AOA candidacy

[achybrachy]

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I would be really surprised if there is no previous thread about this, but I couldn't find it.

Anyone have any inside information on how they decide who to nominate for AOA? They told us it's primarily for your scholastic achievements, which I assume means mostly grades. Is Step 1 part of that decision? Research? Extracurricular stuff? All of the above? At my school I think there is definitely some voodoo involved. They even have all the students vote on people they think should be considered, but I'm not sure how much that's used in the final decision.

I seem to remember them telling us something about how they could only induct up to 1/6 of the class, but they would consider anyone in the top 1/4. Funny, my school doesn't rank the class....😕

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

It's going to depend on your chapter. Ours straight up tells us its 50% grades, 50% boards to generate a "top of the class", from whom students are chosen who represent the best qualities of a med student. So basically it's "Did you get crazy good grades and still not act like a jackass?" Other schools I've heard it's more about service, leadership, etc. and not so much about academics.

 

[Thievery Corp.]

At our school the AOA eligibility is based on rank. The top 25% are given applications and must write essays and submit an application. Then it is given to a committee of faculty to decide. 1/4th of the total in AOA at our school are chosen for junior AOA and the other 3/4ths for senior AOA. They take into consideration grades, activites, and board scores. For junior AOA it is strickly grades during years 1 and 2, for senior AOA grades from clinical rotations are also considered.

 

[werd]

yeah, it varies by school. here we do junior aoa based strictly on preclinical grades, then aoa based on being in the top 25% and a class vote. schools probably use all sorts of different methods - votes, bake-offs, nunchuck skills....

 

[ddmo]

Basically, it is up to each school to decide how exactly they want to do it. National guidelines state that you cannot except more than 16% of a graduating class and that selection should be based on academic and community achievement. Every chapter does it differently. Contact the current president at your chapter to get the low down.