Do's and don'ts for medical school applicants

[medic86]

Hi everyone!

So, I have the ear of the chair of the pre-medical committee at my school, and he has asked me to give him a list of do's and don'ts for medical school applicants so he can better understand the application process. I kind of fell into this because I noticed that some things about our committee letter request process were inefficient/antiquated, and spoke with him about it. I made a draft of what I would send him, based on my 5 years of reading SDN. If I'm missing anything or completely wrong about anything, please correct me! Thanks!






The medical school admissions process is extremely competitive, and it gets more competitive every year. In 2014, there were 49,480 applicants for 20,343 allopathic medical school seats and 17,944 applicants for 6,192 osteopathic medical school seats. The average GPA and MCAT score for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools increases every year.

There is no special formula to get into medical school. However, there are things you can do to increase your chances, and some things are typically given more weight by admissions committees (such as GPA and MCAT – which are commonly the most important metrics).


1. Do obtain the highest GPA possible

• The mean cumulative GPA for allopathic matriculants in 2014 was 3.69 (SD = 0.25)
• The mean science (BCPM) GPA for allopathic matriculants in 2014 was 3.63 (SD = 0.31)
  • BCPM = biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics
• For allopathic medical schools, all coursework ever taken are required to be reported on the AMCAS application. There is no grade replacement policy.
  • Even if your school has a grade forgiveness/grade replacement policy, you must report both grades to AMCAS (i.e. you took organic chemistry I and received an F. You then retake it and receive an A. With a grade forgiveness/replacement policy, your school removes the F from your transcript. You must list both grades anyway).
• The mean cumulative GPA for osteopathic matriculants in 2014 was 3.53 (SD = 0.26)
  
• The mean science (BCP) GPA for osteopathic matriculants in 2014 was 3.46 (SD = 0.29)
  • BCP = biology, chemistry, physics; AACOMAS does NOT calculate math courses into your science GPA
• For osteopathic medical schools, all coursework ever taken are required to be reported on the AACOMAS application. There IS a grade replacement policy.
  • If a course was repeated, you can replace your original grade with the new grade.
  • Repeated coursework MUST be equivalent to the original course in course content and credit hours to be used as a replacement.
  • Because of this grade replacement policy, it is possible to repair your GPA enough to be competitive for admission to osteopathic medical schools

2. Do get the best score possible on the MCAT

• The mean MCAT score for allopathic matriculants in 2014 was 31.4 (83rd – 87th percentile; SD = 3.9)
• The mean MCAT score for osteopathic matriculants in 2014 was 27.2 (61st - 67th percentile; SD = 3.1)
• Take the MCAT ONLY when you are ready:
  • Do not take the MCAT without studying
  • Do not take the MCAT with the intention of retaking (don’t take it and score it just to see what it’s like, or the plethora of other reasons people do poorly); do it right the first time.
  • Do not take the MCAT before completing your prerequisite courses
  • Do not take the MCAT before taking at least one official timed AMCAS practice exam to get an idea of how you will perform.
  
  
• In the event that you have to retake the MCAT, understand that schools evaluate multiple scores differently (do your research!)
  • Some schools average multiple scores
    
  • Some schools consider only the most recent score
  • Some schools superscore, which is where they take your best score from each subsection to evaluate you

3. Do get clinical experience

• Admissions committees value applicants who know what they’re getting themselves into.
• Clinical experience (paid and volunteer experience - hospital, clinic, EMT, etc.)
• Physician shadowing (seeing what the typical work day for a physician is like)
• Having both clinical experience and physician shadowing experience is strongly advised

4. Do community service

• Altruism is an important quality in physicians, and admissions committees value community service
• Non-clinical volunteering (soup kitchen, food bank, Habitat for Humanity, etc.)
• Clinical volunteering (hospital, clinic, hospice, etc.; “if you can smell the patient, it’s clinical”)

5. Do get involved in research

• The goal of research is to experience and understand the scientific method
• While not an explicit requirement for medical school, it may be difficult to receive an interview invite/acceptance from a school that has a heavy focus on research (mission!)

