Get ready to read about Heather who will be starting med school in a few months. Heather blogs at

Accepted: Let’s start with some basics: Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Which med school do you attend and what year are you?

Heather: I grew up in Cincinnati, OH all of my life until I moved to Bloomington, IN for college. I graduated for Indiana University in May 2012 (Go Hoosiers!) and then I moved back to Cincinnati for a gap year working as a nursing assistant and reapplying to medical school (CNA).

I majored in Biology while picking up minors in Chemistry, Political Science, and Psychology. If I could go back I would’ve majored in a non-science field. I love the sciences but I was always interested in the humanities. I would have loved to major in History, Political Science, or Economics. I also wish I would have gotten Business certificate which is an area that many doctors aren’t too savvy about.

I will be attending Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-COM) in Indianapolis, IN this fall as an incoming first year and a member of their inaugural class! I couldn’t be happier or more excited for this opportunity.

Accepted: How many med schools did you apply to? Why did you choose your MU-COM?

Heather: I am a reapplicant so my most recent experience was very different from my first time applying. The first time I applied was between my junior and senior year of college and I applied to about twelve schools and I sent secondaries back to eight. I applied to very poorly selected schools – many schools that were a long shot for me. I sat on the wait list or was rejected from all 12 schools.

This year I applied to fourteen schools, most of which were osteopathic medical schools. When I applied to medical school the first time, I only had a vague idea of what osteopathic medicine was so I only applied to one DO school. After I did more research on osteopathic medicine, I realized the philosophy and training (including osteopathic manipulative medicine) was something that I felt strongly about and something wanted to learn more about.

The most important factors for me when deciding on a school were location, curriculum, and rotation quality. I was accepted to two schools literally days apart in November, one of which was MU-COM. After much research and debating, I decided upon MU-COM and withdrew all my other applications.

I knew I wanted to be somewhere in the Midwest, preferably in a big city. Indianapolis is the perfect mix of big city life with a hometown feel along with being a life sciences hub with premier hospital systems and opportunities for research. Since I’m only about two hours away from my hometown, I’ll have a great support network close by as well as many friends from college in the area. Looking down the road, I would love to do my residency and practice medicine in Indiana or elsewhere in the Midwest.

MU-COM’s curriculum is something that really stuck out to me as it is systems-based instead of subject-based. In college I took a physiology class that was structured very much like a systems-based medical school class. I learned and retained more information from this style of learning than in any of my other classes so I knew this would be a great way for me to learn. I like that all the information is integrated and will be used repeatedly – this will make studying for boards much easier down the road.

While I do not have first-hand accounts of what rotations will be like from other students, I do know that MU-COM has a great plan for rotations. They have already signed agreements with premier hospitals in Indiana and the community support is tremendous! Unlike many DO programs, the clinical sites are all in Indiana – so there’s no traveling across the country although away rotations are encouraged.

Accepted: What are you most looking forward to at MU-COM? Least looking forward to?

Heather: I am very excited to start at MU-COM and I am looking forward to a lot of aspects of school. I can’t wait to be in Indianapolis and to be a member of the inaugural class at Marian. There is the tremendous amount of excitement and support for the school from the community, local physicians, hospitals, and more. Indiana is in desperate need of another medical school (IU is the only other one) so there is a very welcoming atmosphere.

Meeting my fellow classmates and attending my white coat ceremony will be the highlight of my year!

The only negative is that attending a new school is a bit of a risk. There are no older medical students to share information with our class. Instead of receiving second year mentor, we receive a physician mentor at our white coat ceremony which may prove to be more valuable in the long run! We are the “guinea pigs” but you wouldn’t realize MU-COM is a first year school based on the strong community support, amazing faculty, and the innovative curriculum, among other things.

Accepted: Did you go straight from college to med school? Do you think that is the ideal situation?

Heather: I took a year off between college and medical school and I’m definitely glad I did! When I knew I needed to take a gap year, I focused on improving two areas of my application: my MCAT and my clinical experience. I ended up improving my MCAT from a 26Q to a 30T. I did more shadowing and I also decided to take a two week class to become a certified nursing assistant.

While working as a nurse assistant, I was able to interact with a variety of patients on a daily basis. Every day I learned something new because I spent more time with each patient than anyone else on the healthcare team.

Doing this type of work reinforced for me why I want to be a physician. I often felt helpless because I was very limited in what I was able to do for my patients. I know now more than ever that I want to be the head of the healthcare team. I want to make the final decisions with the patient and have the most control over helping the individual reach optimum health.

Taking a year off wasn’t all positive. I’m a year behind my friends that went to medical school this year (hopefully I can learn from their experiences!) and I moved back home which was a hard adjustment.

Overall taking a year off was the best decision for me and I highly recommend it if there are areas of your application that need work. Don’t waste your resources by applying before you are ready.

Accepted: Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?

Heather: In 10 years I will be fresh out of residency and just starting my career. Creating balance in my life is really important to me. I want to be a successful physician but I also want to be a wife and a mother. Right now my interests lie in OB/Gyn and Emergency Medicine which are two very demanding specialties and not necessarily very family friendly. I hope to join a well-established, supportive group practice that will allow me to make time for family and well as be an excellent physician for my patients. I think if you are doing your very best to care for all aspects of your patients lives and creating balance in your own life, everything else will fall into place!

As far as where I want to practice, I definitely want to stay somewhere in the Midwest. Working with underserved populations is very important to me as well as I am very interested in issues like poverty, rural medicine, and public health. I would love to work both in the city and in rural areas because these populations often have the same problems like access to affordable, quality healthcare which I think all people should have.

Accepted: Can you tell us a little about your blog? What sort of topics do you write about?

Heather: My blog is called Pretty Strong Medicine and I just started writing a little over a month ago so it’s still growing and evolving. I started my blog with the purpose of staying in touch with my family and friends while I’m away at medical school. I also wanted to have something to look back on down the road that documented my experiences in order to see how my views and preferences change over time.

Since I do not start medical school until August, I’m also using my blog to document my journey of getting healthier in all aspects of my life. I share my weight loss goals, clean eating recipes, workouts, inspiration, and more with a wonderful community of bloggers.

My blog is a great way to stay accountable to my goals and document my progress.

The blog is a creative outlet for me to develop my writing skills which suffered a lot since the only writing I did in college was for lab reports and analytical papers. In addition to medical school and getting healthy, I sprinkle in random things from my life – my weekend shenanigans, traveling, my life goals, medical articles, etc. In the future I plan on doing some vlogging, DIY, product reviews, and medical school advice. Really, I’m just a normal twenty-something girl who is about to embark on a new adventure!

Do you want to be featured in Accepted.com’s blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.







Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

What did your attending do today that struck you?

Last week, I mentioned keeping a diary during your rotations. But what exactly should you be keeping track of in your Diary? Here are three things you can watch for that will get you in great shape for later:

1. Watch your attendings. What did your attending do today that struck you? This can be anything, from observing how they reacted to a patient’s nonverbal cues or defused an upset family member’s anger to noting how they communicated relevant information to other health professionals. Describe the details so you can recall them later. If what you saw today differed from what you’ve seen in other rotations, think about whether it’s due to the specialty or just this individual’s style. And make critical judgments – did anything you saw about this physician or today’s tasks make you think about the kind of doctor you want to be?

2. Watch your patients. Observe how patients and their family members respond – do they ever surprise you? Which cases really piqued your interest? You may already be keeping a case log; if so, that will help supply the medical side when you want to write about specific patients. But your personal statement will be richer when seasoned with personal details that aren’t recorded in case logs.

3. Watch yourself. Since what you write is private, use this space courageously. What did you do well? What did you do not so well? What were the things that interested you and what bored you silly? Not only can this help you to critically evaluate your educational progress, but it can also give you some insights into your future. What is pushing you towards certain specialties and away from others? How are your actions today helping you to envision the kind of doctor that you hope to be?

Three things to watch for now, ensuring that you’ll have less clock-watching to do as deadlines approach.








By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

How many interesting details can you remember from your rotation six months ago?

What are you doing to prepare for the residency match? Chances are, you’re up to your eyeballs with rotations and exams and everything else that goes into finishing your medical degree. Chances are, you’re really not thinking much about your personal statement.

Not to sound like a Bowflex commercial, but what if I told you that spending just five minutes a night would take hours of stress and hassle out of the application process?

And what if I told you it would cost you nothing, other than those five minutes?

And what if I told you that this miraculous time-saving activity was the same thing that so many teenage girls do to keep track of their hopes and dreams – keeping a diary?

You’d say I was being silly, but it’s true. Look at it this way: You’re in the midst of a rotation. Every day you see new cases, learn new things, watch attendings do amazing things that you dream of doing someday. Right now, it’s all fresh in your mind. If someone asks “what did you learn today?” you’d be able to give them an answer without hesitating.

Will you remember these specific experiences in six months when you sit down to write your personal statement? How many interesting details can you remember from your rotation six months ago? How many attendings impressed you back then, and can you remember exactly what they did?

Time and again, when I begin working with a residency applicant, I watch them struggle to recall the insights they’ve gleaned over the past few months. More often than not, they end up scratching their heads and agonizing over their faulty memories until they can dredge up a compelling example or two.

So if I can give you one valuable piece of advice now, at this stage in your education, it’s to keep a diary. Or a journal, or a log, or whatever you’d like to call it. Each day, spend five minutes jotting down (or dictating to your smartphone or computer) the momentous events of that day. That’s all you need, just five minutes. Then when it comes time to write your personal statement, you’ll have a wealth of material to explore and will feel much better prepared to tackle this important part of your application.








By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

Express yourself like a real person.

It’s summertime, and here that means barbecues on the deck – grilling meat, specifically, if you’re one of a certain group of friends who invited me over for a recent Stanley Cup game. Gracious as my hosts were, I felt a bit daunted by the huge piece of steak that filled my plate, accompanied by a small scoop of potato salad grabbed at the grocery store as an afterthought. Unlike my friends, I don’t think ketchup is a side dish.

Your AMCAS application is a bit like a plate at a barbecue. A lot of attention is given to the “meat” of your application – the personal statement–but it’s what you write about in the activities section that adds flavor and variety to your profile. Here’s a recipe for delicious post-secondary descriptions:

1. Use these descriptions to connect with the admissions committee. You started this process in your personal statement by showing a side of yourself beyond the CV. Do that here as well. Avoid the bland job-descriptions-in-bullet-points approach – for one thing, bullet point formats are lost in the application’s text box, and you’ll end up with a jumbled block of partial sentences. For another, you can use this as another way to humanize yourself, and the best way to do that is to express yourself like a real person. Treat these like mini-essays that fill in empty spots on your plate.

2. Select your experiences wisely. You might have more than 15 impressive activities, and you almost surely have more than three meaningful experiences. Include those that required your most active participation. Demonstrations of leadership, teamwork, and clinical exposure are always important. And avoid reusing activities you have written about in your personal statement as your meaningful experiences. Reveal the breadth of your experience.

3. Introduce the organization. If you worked for a well-known group like the Red Cross, this can be very brief. Otherwise, succinctly share the purpose of the organization. For instance, “Friends for Life is a national mentoring organization for disadvantaged youth; our campus branch tutored 4th and 5th graders in the Boston area.” If your experience is in a lab, explain in layman’s terms the research goal.

4. Describe your responsibilities. This is the heart of your experience, so be specific about what you did – and the impact you had. This might be your role as a team member in a lab: “I used PCRs, Western blots, SDS-gels, plasmid DNA and total RNA purification methods in experiments to express and purify genes for use in hemorrhagic shock experiments; my analysis was used in experiments intended to improve organ preservation.” Or it might be your leadership of a student group: “I recruited a 12-member working group that investigated safety concerns; our report to college officials resulted in increased patrols and dorm escorts that reduced on-campus crime by 20%.” Whatever it is, go beyond the superficial job description and use this space to identify your strengths and accomplishments.

5. Identify how this experience will help you as a physician. Don’t ask the Admissions Committee to connect the dots for you. Whether improving your retention through teaching MCAT courses, communicating with a diverse group of people as a food bank volunteer, or learning the art of compromise as you negotiated with university administrators, your last sentence should make the connection between that experience and your medical studies and/or career.

6. Tell us why you chose your meaningful activities. Your three meaningful activities should expand on these points above, but they also need to tell us why each one matters to you. This is a chance to reveal your goals, values and personal qualities in a way that the shorter descriptions of your responsibilities don’t allow. Through these three activities, we’ll see how you put your beliefs into action, so don’t be afraid to get personal here. It’s great to hear that you made a strong impact on a person or a community, but also tell us be sure to tell us why making that kind of impact is important to you. And of course, emphasize again how this is going to make you a better physician.

Clocking in at 700 characters each, with an additional 1325 characters for your three meaningful ones, it may be a challenge to make your activities seem as hearty as the main course. But with some skillful organization and creativity, these tasty sides will add a lot to your meal.

Need help adding spice to your activities section or your AMCAS essay? Contact Accepted.com and one of our experienced editors will help you prepare a delicious AMCAS application.







 By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

“Never get discouraged; you’ve already made it this far.”

Get ready to read about Dr. Mareková, a med school intern who blogs about life and medicine at Dr. Mareková. Thanks Doc for sharing your med school experience with us!

Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad?

Dr. Mareková: First of all, I am from Czech Republic. Born and raised in a multi cultural and multi ethnic family and home schooled part of my life. I’ve been living in Canada for years, because my parents were born here from immigrant parents and their decision to come back here was to give us a better education that has a better value world view.

Helping others is a big part – or at least I’m trying to make it a big part – of my life ever since I was younger but I never knew what to really do. So when I came around to college I signed up in natural sciences and arts just to get by and sign up for university 2 years later. When the time came, I applied to every university that had a medical faculty in Québec (I’ve always done my education in French so I picked a university that was French). Choosing the right university was hard after being accepted to all of them and I went with the best offers and the best ranked one.

Where I got my education, we don’t have undergrad school and then med school. We have high school until 17 then college until 19 (college here is general in a field a little more specific but nothing like premed and such). And then, you can go to university and the program can be completed in 2 years (all year long) to 5 years (smaller semesters and only 2 semesters for classes) and then another 2 years are in the field before the one year intensive internship. So it’s a 4 to 7 year process once you get there depending on your motivation.

