We cannot stress enough how important it is to understand and think about a medical school’s mission statement when you are applying. Successful applicants not only demonstrate that they have the essential qualifications a particular school wants, but they also prove that their interests and values align closely with those of the school.
Why are med school mission statements so important?
While every U.S. medical school can provide an education that will prepare you for a career as a successful physician, the different schools’ social missions vary greatly. Being familiar with each program’s mission statement will help you narrow down your choices and apply only to the schools where you’d genuinely be happy. Understanding a program’s mission will help you fine-tune your secondary essays and prepare for your interview so you can best express your fit with the program.
Reading between the lines of med school mission statements
Let’s unpack three medical schools’ mission statements to understand what they are saying about the schools.
Medical School A’s Mission Statement
Medical School A’s mission statement declares that the program strives to do the following:
1. “Produce leaders in medicine.”
Translation: We are not just looking for good clinicians, we want people who aspire to be leaders in the field of medicine. Highlighting your leadership activities will be crucial at this institution.
2. “Understand health and disease through biomedical research.”
Translation: Research experience is important to us. A single summer of research might not be sufficient here. Thesis-based research, done over a year or more, is more likely to get this school’s attention.
3. “Effectiveness in assembling, organizing, and interpreting data for use in clinical decision-making for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of disease.”
Translation: Research, again! Did you complete an independent project that allowed you to collect data and organize and interpret that data to reach a conclusion? Those skill sets are important to this institution.
4. “Understand the limits of personal knowledge and experience, able to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, and seek to actively pursue the acquisition of new knowledge and skills.”
Translation: Do you like to learn new things, and are you someone who is always looking for answers? Some of the activities this school will find attractive in a candidate include an independent studies project, study abroad, and learning a new language.
Medical School B’s Mission Statement
Medical School B’s mission statement includes the following:
1. “Committed to creativity and innovation in medicine.”
Translation: We want people who can think independently and with originality. If you can show how you’ve resolved a problem that no one else could, discovered an innovative way to manage your RA duties in the dorm, or developed an app to help other students organize their time better, this school will find your application compelling.
2. “Foster intellectual, racial, social, and cultural diversity.”
Translation: We want people who have significant exposure to and experience with diversity. Does your basketball team look like a poster for the UN, and you’ve been its captain for several seasons? Do you speak multiple languages and have lived or worked in areas requiring an acute knowledge of another country’s social and cultural norms? Have you done volunteer work in communities profoundly different from your own? Such experiences will almost be a requirement for this school.
3. “Foster empathy, justice, collaboration, self-education, and respect for others.”
Translation: We want students who have the ability to be good colleagues, take a humanistic approach to health care, and are passionate about lifelong learning. Collaborations, either in clubs, research, or even sports and entertainment, will be important to highlight. For example, perhaps you were on the ethics committee at your school or started a humanism in medicine student group on your campus. Your coursework is important, too: courses in medicine and law and classes that intersect science and art can demonstrate your interest in this area. Humanism in medicine is a big deal, so look at this school’s website for classes, seminars, and/or podcasts they offer in this discipline.
Medical School C’s Mission Statement
Medical School C says their mission is to achieve the following:
1. “Educate a diverse body of students and advance medical knowledge in a dynamic and collaborative environment.”
Translation: We value teamwork and the differing perspectives that come from diverse contributors. You will want to focus on times when you have been a part of – or even created – inclusive, cooperative environments, as well as the unique perspectives you can bring to the medical school environment. Were you involved in an interfaith organization? Did you lead group sessions in a rehab or recovery facility? Does your philosophy major give you different perspectives that you can add to the conversation? Any of these can demonstrate your ability to contribute in a collaborative environment.
2. “Foster the development of dedicated clinicians, scientists, public health professionals, and educators.”
Translation: We have a broad view of the healthcare profession and recognize that there are many ways to improve patients’ well-being. If your interests are more focused on community welfare or public health than on research, this school could be a better fit. You might emphasize your ability to work effectively in interprofessional environments with people from different industries, or your experiences educating students of varying abilities as a teaching assistant or tutor.
3. “[Have] a sustained positive impact on the health of individuals, communities, and the world.”
Translation: We are looking for students who will devote themselves to continued growth and service throughout their careers. Demonstrating that you have a clear purpose that is focused on social and health equity, and sharing how you have worked toward it, will be very important for this school.
On one hand, these schools’ values are very similar in nature – all of them want to train compassionate, competent clinicians. However, Medical School A clearly shows a desire for significant research and leadership, while Medical School B seems most interested in creativity and collaboration, and Medical School C wants to create an inclusive, collaborative, and interprofessional environment. While the experiences you have to offer will be exactly the same for all three schools, you can present yourself to the best advantage for each school by highlighting these experiences from different angles.
The importance of “fit”
Once you understand a school’s mission statement, you can frame your background and past experiences to match the school’s goals. You can also determine whether you are a good fit for the school – and whether it is a good fit for you. While reviewing med school mission statements, ask yourself the following two questions:
1. Will you fit into the culture of the school?
Adcoms seek candidates who will match their program’s culture – future students who will feel comfortable being themselves and contributing to the classroom or campus environment. The adcom is essentially putting together a puzzle, looking for diverse students with shared ideals who will fit together to create a cohesive class.
If a school emphasizes its collaborative culture or a teaching approach that focuses on problem-based learning or another very hands-on style, you’ll want to demonstrate that those values are important to you as well. If you prefer to work alone, and this is evident in your experiences, then a culture of teamwork might not be a good fit for you. Make sure your essays and interview answers complement the school’s ideals and that you are the missing piece of your target school’s puzzle.
2. Does the school fit with your goals?
You want to apply to programs that will support your goals and aspirations. If the program’s ideals align with yours, you’ll receive greater support during your med school journey and have a much better chance of achieving your professional dreams. If research is your passion, but your target school’s focus is almost entirely clinical, then… well, that school shouldn’t be your target.
Knowing which schools have successfully helped others achieve goals similar to yours will not only help you choose the right schools but also position you to show those programs that your goals align with theirs. If you have an idea of the type of residency you hope to pursue, check the stats on residency placement for different programs. Show how your shared passion for primary care and your extensive experience shadowing a family doctor have prepared you to reach your future goals. Or show how your time scribing in an orthopedic clinic cultivated your passion for surgery, which connects to the school’s research and elective offerings.
Paying attention to these subtle nuances between schools can either strengthen or weaken your position as a candidate. You should start this research at the beginning of the admissions process and return to it later on, when you are writing secondaries and preparing for interviews. Take time to assess your core values and – to the extent that time allows – boost your participation in leadership and scholarship. Look for opportunities to showcase your empathy. Brief exposure is not enough; you want to show ongoing interest in, and the advancement of, all the skill sets that will help you develop into a successful physician.
Medical school applicants can find the different med schools’ mission statements on the AAMC website.
Work one-on-one with a medical school admissions pro who will help you define your goals, choose programs with mission statements that match your goals, and then apply successfully and get accepted!
Since 2001, Cydney Foote has advised hundreds of successful applicants for medical and dental education, residency and fellowship training, and other health-related degrees. Admissions consulting combines her many years of creating marketing content with five years on fellowship and research selection committees at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She’s also shared her strategy for impressing interviewers in a popular webinar and written three books and numerous articles on the admissions process. Want Cydney to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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