Turning the page to paperless.

The Challenge

At the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, the admissions process was once bogged down by the cumbersome review of paper applications. This slow and inefficient system had several key drawbacks:

• Paper-Based Applications: Admissions officers reviewed physical documents, including transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation (LORs), and supplemental applications.
• One-at-a-Time Reviews: Only one admissions member could evaluate an applicant’s file at any given moment.
• Pressure to Evaluate Quickly: Due to the sequential review process, members were under pressure to assess files swiftly to pass them along.
• Necessity for In-Person Meetings: Decision-making required collective in-person reviews after individual evaluations.
• High Operational Costs: The prolonged nature of this process resulted in increased costs related to operations and management.

The Solution

Introducing web-based admissions for the first time, the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry embraced a new era of digital application processes by adopting AMP. This significant move streamlined their entire admissions workflow, marking a transition that was both innovative and efficient. Key aspects of this transformation include:

• Complete Electronic Process: From application to notification of decisions, every step is now digital.
• Customization: AMP was tailored specifically to the school’s requirements.
• Seamless Integration: The system works effortlessly with both back-end student information and external admissions systems, such as AMCAS®.
• Endorsement by Admissions Director: Pat Samuelson highlighted AMP’s flexibility and compatibility as key to its selection, citing it as the “best product” for the school.

Baylor College of Medicine

ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Baylor College of Medicine (BCOM) educates healthcare providers and scientists in programs that are among the elite in the World. According to the U.S. News & World Report Rankings, Baylor is ranked the #1 Best Medical School in Texas and is in the Top 30 Best Medical Schools in the Nation based on Research and Primary Care Programs. BCOM is a global leader in biomedical education, innovative research and cure discovery.

THE PROBLEM: Inefficient processes across schools

Prior to using AMP, Baylor used paper applications which created an abundance of time-consuming work for them. Baylor’s screening process was the biggest struggle. The school receives over 6,000+ applications a year and are required to narrow that number down to approximately 185. Each application has to be reviewed before being invited to interview and each one is screened by a minimum of 2 screeners, with the possibility of a 3rd if needed. BCOM needed a system that was more automated so they could streamline their process and have a smooth admissions season. And this is just for the medical school! All the other schools within Baylor’s Health Sciences programs had a different, separate system and process for tracking admissions.

THE SOLUTION: AMP’s flexible configurable platform

Baylor College of Medicine chose AMP to achieve their goal of streamlining and expediting their application process across their Health Science programs. To start, AMP automatically integrates each applicant’s information directly from TMDSAS and AMCAS, a central application service for medical and dental schools. This saves the admissions department time that was previously spent shuffling through thousands of documents. From here, applicants can be moved to screeners either manually or automatically based on a preconfigured score or requirement. Finally, this approach can be utilized across several schools within their Health Sciences college to streamline and standardize their processes.

THE RESULT: A unified solution to assist many programs

Baylor’s admissions department can now move quickly through each step of their admissions process. By utilizing AMP, the admissions process moves quicker for the applicants as well because they are able keep track of their application status along the way. Having all the essential tools needed for an admissions season is a huge help to an admissions department during a stressful time. Finally, the standardization across multiple schools within the College will help streamline roll up reporting and data analytics for the whole College.