Making the decision to apply to graduate schools of health professions is only the beginning. It is important that students considering allopathic and osteopathic medical school, dental, veterinary, optometry, and podiatry schools take the time to assess their personal goals and understand their motivation to apply. As a student, you want to apply when you are the strongest, most competitive applicant. If you have assessed yourself and made the decision to apply, it will be important to devote the proper time and energy into the application process. The Office of Academic Advising is dedicated to helping you through this process.
- What is the Health Professions Advising Committee (HPAC)?
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The Health Professions Advising Committee’s (HPAC) role is to write formal committee letters of evaluation for students applying to graduate schools of health professions. This in-depth, personalized letter of evaluation accompanies individual letters of support (requested by the student) to form a Committee packet. Ultimately, the OAA and HPAC aim to create a letter that best represents a student’s candidacy for admission. Admission committees value these letters because they provide an integrated and institutional perspective on an applicant’s readiness for graduate study and a future career in the health professions.
- What is Open File?
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As part of the process to create these letters and help applicants produce stronger applications, the HPAC requires students applying to graduate schools of health professions to participate in the “Open File” process. This process includes providing the Committee with relevant information, including a curriculum vitae, draft personal statement, and answers to a variety of informational interview questions. This information is then used to craft a committee letter of evaluation.
As part of the Open File process, the OAA also manages the receipt of all individual letters of support and ultimately submits a full Committee packet directly to the various health professions application services to accompany each student’s application.
- What are Open File policies for re-applicants?
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1. Students who have been accepted to any medical school (MD or DO) or dental school in the United States in a previous cycle are NOT ELIGIBLE to use the Health Professions Advising Committee letter or Open File process. (Please note that this policy does not apply to Rice-Baylor Scholars, UTH-McGovern Humanities Assured Acceptance Program students, FlexMed students, or any students who may have been admitted to a combined Bachelors-Medical School program from high school when they applied to college).
2. Students may only receive the Rice HPAC committee letter a maximum of three (3) times. If this will be your fourth time submitting a medical/dental school application and receiving an HPAC letter, you are NOT ELIGIBLE to sign up.
3. If you are a reapplicant currently in the 2023 admissions cycle, your last day to register for Open File and be eligible for all Open File services will be March 15, 2023. The absolute last day to register is June 1, 2023. Those who apply between March 15 and June 1 will not be eligible for a pre-application appointment.
Open File Guide for 2024 Cycle
- Open File Guide Part 1- Getting Started
- Open File Guide Part 2- The Application
- Open File Guide Part 3- The Ongoing Application Process
Applicants for Fall 2024 Admission
The OAA will be holding two upcoming Open File sessions for students seeking admission to medical or dental schools for entry in Fall 2024. Attendance at both sessions is expected of students interested in participating in Open File for the 2024 admissions cycle.
Assessing Your Candidacy- November 9, 2022 from 5:30-6:30 pm, Herring 100- Advisors will provide students with information to help them assess how ready they are for medical school and look for ways to create a stronger application.
Application 101- November 16, 2022 from 5:30-6:30 pm, Herring 100- Open File launch session with details on what is expected of Open File participants.
Applications for Open File 2024 are now open. Payment and registration links can be found in Part 1 of the Open File Guide above. The HPAC is only able to work with applicants who completed or will complete their undergraduate degree at Rice University.
Open File Timeline
