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Personal Competencies and Medical School Admissions

Why are medical schools placing so much emphasis on evaluating applicants' "personal competencies?" Why do some medical schools now have patients participate in the medical school interview process (in particular, at medical schools that employ the multiple mini interview)?

An excellent article in the New York Times was written by Madeline Drexler, a patient with a "classic" heart murmur who was asked to volunteer as a "patient" in a Harvard Medical School class where students learn about physical exam findings. Through this experience, she was treated cooly by some Harvard medical students as "a heart murmur" while, by other students, she was treated as a human being. As evidenced by this article, the medical school admissions process, even at "elite" schools such as Harvard, is imperfect; some applicants (and medical students) with perfect academic credentials may not possess the communication and interpersonal skills that are required to practice medicine.

This article is a must read for all physicians in training. No matter where you are in your medical education, it is important to remember the importance of empathy, understanding, and compassion when caring for patients. Perhaps Ms. Drexler might be an excellent addition to Harvard's medical school admissions committee.

Click Here to read the article.

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MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA

Your online image will follow you forever. Whatever is “googleable” about you now can always be found. The findings of a recent study by The University of Miami in the Postgraduate Medical Journal about social networking and medical admissions indicate that information on social networks could impact your success during any medical admissions process. About 9% of admissions officers surveyed in this study say they routinely review social networking sites when evaluating applicants. Reputation management should start early; be careful about what you post and with whom you associate. “What people put online is really a part of their history. … You have to be extremely careful about what you put out there,” said Dr. Carl Schulman, the study’s lead author. While this study did not focus on internet content in general, it might be fair to assume that some admissions officers also “google” applicants and do not focus solely on social networking sites.

The question really becomes: How can you use social media and the internet so it helps you? Put out great content about yourself on the internet. Consider writing a blog about your interests or curiosities. Start interesting dialogues. Say something smart! That way, if anyone chooses to “google” you at any point in your career, they will be pleasantly impressed.

Visit www.MedEdits.com to sign up for your FREE 15 minute session.

Applying to Medical School in 2014?

If you are applying to medical school in 2014, now is the time to start getting organized. The first step is to meet with your premedical advisor (if you have one).

Some undergraduate and postbaccalaureate premed advisors are excellent and experienced while others don’t really understand the medical school admissions process and are overwhelmed with the number of students they must help. Nonetheless, if you have a premed advisor who will be responsible for writing your committee letter or sending our your letter packet, you must keep her “in the loop” and involved in your application process, whatever her skill set and insight.

Premed advisors may also advocate for students both on the premedical committee and during the admissions process. Therefore, even if you don’t think highly of your premed advisor, you must still be respectful and considerate towards her and be sure she is aware of your plans. Meet with your premed advisor periodically during your undergraduate career because your success will be partly dependent on her efforts.

This is an excerpt from The MedEdits Guide to Medical School Admissions.

Click here to watch the a short video about the book.

Medical School in Three Years

Many major news organizations, including The New York Times, have been writing about three year medical school programs at institutions such as New York University, Texas Tech and Mercer. Such programs are ideally suited for very focused and directed students - those who have a crystal clear idea of what specialty they would like to pursue before starting medical school.

In many ways, such programs are similar to accelerated medical programs that allow students to get both their undergraduate and medical degrees in a shorter time than they would by pursuing the two degrees separately. But three year medical school programs have a downside. Students who take accelerated paths to residency must be exceptionally mature and clear about what they want. For many medical students, medical school offers time to explore career options; for these individuals, being forced to choose a specialty in the second year of medical school wouldbe detrimental since they would have less time to consider deeply the specialty that might be the best fit for them.

While a three year pathway would save students time and money and “speed up” the transit of physicians through the pipeline, it might also produce physicians who are not happy with their career choices.

See my earlier article that relates to this topic and was published on KevinMD, 4 Bad Reasons Why Students Choose a Specialty.

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WE’RE JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU: WHY MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICANTS GET REJECTED

Published in the January/February edition of PreMedLife

Every year medical school applicants feel confused and in the dark about why they have been rejected by medical schools. They do not understand what they did wrong or what they need to do differently when they reapply. Whether you are a premedical student trying to make sure to “do everything right” or a medical school applicant who has not yet been accepted to medical school, it may help to learn what applicants who are not accepted to medical school often have in common. Many of these problems are easy to avoid while others take a little more time and effort to remedy. Here are six problems I have observed:

