Navigating the Medical School Applications Process

Brad Wertheim

Lafayette Class of 2007Harvard Medical School Class of 2011

Caveat

Overview

• Freshman & Sophomore Year• Junior Year: MCAT• Junior Summer: Applications• Senior Year: Interviews• Beyond• Questions

Guiding Questions for The Application Process

1. What makes me a unique applicant? (And if I am not, what can I do about it ?)

2. How can I ensure that the admissions committee will notice/remember me?

3. How can I “package” my application to reflect my unique strengths?

Freshman & Sophomore Year

• Do well in school: #1 Priority– The admissions process begins day one!– Sets the stage: MCAT, GPA, interviews, and

medical/scientific/general knowledge base– Take challenging courses—and do well

• They can smell a slacker/underachiever from a mile away

– Use electives wisely: humanities are important, too! – What major?

• Does not matter as long as you have a strong background in the sciences; ideally, one that surpasses the minimum med school requirements

Freshman & Sophomore Year

• What else?• Research….while you still have the time• Reading: books/articles about clinical

practice, science & technology, ethics, health policy, etc.–Build your knowledge base

• Clinical exposure: shadowing, EMT, etc.• Learning about the applications process

ahead (AAMC website)

A Word on Research

• Some form of scholarly engagement is highly suggested by most medical schools (and an unspoken requirement for many)

• They seek intellectually curious medical students, who will become intellectually curious clinicians, researchers, etc.

• Understanding (or conducting) research is a part of every physician’s job, regardless of practice setting

A Word on Research

• Doesn’t have to be bench science: humanities, writing, arts etc.– Just find something that you’re interested in

• Gives you material for interviews & essays• You have the time fresh/soph yr.• EXCEL is even willing to pay you• A weak point in many Lafayette applicants’

files?• For big name schools, research is a must!

Junior Year

• Coursework remains #1 priority• Keep reading, shadowing, etc.• Spring: MCAT• Summer: Applications

MCAT

• Challenging, but beatable. How?• Do well in school; certain courses (biochemistry survey,

human physiology) may help• Take a practice test early (soph summer/ junior fall) to

assess your baseline & build familiarity w/ test• Buy old MCATs from the AAMC:

– Better to practice on the real thing– They repeat questions/content year-to-year– Take a few timed sections each time/session; study and

memorize your mistakes (consult school notes & books). Use this as your framework for review.

– Available online: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/practicetests.htm

MCAT

• Download “content outlines” from AAMC site (http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/creatingstudyplan.htm). – Review weak areas, learn areas missed by

coursework. Profs are a great resource.• Refresh pencil-and-paper math; sounds silly, but

I made test day mistakes here• Practice under timed conditions; build your

timing strategy• Integrate it into your daily schedule (i.e. 1 hr/day,

etc.). Slow and steady prep keeps you sane and increases retention.

MCAT

• Kaplan?– Good motivator for some– Expensive– Taught by medical students/pseudo-professional

educators– Kaplan questions/tests do not accurately represent

the real thing…….my opinion = buy from AAMC• When to schedule test? • As test day nears:

– Read rules (watches, breaks, etc.). Find location.– Don’t panic; stick with your strategy

MCAT: Scores

• *2009 AAMC Data on Matriculants: PS 10.3, BS 10.8, VR 9.8; Total = 30.8– GPA Science 3.60, non-science 3.74

• Acceptance = a complex relationship between MCAT/GPA and the rest of your file– Top schools: mean scores of 35-36– If you have an interesting file, you can get away with

lower. Don’t let the score stop you from applying (as long as you have a strong file).

*http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table17-fact2009mcatgpa98-09-web.pdf

Should I take time off?• Borderline applicants/applicants with low

grades, low MCAT, or holes in the file• Taking time off to polish your

application may dramatically boost your admissions chances– Must be a productive use of the off-year:

research, service work, etc.– Research at your school of interest may

give you inside connections w/ admissions– You may need to take more than one year off

Should I take time off?

