Bob Rarig, Temple University Post-Bacc Program Director

Q&A: Bob Rarig, Temple CST Post Bacc Pre-Health Program

Bob Rarig, Ph.D. (he/him/his) is the Program Director for the Temple College of Science and Technology Post Bacc Program. He directs the admissions process for the various tracks within the program, including a Basic Sciences ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated October 12, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Prehealth Committee Letters

Eight Questions About the Pre-Health “Committee Letter”

For over 40 years, medical and dental school applicants have been asked to provide an institutional “committee letter” packet of recommendations if their prehealth offices provide a supportive evaluation. SDN has fielded questions about committee ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated September 27, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Weather on your application journey

The Weather on Your Application Journey

In many literary epics, the protagonists’ journey is adversely affected by the weather or some force of nature. In Odysseus’s voyage home, Frodo’s quest, Dorothy’s journey down the yellow brick road, or Katniss Everdeen’s persistence ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated September 21, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Mission Fit

Mission Fit: Key to Your Success

Every application cycle, applicants request expert reviews on the Student Doctor Network to help them assess “What Are My Chances” (WAMC) at getting accepted to their desired health professional programs. While GPA and test metrics ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated July 27, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Other Impactful Experiences essay

Other Impactful Experiences Essay: Exploring Your Unique Story

Beginning with the 2024 cycle, the AAMC allowed AMCAS and ERAS applicants an opportunity to describe Other Impactful Experiences (OIE) that have helped define their perspective on life. Replacing the “Disadvantaged” essay, the Other Impactful ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated June 18, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Neil Saley

Interview: Neil Saley, MD and Author

The below interview with Dr. Neil Saley, author of Medical School: Experience the Journey has been lightly edited for clarity. Emil Chuck, PhD: My name is Emil Chuck. I’m the Director of Advising Services (for ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated May 23, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Secondary Essays

Write Your Secondary Essays First​

Most advice to applicants focuses on the personal statement and description of work or activities required to complete the initial centralized application service (CAS) application. In contrast, I urge you to write your school-specific “secondary” ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated April 19, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Strong Ties

Seeking Leverage in “Strong Ties”

What are “strong ties,” and what do they mean for health professional admissions? A “strong tie” is usually associated with the amount of time the applicant has spent within the community or state where the ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated March 1, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Artificial Intelligence Admissions

How AI could change admissions

Once when I was director of admissions, incoming students viewed and discussed a “common orientation movie” called Coded Bias. Released in 2020 before the pandemic, this documentary (available on PBS for a while) presented the disparate impact ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated February 15, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

School List

Building Your Best School List

Your success in any application cycle depends on how well you match a school’s metrics profile and the schools where you send your application – your school list. While applicants to non-medical or dental programs ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated February 9, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

GPA Repair and Management

GPA Repair and Management for Pre-Health Applicants

Happy new year, and for many of you, happy new semester! This article is for community college or university students starting a new set of classes this month, especially nontraditional postbac students that need GPA ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated September 25, 2023 by Emil Chuck, PhD

Fee Assistance Program

2026 Updates: Fee Assistance Programs for Applications

Abstract: This article guides pre-health students through the fee assistance programs available for health professions application services. It explains how adjusted gross income from federal tax returns determines eligibility for most programs, details the documentation ... Read more

Emil Chuck, PhD

Updated December 22, 2025 by Emil Chuck, PhD