When premed students contact us about guiding them through the medical school application process, many of their questions are related to timing. “When should I…” is a frequent question-starter. While there is no one answer that applies to everyone, here are guidelines we use when advising our medical school applicant clients. The common thread throughout…
How Should I Prepare For Medical School in College?
Follow the guidelines below to create a winning medical school application! Click here for a key that will enable you to easily use the advice below, if you are starting the process later than your first year of college. Freshman Year Steps to take during your freshman year: 1. Look for possible mentors 2. Volunteer…
What Are Med Schools Looking For?
Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Your undergrad career is coming to an end, and it’s time to start applying to med schools. Having done your research, you know where you’d like to apply. But what are med schools looking for in an applicant? Here are the lucky 13 things…
How Can Introverts (And Anyone Else) Do Well on the MMI?
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) was designed at McMaster University in Canada to better evaluate an applicant’s interpersonal skills and predict performance in medical school. Like all other interviewers, MMI interviewers are looking for problem solving, communications skills, and the ability to listen to and respond to another person. The benefit of the MMI (to…
Practicing for Your Med School Interview: Conversation 101
Most applicants come away from their first med school interview saying, “that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” As in many areas of life, the anticipation of a stressful event can be worse than the event itself. Although many med schools work hard to make applicants feels relaxed, this doesn’t mean you…
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Secondary Application Essay Tips
“At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we are dramatically advancing the art and science of medical care through an atmosphere of intense collaborative learning, social concern, and scholarly inquiry.” Icahn is known for its progressive stance towards education. They have an early admission program for sophomores in college, called the FlexMed Program,…
Yale School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips
“The mission of Yale School of Medicine is to educate and inspire scholars and future leaders who will advance the practice of medicine and the biomedical sciences.” As a top ten research institution, Yale is not simply interested in training students to practice good medicine. They are searching for physician-scientists who will take medical knowledge…
UCSF School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips
“At UCSF, our mission is to advance health worldwide, and we are attracting some of the nation’s best and brightest students to help us achieve that goal. One of the reasons our students come to UCSF is to work in a culture of discovery and innovation.” The feeling that applicants often get from a UCSF…
Keck School of Medicine of USC Secondary Application Essay Tips
“For more than a century, the doctors of the Keck School of Medicine of USC have cared for those of us who are most vulnerable. We accomplish this through excellence in research, clinical care and education.” The Keck School of Medicine of USC is one of the largest teaching centers in the United States, with…
7 Tips for Matching at an OB-GYN Residency
I went to the 2017 ACOG Annual Meeting Residency Fair, where I talked with residency directors and senior residents about what they are looking for in their incoming class of interns. Here is what I learned, starting with seven tips for applying to an Ob-Gyn residency: 1. Do well on your USMLE, steps 1 and…
