Timothy Porter is an Army veteran of 10 years. He achieved the rank of Sergeant First Class within 7 years. After being involved in a bomb explosion, Porter was medically retired and began pursuing his passion: technology. In 2009, after teaching himself how to develop mobile apps, Appddiction Studio was formed. In 2011, Appddiction Studio was nationally recognized by the USA Network Channel. Porter was one of their USA Character Unite Award winners for developing an award-winning anti-bullying App for schools. Appddiction Studio has developed well over 200 commercial mobile apps and has become a leader in Enterprise transformations focusing on Agile and the SAFe Framework.

Porter has multiple degrees in Management Information Systems and holds an MBA. He is an SPC and RTE and has performed roles for Appddiction Studio as Scaled program Consultant, Enterprise Coach & Trainer, Agile Coach, Release Train Engineer to Scrum Master. Appddiction Studio has been performing for programs supporting Gunter AFB as a Prime Contractor in: Agile Coaching, EODIMS JST & EODIMS Backlog Burndown and now as a subcontractor on ACES FoS.

Porter has taught over 50 public/private SAFe classes and has submitted his packet for consideration to become SPCT Gold Partner. He is certified at all levels of SAFe Framework and teaches Leading SAFe, SAFe Scrum Master, Advanced Scrum Master, Lean Portfolio Management, Product Owner/Product Management, SAFe DevOps, SAFe Architect in addition to Agile courses like ICAgile Agile Fundamentals, ICAgile Agile Team Facilitation, ICAgile Agile Programming & ICAgile DevOps Foundations.

1.0 Introduction

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (L.C.M.E.) stipulates that the school must develop standards for both objective and subjective criteria used for screening, selection, and admission of applications to the medical education program.

L.C.M.E. Standard 10.3 Policies Regarding Student Selection/Progress and Their Dissemination
The faculty of a medical school establish criteria for student selection and develop and implement effective policies and procedures regarding, and make decisions about, medical student application, selection, admission, assessment, promotion, graduation, and any disciplinary action. The medical school makes available to all interested parties its criteria, standards, policies, and procedures regarding these matters.

L.C.M.E. Standard 10.4 Characteristics of Accepted Applicants
A medical school selects applicants for admission who possess the intelligence, integrity, and personal and emotional characteristics necessary for them to become competent physicians.

L.C.M.E. Standard 10.5 Technical Standards
A medical school develops and publishes technical standards for the admission, retention, and graduation of applicants or medical students in accordance with legal requirements.

2.0 Purpose

The goal of the admissions, retention, and graduation policy is to establish admissions requirements for the selection of students to the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

3.0 Scope

The Saint Louis University School of Medicine (SLUSOM) utilizes a variety of strategies to consider and evaluate potential applicants to medical school for admissions, academic and professional progress, and graduation.

4.0 Definitions

Technical standards for the admission, retention, and graduation of applicants or medical students: This policy represents a statement by the medical school of the: 1) essential academic and non-academic abilities, attributes, and characteristics in the areas of intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; 2) observational skills; 3) physical abilities; 4) motor functioning; 5) emotional stability; 6) behavioral and social skills; and 7) ethics and professionalism that a medical school applicant or enrolled medical student must possess or be able to acquire, with or without reasonable accommodation, in order to be admitted to, be retained in, and graduate from that school’s medical educational program. (Element 10.5)

5.0 Protocol and Procedure

Academically successful students considered for matriculation are expected to possess:

1. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities

These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires all of these intellectual abilities and often must be performed quickly, especially in emergency situations. A student must be able to identify significant findings from history, physical examination and laboratory data, provide a reasoned explanation for likely diagnoses, prescribe appropriate medications and therapy and retain and recall information in an efficient and timely manner. The ability to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans is essential. Good judgment in patient assessment and in diagnostic and therapeutic planning is essential; a student must be able to identify and communicate their knowledge to others when appropriate.

2. Observational Skills

The student must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in those experiments in the basic and clinical sciences determined essential by the respective faculties. A student must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and at close hand, noting non-verbal as well as verbal signals. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and other sensory modalities.

3. Communication Abilities

A student must be able to speak intelligibly, to hear adequately, and to observe closely patients to elicit and transmit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive non-verbal communications. A student must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, and all members of the health care team. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading and writing. In addition, the student must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English with all members of the health care team. A student must possess reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements and provide clinical care for patients. The student must be capable of completing appropriate medical records and documents and plans according to protocol and in a complete and timely manner.

