Why do most medical schools interview until March/April?

[johnnytest]

If seats are limited then why do most medical schools interview for many months? Wouldn't they fill their seats 3x over within the first few months, i.e by December? Are the Jan-March interviews being considered for waitlist only?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NoDakDok]

If seats are limited then why do most medical schools interview for many months?

There are a lot of applicants to choose from.

Wouldn't they fill their seats 3x over within the first few months, i.e by December?

They could, but they don't have to. The longer the wait the more applicants they can see, and ultimately they have a 'better' overall class.

Are the Jan-March interviews being considered for waitlist only?

Depends on the school. Very few actually interview "for the waitlist only" but there are some, and they will tell you. MCW comes to mind. The later you interview will almost always make it more difficult to get in, but this isn't always true (e.g. truly non-rolling schools, which are rare, and schools have varying degrees of rolling admissions).

 

[Aerus]

The same reason why you don't stuff yourself full with the appetizer in a three course meal.