6. Do be smart about who you ask to write letters of recommendation for you

• While letters typically have a neutral impact, they have the potential to have a significant impact on your application (either good or bad).
• Know your professors. Do not ask for a letter of recommendation from a professor that you’ve never talked to.
• Do NOT send a letter request through Interfolio to a professor you never asked

7. Do understand the letter of recommendation requirements (type and number) for medical school

• These can vary from school to school, so check each school you are applying to.
• In general, most medical schools require a pre-medical committee letter if your school has a committee; this committee letter typically satisfies all individual letter requirements, no matter the length (whether it is a single form letter or a packet with 7 individual letters).
• If your school does not have a committee, the standard minimum letter requirement is a letter from two science professors and a letter from a non-science professor (total of 3 letters; but as stated above, this can vary from school to school).
• Many osteopathic medical schools require a letter from a DO.

8. Do understand that there are multiple application systems, and they are all a little different

• AMCAS for allopathic medical schools
• TMDSAS for public Texas medical schools (allopathic and osteopathic)
  
• AACOMAS for osteopathic medical schools

9. Do write an excellent personal statement

• Make sure you answer the ultimate question: "why do you want to be a physician?"
• Develop an outline and follow some sort of theme
• Get personal: discuss experiences that fostered growth and development
• Don't just "list" experiences - explain how they affected you personally
• Do have multiple individuals (professor, school writing center, SDN forums) critique your personal statement
• Edit, edit, edit

10. Do understand the missions of the schools you wish to apply to.

• Primary care/rural medicine/underserved (Mercer, etc.)
• Research (Harvard, etc.)
• Other

11. Do apply smartly (use the MSAR for guidance)

• Make sure the list of schools you are applying to are within range of your application; i.e., don’t apply to only top 20 medical schools if your GPA is 3.3, your MCAT score is 25, and you have zero research experience
• Balance your school list: apply to a few reach schools, a few “safety” schools, and a “bunch” of schools where your GPA and MCAT are at or above (ideally, above) the school's median
  
• Make sure you meet the mission of the schools you’re applying to (i.e. a good "fit")
  
• Understand that the majority of public medical schools in the United States have a heavy bias for in-state applicants (i.e. don’t apply to Mercer if you’re not a Georgia resident); refer to the MSAR to see if it’s “worth it” for you to apply to a particular school if you’re an out-of-state applicant.
• ONLY apply to schools that you would be happy to attend
  • Answer the ultimate question: "if this school is my only acceptance, would I be okay with attending?"

12. Do apply broadly

• As stated above, the medical school admissions process is inherently competitive due to there being significantly more applicants than seats (50,000 applicants, 20,000 seats for allopathic medical schools; 18,000 applicants and 6,000 seats for osteopathic medical schools).
• To increase your chances of success in an application cycle, it is typically wise to apply to 15 to 20 schools (or more), no matter how strong you perceive your application to be (of course, there are always exceptions)

13. Do apply early

• The vast majority of medical schools review applications on a rolling basis: the earlier you apply, the better your chances of receiving an interview
• Start filling out your AMCAS application in May when it initially opens. Proofread your entire application (have someone else proofread it, as well). Have your official transcripts sent as soon as possible (rush, if possible) after you complete the Spring semester.
• Submit your AMCAS application as early as AMCAS allows (typically, sometime in early June)