4. Motor Functioning Skills

Medical students are required to possess motor skills sufficient to elicit independently information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other manually-based diagnostic procedures. Students should be able to conduct laboratory tests (urinalysis, CBC, etc.), carry out diagnostic procedures (paracentesis, etc.), and provide basic medical care (clearing the airway, placing catheters, controlling bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, etc.) in the general care environment, and coordinate fine and gross muscular movements to treat patients in emergency situations. Emergency situations include any circumstance in which a patient requires immediate medical attention Medical students must be able to meet applicable safety standards for the environment, and to follow universal precaution procedures. 

5. Behavioral and Social Attributes

The student must possess the emotional health required for full use of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the prompt completion of all responsibilities for the diagnosis and care of patients. The student must exhibit the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients, colleagues, clinical and administrative staff, and all others with whom the student interacts in the professional or academic setting, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age or other attributes or affiliations that may differ from those of the student. The student must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively when stressed. The student must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. A student is expected to accept appropriate suggestions and criticism and, if necessary, respond by modification of behavior. A student is expected to self-regulate emotions and behaviors and to seek assistance when the ability to do so is compromised. Empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admission and educational processes.

6. Ethics and Professionalism

Students must interact with all individuals in a respectful and effective manner regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, or any other protected status. They must maintain ethical and moral behavior consistent with professional standards for interactions with students, faculty, staff, patients, and the public. They must understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of medicine and function within both the law and ethical standards of the medical profession. Professionalism, compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all qualities that are expected throughout the educational processes.

6.0 Responsibilities 

The Office of Admissions will confirm that the members of the Admissions Committee are apprised of the policy, and ensure that the criteria will be applied equitably during the screening, interview, and selection processes.

7.0 References

L.C.M.E. Standard 10.3: Policies Regarding Student Selection/Progress and Their Dissemination Applicants
L.C.M.E. Standard 10.4: Characteristics of Accepted Applicants
L.C.M.E. Standard 10.5: Technical Standards

Read About L.C.M.E. Functions and Structure of a Medical School

Learn About the Americans with Disabilities Act

Approval

The policy will be reviewed by the Admissions Executive Committee and approved by the Curriculum Committee. The Admission Executive Committee approved it on June 30, 2021, and the Curriculum Committee on July 28, 2021.

Download Technical Standards for Admissions, Retention and Graduation (PDF)

Is it easier to apply and enroll for September or January? 
The admission process is generally very similar in terms of selectivity for each semester. Selectivity does vary a bit by semester because transfer enrollment figures depend on how many openings there are at the University, which can fluctuate from one semester to the next. 

How many students apply for admission?
We generally have about 1,700 applicants for September and 400 for January. 

If I applied as a freshman and was not accepted, should I apply?
As in freshman admission, the transfer admission process is highly selective. Students most successful in their transfer process will be competitive out of high school and have strong college records. Although students are welcome to re-apply, please be aware of the selectivity of their process.

I'm an international applicant. Do I need to submit both the SAT and the English proficiency? Students whose first language is not English must have a current TOEFL IELTS, or DET score (within the last two years) and either the SAT or the ACT in order to apply. This applies to all international students, even those who attend schools where the primary language of instruction is English. The only way the TOEFL requirement will be waived is if the student scores 650 or above on the SAT EBRW or a 29 or above on the ACT English. If you attended a U.S. high school for at least three years and you are enrolled in a traditional university curriculum without ESOL coursework, an English proficiency exam is not required. If you feel further evidence of your English skills will enhance your application, you are still welcome to send those test scores.

Is it easier to be admitted to one major over another?
Students must apply to one of the four academic divisions at Boston College (The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, the Carroll School of Management, the Connell School of Nursing and the Lynch School of Education) and selectivity is very similar across the divisions, with the exception of the Carroll School of Management and the Connell School of Nursing. In recent years, few seats have been available in the Carroll School of Management, thus allowing us to enroll only a handful (5–10) of new sophomores and juniors. Please be advised that transferring into the Carroll School of Management once enrolled at Boston College is not allowed. The only way to enroll in the Carroll School of Management is to apply directly. 

Can I reactivate my application from a previous admission cycle?
No. If you wish to re-apply to Boston College, you must submit all new documents and a new application fee. 

If I apply as a transfer candidate and do not get in can I reapply in the future?
We recommend that a student wait one full year before reapplying, so that they have time to Strengthen their academic record in order to have the best chance of being admitted should they attempt to apply again. Please note: They do not hold or store past applications; therefore, students reapplying must submit all new documents and another application fee.