1) Applying to a narrow range of medical schools. Everyone has told you that you are a great applicant and you should have no concerns. Premed advisors, friends, and family may advise you to reach high and that you don’t need to apply to more than 10 to 15 medical schools. I advise most students to be wary of this advice. While I always encourage medical school applicants to “aim high” and to have dream schools in mind, being realistic is also important. The competition for medical school admissions is fierce; fewer than half of 42,742 applicants matriculated in 2010/2011. So unless you have outstanding grades,MCAT® scores, letters of reference, experiences, written application materials, and a great interview experience, it is extremely important to cast a wide net and to apply broadly to a large range of medical schools. Sometimes applicants (or their advisors) overestimate their competitiveness and apply to mostly top-tier medical schools. These applicants are then surprised when they are not accepted to any of them. The bottom line is that, even if you are a top-notch applicant, you must consider adding to your list medical schools that are not ultra-selective.

2) Lacking clinical experience. You are applying to medical school, right? Then you must be able to demonstrate to the admissions committee that your experience fits this career decision. Many medical school applicants are interested in science and, while research is important, it cannot substitute for clinical exposure. Some medical school applicants submit applications with an impressive list of accomplishments and experiences but don’t demonstrate any clinical exposure, which comes in many forms: You can shadow your own family physician, volunteer in a free clinic or a hospital, or participate in a formal premedical program that includes time spent with physicians. It is very tough to convince an admissions committee via your written documents or during interviews that you want to pursue a career in medicine if you have never spent time in a clinical arena.

3) Submitting poorly composed written documents. Regardless of your candidacy’s strengths, composing persuasive application materials is essential for success. Whether you are competitive applicant seeking acceptance to the most prestigious medical schools in the country or a “borderline” applicant with lower than average grades, experiences, or MCAT® scores, your experience descriptions and personal statement must convince the people reviewing your application that you are worthy of an interview and an acceptance. This is especially important during the first stage of the medical school admissions process when the admissions committee decides whether or not to extend an interview invitation. The committee bases this decision on the objective material you present such as your academic profile, but your written materials, including your application and letters of reference, make a difference. You don’t have control over the content of your LORs, but you do have complete control of what you write in your application materials. Written documents that clearly and articulately express the evolution of your interest in medicine with introspection and thought are more likely to motivate the admissions committee to click the “interview” box when deciding your fate.

4) Having a lackluster academic profile. You have done “okay” in college and on your MCAT®, but is your performance strong enough to gain admission to medical school? Many medical school admissions committees “screen” applications; if your grades or MCAT® don’t reach a certain threshold, you are automatically rejected and your application isn’t reviewed. Other medical schools use a school-specific “formula” that takes into account your grades and MCAT® score and determines whether or not your application will be reviewed if you earn a minimum score. The general rule of thumb is that you must have an overall undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) of 3.5 with a strong performance in the sciences and a minimum MCAT® score of 30 to gain admission to medical school, but this rule has variations. For example, if your UGPA is lower than a 3.5, your MCAT® is a 31 and you have outstanding LORs, documents, and interview skills (see below) you can still gain admission to medical school. Medical schools also consider the rigor of your academic course load, undergraduate institution competitiveness, outside pressures (such as financial difficulties), and upward grade trend when evaluating how you performed. Many students perform poorly as a freshman in college and as they adjust to college life their grades steadily increase as they improve their study and time management skills; admissions committees consider this.

The evaluation of applicants is also subject to various nuances. For example, the student who attends a competitive undergraduate institution and pursued a difficult major, with a UGPA of 3.4 and an MCAT® 36 might be viewed more favorably than the student who attended a less competitive college, pursued a less rigorous major and had a 4.0 but earned a 31 on the MCAT®. In other words, to some extent admissions committees consider the competitiveness of your undergraduate institution and course load. At the same time, you need to realize that applicants’ MCAT® performances are the only measures admissions committees have for comparing “apples to apples.” This is why an exceptional MCAT® performance is important regardless of where you attend college.

5) Submitting a late application. You are an outstanding applicant but submitted a late application. Though this problem is easy to “fix,” you should understand why it’s important to rectify it. Every year the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) starts accepting medical school applications on or around June 1st  And submitting your primary application as close to this opening date as possible is essential. Why? AMCAS® must review and verify your application, which can take up to six weeks (or more if there is a problem), and medical schools will review your application only after you are “verified” and they have received all supplemental application materials, such as letters of reference, Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT®) scores, and secondary applications and essays.

By submitting an early application you will be considered within a smaller pool of applicants early in the season. In contrast, applicants who wait until deadlines to submit their application materials are typically considered within a much larger pool of applicants. In addition, because early applicants have been invited for some of a school’s finite number of interviews, those who apply late are competing with a large number of applicants  for fewer interview slots. Similarly, for medical schools with rolling admissions, interviewing late in the admissions season is less than ideal since in March or April, for example, most initial acceptance offers have been extended. This means that even if you are a competitive applicant, the medical school may not have any more interviews or acceptances to extend. This is why many great applicants who submit late applications, receive “hold”, ‘reject,” or “wait list” decisions rather than acceptances.