14. Do pre-write secondary applications

• If you make it past the primary screen (very few schools actually screen primaries), you’ll be sent an invitation to fill out a secondary application and pay a secondary application fee (anywhere from $50 to $150 each, unless you’re qualified for FAP)
• Secondary applications usually require you to fill out additional essays, and these essays are typically geared toward the school’s mission (but tend to include common/similar prompts)
  • Common essay prompts include topics related to diversity, overcoming adversity, your goals, etc.
• Secondary applications can vary in length: they can be very short, very long, or anything in between.
• Schools usually have a submission deadline on their secondary application, so you must complete them promptly; your application will not be reviewed until it is complete, and this is a requirement for completion
  • For clarity: return secondaries as soon as humanly possible without sacrificing essay quality
• See the 2014-2015 Allopathic School-Specific Discussions forum for secondary prompts for every school you’re applying to and pre-write as many as possible (you do not want to be writing a bunch of secondaries at the same time)
  • These prompts usually do not change from year-to-year, so this can save a tremendous amount of time (and you’ll be able to write higher quality essays)

15. Do prepare for interviews

• Do mock interviews to get experience and feedback
• There are many types of interview formats (1-on-1, group, MMI) and tones (hostile, calm); be familiar with them
• Have an idea of what the typical interview questions are; don’t come off as if you’re reading from a script
• Have some knowledge of the state of healthcare in the United States
• For interviews at osteopathic medical schools, be prepared to answer "why DO?"

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[litmajor]

• Even if your school has a grade forgiveness/grade replacement policy, you must report both grades to AMCAS (i.e. you took organic chemistry I and received an F. You then retake it and receive an A. With a grade forgiveness/replacement policy, your school removes the F from your transcript. You must list the both grades anyway).
  

Not exactly true. If the original grade was completely scrubbed from your transcript, I.e. It does not appear on it at all, you do not have to report it. If it remains on your transcript but your school does not calculate it into you gpa, which is what some schools do, then yes you have to report it (and your AMCAS gpa will be lower than the one on your school transcript).

 

[sephora89]

Not exactly true. If the original grade was completely scrubbed from your transcript, I.e. It does not appear on it at all, you do not have to report it. If it remains on your transcript but your school does not calculate it into you gpa, which is what some schools do, then yes you have to report it (and your AMCAS gpa will be lower than the one on your school transcript).

No, @medic86 is right about that. AMCAS specifically states that even if it no longer appears on the transcript due to grade forgiveness the student must report it.

 

[sephora89]

Great guide. Perhaps for the MCAT section I would add that most schools average, some superstore, some take the most recent, etc.

 

[Flintwire]

This is a great idea! It's like ... all the baseline wisdom of SDN distilled into a single post. Just noticed a small typo:

Balance your school list: apply to a few reach schools, a few “safety” schools, and a “bunch” of schools where your GPA and MCAT

You're missing the end of the sentence here.

 

[medic86]

This is a great idea! It's like ... all the baseline wisdom of SDN distilled into a single post. Just noticed a small typo:

You're missing the end of the sentence here.

Thanks! Updated!

added "at or above (preferably above) the school's median" <- this is the prevailing wisdom here, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong )

 

[Mad Jack]

Not exactly true. If the original grade was completely scrubbed from your transcript, I.e. It does not appear on it at all, you do not have to report it. If it remains on your transcript but your school does not calculate it into you gpa, which is what some schools do, then yes you have to report it (and your AMCAS gpa will be lower than the one on your school transcript).

That's a violation of AMCAS rules, don't do it.

 

[litmajor]

That's weird. The transcript is a legal document. If the grade isn't on it, the grade isn't on it and there's literally no way for anyone to ever know. Oh well.

 

[Goro]

You got it! Moderators, sticky this, please.

Hi everyone!

So, I have the ear of the chair of the pre-medical committee at my school, and he has asked me to give him a list of do's and don'ts for medical school applicants so he can better understand the application process. I kind of fell into this because I noticed that some things about our committee letter request process was inefficient/antiquated, and spoke with him about it. I made a draft of what I would send him, based on my 5 years of reading SDN. If I'm missing anything or completely wrong about anything, please correct me! Thanks!




The medical school admissions process is extremely competitive, and it gets more competitive every year. In 2014, there were 49,480 applicants for 20,343 allopathic medical school seats in the United States. The average GPA and MCAT score increases every year.

There is no special formula to get into medical school. However, there are things you can do to increase your chances, and some things are typically given more weight by admissions committees (such as GPA and MCAT – which are commonly the most important metrics).