Accepted: What stage are you up to in med school?

Dr. Mareková: Well, I finished med school…technically. I have been an intern since November 2012.

Accepted: How many med schools did you apply to? How did you select your current program?

Dr. Mareková: I applied to 4 med schools. And picked the one where I had the best of everything. The staff and the facilities are amazing and we have 4 different hospitals with so many specialties to pick from. Ever since I was younger, it was my dream university so that kind of helped too.

Accepted: What is your favorite thing about med school? Least favorite?

Dr. Mareková: My favorite thing about med school are the labs. Getting to touch and see all sorts of things, I just love it. I wouldn’t say I have a least favorite thing about it.



Accepted: What is your biggest challenge? How would you advice incoming students so that they have an easier time adjusting to or overcoming that challenge?

Dr. Mareková: The biggest challenge is to adjust yourself. Get used to everything really fast. All I can say is never give up. Never get discouraged; you’ve already made it this far.

Accepted: Do you know yet what you plan on specializing in?

Dr. Mareková: I know I want to specialize in surgery but I am still unsure about which kind. General surgery is amazing because you get to touch a little of everything but neurology amazes me.



Accepted: Can you share some med school admissions tips with our applicant readers?

Dr. Mareková: The best tip I can give to anyone applying or passing exams for med school admission is to just be yourself. Don’t over dress but don’t be too casual; just be comfortable. Being calm is the key to the interviews.

Do you want to be featured in Accepted.com’s blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Due to technical issues on the AMCAS site, the opening for 2014 AMCAS application submissions will be delayed until Monday, June 10th at 9:30 AM Eastern Time.

The initial transfer of AMCAS applications to med schools is scheduled for Friday, June 28th.







Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

SoFi Extends Refinancing Options to Doctors

According to a recent SoFi/PRWeb press release, doctors who have graduated from med school (one of 85 approved programs) and completed residency will now be eligible to refinance their educational debt through SoFi. According to an AAMC report, 86% of 2012 med school graduates have student loans – the median debt is $170,000.

SoFi’s refinance fixed interest rate for doctors will be 5.74% APR (on a 5-year term) or 5.49% APR if doctors agree to an automatic monthly payment on the principal and interest. (Just to compare to other refinancing companies, Stafford loans have interest rates of 6.8^ and Grad PLUS loans at 7.9% interest.)

On the new doctor refinancing option, Mike Cagney, CEO of SoFi, says: “SoFi cannot succeed in transforming student loans without addressing the critical debt burdens experienced by those who ensure the health of our community. We are excited to offer loan products that provide more flexible options and meaningful savings.”

Another benefit of refinancing with SoFi is subsequent involvement in the SoFi community. Cagney explains: “We help our borrowers realize their goals beyond paying off student debt. Whether seeking employment opportunities, career advice, access to industry luminaries, or simply a like-minded network, our borrowers have many reasons for choosing SoFi.”

See the PRWeb press release, SoFi Tackles Medical School Debt with Refinancing Options for Doctors, for more details, or head to the SoFi site.







Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Letters of rec can make or break your review.

For the last part of our med school blog series, A Second Chance at Medical School, we’ll discuss what YOU can do to ensure the BEST letters of recommendation. Thanks for joining us for this postbac series — be in touch if you have any questions!

Your letters of recommendation strongly influence the admissions committee that reviews your application. They can make or break your review. Given their importance, it may feel like you do not have much control over them. However, how you request them and whom you request them from actually determines the type of letters you will receive. The following guidelines can ensure that you will get the best letters to support the success of your application.

• Timeline

Set up a timeline for yourself that includes the deadlines for your application materials. Request your letters of recommendation as early as you can. Most professors are not easily accessible during the summer months or towards the end of each semester or quarter. The earlier in the term you can secure your letters, the better.

• Choose Letter Writers Carefully

Only request letters from professors in whose classes you earned A’s or mentors with whom you established a strong rapport. By making a list and thinking carefully about who knows you best and is therefore in a better position to write about you knowledgeably, you’ll be ensuring that you receive strong letters. If you only have a couple of names on your list, start going to office hours and networking to find a suitable mentor.

• Request the Letter In-Person

It is always best to request letters of recommendation in-person. This way you can demonstrate by your actions how important the opportunity is to you. When you request the letter, it’s best to look the person in the eyes and ask, “Would you be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation to support my postbac application?” Based on the person’s response, you can provide them with the materials they need.

• Letter Packet

Prepare a packet for each letter writer that includes a copy of your personal statement, resume or CV, and any other information they might need to write you a strong letter. Some students even include an addressed pre-paid envelope so that the letter writer can mail their letter easily and without any additional cost besides their time.

Using these guidelines can help you to formulate a successful strategy in gathering the types of letters that will lead to your acceptance. Be confident and focus on each small goal you set for yourself in your strategy. Even the most intimidating professors were students once who also had to request letters from their mentors.

Oh, and don’t forgot to send thank you notes to your recommenders!






 Alicia Nimonkar is an Accepted.com advisor and editor specializing in healthcare admissions. Prior to joining Accepted, Alicia worked for five years as Student Advisor at UC Davis’ postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and related programs.

This report is perfect if you are considering reapplying (whether you are certain that you want to reapply or if you aren’t quite sure yet), and will guide you through the reapplication process, from assessing your profile to reviewing your previous application to improving each and every component of the med school application.

Here’s an excerpt from the repot on improving your MCAT score:

Your goals in preparing for the MCAT should be to:

1. Understand why you got each wrong answer. If you understand the material, you may be having issues with the format of the question, and this is something you need to straighten out before test day.

2. Be able to choose right answers even when you don’t know the material. It’s unlikely that you can answer every question, but a keen test taker can read clues in the question that help narrow down the possible answers.

3. Finish every question in your timed practice tests with at least five minutes to spare.

Download the full report for FREE right now! Click here: Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success








Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Improve your application AND save! Now that’s reason to celebrate!

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Through Friday, May 31, 2013, you can save 10% on any medical school service by entering promo code MD10 at checkout.

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We’ll help you create polished, compelling AMCAS essays to secure your spot in the top medical program of your choice – use MD10 at checkout to save 10% on your chosen medical school service today.

We look forward to working with you!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

One of the most common mistakes that students make in writing personal statements is that they write about other people or events and not about themselves. Often it can be challenging to write about ourselves—especially in an application process—in which we know that we will be judged or evaluated as an applicant in competition with others. Below I have listed a few steps that can help you excel in this challenging rhetorical position.

• Recognize that you are a unique individual and that there is no one else in the world like you. You’re an original!

• Congratulate yourself for arriving at this point in your life—you are on your way to medical school.

• Decide what unique qualities or talents you have that you would like a selection committee to know about you.

• Be sure to introduce yourself in the first paragraph of your essay. Be present!

• Include examples of the ways you have actively helped or interacted with others to improve their health outcomes. Show, don’t tell!

• Highlight your talents and skills throughout the essay.

• Check to see that, after reading the essay, you are pleased with how well the essay represents you and reveals your individuality and values.

It can be intimidating to write about yourself. By using these tips, you can ensure that you represent yourself well throughout your essay and that you remain front and center. If your aunt or grandma wants to apply to medical school, let them write their own essay! Take your time and have others provide feedback as you write your essay.

Even the strongest writers struggle when faced with writing about themselves. But take heart! Tell your story as only you can tell it.








 Alicia Nimonkar is an Accepted.com advisor and editor specializing in healthcare admissions. Prior to joining Accepted, Alicia worked for five years as Student Advisor at UC Davis’ postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and related programs.

Check out our new and updated ebook, Write Your Way to Medical School, for insightful tips on how to construct the perfect med school application – from writing your AMCAS essay to choosing experiences to creating secondaries to securing winning letters of recommendation…and everything in between!

The ebook is written by Linda Abraham, Accepted’s CEO and founder, and Cydney Foote, Senior Editor at Accepted – i.e. these are people who know what they’re talking about!

Buy Write Your Way to Medical School now!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Victor Cheng, is now a strategic adviser and consultant to owners of mid-size business with $1M – $25M in sales and a speaker and expert on business issues. That’s his day job.

When he’s not working at his day job, he advises applicants to McKinsey & Company and other elite strategy consulting firms how to join those firms. And it’s in this capacity that Linda invited him to Admissions Straight Talk. Listen to the full recording to hear Victor’s insider advice and insights.

00:02:01 – Why is a podcast about admissions worrying about post-graduation careers?

00:02:30 – Meet Victor Cheng, Author of Case Interview Secrets, and former McKinsey consultant, resume screener, and interviewer.

00:03:33 – Caseinterview.com beta: Victor’s senior year of college. What a story!

00:06:06 – Linda shares a bit of her own story. ☺

00:07:04 –3 changes in how McKinsey selects candidates.

00:09:56 – If you don’t like case interviews, you probably won’t like consulting. Really.

00:12:55 – The qualities and/or skills that make for a good consultant. (What qualifies you at age 25 to advise a Fortune500 CEO at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars a year!?)

00:16:56 – IQ and EQ. Equal factors?

00:18:47 – Victor’s advice for liberal arts graduates who’d like to break into management consulting. Poets, this discussion is for you.

00:21:32 – The best of the best: Consulting firms are less focused on an applicant’s academic preparation and more concerned about a mindset and “mental horsepower.”

00:23:20 – What is the difference between the skill sets that the top consulting firms are looking for. Or is there a difference?

00:24:22 – How to project confidence without arrogance, and other great advice on self-confidence in a case interview.

00:29:46 – Check out Case Interview Secrets. Learn what to do and why to do it.

 Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes to keep up with the latest in admissions news and trends! You know you want to give us a 5-star rating!

Stitcher fans, we’ve got good news! Admissions Straight Talk is now available on Stitcher! Check it our here. 

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Show Note Links:

• MBA In Sight: Focus on Management Consulting, Accepted’s free guide to b-schools for management consultant wannabes.
• Recent articles related to management consulting
• Case Interview Secrets by Victor Cheng
• Case Interview.com

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk:

• Admissions Straight Talk on iTunes
• Admissions Straight Talk on Stitcher

Coming next: A conversation with the director of the Entrepreneurship Initiative at Georgetown University

In the final section of our

One last factor that can seriously hurt your chances is a lack of substantive, ongoing experiences.

Medical schools want students who are passionate and committed – to the world around them as well as to medicine. The AAMC says,

“Most volunteer experiences are valuable and will provide you with well-rounded experiences. Just make sure you have at least one solid health care-related experience, in addition to your non-medical volunteer work, so that your experiences speak to your commitment to medicine.”

It’s hard to convince an admissions committee that you want to pursue a medical career if you haven’t spent time in a clinical environment. Shadowing can give you a peek into that world, and it is a wonderful way to learn about the different specialties. But to demonstrate the kind of ongoing, substantive involvement that will make an impact, you’ll need to go further.

If you’ve identified your clinical exposure as a problem area, the American Medical Student Association’s Pre-medical Access to Clinical Experience (PACE) guide is a valuable starting point.

• Volunteer at your local hospital or free clinic. Some positions won’t offer much patient contact, but some involve providing patients with pre-exam instructions, entertaining sick children, and escorting patients to various areas. Areas like Surgical Recovery Units and Emergency Departments often allow chances for patient interaction. See what’s on offer.
• Work as a Certified Nursing Assistant with a nursing home or home care program. Training takes 6-12 weeks, after which you can help in patient support roles.
• Train and work as an Emergency Medical Technician on campus or in your community.
• Join the staff at a summer camp for children with disabilities or chronic illness. Listings like Summer Camp Staff can put you in touch.
• Intern or volunteer with your county health department. Many opportunities will put you in touch with physicians and public health experts, as well as affected populations.
• See if your hospital offers a Hospital Elder Life Program. They’re often seeking volunteers to work with their elderly patients, as are hospices and nursing homes.
• Find overseas opportunities. Programs like Gap Medics can help organize placements. Before seeking an overseas position, however, take a look at the AAMC’s guidelines.

Gaining substantive, ongoing clinical experience can be challenging, since anything significant requires a medical license. And like improving your GPA, this isn’t something that you can fix quickly. Hopefully any volunteer activities begun before your last application are ongoing – in that case, you’re in good shape to reapply with a stronger application. But it’s important not to rush this step – reapplying before you’ve had time to develop solid experiences in this area could lead you right back to the start.

As you prepare for your reapplication, try to stay optimistic. What you’ve been through hasn’t been easy, but it should have been a learning experience. Now wiser and more qualified, you stand a much better chance at getting into medical school.

Thanks for joining us on our adventure through the med school reapplication process. Please be in touch if you have any questions — we’re here to help YOU get Accepted!







 By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

Wanna know what I did instead of walking at graduation to receive my Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Physiology this past Saturday? I did what any other red blooded American with cowboy boots would do: I shot my rifle, and an armory of other guns with some of my best friends, and then went to a horse show and had beers with some more friends. I’ve learned a thing or two about enjoying life in the process of getting to medical school, and I’d like to share them with you.

1. Meet people. College is the time when your pre-frontal cortex is in its most shapable stage, and the work you put into fostering that growth with great relationships is what will carry you onto the next stage of life. Instead of being the gunner that studies relentlessly and won’t share notes, go ask the cute girl or guy in your Gen Bio class out for coffee, because it’s the camaraderie and relationships you build that will carry you through the next 4 years, and make you leave college with no regrets.

2. Be atypical. If you want to go to medical school, please for the love of God, do something interesting with your life before you apply to medical school, and don’t be the idiot that goes around telling everyone “I’m Pre-Med, and I’m going to be a surgeon.” You’ll look foolish, I promise. Take a year off, and go travel. No one cares if you have a 4.0 and nail your MCAT, they care if you have life experience and are an interesting person to be around who has seen and experienced the world.

3. Find a mentor. Build relationships with your professors. They are people too, and have a profound amount of wisdom they can pass on to you. Not only will this relationship help you grow as a young scientist, but these are the people that will ensure you win awards, and ultimately become a scientist both in lab and on paper.

4. All nighters are futile. All nighters are a really great way for you to get worse grades. Turns out that years of neurophysiology research have proven that repetition of information and sleep are the 2 major ways that memories are transferred from short-term to long-term.

