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Med School Admissions help talent breed talent

Speaking Their Language
The UMMS admissions team processes 6,000 applications to enroll approximately 170 new medical students each year. The team includes (from the left) Robert Ruiz, April Daniels, Carol Teener, Steven Gay, M.D. and Kellie Paich.

It’s 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 15, an important date and time if you’ve applied to medical school. At that time the University of Michigan Medical School sends a 90-second video e-mail to applicants notifying them of their admission status. UMMS is the only medical school to contact applicants as soon as the clock turns. Students appreciate the expediency and the cool video.

The Medical School Admissions team works hard to help identify the best candidates. Of the 6,000 hopefuls who apply to UMMS, only a fraction are admitted. In fact, our admitted students have MCAT scores in the top 5 to 6 percent in the nation. The majority of medical students accepted at Michigan have also been accepted at other top medical schools. According to Robert Ruiz, director, Medical School Admissions, UMMS has until May 15 to sell students on the complete Michigan experience.

“The students who visit us have incredible choices,” Ruiz says. “When we admit someone, we have our work cut out for us.”

Ruiz compares the admissions team to a successful matchmaking service. They begin a period of relationship building with students. They learn students’ interests and connect them with leading-edge faculty. They determine student needs, such as childcare or married housing, and provide the right resources. They organize chat rooms, send birthday messages and provide admission counseling. They sell the students on U-M, its medical school and the culture of Ann Arbor.

In addition to research opportunities, residency outcomes, reputation and diversity, quality of life as a medical student in Ann Arbor has become a major asset,” Ruiz says. “We have interesting and stimulating people in a tight-knit community.”

UMMS carefully plans and implements 19 “Interview Days,” where up to 50 students visit campus each day to meet faculty and experience the flavor of Ann Arbor. This is a recruitment opportunity. “We’re keenly aware they’re eyeing us,” Ruiz says.

One of the strongest elements of the admissions process is the multiple layers of input and review for each candidate. Around 225 people—from executives to faculty to current medical students—participate. According to Ruiz, UMMS relies heavily on data to make decisions, resulting in a fair and transparent process. Last year, 170 new medical students enrolled.

“People from U-M are proud,” Ruiz says. “We have a good and exciting story to tell, and one of the most powerful brands in the world. Our single goal is to bring the best possible talent to Michigan.”

The Medical School Admissions Team

  • Jeanne Beland, admissions counseling
  • April Daniels, office management and administrative support
  • Sandy Davis, business analyst
  • Steven Gay, M.D., dean
  • Kellie Paich, general admissions support
  • Sarah Romanski, general admissions support
  • Robert Ruiz, director
  • Carol Teener, event planning

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