Admissions Advice

Meeting Renee Akins, IUSM Associate Director of Admissions

Taiwo Ajumobi: How did you get involved in IUSM’s admissions process?

Renee Akins: I have worked in higher education admissions more than 15 years.  I was previously employed as the Student Enrollment Services Coordinator in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, formerly Allied Health, for seven years. I joined the IUSM  admission team September 2009 as the Associate Director of Admissions.

TA: What do you look for in a potential candidate besides the GPA, MCAT and ECs?

RA:As a member of the Admission Office and Committee I look for candidates that are well prepared with good questions when they come to see me, have given thought to a contingency plan, willing to make decisions on their own based upon my input and what is best for them, have good eye contact, and have a passion for altruism whether it is through donating their time or financial resources. And, finally candidates need to be able to articulate their thoughts clearly.

TA:  From your interview experiences, what have been your top turn offs from candidates and turn ons from them?

RA: Turn-off candidates who are not prepared and ask me to make a decision for them,  candidates who have not done their research because it is too easy to pick up the telephone and call and ask someone for the information, candidates who lack eye contact, and candidates who tell me, “well my friend told me…………………”  Preferred candidates are those who have done some initial research and come in with well thought out questions, good eye contact and who keep in touch in case there are changes in other words the best candidate is the one who is prepared!

TA: From your experience as the Associate Director of Admissions, do you see a change in what a “IUSM” student embodies? What have been the changes?

RA: I’ve been in my role a little more than one year and I see that the IUSM student embodies  paying forward what has so graciously been given to them in an effort to diversify the class and physician population so that undeserved members of the community will be compelled to visit their doctor and seek a better quality of life from a mental and physical point of view.

TA: Since IUSM has preference for in-state students, what can an out-of-state student do to stand out during the application and interview process?

RA: IUSM enrolls the best candidates and while preference is given to residents each year a significant number of out of state students do gain admission.  Nonresidents must do the same as residents be well prepared, well-rounded, and keep in contact with admission personnel by asking for their input and recommendations for being a successful candidate to medical school.