5. Manage your time. Treating school like a job will make sure you schedule your study time well, which leaves plenty of time for play, and will help you keep your sanity and grades up. College is a once in a lifetime chance, and I’d hate to be looking back on it when I’m 60, saying “I wish I would have…”

I wish you the best of luck, and don’t give up – you’ve chosen one of the hardest majors to tackle.

Best,

Joshua

Doctors Wages Up!

A Medscape.com article talks about the increase in physician compensation over the last year following a decline in pay during the previous several years. The numbers, which the article goes on to detail, are based on Medscape’s 2013 Physician Compensation Report which also talks about an increase in frustration associated with medical practice. So while things may be getting complicated (insurance issues, the escape from private practice, patient-doctor time problems – see the article for more), at least doctors are receiving increases in compensation – there’s definitely a silver lining here!

Here are additional highlights from the report:

• Orthopedic surgeons have the highest income, earning about $405,000 (mean). Orthopedists reported a 27% increase in income from the previous year.
• Cardiologists come in second with a mean income of $357,000, followed by radiologists who make $349,000.
• Specialties with the smallest paychecks include pediatricians (at $173,000), family doctors ($175,000), endocrinologists/diabetes physicians ($178,000), and internists ($185,000). The lowest earning specialty is HIV/infectious diseases with a mean income of $170,000. (Last year, pediatricians made the least.)
• Two out of the 25 specialties that saw decreases in their income over the past year – endocrinologists by 3% and oncologists by 4%.
• Gender pay gap update: Last year male physicians earned 40% more than their female colleagues; this year the gap has narrowed to 30%. In primary care, the pay gap narrowed from 23% to 17%.

The Medscape article offers loads more data from the recent report, so head over there for more details.







Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

These tips can help you formulate the best strategy in applying to a postbac program. For over five years, I managed the postbac program application process for UC Davis School of Medicine. In this position, I reviewed thousands of applications. I have created the following tips to help you avoid the most common mistakes that applicants make in their application.

1. Do Your Homework

Before applying to a program, be sure that you fit all the basic requirements for the program. These are often listed on the program website. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending hours on an application, only to find out later that you are not eligible for the program based on a technicality.

2. Attend Informational Workshops

At these events, the program faculty or staff will provide presentations on their program. They can provide inside information that is not available on the website. Sometimes, students in the program host a panel—answering any questions that prospective applicants might have. This is a valuable source of information and an opportunity to network.

3. Request Letters of Recommendation Early

It can take a while for your letter writers to submit their recommendations. Be sure that you give them enough time to write you a great letter! Request your letters early. The most common reason that students applications are not given serious consideration is because they are missing letters of recommendation to support their application.

4. Submit Required Materials by the Deadlines

To be successful in any type of application process, it’s critical that you meet all deadlines for required materials. If there is any confusion about a deadline, contact the program staff and double-check the dates. Give yourself enough time. Meet those deadlines.

5. Complete All Sections of the Application

If there is any confusion whether a section of the application may be optional, be sure to ask for clarification. Even better, check the word or character limits on all essay sections and use the maximum amount of space available. This demonstrates your interest in the program.

This advice can ensure that you are successful in matriculating into a postbac program. If you have any questions, you can always contact the program staff. Often, this is a great opportunity to get to know the people who will be working with you during the program.

Alicia Nimonkar is an Accepted.com advisor and editor specializing in healthcare admissions. Prior to joining Accepted, Alicia worked for five years as Student Advisor at UC Davis’ postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and related programs.

So all you Stitcher people: run, don’t walk, to your nearest iPhone, Androiod, iPad, or PC and join Linda for a bi-weekly discussion of what’s new, thought-provoking, and useful in the world of graduate admissions.

If you keep your eyes on the prize, then in all likelihood you’ll be wearing a white coat someday.

In our last Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success segment, we talked about how to best present yourself in your secondaries and interviews. Today we’ll move forward and discuss ways to boost your GPA, another important feature of your med school application profile.

Feeling a bit fragile after these first two sections? That’s to be expected – you’ve just gone undergone a pretty brutal review of your life. But the admissions committee is scrutinizing submissions with the same critical eye. Anticipating the problems so you can correct them is critical for success in your next attempt. And to start out, let’s look at how you can “fix” a poor GPA.

A low GPA is probably the hardest area to improve. This makes sense – it was years in the making, and can’t be undone without time. It can take about a year in advanced level science courses to bump a high 2.x GPA over 3.0. The lower your GPA, and the more classes you’ve taken, the longer it will take to reflect improvements in your academic record.

Fortunately, whether your GPA is just a bit off the mark or well below the competitive level, there are steps you can take.

Apply to an international medical school. Pursuing a medical degree abroad might be a viable option for you. The required GPA is often lower than the U.S. average and in some programs, the MCAT is not required. Courses are often taught by U.S. academic physicians with clinical rotations in the U.S. But if you do decide to attend an international medical school, realize that you will have to contend with many different challenges – from language barriers to culture shock – that could affect your studies.

Probably the biggest challenge for international medical graduates is securing a residency program after completing medical school. Only 54% of IMGs match to PGY1 programs, although the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates reports a consistent increase in this number over the past decade. I’ve worked with many successful IMGs over this same time period. What sets them apart is that they make up for any lack in their initial qualifications by working harder than the average medical student. They’re heavily involved in university activities, community healthcare initiatives, and international competitions. And significantly, they’re the ones who can express the advantages of their non-US medical education, including resourcefulness and the deep grounding in diagnoses that comes from doing without modern diagnostic equipment.

If you’re interested in an international program, do your research. Some Caribbean programs such as Ross University, St. George’s University, and the American University of the Caribbean have consistently high placement rates. Israeli programs like Sackler and Ben-Gurion have partnerships with American programs; likewise, the University of Queensland has an attractive option for U.S. students. And Ireland’s Atlantic Bridge program, although quite competitive, is flexible in its approach to the GPAs of qualified American and Canadian students.

Apply to a DO program. If your application is competitive but you just didn’t make the cut, you might consider an osteopathic medical program. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) focus on integrating the whole person into the healthcare process, which makes them especially strong in family practice, general internal medicine, and pediatrics. They are fully licensed physicians; they train in the same residency programs, take the same national board exams, and sit for the identical USMLE exams that the MD students do. Your chance of securing a residency might be less – in the most recent residency match, 75% of DOs matched compared to 94% of MDs – but the steady rise in DO matches suggests that any stigma against osteopathic physicians is changing.

The good news for borderline candidates is that DO schools have lower GPAs and MCAT requirements: The mean GPA in 2012 was 3.42 while the mean MCAT score was 26 (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine). There are a number of programs worth exploring: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial (Harrogate, TN), Nova Southeastern (Ft. Lauderdale), Touro (Vallejo, CA, Lake Erie (Erie, PA) and Western University (Pomona) all have strong programs that are less competitive. West Virginia, for instance, had the lowest reported average GPA (3.4) of all medical schools and an average MCAT score of 25. However, 55% of their graduates matched at their top residency program.

If you care more about being a doctor than the letters after your name, the DO route is definitely something to think about. However, getting into one of these programs is still going to require a strong GPA. So what can you do if your grades are lower?

Boost your GPA with post-baccalaureate classes. This is a popular route, especially for applicants who did well on the MCAT but need some help with their GPA. Retaking science classes can show you’ve mastered the material, but a better strategy is to take advanced classes and do well. If you have any doubt about your ability to get an A, then this is probably not the best path for you.

The quality of the institution offering the courses is important – community college won’t cut it. The best option is to see if your own alma mater will allow you to take additional courses; often this can be done at a reduced cost. If this doesn’t work out, Syracuse University has a very useful list of programs that offer post-bac courses in the sciences.

Improve your GPA with a science-based master’s program. This is another preferred route for would-be reapplicants, because it provides opportunities for more independent, self-directed research and demonstrates scientific acumen. It can be especially useful if you don’t have a research background already. Keep in mind though that you need to excel in your coursework and that you will have to finish the entire program; making below-average grades or dropping out before the program ends will do you more harm than good when you reapply to med school.

Master’s programs aren’t right for everybody – you might not want to commit to a multi-year program, or you might not be confident about your academic performance. Or you might not have the minimum GPA required for admittance in the first place. In that case:

Prove your potential in a special master’s program (SMPs). These programs, usually a year long, are often associated with a medical school. Students are immersed in a rigorous science-based curriculum almost identical to what they will face in medical school; often, they are even taking classes or being graded alongside first year med students. Success in these courses can show the admissions committee that you’re ready for medical training, which means that once you’re accepted into a SMP, the odds are very good you’ll eventually get into medical school.

Several programs cater to the lower end of the GPA/MCAT spectrum:

• East Virginia Medical School M.S. in Biomedical Sciences: In the past five years, 90% of students have been accepted to med school after completion of EVMS’ program. The program runs for two semesters; the majority of courses are taught by faculty in the medical school. They require at least a 2.75 GPA and a 27 on your MCAT. They recommend applying by April, but applications are accepted through May.

• The Virginia Commonwealth University: Pre-Medical Basic Health Certificate Program: Graduates completing the program with a 3.5 GPA/28 MCAT are guaranteed an interview at VCU School of Medicine. They require a 3.0 GPA and 25 MCAT for admission, and applications are accepted until July 1st.

• Drexel’s Medical Science Program (MSP): The year-long MSP offers graduate-level biological science coursework, formal MCAT preparation, community outreach, and undergraduate review courses in chemistry, physics, and organic chemistry. A 3.0 GPA and either a 17 on the MCAT or 70th percentile on the GRE is required for entry to the program. Success in the program guarantees admission to Drexel’s Masters of Biological Science or the IMS course.

• Drexel’s Interdepartmental Medical Science (IMS) Program: Students spend 18 months in first-year medical school classes. Successful completion of their coursework enables them to continue on for another year to earn the MS of Medical Science. They are also guaranteed an interview at the Drexel School of Medicine. Applications are accepted year-round; a 3.0 GPA and an MCAT score of 27 or better is required.

Because SMPs have a reputation as a more certain path to medical school, they can be quite competitive. If you are still determined to be a physician but don’t have the GPA to get into a program, there’s one more route available.

GPA bump followed by an SMP. This method is a bit circuitous, but it does work. First, you need to get your GPA up – a year of good grades in upper-level science courses might be enough to get you up to a 3.0. At that point, you can apply to an SMP with strong links to a medical school. This will take you a minimum two years, which might not seem appealing at this point. However, look upon it as a way to build your confidence and shore up the science and study skills that will enable you to excel in medical school.

Boosting your GPA is likely to test your resolve to be a doctor. The next year(s) won’t be quick or easy, and you may question whether the effort is even worth it. You might find it’s not, and that is fine – there are many other worthwhile careers you can pursue. But if you keep your eyes on the prize, then in all likelihood you’ll be wearing a white coat someday.

Next, we’ll look at some of the other concrete steps you can take to improve your profile – and your chances of succeeding in medical school. Still have questions? Contact Accepted.com to see how our admissions.







 By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

Never post any comments or pictures that you wouldn’t want everyone in the world to see.

When Kaplan Test Prep released the results of its survey of business school admissions officers, revealing that 32% of business school admissions officers performed internet searches on applicants, 27% visited an applicant’s social media (Facebook, Myspace, etc.) page, and 10% had found something online that negatively impacted an applicant’s admission chances, applicants around the world collectively shuddered. Not only do we have to consider every comma and turn of phrase in the applications themselves, now we have to worry about what we may have posted online in the past as well?! YES! Here are a few tips to consider when using Facebook given these stark statistics.

1. Make sure that your Facebook profile is for Friends only (and not open to Friends of Friends or Everyone), and also remember to check that you’ve selected this option for every picture that you post.

2. As a general rule, never post any comments or pictures that you wouldn’t want everyone in the world to see. That way no one of your closest 1300 friends who is offended by your post can simply take a screenshot of it for global dissemination. Think very hard before using Facebook as a forum to comment on a political matter, your satisfaction with your job, your affinity for a particular teacher or supervisor, etc. Go through now and delete any questionable posts.

3. Even if your Facebook profile is private and viewable only to Friends, you need to keep in mind that some things are viewable by anyone on Facebook: all of the data you’ve entered in Basic Information, the names of Groups you’re a member of, the pages you’ve Liked, all of the pictures you’ve saved as Profile or Cover Photos, and any pictures or comments you’ve posted to an open group. Be conservative in your Group memberships and contributions to open groups, and delete any cover or profile photos that you don’t want in your application file.

 Jennifer Bloom has been successfully helping applicants demonstrate their readiness for the top MBA programs around the world for 14 years. 

Shine as the unique individual you are!

Next up in our med school blog post series, A Second Chance at Medical School, we’ll move from describing WHAT a postbac is to HOW you can ace your postbac application essays. Read on for 3 terrific tips…  

One of the most important parts of the application to postbaccalureate programs is your personal statement. This piece of writing allows the admissions committee to get to know you—to hear your voice—and learn more about the obstacles you have overcome to pursue your educational goals. There are three important ways that you can make your personal statement resonate with your reader:

1. Honesty

By sharing how your interest in medicine developed, whether it was through an unusual sequence of events or took years for you to find your career path, the more honest you are about your experiences, the better. Writing what you think the admissions committee would like to hear will appear generic and not help you to shine as the unique individual you are. Tell your story!

2. Reflection

Taking the time to think through the events of your life can help you see with more clarity what you would like to tell the admissions committee through your personal statement. This is your chance to evaluate how your life experiences have made you the person that you are today. Using old journals or photo albums can help facilitate this process—allow you to remember those moments that shaped the motivations that govern your values and life goals.

3. Structure

By creating an outline and following it as you write your essay, you will be adding structure to it. Those essays that are well written are more likely to attract the attention of a reader who can become an advocate on your behalf during the admissions process. Submitting a strong and well-structured piece of writing can make an enormous difference in how your application is viewed.

These are only a few of the ways that you can significantly improve on the quality of your personal statement. By taking the time to read this blog, you are setting yourself apart as an applicant who is committed to success. Trust that with a little extra effort you will write a beautiful statement that represents you well and will lead to your acceptance!