If you are rejected by medical school and decide that your academic record needs to be enhanced, you have many options. If grades are the issue, consider taking upper division classes at a four year university after graduation. Postgraduate special master’s programs specifically designed for students who want to attend medical school are also a good alternative; a searchable database of such programs is available from the Association of American Medical Colleges: http://services.aamc.org/postbac. Other possibilities are to pursue a master’s in public or global health or in a specific scientific discipline in which you are interested. These are all great options if you need to improve your academic profile. If your MCAT® is the concern, you must critically evaluate what you need to do to improve so you can target your studying.

6) Demonstrating poor interview skills. Once an applicant reaches the interview stage, the interview is the most important determinant of success. Typically, interviewees with great interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence are naturally better interviewees than applicants who are more introverted. Applicants who are very nervous, not articulate, or who aren’t comfortable  peaking about themselves can under-perform during the interview. Even though some US medical schools are adopting the multiple mini interview (MMI) format, most medical schools still conduct one-on-one interviews. Contrary to what most medical school applicants believe when they start this process, medical school interviews are typically relaxed dialogues; the interviewer is trying to get to know each applicant, assess if he or she has the qualities and characteristics the school is seeking in medical students, and if he is a good fit for the school. While a certain degree of subjectivity influences every interview experience, applicants can perform well if they practice speaking about themselves before the interview and if they clearly express their motivations and experiences that influenced their decision to practice medicine.

I have seen applicants fail to be accepted to medical school again and again for one or more of these “Top Six” reasons. Nonetheless, how a school weighs each of these factors, among others, is determined by each applicant’s unique profile and situation and the criteria and admissions process of that particular school. Always remember that each medical school considers every candidate individually and there are many things you can do to improve your chance of success.

Reference: Association of American Medical Colleges Facts: https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/

Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee Flickr

JESSICA FREEDMAN, M.D., is president of MedEdits Medical Admissions (www.MedEdits.com) and author of the MedEdits Guide to Medical Admissions and The Medical School Interview. Follow Dr. Freedman and MedEdits on Facebook and Twitter.
This article appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of PreMedLife magazine.

Will Debt Destroy Your Marriage?

An intriguing article in the New York Times explores the impact that debt can have on relationships. One couple profiled in this article might interest MedEdits' blog readers; she is a medical student and he is an architect. How early in a relationship would you disclose how much debt you have? Would a partner's debt influence your commitment to him or her? Click Here to read the article.

Can a Rainy Day Decrease Your Chance of Medical School Admission?

An interesting article in the New York Times today discusses the work of Dr. Donald A. Redelemeier, an internist and researcher, who likes to investigate quirky topics. One such topic he examined was if poor weather on your medical school interview day can impact your chance of acceptance. The answer is "yes."

I emphasize to clients that many factors influence an interviewer's disposition, mood and outlook. It doesn't surprise me that a rainy day might put your interviewer in a bad mood which might then "cloud" his or her view of you, the interviewee.

Be sure to read my book, The Medical School Interview, which discusses how other factors can influence your interview experience.

Click Here to read the NYT article.

Medical School Budget Cuts and Offshore Implications

A great article in Insider Higher Ed discusses budget cuts that are taking place at many US medical schools. It is widely known that, in 2006, medical schools planned to increase enrollments by 30% to address the looming doctor shortage. Because of the prolonged recession, however, many schools have fallen short of this goal. Some schools no longer plan to increase class sizes while others, including Pritzker which is mentioned in this article, are reducing class sizes.

In the past, the federal government has increased loan amounts for certain offshore medical schools. The hope is that financing the medical educations of more US citizens will translate into an increased number of primary care physicians practicing in the United States

For example, 81% of Ross Medical School's revenue comes from federal student loans (Click Here for the source of this data). With hundreds of graduates annually, some Caribbean medical schools are producing more doctors than any US medical school or state.

Read the Inside Higher Ed article here.

Listen to the MedEdits Podcast.

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New Medical Schools

An article published in the New York Times yesterday is a must read for medical school applicants, current medical students and international medical graduates. The article discusses the planned opening of new medical schools and the impact this will have on medical school admissions and health care in this country. While reading this article, keep in mind that it takes years to open a new medical school. Refer to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education website to check the application status of new schools. With the planned opening of many new schools and increased enrollments at existing schools, there is a need for more residency training positions. If this does not happen, the competition to obtain residency training will increase.

