Since my application cycle has ended and the new one started today, I thought I would share the lessons I learned this past year.
Do your research! To me, there really isn't a great mystery to what makes a strong application (i.e. academics, clinical experience, physician shadowing, leadership, research, and community service). SDN has so much great advice, and I used it to ensure I would be a competitive applicant. And of course, we all know the mantra of SDN which is to apply early (I submitted TMDSAS on June 1)! It makes you more competitive and helps alleviate stress.
To build my application, I tried writing my personal statement first but had major issues getting started so I abandoned it. I moved on to the activities section to help jog my memory of everything I had done during college. After I had compiled all my activities, I did some reflection on what they had in common. I built my PS around a common theme found among almost all of my activities. To me, good writing tells a story, so that's what I did in my PS (i.e. it had a beginning, middle, and end). After I wrote my first draft, I had a professor whose opinion I highly valued critique it. In addition to basic English things like syntax and word choice, I gave her the exact prompt from TMDSAS and asked her how well she thought I answered the question. Make sure you actually answer the prompt and not a question you like better! I also gave my PS to several of my parents' friends who are in business; while not familiar with med school admissions, they make hiring decisions and have extensive experience with writing. I got some great insight from them, so I recommend getting people who do a lot of writing for a living read your essay to give a different perspective.
For secondaries, get them done! I really struggled with some of the prompts, but I eventually cranked them out by forcing myself to sit down and just type. Once I got my first drafts, it became much easier to craft a final product.
The next step of the process was the most exciting and terrifying part of the process for me: the interview. I didn't do any mock interviews, but prepared by thinking of how I would respond to standard questions (what is a challenge you've experienced, strengths/weakness, teamwork, etc.). Since I applied early, I was fortunate to be in the first round or two of II at the schools who invited me. I really recommend perusing the interview attire threads to get an idea of what you should wear. Everything is covered well in those threads, but the gist is you want to be business professional. IMO, don't take any risks and just buy something conservative.
I had good experiences in almost all of my interviews; most were very conversational (meaning it wasn't really a Q&A, but more a meandering path of one thing leading to the next). I also used the day to evaluate the school. Keep in mind that the schools are in essence putting on a show as they are trying to convince you to attend their school. This made getting a true evaluation more difficult because it was a very controlled environment.
The final part of the process is the excitement and relief of an acceptance. To make a final decision on where to attend, I took into account the opportunities each school afforded its students, the outcomes of its graduates, and the place I felt I could be most successful and happy. I actually had a very negative experience during a portion of my interview day at Baylor (read about it on the BCM page, if curious), but I ended up choosing it anyway as I think Baylor fared the best on the three indicators I mentioned.
It's crazy that exactly one year ago, I started my application and now the process is complete. It's been quite the whirlwind, and I'm excited for the future! I hope this (crazy long) post was helpful. It was very cathartic for me reflecting on the year haha.
Summary of my app cycle:
Applied to all TMDSAS (excluding TCOM) schools, Baylor, Mayo, and Vanderbilt
Interviewed at Baylor, UTSW, UT Houston, UTHSCSA, UTMB, and A&M
Accepted to Baylor, UTSW, UTHSCSA, UTMB, and A&M
Matriculating at Baylor