 Alicia Nimonkar is an Accepted.com advisor and editor specializing in healthcare admissions. Prior to joining Accepted, Alicia worked for five years as Student Advisor at UC Davis’ postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and related programs.

You have 2 more days (TODAY and TOMORROW) to celebrate Linda’s birthday and save 50% on all Accepted.com books! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stock up on the books that will help you get accepted to b-school, law school, med school, grad school, or college! (P.S. Linda’s book, MBA Admission for Smarties, is included in the sale!) To receive your discount, just enter SAVE50 at checkout through Saturaday, May 11th, 2013.

Happy shopping!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Listen to the full recording for a great discussion about presenting yourself at your best in your med school applications, reapplying to med school, and more.

00:02:55 – You are a competitive applicant with a good MCAT scores, posed with pen in hand to start writing your personal statement. What’s next?

00:05:54 – Common mistakes in approaching the AMCAS: Leave the kitchen sink in the kitchen!

00:07:52 – Should you save some of your more impressive experiences for your secondaries?

00:09:40 – How to best present your most meaningful experiences in your medical school application.

00:12:01 – That list of 12 experiences: it’s what you did, not what the organization does!

00:13:23 – Cyd’s top tip for med school reapplicants.

00:14:55 – The big reapplicant question: To reuse or rewrite last year’s essays?

00:17:18 – Advice for M3s getting ready to apply for the residency match (This is a good one!)

00:19:33 – The key difference between the medical personal statement and the residency personal statement. Metaphor alert.

 Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes to keep up with the latest in admissions news and trends! You know you want to give us a 5-star rating!

Stitcher fans, we’ve got good news! Admissions Straight Talk is now available on Stitcher! Check it our here. 

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Shownote Links:

• Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk Podcast
• Write Your Way to Medical School, an ebook
• Write Your Way to a Residency Match, an ebook
• Write Your Way to a Fellowship Match, an ebook
• Reapplying to Med School, a blog series
• Sample Medical School Personal Statements
• Ace the AMCAS, a free special report.
• 7 Signs an Experience Belongs in Your Application

This next year could change your life forever.

In just a few weeks, medical school hopefuls will start submitting applications. This can be an awfully hectic time as you try to stay on top of everything. Here are ten tips to help you hit the ground running:

1) Get cozy with the AMCAS/AACOMAS.

These two services (the acronyms stand for the American Medical Colleges Application Service and the Association of American Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service) are the primary gateways for future physicians. (The Texas medical schools have their own application service.) You might already be registered for the AMCAS if you’ve taken the MCAT or applied for fee assistance; if not, you should register immediately.

You’ll spend lots of time on these websites this year – whether inputting your primary application, adding programs for submissions, or checking the status of your applications – so take some time now to register and explore them. In particular, look at their guidelines for completing your applications:

AMCAS information and AMCAS application guide
AACOMAS instructions

2) Get ready to spend a lot of money.

Applying for medical school is really expensive – and each program added to your list brings with it a hefty price tag. But don’t let the costs unfairly limit your choices. The AAMC’s Fee Assistance Program and the AACOM’s Fee Waiver were designed to defer costs of the applications and the MCAT. You need to be approved before you submit, or you won’t be reimbursed.

3) Decide where to apply.

One of the big decisions you need to make is how many program to apply to. The average applicant submits applications to 14 programs; some submit fewer, while many submit 30 or more. If your GPA and MCAT are above average, then you’re safe targeting a small number schools, but if in doubt, spread your chances out.

To help in your decision, be sure to look at each program’s admission requirements. You can find program demographic information on their websites or compiled together in US News & World Report (but be sure to take such rankings with a grain of salt).

4) Register for the MCAT.

If you haven’t yet, get onto the MCAT – spring/summer dates are in high demand. And if you require any accommodations, be sure to get your request in early.

And if you’re waiting on the MCAT to submit your application, don’t! Submit everything else for validation as early as possible; it will make the process go much more quickly once your scores are reported.

5) Apply early.

Schools set their own deadlines, and some of them might seem far away. But it’s always advised to apply early – June 10th is the opening date this year – primarily because there is less competition early in the season. Also keep in mind that the data you submit to the AMCAS and the AACOMAS has to be verified before it’s even forwarded to the med schools. This takes about six weeks during peak season – more if there’s a problem – so figure that time into your schedule.

6) Sort out your recommendation letters.

Hopefully you’ve already contacted the people who you’d like to write letters of evaluation. If not, think about who can write about your suitability for medical school – and supply them with an up-to-date CV along with any requests about areas to cover.

On the AMCAS, you can have up to ten letters (and pick the schools to which you want each one sent) and they can be submitted at any time. If a recommendation arrives after your application has been verified, it’s sent immediately to your selection of medical schools.

7) Start completing secondary essays.

After June 28th (the first date that AMCAS sends applications to medical school), you’ll be able to begin submitting secondaries. Many come automatically for the programs you select; others are sent by invitation after your application is reviewed. Heed the “apply early” rule here too – some programs have tight turnarounds and you don’t want to miss a deadline or get bogged down with a lot of new essays.

8) Prep for interviews.

If you applied early in the season, you should start getting interview invitations by late August, and September/November is usually the peak of interview season. If you haven’t heard anything by then, you might consider adding more programs to your school list.

Getting your first interview invitation is exciting, but it can also be nerve-wracking. They do get easier with practice, which is why I always recommend you start answering questions in the car, in the shower, while washing dishes, wherever you are. Just be sure you do that practice before, not during, the interview itself.

9) Start worrying, if you need to.

What happens if January rolls around and you haven’t heard anything – no interviews, no invited secondaries, just the silent treatment? Chances are you’ll need to start thinking about reapplying. However, there’s still one tactic at your disposal. Sending an appeal letter to the dean of a medical school where you have a real connection can win you an interview or additional review of your application. This should not be done indiscriminately – you need to be able to demonstrate a meaningful connection – but it can work.

10) Carry on carrying on.

Don’t put your life on hold while you apply for medical school. Keep doing the things you love doing, whether they be sport or volunteer work or community activities. Not only will you be a lot happier and a lot less anxious about the whole admissions process, but you’ll also have something to share if and when you get those coveted interviews.

If you’re applying to start medical school in 2014, this next year could change your life forever. Get started right and stay on top of things, and you’ll be able to make sure it’s an enjoyable as well as a momentous year.







By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

It’s a good idea not only to focus on what you’re studying but how you’re studying.

In the next section of our Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success series, we’ll move from increasing your GPA to improving your MCAT score.

Fortunately, it’s easier to tackle a poor MCAT score than a poor GPA. While you should not retake the exam too many times (don’t bother retaking if you’ve scored above a 30), a better-prepared second or possibly third attempt can be a sound strategy.

Many people find that studying independently or with a group of friends works well. Reviewing your old class notes and introductory tests provides the most solid basis for your test preparation. Scrutinizing old tests remains one of the best ways to identify the areas where you’re weak. And, as Baylor College of Medicine recommends, practice the test questions “until they come out of your ears.”

There are numerous resources available for self-study. The AAMC should be both your first and last stop. Focusing on their practice tests, both at the start of your study and again in the weeks leading up to the exam, can put you in the right frame of mind. Alongside the AAMC guides, the Princeton Review comes highly recommended for studying the physical section, while Examkrackers tops the list for both the verbal reasoning and biological sections. (Note that a new optional trial section has replaced the writing component as of January 2013.)

For some people, professional test prep services can give their MCAT preparation a jump start. Taking an MCAT prep class doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a good score – you get out of them what you put in – but they can help by providing structure and keeping test-takers focused and on track. They can also really force you to tackle head-on those areas you’d rather avoid.

Whichever method you prefer, your goals in preparing for the MCAT should be to:

1. Understand why you got each wrong answer. If you understand the material, you may be having issues with the format of the question, and this is something you need to straighten out before test day.
2. Be able to choose right answers even when you don’t know the material. It’s unlikely that you can answer every question, but a keen test taker can read clues in the question that help narrow down the possible answers.
3. Finish every question in your timed practice tests with at least five minutes to spare.

And it’s a good idea not only to focus on what you’re studying but how you’re studying. Your university most likely has a wealth of information on study habits, like these helpful handouts from Princeton University, while sites like Lifehacker collect information about topics such as managing stress and establishing routines. Better time management and more effective study habits will help you not just on this exam but in your later studies.

If you identified test anxiety as one of your obstacles, then you have to address this before tackling the MCAT a second (or third) time. Exercise, breathing techniques and yoga can help alleviate stress for some people; other test-takers might benefit from addressing learning disorders and engaging in psychotherapy, as the Mayo Clinic suggests. College counseling centers, like the University of Washington’s, even offer biofeedback training as an option to combat test anxiety. And putting the books away and relaxing the day before seems to be a pretty standard ingredient for success. But only you can know what works best for you.

So how will you know when you’re ready to retake the MCAT? Again, this is a question that only you can answer, based on your performance in practice tests and your confidence levels. But try to sign up for an early exam so you can get your application to AMCAS in June. By counting backwards from your test date, you’ll be able to determine how much time you have to study, and what arrangements you’ll need to make to be as prepared as you possibly can be. (Some people consider studying for the MCAT a full-time job. This is great if it helps you get in the mindset of intense study, but try to maintain a good work-life balance or you’ll be miserable. If you manage your time well, you’ll also be able to eat healthy meals, exercise, pursue some semblance of a social life, and even sleep!)

In the end, there is no magic formula that guarantees MCAT success. Nonetheless, knowing yourself, including your study habits and needs, will go a long way toward building your confidence.

Next we’ll look at ways your experiences section can be strengthened. If you’d like to know more about formulating a study schedule and sticking to it, our Accepted.com editors would be happy to help. 







 By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

Hi everyone! It’s me, Linda Abraham, CEO and founder of Accepted.com, and today is my birthday.

For me, birthdays are a time to appreciate life and the people around me who have contributed to making my life special. It’s also a time to celebrate, and I’d like to do that with you by offering you 50% off Accepted.com’s entire stock of books and ebooks!

For 5 days only (Monday, May 6 – Saturday, May 11), you can use coupon code SAVE50 at checkout to save big on all our admissions books.

Visit our bookstore now!

Happy birthday to me and happy shopping to you!

By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

It’s been an interesting few weeks.

Starting with the day of the Boston Marathon a little over two weeks ago, I have seen and heard amazing stories of resilience and fortitude. And no, I was not in or even near Boston. As a city, it has demonstrated those qualities, and those injured in the bombing and grieving for lost loved ones will need even more strength in the weeks, months, and years to come.

Coincidentally that night I went to see the movie, No Place on Earth. It is a documentary narrated by the people who lived it: six elderly Holocaust survivors who hid in a cave for over a year and a half. Actors act out the scenes. The elderly people, who have since lived seemingly normal lives, raised children, and enjoyed the privilege of seeing grandchildren and in some cases great–grandchildren, relate an amazing story of fortitude and resilience brilliantly presented in this outstanding movie.

Then two weeks later, I traveled with my 83-year-old mother, herself a Holocaust survivor, and attended the 20th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Here we again heard stories of courage and heroism as the conference honored survivors, veterans who liberated Europe, and rescuers who saved the persecuted. We heard from Nobel laureate, Elie Wiesel, President Bill Clinton, aged veterans, survivors, and rescuers. Most of the honorees are in their 80’s and 90’s. Almost all were accompanied by their children and grandchildren. The younger generations’ attendance evidenced their elders’ resilience – their ability to move forward and rebuild their lives.

Former Buchenwald prisoner, Elie Wiesel, represented the survivors and spoke movingly of how he and 400+ orphans freed from that hell on earth and sent to a children’s home in France after World War II, should have been emotional cripples. All 400+ became doctors, lawyers, teachers, tradespeople, rabbis, leaders, businesspeople, and writers. Despite the scars, they moved on. Despite the pain, they picked up the pieces of their lives. Refusing to be victims, they became survivors.

Similarly the Stermer family from No Place on Earth emerged from their cave, literally dusted themselves off (layers of dirt), and began their lives anew. They moved to the U.S. and Canada, built businesses, and had families. They moved on.

On some level the people of Boston demonstrated that same strength after their week of horror as they resumed their lives.

From the depths of my heart I hope that none of you have been tested in the way that those whose lives were torn apart by World War II were tested, but I know that’s not true. Some of you have been persecuted. Some of you are vets. Some are heroes. Your ability to recover despite the pain or the scars defines the difference between a tragic victim and a resilient survivor.

For the rest of you — the lucky ones who haven’t endured the horrors of war or genocide, lived in a cave for a year and a half, or been under lock-down in a city in the grip of a murderous terror attack – you too can demonstrate that endurance.

What does resilience mean for applicants leading blessed lives with more pedestrian challenges, frustrations, and aggravations and having to answer questions either in an essay or interview about failure, setbacks, or mistakes? It means showing through examples that you have the ability to come back, learn, and move forward. It means that after your leg, broken in a skiing accident, heals, you return to the slopes. It means that after your first “patient” dies, you continue with your plans to be a doctor. It means that after your start-up fails, you resolve to get an MBA so that you can successfully manage your next business.

When asked about failures, setbacks, and mistakes, you just have to show that you have the strength and courage to deal with events within and beyond your control, to recover from disappointment and failure, and to pick yourself up, hopefully learn from the experience, and yes, move on. That’s resilience.








By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

Next up in our med school blog post series, A Second Chance at Medical School, we’ll move from the topic of WHO to the topic of WHAT – what types of postbaccalaureate programs are there?  

There are many different types of pre-medical postbaccalaureate programs. They are all designed to assist students with matriculating into medical school but provide different levels of support and target different parts of the application.

Single Focus Programs

This type of program allows students to focus only on improving their academic record or taking the premed requirements. This option is great for students who already have an extensive record of long-term service in multiple areas but who simply need to demonstrate that they are ready for the rigorous curriculum of medical school.

Dual Focus Programs

While taking coursework, students are encouraged to participate in research, clinical or volunteer work. This combination allows students to strengthen their academic record as well as their activities section. Students often take coursework only part-time in these programs, which frequently provide outstanding opportunities in community outreach or research.