1. Do obtain the highest GPA possible

• The mean cumulative GPA for allopathic matriculants in 2014 was 3.69 (SD = 0.25
• The mean science (BCPM) GPA for allopathic matriculants in 2014 was 3.63 (SD = 0.31)
  • BCPM = biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics
• For allopathic medical schools, all coursework ever taken are required to be reported on the AMCAS application. There is no grade replacement policy.
  • Even if your school has a grade forgiveness/grade replacement policy, you must report both grades to AMCAS (i.e. you took organic chemistry I and received an F. You then retake it and receive an A. With a grade forgiveness/replacement policy, your school removes the F from your transcript. You must list the both grades anyway).

2. Do get the best score possible on the MCAT

• The mean MCAT score for allopathic matriculants in 2014 was 31.4 (83rd – 87th percentile; SD = 3.9)
• Take the MCAT ONLY when you are ready:
  • Do not take the MCAT without studying
  • Do not take the MCAT with the intention of retaking (don’t take it and score it just to see what it’s like, or the plethora of other reasons people do poorly); do it right the first time.
  • Do not take the MCAT before completing your prerequisite courses

3. Do get clinical experience

• Admissions committees value applicants who know what they’re getting themselves into.
• Clinical volunteering (hospital, clinic, etc.)
• Physician shadowing (seeing what the typical work day for a physician is like)

4. Do community service

• Altruism is an important quality in physicians, and admissions committees value community service
• Non-clinical volunteering (soup kitchen, food bank, Habitat for Humanity, etc.)
• Clinical volunteering (hospital, clinic, hospice, etc.; “if you can smell the patient, it’s clinical”)

5. Do get involved in research

• While not an explicit requirement for medical school, it may be difficult to receive an interview invite/acceptance from a school that has a heavy focus on research
• The goal of research is to experience and understand the scientific method

6. Do be smart about who you ask to write letters of recommendation for you

• While letters typically have a neutral impact, they have the potential to have a significant impact on your application (either good or bad).
• Know your professors. Do not ask for a letter of recommendation from a professor that you’ve never talked to.
• Do NOT send a letter request through Interfolio to a professor you never asked

7. Do understand the letter of recommendation requirements (type and number) for medical school

• These can vary from school to school, so check each school you are applying to.
• In general, most medical schools require a pre-medical committee letter if your school has a committee; this committee letter typically satisfies all individual letter requirements, no matter the length (whether it is a single form letter or a packet with 7 individual letters).
• If your school does not have a committee, the standard minimum letter requirement is a letter from two science professors and a letter from a non-science professor (total of 3 letters; but as stated above, this can vary from school to school).

8. Do understand the missions of the schools you wish to apply to.

• Primary care/rural medicine/underserved (Mercer, etc.)
• Research (Harvard, etc.)
• Other

9. Do apply smartly

• Make sure the list of schools you are applying to are within range of your application; i.e., don’t apply to only top 20 medical schools if your GPA is 3.3, your MCAT score is 25, and you have zero research experience
• Balance your school list: apply to a few reach schools, a few “safety” schools, and a “bunch” of schools where your GPA and MCAT are at or above (ideally, above) the school's median
  
• Make sure you meet the mission of the schools you’re applying to
• Understand that the majority of public medical schools in the United States have a heavy bias for in-state applicants (i.e. don’t apply to Mercer if you’re not a Georgia resident); refer to the MSAR to see if it’s “worth it” for you to apply to a particular school if you’re an out-of-state applicant.

