Fewer MD applicants earned a seat in medical school in 2016 (39.7%) than in recent history. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, this is the second year in a row that the admit rate fell below 40%. For their 12th annual survey of medical school admissions officers, Kaplan Test Prep recently queried…
What do Medical Schools Look for in Your Application Essays?
After reading thousands of applications over the years, I’ve noticed that there are common strategies that successful applicants use in their application essays. You, too, can use these strategies to earn an interview and acceptance. The best application essays: 1. Avoid verbatim repetition It may be impossible not to mention the same activity or experience…
5 Pointers for a Stand-Out Med School Personal Statement
If you don’t put effort into standing out in your medical school personal statement, then you likely won’t. Most applicants will have rather similar profiles; and without going the extra mile to highlight your unique strengths, talents, experiences, and interests, you run the risk of blending into the pool of applicants. These 5 pointers will…
What Do Scribes Do – And How to Become One [Episode 191]
Medical schools across the board want to know that the people they admit know what they’re getting into and have an understanding of clinical practice based on personal experience. Clinical exposure is virtually a requirement for acceptance to ALL U.S. medical schools. A great way to get such exposure is by working as a scribe….
Is My Profile Competitive for Medical School Admission? [Navigate Med School Maze]
You’ve taken the MCAT, completed all the pre-reqs, and maybe shadowed a physician, done some research, and volunteered. Now it’s time to make sure you’re all in for the last legs of this long journey. In this series, we’ll discuss how you can continue to navigate your way to a med school acceptance by analyzing your profile, creating…
“I’m Premed and I’m Going to Be a Surgeon” – How to Not Be THAT Guy
Wanna know what I did instead of walking at graduation to receive my Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Physiology this past Saturday? I did what any other red blooded American with cowboy boots would do: I shot my rifle and an armory of other guns with some of my best friends, and then went…
Premed Planning: Does it Matter Where You Go to College?
On Twitter, a follower recently asked us: Do you have any posts on whether it is worth a premed paying $$$ for a degree at a top 20 college over a quality state university? For a short question, there’s a lot going on here, and we thought it would be worthwhile to discuss it. First,…
Shadowing Experiences Around the Globe with Gap Medics [Episode 141]
If you’re a pre-health student interested in international travel and one of a kind clinical experiences, this is the show for you! Meet Ricky Persson of Gap Medics [1:40] Gap Medics overview [2:16] Gap Medics coordinates short term shadowing placements in the health professions for high school and college students. The placements are in 1-week blocks;…
What I Learned from My Shadowing Experiences
As a pre-med, I was grateful to shadow seven physicians in different medical environments. Some were primary care doctors, others were D.O. physicians. I even had the opportunity to learn alongside an orthopedic surgeon. People constantly say shadowing is important for resumes, applications, and medical school acceptances– and that’s true. But shadowing is more than…
To Research or Not to Research is Thy Pre-Med Question
Journeys with Joshua: Joshua Wienczkowski walks us through med school at East Tennessee’s College of Medicine with his monthly blog updates. Get an inside look into med school down South and life as a student adcom member through the eyes of a former professional songwriter with a whole lot of clinical experience — thanks Joshua…