• Cheaper than applying more than once• Admissions officers likely biased against

multiple-time applicants• Ivy league health professions advisors

advocate this strategy (strongly!)• Lafayette HPAC can help you decide

whether this is right for you– Stay in touch w/ them during your gap year(s)

Junior Summer

• Complete electronic AMCAS application• Need official transcript• Describe extracurriculars (succinctly)• Must allow time for AMCAS to verify your

transcript (can be weeks) before they forward your application to schools

• Most apply to 10 – 15 schools• Set aside time to work on this; It is time-

consuming• Essay

“Packaging”

• How you present yourself to the admissions committee

• A strength of Ivy League undergrad programs

• Your application, CV, and interview should be thematically consistent, and crafted to emphasize your particular strengths as an applicant

The Essay

• Super-important: a gauge of your intellect, personality, and interest in medicine. Strive for a work of art!– A hastily/poorly written essay is deadly

• They read thousands of these; make yours interesting and “magazine quality”

• An opportunity to discuss aspects of your file that you wish to emphasize

• English prof’s are an invaluable resource

The Essay: advice on content

• Answer the question carefully: “Why do you want to become a doctor?”– “I want to help people”…….go join the peace corps– “I like science”……go to grad school and become a

scientist – “I like working with sick people”…….go to nursing

school

• Our same questions apply:– “What makes me a unique applicant?” – “How can I ensure that the admissions committee will

notice/remember me?”

The Essay: miscellaneous

• Avoid clichés• “Hit it on the one”....grab the reader’s

attention early• Another weakness of Lafayette

applicants?

Junior Summer/Senior Year

• Secondary applications: time-consuming; get them done over the summer if you can– Get them done as early as you can (while

doing a good job)!• Early submission/interview is an

advantage at rolling admission schools• Interviews begin late summer/early fall and

continue through late winter• Acceptances sent after October 15th

The Interview

• Another important test: most schools looking for personality

• Know your file • Open file vs. closed file interview• Know the school: be prepared for “Why

(school name)?”• “Why medicine?,” “Tell me about yourself,”

“Tell me about activity X” are the big ones

The Interview

• The stress interview• Have some questions about the school

that you would like to ask at the end• Again, keep the questions in mind:

– “What makes me a unique applicant?” – “How can I ensure that the admissions

committee will notice/remember me?”

The Interview

• Preparation– Longitudinal: reading, coursework, clinical

experiences– School websites– Studentdoctor.net interview forum: don’t take

this too seriously, but it can give you a perspective on the questions they ask, and the nature of the interview day

– Rehearse questions in your head

Studentdoctor.net Interview Forum

The Interview

• Some send thank-you cards after the interview

• Make sure to bring up anything you want the committee to know. Be your own advocate!

• Bad interviews happen– At many schools, you can still be accepted

even if 1 of 2 interviewers votes “no”• It can be hard to gauge how well the

interview went

What next?

• Waitlist: stay in touch w/ admissions– Send grades, thesis, publications, etc.

• What if you don’t get in?– Don’t get discouraged: > 50 % of my class

took 1+ years off after college – Use the time to polish your application

• Research, service work, job, scholarly activity, etc.• Next year, explain what you learned from your

year(s) off and how that prepared you for medicine

Medical School: What to Expect

• “…..an excellent undergraduate education…”

• Lafayette courses prepared me well– Some (maybe many) Lafayette courses are

better than their Ivy League counterparts– Many big name schools have weaker degree

requirements• Don’t be intimidated

Medical School: What to Expect

• Pass/Fail for preclinical years (1 & 2); grades for clinical years (3 + 4)

• Years 1 & 2: expect 20-35 hrs/week in class • Years 3 & 4: up to 95 hrs/week in hospital• 1 day med school = 1+ weeks of college • Must be more organized & efficient• Hardest part of medical school is

getting in?• Difficult to predict what med school will be like

until you get there

A Word on Balance (and advice)

Bradley_Wertheim@hms.harvard.edu