Navigating the Medical School Applications Process Brad Wertheim Lafayette Class of 2007 Harvard...

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