Before he was Joshua Wienczkowski, MD, a prevention and addiction medicine specialist, he was a premed juggling coursework and extracurriculars and trying to make the right choices for his best shot at medical school. During his first year of medical school, he looked back on these choices with a critical eye. “When you burn through…
Tips for Getting into Medical School When Your Parent Is a Doctor
There has been an interesting shift in medical school admissions for applicants whose parents are doctors. In 1989, these applicants were 15% more likely to get into medical school. Ten years ago, students who had a physician for a parent were still more likely to get accepted into medical school. Ten years later, the opposite…
Should I Take a Gap Year Before Medical School?
Most students (44.8%) who took gap years did so for one to two years, 15.2% did so for three to four years, and 8.5% did so for five or more years. Clearly, the takeaway from this study is that more medical students who were accepted for 2021 admission took gap years than those who did…
Retaking Classes For Med School: What Every Premed Needs to Know
If you have retaken classes in the past – or expect to need to retake a class in the future – this post will help you understand this element of your profile, in general, for the AMCAS application, and for the AACOMAS application, as needed. 1. All grades earned are calculated into the cumulative GPA….
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…
3 Tips for Applying to Early Admissions Programs for Medical School
If you are absolutely certain that you want to pursue a medical education, applying to early admissions programs (EAPs) can give you the freedom to pursue any major. The Icahn School of Medicine’s FlexMed Program accepts students in the second semester of their sophomore year from all majors—the more diverse, the better. Flexmed’s only requirements…
MD/PA/NP/DO/DDS/MPH: What Do They Require? [Episode 499]
Discover the differences between and how to get accepted to common healthcare admissions tracks [Show Summary] Accepted consultant Dr. Valerie Wherley has an impressive and extensive background in pre-health, having advised thousands of students to acceptance at their dream schools and programs. In this highly informative podcast interview, she distinguishes the differences between common healthcare…
How to Shadow a Doctor
When looking for activities to include on your AMCAS application, shadowing is a powerful way to demonstrate your interest in and realistic knowledge of the field of medicine. Shadowing as many different kinds of doctors as you can is helpful; the only way to know whether you will enjoy a career in a particular area…
Predoc & Premed Summer Undergraduate Research Programs
Often, top medical schools in the U.S. offer predoc and premed summer undergraduate research programs. We’ve compiled an all-you-need-to-know chart that includes school name, deadlines, and links to the specific predoc/premed programs for more information. Why do these undergraduate research programs exist? The purpose of these programs is to expose ambitious, talented college students to…
How This Premed Student Got Accepted to Medical School Early [Episode 394]
Med applicant Mary Thomas shares her path to medical school acceptance early in this year’s application cycle [Show summary] Mary Thomas will begin her medical school studies next summer after receiving an exceptionally early acceptance in October. She shares how she achieved that early acceptance, along with insights into her application process and the personal…
All About SDN, The Largest Online Premed Community [Episode 347]
Interview with Dr. Lee Burnett and Laura Turner of Student Doctor Network [Show Summary] Applying to medical school is a stressful process, and applicants understandably are looking for all the help and support they can get along the way. Student Doctor Network (SDN) is leading the way in providing that support. Celebrating its 20th anniversary,…
How Important is Volunteering for Medical School Admissions?
Volunteering is crucial for medical school applicants. Here’s why: Med schools aren’t just looking for science geeks who’ve never stepped outside the lab. They’re looking for students who will not just succeed in the classroom, but who have also had rich and varied experiences that will make them stand out as interesting and passionate individuals…
How to Show that YOU Want to be a Doctor
“My mom is a doctor, my dad is a doctor. How can I prove to the med school admissions committees that I really want to be a doctor?” Concerned that your application doesn’t demonstrate the extent of your personal commitment to medicine? An experienced admissions consultant can guide you as you craft an application…
8 New Year’s Resolutions Med School Applicants Need to Keep
Everyone knows that New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken, but if you want to get into med school in 2020, then you’ll want to keep these New Year’s resolutions: Resolution #1: Sign up ASAP for an MCAT course so you’re completely prepared to take the test early. It’s preferable that you take the…
The BEST Advice for New Med School Applicants
We asked some of our consultants for the top piece of advice they would give to applicants just starting the med school admissions process. Here’s what they said… Cydney Foote: I often hear applicants say “I thought the admissions committee would want to hear about _____” (fill in the blank with research, a medical mission,…
Life of a Former Med Student, Now Physician [Episode 290]
Interview with Dr. Charles Cochran, anesthesiologist and blogger [Show Summary] Are you wondering what life is like as a med student? Resident? Practicing physician? Do you want to graduate without mountains of debt? Do you want to be able to have work/life balance when you start practicing? Interested in rural medicine? Anesthesiology? Hear from Dr….
5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Medical School Profile Early On
Are you planning to apply to med school this cycle? You can have a significant head start on your competition by beginning the application process now. Below are a few easy things you can already do to help ensure you get accepted: Easy & Early Tip #1: Volunteer! Med schools are definitely looking for students…
Accepted to Med School in Mid October: How Did He Do It? [Episode 288]
Interview with Ryan Crane, Entering Medical Student [Show Summary] Ryan Crane already knows he is going to medical school next fall, having been accepted at two schools in October! The medical school application process is long and ardurous, and Ryan knew he had some weaknesses to overcome. Listen to how Ryan overcame those weaknesses with…
Apply at Your Best: Advice from a Med School Admissions Expert [Episode 261]
Summary Lolita Wood-Hill has been working in the field of pre-med advising for over 25 years, so it’s safe to say she knows the ins and outs of the medical school application process better than most. In this podcast, Lolita gives advice on how to make yourself the most enticing applicant to medical school possible,…
How to Improve Your Study Skills to Become a More Competitive Med School Applicant
As an aspiring doctor, you have a lot on your plate. Upgrading your study skills now can help you learn to be more efficient about how you study, save you time, help you improve your grades, and allow you to establish the skills that will see you through medical school. These strategies can make a…