Read: Expecting a Surge in U.S. Medical Schools in the New York Times.

Visit: MedEdits

No Medical School Acceptances? What Should You Be Doing Now?

Around this time of year, I receive calls from medical school applicants who are nervous; they have only received waitlist decisions or have not received any interviews. So, if you are in this position what should you do?

If you are on a wait list, try and gain acceptance to that school. Consider writing a letter of intent that also summarizes your recent accomplishments. Some schools encourage applicants to send updates while others do not. Follow the directions provided by each school regarding their policies on sending updates. At the same time, you must also consider what you will do if that waitlist doesn't turn in to an acceptance (see below).

If you have not received any interviews yet, consider what you will do to improve your candidacy in the event that you must repply. Some common themes that may limit an applicant's success are the following:

1) Submitting a late application.

I see this all the time. Do not submit an application in late August! Applicants also underestimate the endurance it takes to apply to medical school. After submitting the primary application, students must complete secondary essays. If these are also late (regardless of when the primary was submitted) you undermine your success.

2) Submitting a weak application.

Your written documents (personal statement, application, letters of reference) are your "ticket" to the interview. Poorly composed documents that inadequately highlight your strengths can hinder your success. Ask your premed advisor or someone whom you trust what is most impressive about your background and accomplishments. An objective opinion will help to see your candidacy in a different light.

2) Poor academics.

Critically evaluate your academics and decide if you need to improve your GPA or MCAT. If your MCAT is low, estimate how long you must study to significantly raise your score. If you need to improve your GPA, consider your options. In general, students can take courses or enroll in programs that are "undergraduate" or "graduate" level. Undergraduate courses will improve your undergraduate GPA while graduate level courses will be listed in the "graduate" category on your application. The AAMC has a useful listing of these programs and identifies which programs are specifically designed for academic record enhancement and if they are undergraduate or graduate level.

3) Lack of clinical experience.

Many applicants are "dinged" because they don't have enough clinical exposure. This one is easy; find a doctor to shadow or seek out clinically related employment or volunteer work.

4) Poor interview skills.

Some applicants underestimate the importance of the medical school interview and figure that if they got a great MCAT score and have a high GPA that they will succeed. Your interview performance is the key to success and you must prepare accordingly.

Most admissions offices are willing to speak with applicants. As students prepare for a reapplication, I encourage them to call schools from which they were rejected or waitlisted to ask, specifically, what the school would like to see to improve their candidacy. At times you may receive a concrete answer to such queries that will help. However, I find that many schools provide vague and wishy washy feedback that isn't too useful. This stems from the fact that giving negative feedback is never easy which is a prevalent issue in medical training.

Finally, it is important to evaluate your candidacy objectively. Reapplying to medical school (with success!) is quite common.

If you want an honest evaluation of your candidacy, contact MedEdits.

The Medical School Interview Ebook

It is finally here. The Medical School Interview ebook is a must read for every medical school applicant. Based on my experience as an admissions officer and as a private advisor, I offer guidance on what to expect on interview day, how to influence what is discussed during your interview and what you can do to ensure that you have a stellar interview performance. I also write about what goes on “behind the scenes” after your interview and provide a transcript of a sample interview. Be the first to download a copy of this book before it is published!

The Medical School Interview book is 68 pages and is a pdf file. Cost: $45.

Purchase below. After your payment is confirmed, you will receive a link to download the book.



If you are interested in doing a mock medical school interview with the author, Dr. Freedman, contact us.

Too Early To Start Working On Your Medical School Application?

I encourage all applicants who are applying to medical school in 2010 to start working on their personal statement and application entries over the holiday break this December. This doesn't mean that you must complete your final drafts now but applicants should start thinking about their most meaningful experiences and the themes in their background. Ideally, applicants should have first drafts of all documents completed by the end of January and should work on these documents throughout the winter and spring. 

If you are interested in receiving help for the upcoming application season, please contact me soon.

What Is The BCPM GPA?

For those of you applying to medical school in the future, you should be aware that your grade point average (GPA), will be broken down into 3 categories on your medical school application:

1) Total: This is your average GPA for all of your courses.

2) BCPM: This is your average GPA for all courses that are considered biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.

Sometimes it is not obvious which courses are considered BCPM. If you are unsure, you should refer to the American Medical College Application Service Instructions (specifically, pages 43 - 48).

3) AO (all other): This category includes all courses that are not considered BCPM.

