Getting Into Med School

How To Gain Admission to Medical School? 

Despite declining salaries, real and proposed cutbacks in residency positions, and decreased autonomy for physicians, near record numbers of applicants are vying for admission to medical school. It is up to the sociologists (and perhaps the psychiatrists among us) to determine why. Here are the facts: last year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, 41,004 people submitted 481,336 applications for 16,170 first year U.S. medical school positions. That represents a nearly 5 percent drop from 1997 and a nearly 13 percent drop from 1996, when applicants reached a recent peak. It still indicates, however, that there are more than  1/2 applicants for every first year position.
Getting into medical school, then, remains one of the most significant challenges in professional education. It is a process that some embark on at birth, others carefully map out during college, and still others wake up at age 40 hoping to complete. Many are motivated by a desire to ease the pain and suffering of others. Some are motivated by financial concerns, some are motivated by their parents, and others may wish for a calling more socially redeemable than the corporate ladder. Similarly, there are those for whom medical school admission is the ultimate personal (or familial) accomplishment, and others for whom the same goal is a cakewalk.

If you belong to the latter category, you are probably Phi Beta Kappa at Harvard, have published three papers in Science during college, have scored a perfect 45 on the MCAT, and have single handedly immunized all the children of the Indian subcontinent against cholera. If that's you, stop reading this, and go collect the dozens of acceptance letters waiting in your mailbox.
The rest of you should realize that, despite overwhelming odds, it is still possible to win the game. Chaos theory might offer something to those who really want to understand medical school admissions, but it is not unlike the situation at this country's elite universities: it is a crapshoot, but there are some rules and some ways to load the dice in your favor. For the most part, admission to medical school remains based on the triad (this is a word you will become used to hearing often to describe clinical phenomena; e.g., Virchow's triad) of GPA, MCAT scores, and research experience.

A fault in any of these three may keep you out of Harvard and Hopidns, but stellar performances in two out of three will grant you acceptance at one or more medical schools. There are schools that are breaking away from this formula a positive development, which should result in more humane doctors but for now, rely on the triad. A cautionary note: the following advice doesn't condone today's med school admissions criteria. It should, however, help you get in. At the same time, keep in mind that chaos theory might have something to offer anyone who wants to really understand medical school admissions.

GPA 

This one sounds obvious, but there are subtleties beyond studying hard or being naturally brilliant. The first choice is whether to choose a premed (or biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or other) major and excel in every course or to choose another area of interest that may not be as taxing and will allow you to perform at the top of your few premed classes. If you enjoy the hard sciences and can do well in them, the choice is obvious. If you want maximum time to study for those few premed classes, which consist of a year of biology, a year of inorganic chemistry, a year of organic chemistry, a year of physics, a year of math, and, usually, a year of English, then study what your heart desires.

Medical school admissions committees generally break the GPA into science and nonscience GPA; if both are good, it doesn't much matter that most of your classes were in the latter category, whereas if your major is science and you do badly in it, you will have no quality grades. There are no magic numbers, although many schools routinely disregard applicants whose GPAs are below a certain figure. If your science or overall GPA is below a 3.0, try to do something take a fifth year of college, a master's degree, or a postbaccalaureate course to raise it.

A third option chosen by an increasing number of students is to study whatever you want to in college and worry about premed classes later. Many universities now offer this postbaccalaureate program, which allows you to focus solely on premed classes but essentially extends college by a year or two. Graduates tend to do well in medical school admissions.

The MCAT 

This one is fairly straightforward. The average score of admitted students has been rising; it is now above 30 (out of 45 total) at most schools. The test is worth studying for, and the best way to prepare is to obtain as many old exam questions (many of them are out of print) as possible. Many schools and private testing companies also offers courses, which can be expensive and of questionable utility if you aren't provided with many, many practice questions. Since the only useful thing many courses offer is their pubUshed material, see if you can borrow these from a friend who has already taken the exam. It is definitely possible and even OK to take the exam more than once if you do not do well the first time. Again, there are no magic numbers, but the same basic rules apply as for GPA. For a score below 30, take the exam over if you think you can improve.

Research Experience 

The jury is out on whether or not this makes you a better doctor or even a better medical student. In either case, it makes you a better medical school applicant. The research doesn't have to be wet lab (i.e., basic science) or clinical or even clinical epidemiology; it might be on plant physiology or sociology. Most Ph.D.'s at your college or M.D.'s at your affiliated university welcome college student research assistants who are either working on their theses or just doing independent study. Many foundations, such as the Arthritis Foundation, Lupus Foundation, and Pediatric AIDS Foundation, offer stipends.