Multi Focus Programs

This type of program provides the most comprehensive level of support—often in multiple areas. Depending on your needs, this may significantly increase your success in the application process. They may help with general advising, class selection, study skills, academic achievement, MCAT preparation, activity opportunities, as well as the application process. Each program is unique in its structure and strengths. It’s a more comprehensive option.

Postbac programs, like medical schools and applicants, differ. First assess your needs and what you want to accomplish in a postbac program. Then, look for the programs that provide what you seek. This approach will most effectively enhance your chances of medical school acceptance.

Check in next week for the next post of our A Second Chance at Medical School series!

 Alicia Nimonkar is an Accepted.com advisor and editor specializing in healthcare admissions. Prior to joining Accepted, Alicia worked for five years as Student Advisor at UC Davis’ postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and related programs.

In the last part of our

With the multi-staged admissions process, applicants can make an impact at each step – or be weeded out. Your assessment continues by looking at other ways you communicated with the admissions committee, and whether or not they helped you past the next hurdle.

Secondaries: Your secondary essays go beyond the initial introduction and flesh out your application. The questions asked will generally give you a good indication of what the program values. In your review, you need to determine how well the information you provided demonstrates your fit with the values and offerings at that particular program.

• Did you answer the particular questions asked?
• Did your secondary essays offer a new or deeper look at your activities rather than regurgitating your personal statement? Viewed alongside your initial application, do they create a consistent but broader profile or is there a significant divergence from what was presented before?
• Did you research each school to see what made it unique? Did you bring this information into your answers, even if it was not specifically asked?
• If you recycled secondary essays from another program, did you tailor it to fit the new program? And did you make sure to use the right school name?
• Did you integrate their particular strengths and offerings into your skill set and interests?
• Did you return the secondaries in a timely manner?
• Were your secondaries free of typos and grammatical errors?

If you can answer “yes” to these questions, your secondary essays are probably not the source of your rejection. But if you aren’t confident of your answers, this is an area that you should note for your reapplication. Another sign of a problem is being invited to fill out a secondary essay, but not being invited to interview. This is a natural “weeding out” that happens throughout the season, but it indicates that your secondary essays need more punch to move to the next stage.

Interviews: If you were invited to interview at a number of schools, but didn’t receive any acceptances, it’s a pretty good signal that your interview skills need a polish.

• Do you think you practiced enough? Were you comfortable talking about yourself?
• Were you exceptionally nervous at the interview or did you feel at ease? If you were nervous, was it your first interview? If not, was there anything in particular that triggered your nervousness?
• Could you speak credibly about each program and did you know what made each one unique? Were you able to explain why you wanted to attend each program?
• If you had a multiple mini-interview, were you prepared for the format?
• Were there any questions that stumped you? Did you address these either in your thank you notes or in later communications with the program?

If you didn’t get any interviews, you should examine the issues in the sections above – you’re likely to find clues that explain your rejection there.

Finally, there are two remaining issues that have can significantly affect your application success:

Timing: Applying late might not be the only concern in your application, but your chance of admission declines as the season goes on. Those who start the process early tend to have much better results.

• Did you register with the AAMC and/or the AACOM in May and submit your application in June?
• Did you line up your recommenders early? Did you follow up to make sure they sent their recommendations in a timely manner?
• Did you take the MCAT early? Were your scores available when you submitted?
• Did you return your secondary essays in a timely manner?
• After an interview, did you send promptly thank you notes expressing your interest?

Answering “no” to any of these questions could signal a problem. Although some extremely competitive applicants do manage to secure acceptances late in the season, many more are “held,” wait-listed, or just rejected. Those who do apply later must face a larger applicant pool competing for fewer interview slots and, in many cases, fewer seats in medical school.

School Choices: It should go without saying that you need to make sure you meet each program’s admission requirements. But there are other issues to examine:

• How many medical schools did you select?
• Did you choose a spread of schools, including programs both above and below where you think you might be competitive?
• Were your state’s medical schools included in your list?
• Above all, did you consider your fit at these programs or did you just choose schools out of the blue?

The average med school applicant submits applications to 14 programs. Some submit fewer applications – if, for instance, they will only consider a particular geographic area – while some submit 30+. Highly competitive applicants can target fewer schools, but if your profile is less competitive, the number of schools should be higher.

How do you know where you’re competitive? Your basic stats are a good indication. Being within 2-3 points of a program’s mean indicates that you are a strong contender for that program – in other words, if a school’s mean GPA is 3.5, a 3.2 GPA with a strong MCAT score can be competitive. While it’s fine to deviate with a few “reach” schools, these should not make up the majority of your choices.

Also take a look at the percentage of applications accepted. Oklahoma State University accepts one in every 5 applications; Mayo and GWU accept one in 50. If all your chosen schools have a low acceptance rate, your profile will have to be much better than average.

Beyond your chosen program’s requirements, it’s also important to look at their admission preferences. Did you choose a lot of public programs in other states? Many state schools accept only a handful of out-of-state applicants. (And if your state’s medical schools aren’t on your list, this is a serious omission.)

Finally, take a good, hard look at your list of schools. Do you know something about each of them? Are these places you’d really like to attend? If you’ve completed the secondaries for each school and still can’t answer “yes” to these questions, that is a problem – one you can rectify when you reapply.

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of any missteps in your application. Unfortunately, addressing them is rarely a fast process. Often it takes years. Many people, fearing the time is ticking away, get impatient and reapply before they’re ready. Nine out of ten times, this backfires.

Instead, reapply when you are at your strongest. This will take time, but now that you have a good idea of where you went wrong, you’ll be able to focus your energies, enhance your profile, and ultimately submit a successful application.

In the next post, I’ll show you how to enhance your profile. If you want to improve your chances even more, take advantage of Accepted.com’s application review service to get a tailored assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

The playlist was created based on a Stanford study that shows that certain types of music engage different areas of the brain and can improve skills such as paying attention, making predictions, and memory.

Check out Wash U’s blog post on Spotify Playlist here.

An Attention Enhancing Study Playlist provided by @WashULaw, an online LL.M Degree

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

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Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Any student who would like to become a more competitive applicant to medical school can benefit from completing a postbac program or postbaccalaureate coursework. Postbac programs or coursework can help you with completing and/or improving your:

1. Premed Prerequisite Requirements

Some students take additional coursework to complete the required prerequisite courses to apply to medical school.

2. GPA, Cumulative and Science

Other students take additional science courses to improve their academic record.

3. MCAT Scores, if assistance is provided

If you have a low MCAT score, simply retaking the MCAT—with a course—may be the best approach for you—unless you need assistance in other areas as well.

4. Activities, if opportunities are included

If you need to participate in more activities to strengthen your application, you may consider pursuing clinical experience, expanding your volunteer work interests, or applying to a research program. Most formal postbac programs offer these activities and more.

5. Application Essays

Often, programs provide support in outlining, drafting and finalizing your application materials. Sharing your personal statement draft with the writing center on your college campus can also be helpful, if you do not have the support of a formal program.

6. Letters of Recommendation

The additional coursework that you complete—with stellar grades—will provide opportunities for you to request current letters of recommendation from your science instructors. Formal programs also provide these letters.

7. Team Building Skills

It is attractive to be able to include your postbac program or coursework on your application because it indicates that you thrive on teams in the classroom. Taking lab classes or completing research will show teamwork is a strength of yours, if you achieve positive results with high grades or publications.

8. Confidence

Taking additional classes will boost your confidence, as long as you excel academically. If you are struggling, ask for help. Don’t give up on yourself!

9. Maturity

By taking additional time to prepare for medical school, you will be gaining more life experience and therefore approaching your professional education with more maturity and more clearly defined goals.

By evaluating the strength of your AMCAS application, realistically and kindly, you can identify the areas you would like to strengthen. Hopefully this list will provide you with the evaluation criteria to locate areas you can change and improve. By using your energy to become a stronger applicant, you can avoid the self-doubt and uncertainty that often accompanies the decision to apply to medical school. Focus on those areas of the application that you have control over and do your best!

Check in next week for the next post of our A Second Chance at Medical School series!









 Alicia Nimonkar is an Accepted.com advisor and editor specializing in healthcare admissions. Prior to joining Accepted, Alicia worked for five years as Student Advisor at UC Davis’ postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and related programs.

In Part 1 of our Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success series we talked about taking a step back and reevaluating your desire to go to med school, as well as your qualifications and skill. Today we’ll move on to assessing your application to determine what went wrong.

The second part of your assessment will examine how you presented yourself to the admissions committees. Keep in mind that these aspects of your application are necessarily subjective – there are often no right or wrong answers – but they should be subjected to the same rigorous critique as the previous section. Unlike your MCAT scores or grades, however, applicants have a lot of control over the elements in this section. Did you take full advantage of this to show yourself in the best light? This question is especially relevant when we look at the written portion of your application.

I find the accuracy of an assessment improves when it’s distinct from the remedies. This kind of critical review is not for the faint of heart. Chances are, you poured your hopes and dreams into your application the first time around. Figuring out where you went wrong is painful. For this reason, we’re not going to examine how to address your weaknesses just yet. That will come in future sections. For now, let’s focus on how the admissions committee saw you, based on your interactions.

Personal Statement: There’s no doubt that personal statements are highly subjective – what works for one reader might not work for the next. Nonetheless, it’s important to ask whether, in your honest opinion, you’ve presented the strongest possible personal statement.

• Was it enjoyable and interesting to read? If you were reading this about another person, would they come across strong? Would this be someone you might want as your physician?
• Did your essay begin with a strong lead paragraph that inspired the reader to continue?
• Did it tell a compelling story and describe your experiences instead of just listing what you’d done? Did you support claims about your abilities with anecdotal evidence?
• Did the essay focus on you rather than your projects or mentors?
• Did your stories demonstrate the key qualities desired in medical students: commitment, compassion, leadership, curiosity, critical thinking, maturity, etc.?
• Were there any typos or grammatical errors?
• Did you have anyone else review it for content and style before submission?

Whether you’re a first-rate candidate or a borderline student, your personal statement will make an impression on the med school admissions committee. If you can’t answer “yes” to all the above questions, that impression might not be the one you want.

Experiences: The experiences you choose to include in this section must reflect that you are a multi-dimensional person – one with the passion, curiosity, and integrity to excel in medical school. The experiences section is your chance to include any aspects of your background where you made an impact and showed your commitment.

• Did the activities you described reflect a breadth of activities and intellectual pursuits?
• Did you focus on your responsibilities rather than just describing the experience?
• Did you identify what impact you had on each organization/project?
• Did you identify why each experience affected your commitment to enter medicine?
• How did you justify the choice of your most meaningful experiences? Were your longer essays personal and authentic?
• When writing about the experiences in your primary essay, did you provide additional details rather than repeating information?

The AMCAS application only allows 700 characters to describe each activity, while the AACOM allows 750 characters. Cramming relevant, compelling information into these shorter essays can be awfully challenging. In your review, you need to examine whether you made each character count.

Letters of Recommendation: Although not technically how you represent yourself, recommendation letters are an extremely important part of the application process and your challenge is to find faculty members who can write a compelling letter.

• Did you select recommenders who know you well, preferably beyond the classroom?
• Did your chosen recommenders represent different areas of your life to reflect your diverse pursuits?
• Did you supply them with your CV or a list of activities so they have a better idea of your pursuits?
• Did you advise them of any areas that you specifically wanted them to address to balance the rest of your application?
• If you were asked to write your own recommendation, did you do so in a timely manner so they would have time for edits?
• Did you provide each recommender with clear instructions about submitting them to either the AMCAS Letters service or for the AACOM?

You might be feeling a bit fragile after such a critical review. If so, you’re doing it right. This exercise demands that you be ruthless and identify every potential flaw. Your ego might not like it, but you will when you have a clear roadmap to address your weaknesses.

Next post looks at the next hurdles in the admissions process, and how well you cleared them.

If you feel like you need another pair of eyes on your application, take advantage of Accepted.com’s review service to get a tailored assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

Just in time to launch the 2014 med school admissions season!

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Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

I wanted to help people, not just make them feel better for the time they heard a song.

Get ready to read about our next med school blogger, Joshua Wienczkowski who blogs at Mountain Med Student and will be starting med school at East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine this July. Thank you Joshua for sharing your experiences with us and for all of your excellent advice! 

Accepted: First, some basics: Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad?

Joshua: I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan my whole life and moved to Nashville, Tennessee when I was 21 (I’m 26 now). I took a circuitous path to college, and didn’t come to school as a full-time student until I was 23 at Middle Tennessee State University, where I study Biology and Physiology with a minor in Chemistry (like every other Pre-Med), and graduate in May.



Accepted: How many med schools did you apply to? Why did you choose East Tennessee’s College of Medicine?

Joshua: Draw a line from Michigan to Florida; find every medical school within about 4 hours of that line, and I applied to it! The total came to 14 schools, 12 of which I filled out secondary applications for.

I chose the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine because I honestly felt (and still feel) that’s it’s the best medical school in the country – for some people. I absolutely loved the intimate class size of 72 students as well as their student to faculty ratio of 1:1, which is unheard of.

The location is absolutely breathtaking as well. Being right at the pristine foothills of the Appalachian Mountains really struck a chord with me, because it offers an active lifestyle outside of medicine with hiking, kayaking, fishing, running, and everything else you can do in the mountains.

Among many other reasons, I really connected with the student body as well as the admissions committee. Quillen is unbelievably dedicated to their students, and I felt like I was part of the family before I even had an acceptance letter. The day I got accepted, I removed my application from every other school I was being considered for.

Accepted: What are you most looking forward to in becoming an M1 this summer?

Joshua: Starting medical school! I’ve been working towards this my whole life, and to get an acceptance in November like I did means sitting around and waiting for the action to start!

But truthfully, I cannot wait to meet my new family for the next 4 years. Our class has already connected pretty well in person and through our Facebook group, and we certainly are a hand-picked bunch.

The dynamic of our class excites me, and I can’t wait to start this journey with all of them. This may be a little weird, but I’m actually incredibly excited about gross anatomy as well. It’s the first course we take, and I’ve been told that it’s where you begin to discover if you’re a surgeon or not.



Accepted: What were you doing, professionally or otherwise, before you went to college?

