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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Lifestyle Specialties

Read my most recent post on Medscape about lifestyle specialites...

Work/life balance. I hear many medical students (and practicing physicians) talk about their quest to achieve a healthy balance between work, life and family. For this reason, many medical students are pursuing careers in "lifestyle" specialties such as anesthesiology, radiology, emergency medicine and dermatology. But, do these careers afford practicing physicians happier lives than their colleagues in other specialties? The answers many surprise you. Read more...

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Choosing a Specialty

There are many things one must consider when choosing a specialty and while it is good to think big, it is also important to be realistic. If you want to pursue an extremely competitive residency it is essential to start gaining experience and exposure to this specialty as soon as you make this decision. For example, if you know you want to be a dermatologist or an otolaryngologist, it is wise to start setting up rotations, doing research and joining a national organization in the specialty so you are prepared to submit a strong appiclication and letters of reference. Applicants sometimes underestimate the competitiveness of some specialites and the time that is needed to prepare an excellent residency application. Those who are unprepared or procrastinate may undermine their success (and well being).

I am an advocate of optimistic thinking but, it is also important to be objective about your chances.

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Medical School Mock Interview

If you are interested in scheduling a medical school mock interview with Dr. Jessica Freedman, please do so as soon as possible. We are currently booking appointments for the beginning of October.

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