Such experiences offer a few advantages. You can become close with a faculty mentor who can write a great recommendation letter. You can learn something about a given field (although chances are the itsy-bitsy part of it you study won't be of much use in clinical medicine). You can publish papers and abstracts a huge advantage when applying. Finally, you will have something to talk about if your interviews go stale.

Candy Striping 

Many applicants opt to roam hospital corridors long before medical school as volunteers, performing more specific clinical tasks. Although it is not required, candy striping is a good idea for a few reasons. First, you will get a glimpse into whether or not you like medicine. Second, admissions committees like it, and you may have experiences that you can discuss in an interview. Best of all, you may actually do some good for some patients.

The Process 

Now that you have finished your premed requirements, taken the MCAT, and taken care of business in the lab, if that's your cup of tea, it is time to sit and prepare your applications. The first rule is to get everything in early. Most deadlines are rolling, but a safe bet is to have everything the application, letters of recommendation in by September 1, one year before you want to begin medical school. Do not procrastinate here. The process is fraught with too much stress to allow deadlines to create more. Get to know your premed adviser early, too.

Letters of Recommendation 

Again, start early. Most college advisers will only quote from or send good or glowing letters, so better to have extra time to ask for additional letters should one come in that is not so great. Request letters from faculty members with whom you have had the chance to get to know, whether or not they have given you A's. It is more important that you develop as a person in the letter. If you have done research, certainly request a letter from a research adviser. Also, if you have held an interesting job during or after college, request a letter from that person, too. Three letters is usually a minimum, and five is OK, but any more than that is not encouraged. As a result of real or perceived threats of lawsuits, nearly all letters end up saying positive things; it is the key words that matter. Try to look your letters over, if possible.

Where to Apply 

Generally, students apply to anywhere from a dozen to three dozen schools, although confident students apply to fewer, and nervous students (that's the majority here) apply to as many as forty or fifty. Since a scatter shot approach can become expensive, here are a few tips on narrowing your list. First, apply in your home state. If that means changing addresses for a home court advantage, so be it. Most state schools, and even some private ones that receive significant funding from their states, cut residents a break. Second, be realistic. Do you really have a shot at Hopkins, Harvard, or UCSF? Also, make sure you consider osteopathic schools, especially if a more primary care/humanist approach appeals to you. Many of their graduates end up in the same residency programs as allopathic graduates. Finally, keep in mind that you will be living wherever your med school is for at least four years, since many students stay in the same place or city for residency. Do you or you and your family really want to move to Kansas from New York? Can you aftbrd a private school, given your already overwhelming college debt? You will graduate a doctor from any of these schools.

The Essay 

For many applicants, this is the most painful of the hoops they are forced to jump through during this process. In a nutshell, be original, but not too original. Keep in mind how many thousands of essays admissions committee members must read. If possible, choose a topic you truly care about, whether or not it has to do with medicine. You will sound more genuine and human that way. Do not reiterate your resume, although creating interest in one or two key areas of your resume by mentioning particular experiences may help. Finally, have your resume read by someone whose editorial judgment you trust. Do not be ashamed to have several people critique your essay. If you are ashamed to show it to anyone, you should probably be ashamed to show it to an admissions committee.

How I Got Into Medical School


The Interview 

You have sent in the applications, run anxiously to the mailbox everyday, and been invited for several interviews. Some schools will offer to pay your travel expenses or put you up at a hotel for your interview. On the interview day, obviously, wear your best outfit. If schools let you know who will be interviewing you, find out their field of medicine or research. That may help you guess what types of questions they might ask. Be prepared to discuss your activities as well as your motivation for undertaking them. Why did you attend the college you did? Why medicine?

Overall, relax. Most schools interview about three to four times as many applicants as they accept, so your chances for acceptance are fairly good. The main purpose of the interview many say is to ensure that you have no obvious psychopathology (or that if you do, it is being properly treated). Your answers matter less than demonstrating that you have sound judgment and are a thoughtful person. Pretend your interviewer is wondering whether or not he or she would want this person caring for his or her grandmother. Finally, if the mood strikes you, write a thank you letter. Try to be brief when writing the letter, but try to remember something you discussed in the interview. It is a nice touch, even if it may not help get you in.

How to Get Into Harvard Medical School

With any luck, the end of this process will have you beaming with pride at medical school acceptance letters. If not, keep your chin up many who re apply are granted acceptance if their resumes, MCAT scores, and other credentials improve.

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