10. Do apply broadly

• As stated above, the medical school admissions process is inherently competitive due to there being significantly more applicants than seats (50,000 applicants, 20,000 seats).
• To increase your chances of success in an application cycle, it is typically wise to apply to 15 to 20 schools (or more)

11. Do apply early

• The vast majority of medical schools review applications on a rolling basis; the earlier you apply, the better your chances of receiving an interview
• Start filling out your AMCAS application in May when it initially opens. Proofread your entire application (have someone else proofread it, as well). Have your official transcripts sent as soon as possible (rush, if possible) after you complete the Spring semester.
• Submit your AMCAS application as early as AMCAS allows (typically, sometime in early June)

12. Do prepare for interviews

• Do mock interviews to get experience and feedback
• There are many types of interview formats (1-on-1, group, MMI) and tones (hostile, calm); be familiar with them
• Have an idea of what the typical interview questions are; don’t come off as if you’re reading from a script
• Have some knowledge of the state of healthcare in the United States

 

[medic86]

Updated! Added some stuff about secondary applications.

Anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks!

 

[MedNation907]

It is my understanding that the Personal Statement is very heavily regarded in the selection process. I believe AMCAS suggests starting this statement 6 months in advance.

Maybe include some tips:
1. Answer the underlying question of 'why do you want to be a physician?' (you'd hope that was already understood, but who knows)
2. Develop an outline to orbit some sort of theme
3. [self-explanatory] but nevertheless overlooked frequently: get personal, discuss experiences that fostered growth and development
4. And an error I see most commonly is: Don't list experiences but explain how they affected you personally

 

[Señor Chang]

No, @medic86 is right about that. AMCAS specifically states that even if it no longer appears on the transcript due to grade forgiveness the student must report it.

Then you gotta ask yourself: do they have the right to ask for that?

 

[clairephillips]

You might want to mention:

- TMDSAS for applying in Texas
- Returning secondaries as quickly as possible, because it reads like it's okay to turn them in on the last day.
- DO school information, like grade replacement, needing a letter of recommendation from a current DO, having a seperate application system
- Make clear that applicants need shadowing AND clinical volunteer work, not either/or. That section was a little confusing.

Otherwise, great job!

 

[resiroth]

ONLY APPLY TO SCHOOLS YOU WOULD BE HAPPY TO ATTEND. I cannot emphasize that enough. Don't apply to a safety you would hate to attend because you might end up having to attend there, and worse still you may have taken a spot away from a student that would have been excited to go there. You do yourself and your classmates a disservice by not being happy to be there.

 

[Storph]

You might want to mention:

- TMDSAS for applying in Texas
- Returning secondaries as quickly as possible, because it reads like it's okay to turn them in on the last day.
- DO school information, like grade replacement, needing a letter of recommendation from a current DO, having a seperate application system
- Make clear that applicants need shadowing AND clinical volunteer work, not either/or. That section was a little confusing.

Otherwise, great job!

I agree with this for the most part, but I would emphatically state that secondaries should not be turned in so quickly that you sacrifice quality. Otherwise, that's some pretty good advice. I actually pre-wrote a lot of mine this year.

 

[Lannister]

That is wholly incorrect as quoted below

"When entering course work, you must include information and corresponding grades for every course in which you have ever enrolled at any U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution, regardless of whether credit was earned.

This includes, but is not limited to:

All attempts at courses that have been repeated, which includes any courses
removed from your transcript or GPA as a result of academic bankruptcy or
institutional forgiveness policies."

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/182162/data/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf

While highly unlikely, it can be the basis of a ethical violation that can be acted upon by the medical school up until you have been awarded your medical degree. Therefore, it is not worth the impact of the risk.

Wait. Freshman year I took a computer science course, but I ended up dropping halfway through the semester. Due to freshman forgiveness, no W appears on my transcript. Do I still have to report this class?

 

[jared_the_great]

Looks really good.

Under MCAT I would add "Do not take the MCAT before taking at least one official timed AMCAS practice exam to get an idea how you will do."

 

[sharkbyte]

Great guide. Perhaps for the MCAT section I would add that most schools average, some superstore, some take the most recent, etc.

Most schools take the most recent or the highest score in one sitting, not average. This is listed on many school's websites.

 

[medic86]

Updated again!

Just tidied up some of the sections and added a brief section on personal statements.

