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How To MAXIMIZE Your Chances of Med-School Admission!
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MCAT & GPA
- MCAT and GPA reflect intelligence and ability to work hard - good doctor qualities
- A high MCAT or GPA doesn’t guarantee interview - you need to be a well rounded applicant
- Use LizzyM score to determine likelihood of getting accepted to med school based on academic criteria and ethnic background - use this to find out which med-schools are within range: https://www.studentdoctor.net/schools/lizzym-score
- Factors: MCAT, GPA → can generate a list of schools within 10% of your score.
- Half of being a good applicant is applying to a school that matches your values/interests/scores, otherwise you are throwing money away.
Here’s the goal: Your primary application should have 15 great experiences. Let’s work on giving you an idea of how to get that together.
Shadowing
- Med school admissions committee desires applicants who understand what being a doctor is really like. Those who know what having a career in medicine is all about.
- Why? Without background info and knowing what this is all about, it makes you more likely to drop out of med school which is the last thing med-schools need. Doing this shows med schools you’re coming in informed.
- Don’t do this just to ‘check a box’ that it’s done and you have it under your belt.
- Be passionate about it
- Do it because you enjoy it
- More of all of this will be necessary when applying for residency
- If you do it with passion and enthusiasm, you’ll be better at it and get better LORs
- When you’re filling out your application and talking about all the different activities and experiences you have, the paragraph explaining your involvement with each of these will be deeper and more meaningful
- When you’re in interviews, your answers will be more meaningful
- Most students fall under the trap of trying to get a lot of activities, but sacrifice quality
- A good goal: invest 75-100+ hours shadowing an array of doctors
- Keep in mind to shadow a few doctors for long enough to create a strong relationship - where they will happily write you a strong LOR
Interacting With Patients
- How much time have you spent interacting with patients?
- Med-schools are looking for humanistic qualities - when you show that you care for others, you’re getting bonus points
- Eg. Did you work as a Medical Translator, an EMT, Certified Nursing Assistant?
- You’re not trying to get this under your belt - make sure your experiences are meaningful that can generate a passion filled pitch during an interview
- Have minimum 1 - ideally 3-5
Leadership
- Med-schools want leaders - those who can mentor other med-students, those who will lead clubs, become research PI’s (Principal Investigators), etc…. Those who become future leaders in their fields
- Minimum hours recommended is 75+
- Focus on quality over quantity, but try to have more than 1
Extracurricular
- This is the category for all that you do that don’t fall into any other categories
- Your job can be added here as well as involvement in different clubs
- This section is valuable in that it shows adcoms that you are well versed and can do more than just study
- You can use this section to show your ability to be involved in teams - this is common to be mentioned during med school interviews
- Try to get a few extracurriculars in (minimum 1)
Volunteering
- What better way to show your humanistic side than to show you can care for people without being paid
- Your motivation for becoming a doctor is important for med-schools - you genuinely need to care about others
- Experiences can overlap - just make it clear in the descriptions
- When writing about these experiences, give special insight into why this relates to you being a good doctor
- A good goal is minimum 75+ hours of volunteering experience
Research
- You want to show ad coms that you understand research process, that you are likely to challenge boundaries in medicine in med school but also when you become a doctor
- Not all research is about sitting in the lab - it doesn’t have to be boring
- Research can be fun if you just find something that interests you
- Different schools place different levels of emphasis on research
- Schools with high prestige get lots of funding for research and value students who have lots of research experience
- Knowing what schools you want to go to will help you determine how much research experience to gather
- Regardless of school, try to have minimum 1 research experience that matters to you
Diversity
- Med schools need variety - different cultures, different backgrounds - they want a diverse body of students
- How are you unique? What experiences and activities make you unique?
- Having a variety of experiences and actives during your undergrad years is valuable in showing that you’re not ‘average’
- This could revolve around your skills and interests that are unique
- Think of who is the stereotypical premed - what can you emphasize to stand out?
Candidates need to find recommenders who know them well and can speak about their attributes of resilience, dependability, intellectual curiosity, and the like. - Carol Teener, U-M Medical School Admissions Director
Ask people who can speak to different parts of your application - community service, research, leadership. Each should write something different because each is looking at a different area. - Theodore Hall, Associate Dean for Admissions Director at UCLA (former?)
References
- https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/article/how-medical-schools-review-applications/
- https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/med-u/what-michigan-med-school-admissions-team-looks-for-on-applications-hint-more-than-grades-and
- https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/ask-the-experts/ask-experts-create-winning-application/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2012/02/06/top-3-reasons-medical-school-applications-are-rejected
- https://www.med.umn.edu/admissions/how-apply/selection-criteria/essential-and-desired-qualities
- http://www.medhopeful.com/archive/traits-medical-schools-are-lookin-for-in-applicants/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/articles/2017-06-29/med-school-recommendation-letters-that-helped-applicants
- http://medschool.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=1158&action=detail&ref=971
Key Takeaways & Action Steps
- 1School Selection: Apply to schools that align with your values, interests, and academic scores to maximize your chances of acceptance.
- 2Shadow doctors to gain a deep understanding of the medical profession. Do it passionately, not just to check a box. Build strong relationships with doctors for excellent letters of recommendation (LORs).
- 3Med schools value leadership qualities. Aim for a minimum of 75+ hours of leadership experience, focusing on quality over quantity.
- 4Highlight extracurricular activities to showcase your ability to work in teams and be well-rounded. Aim for at least one extracurricular involvement.
- 5Show your compassion by volunteering for at least 75+ hours. Emphasize the motivation behind your desire to become a doctor.
- 6Gain research experience to demonstrate your understanding of the research process and your potential to challenge boundaries in medicine. One meaningful research experience is recommended.
- 7Emphasize your unique qualities, experiences, and backgrounds to stand out as a candidate. Med schools value diversity in their student body.
Questions
Question 1
Why is it important to shadow doctors passionately, not just to check a box?
A. To increase your chances of getting paid for shadowing.
A is incorrect. Try again!
B. To build strong relationships with doctors for letters of recommendation.
B is correct! Passionate shadowing can lead to stronger relationships with doctors, resulting in better letters of recommendation.
C. To fulfill a med school requirement.
C is incorrect. Try again!
D. To accumulate a large number of shadowing hours.
D is incorrect. Try again!
Question 2
How many hours of volunteering experience are recommended for a competitive med school application?
A. 10+ hours
A is incorrect. Try again!
B. 25+ hours
A is incorrect. Try again!
C. 50+ hours
C is incorrect. Try again!
D. 75+ hours
D is correct! A minimum of 75+ hours of volunteering experience is recommended to demonstrate commitment and compassion.
Question 3
What is the focus when it comes to leadership experiences for med school applications?
A. Quantity of leadership roles.
A is incorrect. Try again!
B. Longevity in a single leadership role.
B is incorrect. Try again!
C. Quality of leadership roles.
C is correct! Med schools value quality over quantity when it comes to leadership experiences.
D. Leadership roles in unrelated fields.
D is incorrect. Try again!
Question 4
Why is diversity important in med school admissions?
A. To create a competitive environment.
A is incorrect. Try again!
B. To reduce the number of applicants.
B is incorrect. Try again!
C. To reflect a variety of cultures and backgrounds in the student body.
C is correct! Med schools seek diversity to ensure a broad representation of cultures and backgrounds among their students.
D. To increase the prestige of the school.
D is incorrect. Try again!