MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSION: INCREASING YOUR CHANCES IN THE WINTER MONTHS.

I encourage applicants to think of the medical school admissions process as fluid. Assuming you are not accepted to your top choice school right off the bat, it is important to provide medical schools with more evidence that you are an excellent candidate. What can you do to convince a top choice medical school that it should interview or accept you?

1) Send an update letter. Include academic updates, such as first semester grades and information about any recent accomplishments. You should also express your specific interest in the school to which you are applying.
2) Send a letter of intent. If you are waitlisted or have already interviewed but have not heard from your top-choice school, send a letter of intent. Include the information outlined above, and also explicitly state that the school is your #1 choice and, if accepted, you will attend.
3) Send additional letters of reference. It is always wise to send new letters of reference from individuals who support your candidacy.
4) Recruit an advocate. Your premed advisor, professor, or mentor can call the admissions office of a school in which you are interested to offer support for your candidacy.

Remember, submission of your application often is just the beginning of the medical school admissions process.You must embrace a proactive role throughout the application cycle until you have been accepted to the medical school that you will attend.

Thank You Notes: Email or Hand Written?

My recommendation is that applicants email thank you notes. Why? Everyone in academic medicine is now "connected" and checks email incessantly. Email communications also present the possibility of dialogue between you and your interviewer. An email thank you note can also be saved and filed. In contrast, a written thank you note may end up in your hard copy file (if the program/school prints out hard copies), but more often ends up in the garbage.

The only time you should consider writing a hand written note is if your interviewer seems "old school." For example, do you think this person works in an office that uses paper charts and has not yet converted to an electronic medical record system?

My clients have had great luck with email thank you notes; interviewers sometimes hit the reply button, acknowledge receipt, and express something positive. If, however, you do not receive a reply to your email, there is no need for concern.

If you are interested in working with me for the 2011/2012 application season, please contact me soon.

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Medical School Interview Thank You Notes

I recently blogged about residency interview thank you notes and realize that a similar entry would be useful for medical school applicants. In general, the same rules apply and, while these notes demostrate respect, they are never used to evaluate your candidacy. It is acceptable to compose a hand written note or to send an email if your interviewer gave you their email address. These notes should be brief; you should thank your interviewer for their time and express your interest in the school. If you discussed anything specific or "connected" on any topic, you can also mention this. Write these notes/emails within a week of your interview.

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Residency Interview Thank You Notes

I receive many queries from clients regarding thank you notes after residency interviews. The most recent program directors survey done by the National Residency Matching Program suggests that such follow up notes do not impact ranking but I still recommend that applicants send them. Expressing gratitude suggests that you are courteous and professional and therefore I always advise sending them. Since most faculty are hooked on email, it is acceptable to send thank you emails unless the program specifically instructs otherwise.

On a personal note, when I was a residency admissions officer and received such letters from applicants, they often ended up in the recycle bin even though it made a good impression. These notes never impacted the decision that I made regarding an applicant's candidacy or ranking.

So, what should you write? These notes should be brief (one or two paragraphs) unless you discussed something specific and unusual with an interviewer. You should thank the interviewer for their time, try to mention something specific from your interview and discuss what you liked about the program.

You should wait to tell a program that they are your #1 choice until the end of interview season and then write a letter of intent.

Do you need help with your interview season strategy or letter of intent? Contact MedEdits.