Joshua: I’m a bit of an odd duck, and did the whole “education and profession” thing backwards. Long story short, but I signed my first record deal when I was 18, and then worked for the label for about 3 years until they were indicted by the IRS and filed bankruptcy. I lost everything I owned overnight, and ended up working on a TV show about fresh water sailing (the obvious choice, right?).

This was the time that I decided to moved to Nashville, and I signed a songwriting contract on music row, which lead to opening a recording studio with a co-writer. I also worked in professional touring, and hosted a lot of music’s red carpet events.

I finally left music for medicine, and have been a full-time college student since. When I graduate in May, I’ll be wrapping up 2 years of research in molecular evolution, and then will hopefully be off to Maui, Hawaii to teach basic sciences for a program that helps under-served high schoolers who want to pursue science in college, but maybe aren’t competitive just yet.



Accepted: What motivated the career switch from the music industry to medicine?

Joshua: My personal statement was largely focused on this transition, and it stemmed from several aspects of my life experience. With songwriting and music, my intention was to always help people navigate the twisty-turvy ups and downs that life can bring. From weddings to loved ones passing, I always wanted to capture the human condition in word and melody in hopes of fostering growth as well as alleviating the maladies that can plague someone’s heart. Eventually, I realized I was just a modality in the bigger picture of helping people, and didn’t see my impact on society as something that carried significant weight.

I wanted that bigger picture. I craved it. In addition to this, when I reached the pinnacle of my career, I was surrounded by a lifestyle that wasn’t conducive to changing the world like I originally planned on doing with music. Being surrounded by sex, money, drugs, and alcohol made me want something better in life, and I wanted to help people, not just make them feel better for the time they heard a song. So, I packed my bags, and here we are!

Accepted: Can you talk about the impact clinical exposure has had on you? Do you think it’s a MUST for med school applicants?

Joshua: ABSOLUTELY, clinical exposure is a must for med school applicants. How would one know for certain if they wanted to be a chef if they never stepped foot in a kitchen and flambéed a leg of lamb?

My clinical experiences were amazing – I was fortunate to work with the same team at Vanderbilt for two years in an experience I can only describe as the show House, M.D. I learned about differential diagnoses, how to manage chronic illness, the importance of communication, and really about the lifestyle of being a physician. I learned the in’s and out’s of healthcare delivery, and how to establish the unique relationship that happens when you step into the exam room with a new patient. I also worked at Vanderbilt Children’s with another amazing team for a year and half, and I really discovered how much I wanted medicine.

I’m ambitious, but under the guidance of my mentor, he lit an insatiable fire that had me riveted every time we stepped into clinic together. My clinical experiences are what pushed me to gun for the highest grades in my classes, and kept me motivated, because they were a taste of the finish line in the marathon of medical education. I’ll ask two questions for Pre-Meds, 1. If you’re passionate about fishing, why are you reading this and not on a lake fishing? 2. On the same token, if you’re passionate about medicine, why are you not in a clinic every chance you can get?



Accepted: Can you share some med school application tips with our readers?

Joshua: Of course! Right now, be journaling constantly. You met a really interesting patient that had an impact on you? Write about it. You volunteered recently for an event to raise money for cancer research? Write about it. Your AMCAS application ends up being about 17 pages long, and you have the opportunity to write an immense amount of information for medical schools to read. It’s important to be able to articulate those events. Also, I was desperate for resources regarding what specifically medical schools want in the application. I spoke with over 20 admissions committees, read I don’t know how many books, and found the following information below. The most important thing in writing all of this is DO NOT LIE, THEY WILL FIND OUT.

Regarding your 15 experiences, they need to be written in this format:

-What was your title/role/ what did you do?

-Give an example of something unique that stood out to you during this experience like a patient you connected
 with or how much you loved mentoring kids as a camp counselor.

-How did you grow from this experience? “From experience X, I learned how to Y or gained personal skill Z.”

To bridge experiences and letters of recommendation, you can have 3 experiences as “most important,” which allows you to expand on those experiences. You should absolutely have a letter of rec. correspond with each of those 3 most important experiences!

I’ve found medical schools want around 5 letters. You should seek 2 from physicians, 1 from your university (committee letter), and 2 personal letters (either former employers or volunteer coordinators, etc.). Letters of recommendation should contain the following information, and you should absolutely send this to the individuals writing your letters:

-How do you know me, how long, and in what context?

-Personal characteristics that you’ve seen that you feel qualify me to be a physician.

-Would you go to me as your physician or send your family to me?

-The letter should be about what feels good, not what looks good.

-First and last statement/paragraph should be a flat recommendation or not recommendation.

Your personal statement should be exactly what it sounds like – personal. Tell your life story! This is your chance to show admissions committees exactly who you are as a person, and what brought you to the decision to pursue medicine. It should be written over a lengthy time period, and every single person that knows you really well (professors, family, friends, physicians) should read it and give you feedback. It’s ok to set it down for a couple months, and come back to it when you’re ready. The characteristics that medical schools are looking for when reading your personal statement are:

-passion

-communication

-intelligence

-confidence

-self-awareness

-leadership

-perseverance



In order to prepare for writing all of this information, go read a bunch of medically related books to get your gears turning, and your passion about medicine up. A couple of my favorites are Body of Work by Dr. Christine Montross, Complications by Dr. Atul Gawande, Hot Lights Cold Steel by Dr. Michael Collins, and The House of God by Samuel Shem.

Accepted: Why did you decide to blog about your med school admissions experience? What have you gained from blogging?

Joshua: I decided to write because of several reasons. First, I am a writer. As a former songwriter, I have an insatiable itch to put words on paper or whatever medium will deliver those words the most effectively – I even ended up in the 99.9th percentile on my MCAT Writing Section because of this. Second, I really didn’t find any good resources online that were current or useful when I was preparing my application. There were blogs, but they were outdated; there were forums, but most had just as many questions as I did, or said things like “I have X MCAT, Y GPA, Z shadowing hours, and A research, what are my chances of getting in?” – it was all very delinquent, and not constructive in any manner. The books I found were vague at best.

To be honest, I felt given my writing history, and my passion for mentoring people, I didn’t have a choice in starting my website. I’m still building it, but the traffic that I’ve gotten has just blown my mind. Today alone, I had multiple visitors from seven different countries, and it just keeps growing. There are people out there looking for well articulated pre-medical advice, just as I was a year ago, and based on feedback, I’ve been able to provide valuable insight into what it really takes to be in the top 3% of applications to medical school that get accepted.

What I’ve gained from writing on an online format (instead of a songbook and the radio) is an outlet to talk about the ups and downs that come from applying, getting accepted, and waiting anxiously to start med school. This summer, I’ll delve into what 34 graduate hours of medical education per semester will do to someone’s psyche.

I think everyone needs healthy ways to decompress, and writing about my life experiences as well as running are great ways for me to do just that. I’ve also built a small community of people who are always emailing with pre-medical questions, and I love being able to offer constructive advice because let’s face it, pre-med advising is not consistent across the world, and I love being able to pay forward all the hours my mentors poured into me. The adage I’ve been told in medicine is “watch one, do one, teach one,” and I’m doing my best with my current abilities to envelop that philosophy.

Do you want to be featured in Accepted.com’s blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.













Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Some more details about the program:

• 50% of the curriculum is delivered online and 50% on-campus in Indianapolis.

• The program offers a hands-on, action-learning experience where students are introduced to real-life challenges in the healthcare system.

• The MBA program is designed to allow physicians to continue practicing while studying (meeting mostly during off-residency weeks).

See Kelley’s Business of Medicine Program page for more information.















Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

This is the first blog post in our new series, Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success. 

Hopefully by now, you have your acceptance in hand and are gearing up for Fall. If so, then congratulations and good luck!

But what if all you’ve received are rejections?

To start with, know you’re not alone. Last year, only 43% of applicants made the cut. And although the number of available places has increased slightly (by 1.5%, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges), it hasn’t matched the pace of applications, which were up 3.1% from 2011.

So what’s your next step, now that you won’t be starting med school?

Next Step

Use this time to reevaluate your commitment to being a doctor. The ache of rejection might cloud your immediate judgment, but do your best to project yourself into the future. Do you still envision yourself as a doctor? Have any of your reasons for pursuing medicine changed? If so, then how? Are there other paths that appeal to you – do you think you could find happiness and fulfillment in another profession?

For many people, the process of applying for medical school is the first time they have critically examined their desire to be a doctor. Sometimes the answer is surprising. There’s no shame in deciding that medicine might not be right for you – there is a myriad of other options, either in healthcare or other fields. But it is vital that you know whether getting rejected is merely a setback or a watershed.

Evaluate Your Application

Assuming that your commitment remains strong, it’s time to take a good, hard look at your application. It would be misleading to say this process is an easy one. But what I’d like to do, in this post and the following ones, is break it down into manageable parts that will help you identify your weaknesses and strengthen your next application. In future posts, we’ll look at how your profile appeared to the admissions committee and the concrete steps you can take to address your weaknesses. But first, we’ll take a look at your fundamental profile and see how it stacks up against successful applicants.

Academic record and GPA: Is your GPA competitive? Does your transcript reflect a breadth of interests (humanities, social science and foreign language classes as well as sciences)? And if you had difficulties, were they early in your college career – did your grades show an upward trend?

Time and again, medical schools say that students should not be obsessed with perfect grades. This statement is hard to swallow when applicants’ GPAs keep rising. In 2012, the mean GPA for applicants was 3.54; for matriculants, it was 3.68. Of course, not everyone who got in had these grades – there’s always a range above and below. However, it does suggest that the applicant pool is getting more competitive. If your GPA doesn’t fall within .2-.3 points, you should consider ways to improve your grades.

Mistakes linger and it’s hard to fix your GPA after the fact, but there are some concrete steps you can take – more on that in the third post.

MCAT: In 2012, the mean MCAT score for all applicants was 28.3; for matriculants, it was 31.7. Obviously there is a spread of scores on both sides of these numbers, but if you’re more than a couple of points below, this could be a problem in your profile.

If you scored lower than expected, you should also assess what went wrong. Were you unprepared for the questions that were asked? Did any particular areas give you trouble? If so, you should question your study practices and take additional steps to prepare. On the other hand, if you scored significantly higher on practice tests or ran out of time, it could signal test anxiety – a not-uncommon affliction. It’s not unusual to be nervous the first time you sit the exam, it’s an unusual situation after all, but if you feel that your nervousness was extreme and impaired your performance, it’s likely to be something you should address.

Keep in mind that a good MCAT score can help mitigate a lower GPA, and vice versa, but a significant discrepancy between the two can signal a problem. A 32 with a 3.5 is better than a 25 with a 4.0 or a 37 with a 2.8.

Clinical experience: Medical schools look for a working knowledge of the health professions as demonstrated through volunteering or shadowing. Too many applicants present an impressive list of accomplishments, but lack any serious engagement in the healthcare field. You’ve got to demonstrate that you understand the realities of the profession, that you are service-minded, and that you’re committed to practicing medicine.

But all positions are not equal. Commitment and quality, exhibited through substantive, longer term experiences, hold more value than a series of short-term shadowing opportunities. At least two substantive experiences are recommended to demonstrate commitment and interest. If you have less, this is definitely an area that you can improve.

Research experience: Some medical schools value research more than others; clinical volunteer work and community service are enough for others. But as the applicant pool grows more selective, research has gone from being a way to distinguish applicants to a more basic part of a well-rounded application. If you left this section blank on the AMCAS, it’s worth revisiting, perhaps through a master’s degree.

Leadership and public service: As important as grades are, the successful med school candidate needs to balance good grades with leadership and service positions outside the classroom. The range of acceptable activities is endless, so it’s important to seek out something that you enjoy. Together, these experiences demonstrate a commitment to serving others and an appreciation of human connections – one that ultimately reflects the human dimension of medicine.

Medical schools have always been competitive, but as they become ever more selective, it’s critical that you present the strongest application you can. Honestly assessing your application is your first step to improving your chances next year.

In the next post, we’ll look at the second part of your application – how you present your experiences to the admissions committee.

By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

To ease the reader’s eye strain, the font should not be smaller than 10 pt.

I suggest that applicants for Fall 2014 entry begin assembling materials for their applications now –  five months in advance of the first fall deadlines. One of the ideal documents to begin now is a resume, something that any professional should always have updated and at the ready. Here are some tips on starting the ideal admissions-worthy resume.

First, you need to know how far back in time to detail in this document. As a general rule, if you are applying to graduate school and have at least two years of work experience, your high school activities should not be included in your resume. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, if you won a prestigious national award in high school, you may certainly consider including this important recognition.

Other general rules for the resume:

• There should be no more than four bullet points beneath each position.
• Each bullet point should ideally be no more than two lines long.
• To ease the reader’s eye strain, the font should not be smaller than 10 pt.
• Margins should be as close to one inch all around as possible – I, personally, will not reduce them lower than 0.7 inches.

With these rules in mind, how should applicants to the top international programs focus the resume on their most relevant and compelling experiences? Limit the number of bullet points describing your early entry-level roles and instead expand the space dedicated to those in which you made the most impact.

For instance, if you were promoted from an entry-level programming position with your company, then you don’t even need to dedicate a separate line to describe that first role. Instead, you can simply impress the reader by describing the fast pace of promotion in a line of the job description, like this:

Team Lead, IT Consulting Company                    2010-Present

Twice promoted from Analyst (2010-2011) to Senior Analyst (2011) and then Team Lead in record 12 months, a full 4 times faster than the average rate of promotion.

What if one position has allowed you significant leadership opportunities and impact? Or what if you have been in your current role for several years? How can you detail all that you have accomplished in just four bullet points? The trick is to break that down into sections, like this for example:

Private Equity Associate, PE Firm                         2011-Present

Lines of job description here…

Leadership Accomplishments Include:

• First point
• Second point
• Third point
• Fourth point

Financial Impacts Include:

• First point
• Second point
• Third point
• Fourth point

Keep in mind that the majority – if not all – of those bullet points should include quantifiable impact that you had on the organization. Breaking up a bulk of text with numbers and section headings makes the entire document more compelling.

