these opportunities in our Vitals newsletter as we hear about them).
Engage in free online learning opportunities, like this class about pandemics from Harvard or one about community change in public health from Johns Hopkins or essentials of global health from Yale.
Keep taking good care of yourself! We will provide updates as we have them.
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