Deep Dive into Perelman School of Medicine: An Interview with Dr. Neha Vapiwala, Dean for Admissions

Dr. Neha Vapiwala, Dean of Admissions for Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the first medical school in the United States, explores the values the school instills in its community while reflecting on the new wave of interest in medical careers that has developed over the course of the past two years. 

In this episode:

Could you start by giving an overview of the Perelman School of Medicine's curriculum?

In terms of that last year-and-a-half, do most of the Perelman students use it to pursue scholarly research? Do they use it to get the certificate? Or do they use it to pursue other clerkships?

Is graduating earlier an option?

What do you think listeners don't realize about the Perelman School. What are some myths about the Perelman School that you would like to dispel?

Do students consistently work with the same learning team throughout medical school?

Do you think the abundance of pass/fail courses contributes to the collaborative environment at Perelman?

What COVID adaptations or changes do you think will continue beyond the pandemic?

Does Perelman screen before sending out secondaries, or are they automatic?

Penn's secondary application is one of the more thorough and demanding secondary applications. What are you trying to glean from this very comprehensive secondary?

What are some of the more common mistakes you see applicants make in approaching that thorough secondary?

How do you view virtual shadowing?

What process does an application go through at Perelman when it is verified by AMCAS and somebody submits a secondary?

Does Perelman consider letters of intent or update letters, and if so, at what phase of the application process?

How do you look at candidates to have a criminal record or an academic infraction on their record?

How was Perelman's application volume this year so far?

On a forward-looking note, what advice would you give to med school applicants planning to apply to Perelman in 2022, this summer, or even thinking ahead to the following year?