Finally, to ensure that your document is easy to read and keeps the admissions officer’s attention, you need to include ample white space. To add some white space above each position in Microsoft Word, highlight the title line of each row (hold the Ctrl button down as you click to keep them all highlighted), then click on Format, Paragraph, then in the Spacing Before box try at least 4 pt. (if you have more space left on the page at the end you can go to 6 pt.). Do the same Ctrl highlighting for the bullet points throughout the document and try 2 pt. or 3 pt. spacing before each of those lines.

Check out this pdf file (viewable in Adobe Reader) to see the difference this little formatting trick can make.

Jennifer Bloom is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and is available now to create an easy-to-read document that highlights your exceptionality. Creating this document now will help you see where you need to generate more content – i.e., take more action – before the fall deadlines .

Get ready to read about our next med school blogger, “Little Red Med,” who blogs at Stray Thoughts. This anonymous blogger attends a U.S. school and shares her experiences with us here. Thank you Little Red Med!

Accepted: First some basics: Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What year are you in med school?

Little Red Med: I’m from central Pennsylvania and went to Penn State for my undergraduate degree, where I studied Psychology. I just began my 4th year rotations, though I’ll actually graduate in May 2015 as I’m staying an extra year to do a master’s in public health.

Accepted: How did you decide on your current school? What were some of the important features you were looking for when applying to med school?

Little Red Med: My school essentially chose me. I made some huge mistakes when applying to medical schools (not the least of which was that I only applied to high-ranked schools – BAD idea for anyone! Don’t be arrogant like me – no matter how good your scores are and what you’ve done in your life, there are a ton of students out there who have done things that are more amazing than you. Also recognize that, in a lot of ways, the US News rankings are relatively meaningless when it comes to the kind of doctor you, personally, want to be). In the end I only got into one school. BUT – it worked out great and I love it here!

Here are the things that I SHOULD have investigated when I was applying, because these are the things that are actually important to me:

• Is there a commitment to underserved populations? Is the school affiliated with a public hospital and/or VA? Do students work with a lot of patients who are uninsured/on disability or Medicaid? Are there student-run free clinics where students can get hands-on experience serving underserved populations? What other opportunities exist for students to serve the community?
• Do students train in a large tertiary hospital that receives lots of referrals from smaller facilities? Smaller, more rural hospitals tend to see less complicated patients as they lack the resources to care for the sickest patients. It’s not absolutely necessary to train in a larger hospital but I think it adds a great deal to your learning experience – you see some of the rarer things that you might not see elsewhere!
• What is the patient population like? Are the patients that students work with mostly upper middle class white people, or is there a good diversity?
• What does the school do to make students into good doctors, outside of teaching them facts? What is their ethics curriculum like? Do they make time for patients to come in and talk to students directly about their experiences? Are they sensitive to LGBT issues and do they teach students how to appropriately address the issues that LGBT face?

Accepted: Did you go straight to med school after finishing college? If not, what did you do in between?

Little Red Med: I took 4 years “off” between college and medical school. When I graduated, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I completed all the necessary pre-med requirements as an undergraduate to “keep my options open,” but I had no real desire to apply to medical school at that time. I joined the Peace Corps straight out of college and taught math and science in Kenya, then worked as a research technician in a biomedical engineering lab at Georgia Tech for awhile, then left for Africa again to teach in Liberia.

Accepted: Do you have any pre-med school clinical experience? How important do you think that is for med students?

Little Red Med: I had zero clinical experience before medical school – in fact, I had only set foot in a hospital twice before in my life. This was a HUGE problem for some schools – at one school, the interviewer told me “why don’t you get some clinical experience and re-apply for next year?” (NOT what you want to hear in the middle of an interview that you’ve flown across the country for!) Clearly, it was not a problem at the school where I ended up. At the time, I thought I was more interested in working in public health than being a practicing clinician, so clinical experience wouldn’t have altered anything and my school respected that (though things change – I’m now 100% committed to making direct patient care a huge part of my future career). But in retrospect it would have been a good idea to get at least some clinical experience, and I would definitely recommend it to students who are considering a career in medicine, unless you have a really solid reason for wanting to go to medical school that does not involve being a practicing clinician.

Accepted: What was the most difficult part of the med school admissions process for you? As a successful applicant, can you share some advice about how you approached and then overcame those challenges?

Little Red Med: I took rejections way too personally. No matter how great you are, you will get rejected from at least some schools. In retrospect, I ended up exactly where I belong and I’m understand why the other programs rejected me – they did so because it wouldn’t have been a good fit for either of us.

My advice is, don’t take rejections personally. Look hard at your application and try to figure out why you were rejected from one school or another. What is it about your application that tells the school you were rejected from that you were not a good fit? Think seriously about the reasons YOU want to be a doctor, and make sure that comes through in your application and that the schools you are applying to have the same goals and values as you. Of course, sometimes you won’t know why a school hasn’t accepted you, and that’s frustrating. Sometimes the problem is your grades or your scores, and that’s difficult. Make a backup plan. EVERYONE should have a backup plan – it’s not defeatist, it’s practical and mature! If you don’t get in to your #1 school this time around, will you reapply to school next year? What will you do in the meantime? If you do take some time off, make sure you are doing something that YOU want to do, not something that you are doing just because you think it will help you to get into medical school.



Accepted: As someone well into your med school studies, can you offer some tips for med students who will just be starting out in the fall?

Little Red Med: There are a ton of incredibly smart and talented people out there, and they’re highly concentrated in medical school. If you are going to med school, you’re almost certainly used to being well above average academically. This may not be the case in med school! Half of med students are below average. You may find yourself in the middle of the pack or behind the curve for the first time in your life. You may actually fail courses for the first time in your life. That’s OK! True, if your grades and scores aren’t the best, you might not get into that high-ranked Dermatology residency you had your eyes on. But you WILL be a doctor eventually. Keep your eyes on the prize – remember why you wanted to go to medical school in the first place. You can be ranked 100th in your class, and still be a fabulous doctor. The best doctors aren’t necessarily the ones that score highest on exams.

More practically – if you’re a returning student like I was and your studenting skills are a bit rusty, a timer will be your best friend. Set the timer for 50 minutes, and if you start to get distracted or surf the net, stop the timer immediately. After your 50 minutes is up you can take a 10-15 minute break. Then re-set the timer and start all over again. Worked wonders for me

Do you want to be featured in Accepted.com’s blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.








Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself – where are you from, where and what did you study as an undergraduate, and do you hold any other degrees?

Jennifer: My name is Jennifer Adaeze Anyaegbunam. I’m currently a second year student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, but I’m originally from Albany, New York. I attended Harvard College where I concentrated in Film Studies (Visual and Environmental Studies) and received a secondary degree in Health Policy.

After graduating from Harvard in 2010, I attended Columbia University, where I received a Master of Science degree in Narrative Medicine.

Accepted: What is Narrative Medicine?

Jennifer: Narrative Medicine is the multidisciplinary study of the interpersonal aspects of medicine and health care. Narrative Medicine aims to counter many systematic failures in health care because it “addresses the need of patients and caregivers to voice their experience, to be heard and to be valued, and it acknowledges the power of narrative to change the way care is given and received.” Medicine is a fundamentally social endeavor where narratives of illness and healing are the lifeblood of each clinical encounter. As an undergraduate, I found myself drawn to the stories that people of different cultures and eras tell and the various mediums in which they are told –that’s why I choose to study film. Narrative Medicine not only allowed me to explore the interpersonal dynamics that occur in clinical settings, but also to forge stronger connections between my interests in medicine and the humanities.

Narrative Medicine is a relatively new frontier in medicine. As such, I didn’t know my seemingly disconnected interests fell in line with the work several brilliant scholars were doing in the emerging field. This article I stumbled upon in the New York Times prompted me to explore the work of Dr. Rita Charon, and ultimately inspired me apply to the masters program! Since graduating I founded The Intima, a Journal of Narrative Medicine. I think it provides some good examples of Narrative work in action. I encourage you all to check it out!

Accepted: Can you talk a bit about the intersection of medicine and media? What steps do you plan on taking in this area?

Jennifer: I plan on pursuing a career in both medicine and medical journalism, which draws strength from the symbiotic relationship between the two. I think the media is a powerful tool that physicians can use to empower their patients to make informed decisions about their health care. Every day we are influenced by things we see on TV, read online, or hear on the radio. I want to harness the potential for influence to educate people – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds or underserved communities – about bettering their health and well-being. Pursing a dual career is certainly challenging, but I want to do all that I can be excellent in both fields. Even though I’m a full-time medical student, I’m passionate about developing the skills I need as a journalist in order to fulfill my mission.

As an undergraduate I spent a summer interning for CNN’s medical unit. I asked Dr. Sanjay Gupta what I needed to do in order to achieve my goals. He advised me to start writing – and that’s exactly what I did. Since the summer of 2009 I’ve owned two blogs and published other articles in a number of media outlets from NBC’s the Grio to the Huffington Post. Writing has really opened a number of doors for me and allowed me to pursue a variety of other opportunities in media. I currently work as a health reporter/producer for WTJU, local radio station in Charlottesville, VA and a health reporter for WUVA online. To learn about my other experiences in medicine and media, you can visit my blog, www.JenniferAdaeze.com.

Accepted: Which other med schools did you consider in addition to UVA? What tipped the scales to favor UVA?

Jennifer: I considered a number of schools, but I was ultimately drawn to UVA because I thought that I would be the happiest there. I really liked the fact that all the students I met were proud to be at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and not just happy to have “made it” to medical school in general. I also believed that UVA’s new curriculum and collaborative environment would complement the way that I learned and allow me to excel as a medical student. When I interviewed, I also got the impression that students and faculty were excited about my interests outside of medicine – it was important to me find a school where all my intellectual interests would be supported.

Accepted: As a second year med student, can you offer some advice to students who will start med school in the fall?



Jennifer: There is no single path to succeeding in medical school. Everyone is different and you really need to understand yourself, your values and your future goal in order to make the best decisions. Your goals can also change over time! Be open to that change and take in as many experiences as you can. I’ve learned A LOT about myself over the past year and a half, so I suppose these are my pearls of wisdom:

1. Unless prestige is your sole source of happiness, do not choose a school based on its name! Medical school is really hard, and it’s going to be difficult no matter where you go. Unless you are a colossal hot mess, you are going to be a doctor – take comfort in that. Don’t forget however, that life doesn’t start when we reach the end goal of receiving that MD. The journey getting there is important! Don’t neglect it. If you have the privilege to choose between several schools, here are two factors you should keep in mind: (1) Grading Systems – You should choose a school that supports your learning style – Pass/Fail grading systems allow students to collaborate and teach each other in ways rendered impossible by “competitive” grading systems. (2) Location – If you have the choice, choose a school in location you love! 80% of your time will be spent being a medical student. How will you spend the remaining 20% of your time? Can you live a fulfilling life outside of the classroom?

2. Go to as many social orientation events as you can – especially if you plan on living alone! I didn’t attend many events because my moving situation was somewhat complicated, but I do wish that I was able to meet more of my classmates earlier on and maximize my chances of finding the people I genuinely connected with sooner rather than later.

3. Medical school can be all encompassing. Some people become so consumed that they forget what it’s like to be a civilian and talk about regular things. Diversify your world! Make friends with law school students, business school students or even people in town. I’m thankful that my social circle extends beyond the medical school – I think it helps keep me sane!

4. Medical school is hard and it can get really lonely sometimes. Some people are quick to give you the impression that their lives are perfect, and that you are the only one struggling. Don’t buy it and don’t let anyone make you feel like you are alone in feeling this way. It’s okay to cry sometimes! Just try not to wallow in your sorrow, because at some point it will become counterproductive. Breathe, stretch, shake and let it go. You aren’t the first to experience the hardships of medical school and you certainly won’t be the last. I find that talking to my friends in the classes above me always helps. The FIRST thing they always say is “I remember feeling that way.”

5. It’s hard, but don’t compare yourself to others! People are always buying extra books and reading supplementary resources. You, in turn, may feel pressured to do the same. I certainly did and as a result I’m probably Amazon’s favorite customer. Part of the challenge of medical school is finding what resources work for you. It’s difficult because you move through the material so quickly and the resources that helped you learn biochemistry may not be helpful in immunology. I know it’s the most unhelpful advice ever, but you will hear it over and over again – find what works for you. No one can tell you how to learn – they can only tell you how THEY learn. I adjusted my learning strategies a million times. Don’t be afraid to change how you study. As Albert Einstein once said “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Accepted: Can you share some application/MCAT tips with us?

Jennifer: In terms of the MCAT, practice, practice, practice! Do MCAT-style practice questions from the very beginning of your preparation. I made the mistake of trying to read everything first and then doing practice questions later, as a result I had to take the exam twice. It basically ruined my senior spring. Furthermore, don’t waste your time doing questions that are not multiple choice and written like the exam. Half of the MCAT battle is understanding how to work through the questions. I really recommend ExamKrackers for Biology, Organic Chemistry and the English/Verbal section. There are 1001 practice questions in each book and I did them all. For Chemistry and Physics I did a mix of Kaplan and Princeton review. I’m not sure which one helped me more, but I just think the volume of questions I exposed myself to really boosted my confidence in the subject matter.

Don’t be afraid of practice tests! You should NEVER go into the exam unsure of where you stand. My practice tests were pretty accurate predictors of my official score. You will never be 100% prepared, but if you don’t feel like your practice test scores represent your full potential, consider postponing the exam. These tests are expensive and time-consuming, but a bad score can be really detrimental to your application. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices to pursue the career of our dreams. I had to sacrifice going to Las Vegas with a group of my best friends during my senior spring. Would I sacrifice the trip again? YES. Medicine is competitive profession, so you need to be competitive applicant! A good MCAT score will not get you in, but a bad score can certainly keep you out.

In terms of applying to medical school…the process begins LONG before you start the AMCAS application. As soon as you think you may want to become a physician you need to expose yourself to as much of the field as you can. Shadow local doctors, volunteer in hospitals, find mentors and invest time in long-term activities, either clinical or research oriented – depending on your interests. Most importantly, you need to do what you love. The written portion of the medical school application is all about the experiences you have had, what you have learned from them, and how they will help you become the best physician you can be. There will be thousands of biology majors applying to medical school with similar test scores and resumes. There is however, only ONE of you! You are the only person who has lived your life, seen what you have seen, and learned what you have learned. Find what makes you a special and unique and capitalize on that! I love giving premeds advice so you can always tweet me @JenniferAdaeze!

