Blog

You are currently browsing the Medical School & Healthcare Programs category.

Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose

Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose

All original essays have a unique theme, and it can take time and careful thought to identify what yours should be. If you go back to the essays we examined in the previous post in this series, you will see that the public health program applicant opened her essay by cleverly presenting her theme in the form …

Read More

How to Answer the AMCAS Other Impactful Experiences Question

An ipad wit the AMCAS Work and Activities Section

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,” the …

Read More

How Should I Prepare for Medical School in College? [Timeline]

How Should I Prepare for Medical School in College? [Timeline]

Preparing for medical school isn’t something you cram into the year you apply, it’s a four-year process that starts the moment you set foot on campus. Each year of college plays a distinct role in shaping a strong, competitive medical school application, from building your academic foundation to developing meaningful clinical, research, and leadership experiences. …

Read More

What to Expect After Medical School

What to Expect After Medical School

You don’t just graduate from med school and then apply for a job. Let’s take a look at the path to becoming a doctor following graduation.  Table of Contents Phase 1: Internship Some programs call the internship a PGY-1 (post-graduate Year 1). At this stage, you have an MD or DO after your name, but …

Read More

Four Tips for High School Students Interested in a Career in Medicine

Four Tips for High School Students Interested in a Career in Medicine

The average age for a first-year medical student (known as an M1) is 24. This means that if you are currently a 15-year-old high school freshman and are an aspiring doctor, you have approximately nine years to learn, explore, and discover as much as you can about the field of medicine!  So, if you are …

Read More

Inside the University of Miami’s Three-Year M.D. Accelerated Pathway [Episode 615]

Admissions Straight Talk Episode 615

In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Dr. Jonathan Tolentino about the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s innovative three-year Accelerated Pathway to Residency Program. Designed for students with a clear specialty focus, this program allows participants to earn their MD in 36 months while maintaining rigorous academic …

Read More

The University of Connecticut School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips and Timeline [2025–2026], Class Profile

The University of Connecticut School of Medicine

The University of Connecticut School of Medicine (UConn SOM), founded in 1961, is a public medical school located in Farmington, Connecticut. Located at the University of Connecticut Health Center, the UConn SOM also includes the School of Dental Medicine, graduate programs in Biomedical Science and Public Health, the UConn John Dempsey Hospital, research buildings, and …

Read More

Should You Consider a Caribbean Medical School?

Caribbean Medical School

If the application season isn’t going as you’d hoped, your thoughts might turn to alternative routes for your medical education. Perhaps you’re thinking about retaking the MCAT, boosting your GPA with postbaccalaureate coursework, or spending a year in a clinical or research environment. Or you might be thinking about warm, tropical breezes and the island …

Read More

The Bryn Mawr Postbac Premed Program [Episode 614]

The Bryn Mawr Postback Program podcast episode

In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Dr. Valerie Wherley welcomes Dr. Glenn Cummings, associate dean and director of health professions advising at Bryn Mawr, for an in-depth look at one of the nation’s oldest and most respected career-changer post-bac pathways. Dr. Cummings explains the distinctive mission and history of the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program – …

Read More

Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips and Timeline [2025–2026], Class Profile

The Geisel School of Medicine Admissions Building

The Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and is the fourth-oldest medical school in the United States. On its website, the school sums up its mission as follows: “We address the world’s health problems through research and discovery, the evaluation and improvement of systems of healthcare, and the education of …

Read More

Top Qualities for Physician Assistant Applications

Physician Assistant applicant wondering what to highlight in his application

The Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) is an online platform where prospective students can apply to multiple physician assistant (PA) programs with one application. Competitive CASPA applications highlight both hard skills and soft skills learned, applied, and demonstrated in a variety of settings.  For many PA applicants, showcasing hard skills – or skills …

Read More

Schedule a Personalized, No-Commitment Profile Evaluation

In this 30-minute session, one of our admissions consultants will review your profile, assess your chances of acceptance at your target programs, and tell you exactly where you stand.

Book Your Free Consultation