 

[Lawpy]

You got it! Moderators, sticky this, please.

I agree. A great, available reference that saves people from posting redundant threads, and avoids people from having to search actively through the topic.

Good work OP.

 

[Catalystik]

Freshman year I took a computer science course, but I ended up dropping halfway through the semester. Due to freshman forgiveness, no W appears on my transcript. Do I still have to report this class?

Yes, you must report it.

The school's forgiveness policy is just that: the school's own policy. AMCAS policy is to report every class you ever took at any time.

. . unless you officially withdrew from the class within the official drop period. From page 44 of the 2016 AMCAS Instruction Manual:

Withdrawal (W)

A Withdrawal includes any course from which you officially withdrew, regardless of
whether you were passing or failing at the time. Such courses usually appear on the
transcript as a "W" or equivalent symbol. A course entry must be made even if the
withdrawn course does not appear on the transcript. No credit hours or AMCAS grade will
be assigned.

A course entry should not be made if the course was dropped within the normal drop/add
period and does not appear on your transcript.

 

[Catalystik]

You might want to mention:

- TMDSAS for applying in Texas
- Returning secondaries as quickly as possible, because it reads like it's okay to turn them in on the last day.
- DO school information, like grade replacement, needing a letter of recommendation from a current DO, having a seperate application system
- Make clear that applicants need shadowing AND clinical volunteer work, not either/or. That section was a little confusing.

Otherwise, great job!

Presumably your premed committee would also write letters for DO applicants, so I agree that adding a blurb about DO grade replacement is appropriate.

Also, you might reword things so it's clear that paid clinical experience is as acceptable as volunteering.

 

[deleted158872]

#5 isn't necessary.
#6 is a BS requirement that only American schools demand. I do think LORs mean nothing. but yeah we do need those because we live in America so your point is still valid.

 

[medic86]

Updated!

Added information about DO schools: number of applicants to seats, mean matriculant GPA, and mean matriculant MCAT score.
Added information about AACOMAS' grade replacement policy.
Clarified the clinical experience section to include paid clinical experience.
Added a small blurb mentioning that there are multiple application systems.
Added a blurb about evaluating multiple MCAT scores.

 

[mrpeduncle]

That is wholly incorrect as quoted below

"When entering course work, you must include information and corresponding grades for every course in which you have ever enrolled at any U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution, regardless of whether credit was earned.

This includes, but is not limited to:

All attempts at courses that have been repeated, which includes any courses
removed from your transcript or GPA as a result of academic bankruptcy or
institutional forgiveness policies."

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/182162/data/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf

While highly unlikely, it can be the basis of a ethical violation that can be acted upon by the medical school up until you have been awarded your medical degree. Therefore, it is not worth the impact of the risk.

This rule creates a problem for me. I repeated a course and the original grade was removed from my official transcript and replaced with an "RP." I'm a non-traditional applicant and because its been 8 years since the initial attempt, I don't remember the original grade. I called my registrar and they said they don't keep a record of original grades for repeated courses. I called and emailed AMCAS to explain the situation and in both cases they told me to just put "RP" on my application. Given how much of a fuss AMCAS makes about repeated courses in the instruction book, I'm still a little worried that my application will be returned to me when it comes time for verification. Does anyone know how AMCAS has handled this sort of situation in the past?

 

[medic86]

This rule creates a problem for me. I repeated a course and the original grade was removed from my official transcript and replaced with an "RP." I'm a non-traditional applicant and because its been 8 years since the initial attempt, I don't remember the original grade. I called my registrar and they said they don't keep a record of original grades for repeated courses. I called and emailed AMCAS to explain the situation and in both cases they told me to just put "RP" on my application. Given how much of a fuss AMCAS makes about repeated courses in the instruction book, I'm still a little worried that my application will be returned to me when it comes time for verification. Does anyone know how AMCAS has handled this sort of situation in the past?

I would suggest posting over to this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/official-amcas-questions-thread-2015-2016.1130359/

Good luck!