SOM Office of Admissions Leads Students to Their Future Careers in Medicine
The Office Cues Prospective Students into the Humanistic and Experiential Learning of NYMC’s Medical Education
The School of Medicine (SOM) Office of Admissions guides prospective medical students through the programs and curriculum New York Medical College (NYMC) provides to help shape compassionate and clinically skilled medical professionals. The admissions team of six is hard at work, combing through 10,000 applicants to fill the 212 seats. Karen M. Murray, M.D. '99, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and associate dean for admissions for the SOM, provides the inner workings of her office.
What are the responsibilities of the office?
The office responsibilities include screening, interviewing and building a new incoming class each year with the admissions committee.
Where is your office located?
The office is located on the first floor of 40 Sunshine Cottage.
How would you describe the day-to-day functions of the Office of Admissions?
The office is responsible for processing the applications from the Association of American Medical Colleges WebAdmit Portal, answering questions from the applicants and putting the applications together for screening. Once screened, applicants are invited for interviews. Multiple mini-interviews (MMI) interviews are coordinated by the office. The office also recruits and trains MMI interviewers, hosts interviews and compiles the information for the admissions committee. Once the admission committee decisions are made, the office is responsible for notifying the applicant and sending out all pertinent information to the applicant. The office is available to the applicant throughout the process.
What is the most-asked question from students about the Office of Admissions?
We keep our admissions website up to date, so we usually get more specific question such as, which courses at their previous college fulfill the requirements for admissions and questions about touring our campus.
What do you find most interesting or most rewarding about working in your office?
The most rewarding part of working in my office is being able to process over 10,000 applications to fulfill a class of 212. We accomplish this goal while being very personable and available to all our applicants.
Is there a fun fact or best kept secret about your office?
Best kept secret is how well we work together as a team of six people. The six of us manage to weave very efficiently through all these applications every year. We are like a well-oiled machine.
What is one useful tip you can give to students about the Office of Admissions?
Complete your application early in the cycle.