For many students interested in a career in medicine, the period after the final year of undergraduate education represents a time of transition to medical school or to furthering their experiences and their education in preparation for applying to medical school. This month’s article from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) focuses on those two pathways.
Pre-Medical
The path to becoming a physician is long and challenging, and being a pre-medical student is hard. Learn about what you need to do to get into medical school successfully.
MCAT® Exam Registration: 10 Tips from the Experts
In just a few short weeks, registration for the June 2014 through January 2015 MCAT exam dates will open. We understand that registration can seem overwhelming! While we can’t promise that you won’t experience any wait time during registration, we do have some tips to help you BEFORE you even login to the registration system to make things a little easier and quicker.
5 Tips for Your Medical School Interview: Advice from a Recent Admit
Think of the medical school interview as a giant, modern dating ritual. Your AMCAS application and secondary essay were the first two online dates, and now you have agreed to meet each other in person. The admissions committee already has a rough skeleton of the greatest hits of your adult life, and they have decided that they really like you. However, before they will extend a proposal, they need to meet you in person, and they are willing to spend enormous amounts of their time and your money to arrange this meeting. What your interviewer writes about you for the admissions committee will either make your application come alive, remain flat on the paper, or tragically fail.
Medical School Interviews: 6 Common Mistakes That Admissions Officers Hate
Medical school interviews come in all different shapes and sizes. Some schools interview one-on-one, some have multiple interviewers, some have multiple-mini-interviews (MMI). Some schools use students, others use faculty, and some use alumni.
Story Selling and the MD Admissions Process
Each page of your application is precious. You have the opportunity to sell a compelling narrative…
Career-Changer Post-Bac Programs: The Ideal Applicant
The number of post-bac programs has grown recently – who are these programs for and what advantages do they offer?
Rethink How You Approach Medical School Interviews
How to think of interviews in a positive way.
Best Methods to Improve your MCAT Verbal Reasoning (VR) Score
By Karen van Hoek, PhD For many aspiring medical students, the Verbal Reasoning section of … Read more
Accelerated BS/MD Programs: What You Need to Know
The benefits and limitations of an accelerated BS/MD program are explored
Conquering the MCAT: 3 Students’ Perspectives
The MCAT is a major hurdle for many medical school applicants. The exam can be … Read more
Medical School Application Secondary Essays
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You finally submitted your medical school primary application and think you can rest when, starting some time in late June, you start receiving secondary essay prompts—just about every day.
Overwhelmed, you start to wonder why you applied to so many medical schools. Most applicants (except those with exceptional grades, MCATs, and experiences) should apply broadly to a wide range of schools, but doing so translates into writing a whole bunch of secondary essays, which can be daunting.
Medical Admissions Process: Reflections from a Student’s Perspective
The medical admissions process is stressful, but this student had a reflective take on it. Based on your experience, what are your thoughts?
What Will You Do If You Don’t Get Into Medical School?
Dr. Jeremiah Fleenor discusses strategies for answering the question, “What will you do if you don’t get into medical school?”, as well as how to strengthen your application for future application cycles.
Caribbean Medical Schools: What to Consider
Dr. Jessica Freedman discusses challenges Caribbean medical students face in obtaining rotation and residency positions.
The Multiple Mini-Interview for Medical School Admissions
Do you know what to expect when interviewing at a medical school that uses the multiple mini-interview format? Dr. Carleen Eaton provides an overview of this method and tips for success.
Dual-Degree Medical Programs
Are you considering pursuit of a joint degree? Learn more about joint degree options for medical students and factors to consider before diving into a dual degree program.
Premedical Preparation
By Dr. Lisabetta Divita
While the profession has changed over the past few decades, being a physician is a challenging and esteemed calling. As such, medical school admissions are quite competitive. Medical school applicants are required to complete the AAMC or AACOMAS applications, take the MCAT and fly out for interviews. Even with all of these requirements, sadly, many excellent candidates are rejected each year. This can be a blow to your ego but if you are determined to reach your dreams, your premedical preparation cannot begin too early—some important decisions are made in high school.