Admissions Projects

With over 5000 applicants for about 120 openings for medical students, the UCSD SOM Admissions Office has a large amount of information to process. EdCom has been assisting by setting up a series of web-based utilities with the goals of automating repetitive tasks, streamlining the flow of application materials, simplifying the process for applicants, and reducing paper use.

1) Applicant Status Check

The first step in the process is the Applicant Status Check web page where applicants check on the progress of their application.

2) Online Secondary Application

Applicants to the School of Medicine who progress past a first screening, are invited to submit an Online Secondary Application which requests more in-depth personal information. A protected website has been developed where the applicant submits this information. Not only does the applicant no longer need to hassle with paper forms, but the automated process can screen the application for completeness before staff members begin to process it. The application information is maintained in a SQL database.

3) Applicant Interview Schedule and Packet

Once the Secondary Application is completed and submitted, a PDF of the application is automatically generated and emailed to the Admissions Office. This PDF is then combined with other PDFs into an application packet.  An Applicant Interview Scheduling and Packet website allows Admissions to upload that packet and assign two interview times to each applicant.

4) Interview Schedule and Applicant Packets

Interviewers then access the Interview Schedule and Applicant Packets utility. Here they can view their upcoming interview schedule, retrieve the applicant’s PDF packet and review the materials before interviewing the applicant.

5) Online Interview Report

Following the interview, interviewers return to the Interviewer Schedule and Applicant Packets page and fill out an Online Interview Report form. This information is saved in a database and, if desired, interviewers can later use this same website to review previously completed Interview Reports.

6) Submitted Secondary Applications

Several utility programs allow the admissions staff to track the flow of materials. For example:

• Pending Interview Reports  shows the staff which interview reports have not yet been submitted.
  
  
• Submitted Secondary Applications, currently being developed, tracks the secondary applications after they are submitted.

7) Questionnaire

A final step for the interviewees is an online questionnaire that the Admissions Office uses to continue to refine the interview & orientation process.