Accepted: Can you recommend a nice coffee shop in the area – a place where you can either study or relax and hang out with friends?

Jennifer: I know it’s boring and predictable, but I have to say I’m a huge fan of Starbucks! Maybe it’s because I’m from New York, but something about the corporate coldness feels like home! No one talks to you, and its wonderfully productive! I completed most of my medical school applications at Starbucks. I prepared for the MCAT and USMLE Step 1 there too. Venti White Chocolate Mocha all day every day!

In Charlottesville, I’ve been to a few cute cafes called Feast, Para Coffee and Mudhouse. Those are also popular amongst students the here!

Do you want to be featured in Accepted.com’s blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Our new special report, Ace the AMCAS Essay, will significantly help you write winning AMCAS essays by offering tips on every aspect of the essay writing process. In this free special report, we’ll address the who, what, why, and how of writing AMCAS essays by asking (and then answering) these critical questions:

• WHO Should Write Your AMCAS Essay?
• WHY Do We Have Personal Statements?
• WHAT Should You Write in Your AMCAS Essay?
• HOW Should You Structure Your Essay?

Take action NOW in optimizing your chances of gaining acceptance to your top choice med school when you download Ace the AMCAS Essay today!

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Here are 5 immediate to-do’s:

1. Decide when to take the MCAT. If you haven’t already registered to take a prep course and the exam, do so ASAP. You want to give yourself enough time to take the MCAT and then retake the exam if you receive a less-than-desirable score. If you already have your score or will have it shortly, congrats!
2. Seek out recommenders. Again, you may think you have time to ask professors or employers to write you a letter of rec, but a) the sooner you ask, the better your chances are that they won’t be late, and b) you want your recommender to have her experience with you fresh in her mind – like if she is a professor from last semester, you don’t want to wait until summer, when she hasn’t heard from you in months, to approach her.
3. Check your transcripts. It’s your job to make sure that your transcripts are error-free. Just take a look to make sure everything is there so that if there’s a mistake, you’ll be able to file the paperwork and speak to the right people and get it in tip-top condition.
4. Research med schools. You’ll want to acquaint yourself with different approaches to medical education and focus on those schools that provide the approach that appeals to you
5. Plan to send in your AMCAS application well before the deadlines – as soon after June 1 as possible. Don’t compromise the quality of your education by rushing it, but the earlier the better!

Sounds like a lot? No one ever said applying to medical school was easy. But still, don’t stress – completing these to-do’s puts you five steps ahead in the med school application process!

For more med school admissions advice check out our popular Med School Admissions 101 resource pages.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Show the adcoms that you’ve got the skills and the tools needed to give back.

Schools want to see that the applicants will actively participate in and contribute to their student bodies and alumni communities, not to mention the greater community and society. Yet grandiose, declarative statements and promises to be a superlative do-gooder are unpersuasive.

So how is an applicant to show what he or she will do in the future? Point to the past. Most admission committees are firm believers that past behavior reveals abilities and interests and is a good predictor of the future.

Here are four tips to help you relay the message that you plan on achieving greatness by contributing to your school/community/world-at-large, by highlighting your impressive past.

1. Share the story of past achievements and quantify if possible the impact you had.

By showing how you’ve already contributed, you demonstrate that you have the initiative, people skills, and organizational talent to make an impact in the future.

2. Discuss skills you’ve developed that will aid to future contributions.

You can show the adcoms that you’re prepared to give back by proving that you’ve got the skills and the tools needed. Use evidence to support your skill development by talking about how you’ve worked to build your skill set, i.e. by taking a course or through work experience, etc. Analyze your success and failures (when asked for the latter) to reveal that you are a thinking, growing, dynamic individual. And when asked about failures or setbacks, discuss what you learned from the tough times. Demonstrate a growth mindset.

3. Show how your skills are transferable.

To contribute to your classmates or school, you’ll need to show how your unique talents or experiences can be shared with your classmates, professors, or work colleagues. Talk about how your skills, understanding, and ethics can impact those around you.

4. Mention how your target school will help.

Now the adcom readers know that you’ve got skills and that you’re ready to share them. Next, you need to reinforce the idea that their school is THE PLACE to accelerate your upward trajectory.

A good essay on your contributions will cover each of the above topics – what you’ve done in the past, how you’ve developed your skills, how you plan on sharing that knowledge, and how your target school will help you effect change. Remember, the past reveals much about the future, so share the story of what you’ve done and how you’ve reached this point and you’ll be well on your way to proving that you’ve got what it takes to contribute in the future.

 Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

What’s next if you didn’t match?

NRMP is reporting record high participation once again in the residency match process for 2013 [nrmp.org]. But what’s next if you didn’t match?

Think about why you may not have matched, so you can strengthen your candidacy. Did you apply to too few programs? To the wrong programs? Were there gaps or weaknesses in your application? Do an honest assessment of your candidacy.

Next, think about what you might want to do in the coming year:

- Do you want to do a year of research?
- Is delaying med school graduation an option? (This would allow you to pursue more rotations and reapply during next year’s Match. The viability of this option depends on your school.)
- You could register with the AAMC’s “find a resident” service to search for available positions.
- Are you interested in pursuing a different degree, such as an MPH or MBA, and then reapplying for the Match when you finish?

Whatever you decide, don’t be discouraged—and good luck!
  By Dr. Rebecca Blustein, Accepted.com editor and former Student Affairs Officer at UCLA’s Scholarship Resource Center, and author of Financing Your Future: Winning Fellowships, Scholarships and Awards for Grad School. Rebecca will be happy to assist you with your med school and residency applications.

• Talking about who you WISH you were.
• Exaggerating your volunteer achievements.
• Making up job titles to boost your employment profile.
• Cracking jokes when you’re really not such a funny person.
• Using big words that you found in a thesaurus when you have no idea what they mean.

Instead, when introducing yourself to the adcom, follow these simple tips:

• Use your own, authentic voice in your writing.
• Talk about what’s important to YOU instead of what you think the adcom want to hear.
• Tell things as they are – you don’t want to get the boot because a fact checker shows that you were really an “Office Assistant” instead of an “Office Manager.”
• Use a dictionary/thesaurus to ensure you use words correctly, not to engage in communicative creativity…

In short, if you want to stand out among the throngs of applicants in your field, your goal shouldn’t be to introduce yourself as a superhuman, god-like overachiever; instead introduce yourself as you actually are, with your unique interests, passions, accomplishments, and voice. This will be the most extraordinary, stand-out, note-worthy introduction. Not the introduction that makes the adcom members roll their eyes and say “yeah right.”


Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Can a top medical school open the door to a top residency program?

Last week, US News and World Report released their list of the 2014 Best Medical Schools (designed for applicants to the Class of 2014). Their rankings are not at all surprising – in primary care, nine of the top 10 are still holding strong, with only the University of Alabama Birmingham rising from last year’s #12 rank (replacing UCLA); the top 12 programs for research stayed the same, with a bit of shuffling in the ranks.

Not that these lists of so-called “best” medical schools are ever surprising. Based on such factors as admission statistics, research dollars, and students entering primary care fields (see their full ranking methodology), the rankings are to a large extent self-perpetuating. Highly ranked schools attract more applications, therefore boosting their selectivity by decreasing the ratio of “accepted” applicants while raising MCAT and GPA scores. Likewise, established research programs are more likely to receive continued funding, which feeds into higher research rankings.

Further, the data is highly suspect, as medical deans have pointed out. For instance, one of USNWR’s measures is based on residency program directors’ impressions of each medical school, but historically the majority of directors have declined to participate; last year only 17% participated in the USNWR survey. In fact, the AAMC still refers applicants to a 2001 critique of the USNWR rankings, which concludes that they “have no practical value and fail to meet standards of journalistic ethics.”

So what, if anything, do these rankings mean to the medical school hopeful? Besides the bragging rights a medical school gets for a top slot, is the medical education they offer any better? And is a med student’s shot at a top residency significantly improved by attending a “top 10” school?

In business and law schools, career success – and commensurate salaries – is reflected in large part by school rankings. A Harvard MBA opens doors to Fortune 100 companies that are closed to graduates of lesser known programs. Medical education does not work like this, no matter how hard U.S. News and World Report tries to shove it into the same mold. The future of a medical student’s career depends on the choice of specialty and residency. An orthopedic surgeon with a degree from Podunk School of Medicine will probably make significantly more than a GP from Harvard.

Can a top medical school open the door to a top residency program? Opinions vary – and naturally, it’s the top programs who claim it does, while lower-tier programs claim it makes no difference. Fortunately we have hard data to settle this dispute. Each year, the NRMP publishes the NRMP Program Director Survey Results and asks what factors influence the decision to interview a particular candidate. The reputation of the medical school always ranks around 50%; in the latest report, it was the 23rd most important consideration, far below the top three factors: the Step 1 score, letters of recommendation from within the specialty, and the applicant’s personal statement.

So in the end, does a top ranking or a program’s reputation never matter? Of course not. Residency selection is subjective and program directors often trust their alma maters or networks to supply candidates. But the question is whether rankings like this one from USNWR are something you need to worry about as you apply to medical school.

The “best” medical schools, in my opinion, are those that are accredited, that offer the clinical and research opportunities you want, and that produce competitive residents who match. No matter what USNWR says, if you can win a seat at one of the many outstanding allopathic or osteopathic programs in the U.S., your future in medicine is bright.

By Cydney Foote, Accepted consultant and author of Write Your Way to Medical School, who has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001.

• 29,171 positions were offered during the 2013 Match Day. That’s up 2,399 from last year and an all time high.
• The number of grads choosing primary care (family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics) rose by nearly 400 doctors in 2012.
• In total (among U.S. med school seniors), there were 3,135 internal medicine matches; 1,837 pediatric matches; and 1,355 family medicine matches.
• The number of graduates of osteopathic rose by 317 doctors over 2012 for a total of 2,677.
• 5,095 American students graduated from international med schools in 2013, up 816 from 2012 and up 1,700 from 2008.
• 7,568 non-U.S. citizens graduated from international med schools in 2013 – 740 students more than last year.
• Of the 25,463 successful residency matches, 16,390 of them were from U.S. med schools.
• 78.8% of U.S. seniors matched at one of the top thee residency programs; more than half matched at their top choice.

For more details, see the NRMP press release.




Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

U.S. News

Top 10 Med Schools: Primary Care

1. University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
2. University of Washington
3. Oregon Health and Science University
4. University of California – San Francisco
5. University of Colorado – Denver
6. University of Nebraska Medical Center
7. University of Minnesota
8. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
9. University of Massachusetts – Worcester
10. University of Alabama – Birmingham

Top 10 Med Schools: Research

1. Harvard University
2. Stanford University
3. Johns Hopkins University
4. University of California – San Francisco
4. University of Pennsylvania – Perelman
6. Washington University in St. Louis
7. Yale University
8. Columbia University
9. Duke University
10. University of Chicago – Pritzker
11. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Links for more info:

- About the Rankings Methodologies (U.S. News)
- Write Your Way to Medical School (Accepted.com)
- How to Write about Your Research Interests (Accepted.com)



Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Dr. Drew Appleby

For this week’s episode of Accepted Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s biweekly podcast, we interviewed Drew Appleby, Professor Emeritus at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, who identified five types of applicant errors. These mistakes decrease candidates’ chances of acceptance to graduate school – even if the applicants have stellar stats.

Check out the full recording to learn more about these “Kisses of Death.”

01:58:00 – Introducing Dr. Drew Appleby in Admissions Straight Talk.

02:40:00 – How Dr. Appleby discovered the Kisses of Death.

05:20:00 – Why letters of recommendations are so important.

07:52:00 – The difference between good grades and motivation.

14:18:00 – How personal is too personal?

15:50:00 – Choosing relevant letters of recommendation.

18: 54:00 – Lack of information about the program to which you are applying AKA when you just go by the rankings.

20:00:00 – Importance of good writing skills.

21: 00:00 – Misfired attempts to impress the adcom.

24:15:00 – Help your professors write the best letters of recommendation.

28:40:00 – How undergrads should determine professional goals.

33:51:00 – Dr. Appleby’s sound bites to live by: 1. Know Thyself 2. To Thine Own Self be True, and 3. Just Do It.

37:49:00 – What should an applicant focus on when drafting a statement of purpose?

41:20:00 – 3 most memorable “words of wisdom” at the psychology orientation panel.

42:36:00 – Learn more about Dr. Drew Appleby.

Subscribe to Admissions Straight Talk in iTunes so you don’t miss any segments! Stay in the admissions know. (And while you’re there, feel free to leave us a review.)

*Theme music is courtesy of podcastthemes.com.

Shownote Links:

• Summary: How to Avoid the Grad School Application Kisses of Death
• Full report: Kisses of Death in the Graduate School Application Process
• Download special report: Get Your Game On
• O’Net http://www.onetonline.org/
• Form: Request a Strong Letter of Recommendation
• Dr. Drew Appleby’s page

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

“Passion” has a sexy ring to it. An emotional, visceral appeal. It evokes images of glamorous actors and actresses in hot and heavy romances. The good guy in a Frank Capra film changing history. Generals exhorting the troops before sending them into battle.

Forget the steamy romances. Forget the hero delivering a stirring speech. Forget the generals addressing their troops.

That’s not what we’re talking about in admissions.

“Passion” in admissions — be it college, MBA, law school, medical school, or grad school — means dedication. It means commitment. It requires action over time. It can be very calculated and goal oriented, and not at all glamorous. It may lead to a feverish culmination, an earth-shattering moment, and it may not. It can be any one of the following and an infinite number of other activities:

• Spending hours practicing the cello day-in and day out, year after year.
• Assuming responsibility for an annual silent auction that raises thousands of dollars for your favorite cause during the five years that you have chaired it.
• Training and training and training so that you beat your personal best in the race of your choice.
• Volunteering at a medical or legal clinic twice a week since your sophomore year in college.

Next time you see the word “passion” in an admissions context, look between the lines. Read “dedication.” And those calculating, number-crunching, spreadsheet addicts among you, remember this equation: Passion = Action + Dedication.

Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best