Most higher education institutions promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as core values attached to their institutional mission, because doing so is crucial for ensuring a welcoming and inclusive campus environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Best practice recommends that DEI senior officers answer directly to a university or college’s president, thereby ensuring that…
MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
The Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Medical School Applications
You’ve probably read about the odds of being admitted to medical school. In the unlikely event that you haven’t and are currently in a good mood, don’t. Here’s the short version: requirements start with an excellent GPA and MCAT score. Most applicants have both. The definition of “excellent” varies from school to school, but no…
Get Accepted to Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine [Episode 530]
In this episode, Professor of Medicine and Medical Education and Associate Dean of Admissions at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University explains the draw of the close-knit community at Dartmouth, why the school doesn’t send secondaries to applicants with an MCAT below 503, and how to ace Geisel’s secondary. [SHOW SUMMARY] Are you…
Prewriting Secondaries for Medical School
It’s June, and you’ve submitted your application to medical school. Perfect, but are you feeling restless now? Many applicants feel as though they are pacing the floors during the down weeks between submitting their primary application and receiving secondary essay prompt invitations. If this is you, why not begin prewriting secondaries based on predictable secondary…
Eight Tips for Attention-Grabbing Resumes
What should you include in your application resume? What should you leave out? What sort of tone should your resume have? The following eight tips will help you create an impressive, persuasive resume: 1. Learn what your target program is looking for. The best way to convince the admissions board to offer you a spot…
Teamwork in Medical School Admissions: How to Show You’ve Got It
In this post: Why do medical schools value teamwork? When the Institute of Medicine Committee on Quality of Health Care in America published its 2000 report “To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System,” the authors attributed most medical errors to two key deficits: (1) a lack of communication and (2) dysfunctional teamwork. It…
How to Answer the AMCAS Other Impactful Experiences Question (Formerly the Statement of Disadvantage)
If you have experienced any form of severe hardship – at any time in your life – medical schools want to know. Prior to the 2023-2024 cycle, AMCAS allowed candidates to self-identify as a disadvantaged applicant because of social, economic, or educational circumstances. Aiming to leave behind the negative connotations of the term “disadvantaged,” this…
Premed Confidential: The Wisdom of Journaling
In a minute, I’m going to provide some rock-solid advice that, if experience is any guide, you’ll ignore. You’ll ignore it even though, on some level, you suspect it’s sound advice that would boost the odds of your being admitted to medical school, if only you would act on it. So I’m going to begin…
Encore: Casper, A Situational Judgment Test: All You Need to Know [Episode 527]
Thanks for joining me for the 527th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Are you applying to a program that requires a situational judgment test (SJT)? Currently, many top med schools require applicants to submit scores from the Casper, an online, open-response SJT offered by Acuity Insights. This week, we are airing an encore of a…
Leadership in Admissions
Maria was a pediatric oncology nurse who tenderly promised each child she cared for that she would always tell them the truth about what was about to happen to them in the hospital. Ben was an army captain who joined his troops cleaning bathrooms in the punishing heat of Iraq. Amy was a social worker…
How to Apply Successfully to Med School from Postbac Programs [Episode 526]
In this episode, the founder and former Director of San Francisco State University Postbac Programs and Accepted consultant since 2015 explains why the fastest way to medical school is slowly and carefully, and explores the advantages and disadvantages of applying to med school from a postbac program. [SHOW SUMMARY] Are you in a postbac program…
How Service To School Helps Veterans Get Accepted to Grad School [Episode 524]
In this episode, the CEO of Service to School and the Chief Programs Officer at Service to School explore the resources available to active duty service members and veterans through the nonprofit and give practical examples of translating military experience into public sector terms. [SHOW SUMMARY] Are you a veteran considering grad school? Are you…
Applying to Medical School with a Low Science GPA
The process of applying to medical school is stressful. And since selection committees are looking for evidence that you are ready for medical school, applying with a low science GPA can make the process even more nerve-wracking. If you have a low science (or BCPM [biology, chemistry, physics, and math]) GPA, you have two options….
What’s New with the 2024 AMCAS Application?
The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) opened on May 2nd for the 2024 application cycle. If you are busily writing and preparing to submit your application, please note the following changes to this year’s application. Identifying Information The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has added two additional options in the “Identifying Information” section…
Four Tips for Applying as an Underrepresented Applicant in Medicine
Each year, I talk to applicants who say they don’t want to make a fuss about their ethnic or racial identity. Their hesitation usually comes from the desire to be judged purely on their own merits. While this is a noble principle, it’s important to look at why having underrepresented groups in medicine is desirable,…
Rejection and Reapplication: How to Respond [Episode 523]
Rejection and Reapplication: How to Respond [Show summary] Admissions guru Linda Abraham highlights four reasons that could cause a rejection and offers concrete, practical suggestions for moving forward. Rejection and Reapplication: How to Respond [Show notes] Some of you unfortunately are facing a fistful of dings. Some of you haven’t heard definitively. You are either…
The AMCAS Primary “Deadline”
In just a few days, many of you will want to submit your medical school primary application. You’ve probably heard that you need to click “send” on the first day possible – May 30, 2023 – if you want your best shot. But just how true is that? The AMCAS primary deadline: Myth vs. reality…
Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay
What is the diversity question in a school application, and why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? Most importantly, how should you respond? Diversity is of supreme value in higher education, and schools want to know how every student will contribute to it in their community. A diversity essay is an…
Get Accepted to the Michigan State’s MD Program [Episode 522]
In this episode, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Admissions at Michigan State’s College of Human Medicine discusses ChatGPT in the admissions process, gives advice for reapplicants, and explains how med school applicants should choose where to apply. [SHOW SUMMARY] Michigan State’s College of Human Medicine provides an innovative, patient-centered curriculum with multiple specialties and…
How to Improve Your Experiences for Your Med School Reapplication
One factor that can seriously hurt your chances of getting accepted to med school is a lack of substantive, ongoing service experiences, both clinical and nonclinical. 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…
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