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Medical School Letters of Reference (LORs)

If you are applying to medical school in 2010, now is the time to start thinking about who will be writing your letters of reference. If you already have some definite ideas about whom you will ask, you should approach those individuals now and ask if they would write a strong letter in support of your candidacy to medical school. Letter submissions often delay the completion of applications so the earlier you get started (before your letter writer is bombarded with requests from other students), the more likely that your letter will be completed in a timely fashion and written with care. If your college has a prehealth or preprofessions office, they can hold your letters for you. Alternatively, you can use a letter service to keep your letters safe until it is time to apply.

Visit: MedEdits

Medical School Acceptances

I wanted to offer congratulations to all MedEdits medical school clients who have interviews and medical school acceptances. As of November 3rd, 2009, many of our clients have multiple interviews and accpetances. Below is our impressive list of where our clients have interviews and where they have received accpetances (bolded).

I will be attending the Association of American Medical Colleges meeting later this week to stay up to date on all of the advances and trends in medical education and will be out of the office.

Albany Medical College

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Baylor College of Medicine

Boston University School of Medicine

Brown/Warren Alpert School of Medicine

Case Western Reserve School of Medicine

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

The Commonwealth Medical College

Creighton School of Medicine

Dartmouth Medical School

Drexel University College of Medicine

Duke University School of Medicine

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Emory University School of Medicine

Florida International University College of Medicine

Georgetown University School of Medicine

The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Harvard Medical School

Indiana University School of Medicine

Jefferson Medical College

Loyola University Chicago School of Medicine

Mayo School of Medicine

Medical College of Wisconsin

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New Jersey Medical School

New York Medical College

New York University School of Medicine

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine

Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine

Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago

State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine

Rosalind Franklin/Chicago Medical School

State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine

Stony Brook University School of Medicine

Temple University School of Medicine

Texas A & M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine

Tufts School of Medicine

Tufts School of Medicine - Maine Track

Tulane University School of Medicine

Uniformed Services School of Medicine

University of Alabama School of Medicine

University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine

University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine

University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine

University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine

University of Connecticut School of Medicine

University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago

University of Iowa College of Medicine

University of Kentucky School of Medicine

University of Maryland School of Medicine

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

University of Tennessee College of Medicine

University of Texas School of Medicine at Houston

University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

University of Toledo School of Medicine

University of Vermont College of Medicine

University of Virginia School of Medicine

Vanderbilt School of Medicine

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Virginia Tech School of Medicine

Washington University School of Medicine

Wayne State School of Medicine

Weill Cornell Medical College

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Wright State University School of Medicine

Yale University School of Medicine

I am now starting to work with clients applying to medical school in 2010.
 
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Getting Into Medical School: Help for Parents

See my new article on the Student Doctor Network. This one is written for the parents (and their kids!).

Visit MedEdits.

Medical School Admissions and Noncognitive Testing

I hear many medical school applicants lament, "If I could just get to the interview, I would do great. My low GPA is holding me back." Well, such applicants may have a chance. An article this month in Academic Medicine discusses the possibility of employing standardized "noncognitive testing" to test personal characteristics as part of the medical school admissions criteria. While the possibility of using such standardized tests in the same way the MCAT is used may be far in the future, the fact that academic leaders recognize the importance of such skills is significant.

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Facebook and Medicine

Wow. Facebook made it to the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Sachin H. Jain discusses some issues pertaining to professionalism when a former patient "friended" her on Facebook.

With so much personal information on social networking sites, does accepting people who aren't really your "friends" blur the lines beyond what is appropriate? Is this unprofessional? There are people out there who speculate that employers and admissions officers now scan Facebook and MySpace pages to glean information about their future proteges. Are patients also doing the same? What are the potential legal implications of this?

I advise students to be very careful with their on line personas and identities. While the Facebook generation is open and less formal than some of their more senior educators, your professional reputation starts before you matriculate in medical school and you don't want to do anything that might tarnish your image. Also, once you enter medical school, you represent the medical profession as a whole. So, think before you confirm a "friend" or post an incriminating photo. Or maybe it is time to just take down that profile.

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Medical School Secondary Essays

I find that there are two major pitfalls when applicants complete secondary essays:

1) Applicants do not address the prompts or the questions asked.

Students understand the secondary essay is a place to convince the admissions member that you have something unique to offer. And, while this is true, do this within the context of what is being asked. Clients often write about topics or achievements that in no way relate the prompt.

2) Candidates often write too generally.

The rule in any essay is to be as specific as possible. Read each sentence and paragraph and ask yourself if someone else could have written your essay. If the answer is "yes," then you are being too general.

If you need help with your secondaries to earn medical school interviews, contact MedEdits.