One of Med School Coach’s advisors, Dr. Henry Ng, joins Dr. Renee Marinelli in this episode. Dr. Ng was an Assistant Dean of Admissions at Case Western Reserve University and shares some of his unique experiences in this role.
[0:52] What Dr. Ng’s role of Assistant Dean entailed.He had a major focus on issues related to diversity and inclusion. Case Western didn’t only think about gender and ethnicity, but also sexual orientation, age, participation in the military, and more. It was Dr. Ng’s job to make sure that when they looked at applicants, they were aware of their implicit bias.
[4:21] How Case Western generally evaluated applicants.As soon as the committee received an application, there was an internal screening process where they would see how the applicant’s characteristics looked against benchmarks. If they thought the applicant would fit the school, Case Western would send a secondary application. They would review these for specific essay responses, then invite selected students for interviews.
[7:29] What Henry looked for in an applicant.Henry was really interested in the story of why this person wanted to become a doctor and what made them passionate about this career. One of the answers he’d hear that made him really happy was the desire to serve.
[9:27] Henry’s suggestions of how applicants should present themselves.Presenting yourself in a professional way the first time is so important. It starts with being self-aware and realizing how you are affecting people immediately around you. Another contributor of professionalism is something as simple as punctuality. Dr. Marinelli stresses that you need to perform all day during interviews, and Henry agrees that everyone you talk to can have an effect on your outcome.
