How do we know what each medical school prefers?

[BrittHoch1]

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Hello everyone,
So I frequently read how some say that a specific school likes research, or that another particular school loves shadowing etc. etc. How do you find this information out? I love volunteering and research, so it's not a matter of not being interested in staying motivated. I'm just curious how some of you are finding this information out. Indiana University is one school that I'm interested in. Is there one particular area that they like to see more than others? Thanks!

 

[pioneer22]

You have to be a strong applicant in several key areas for ALL medical schools: academics, extracurriculars, shadowing, service, and research (more of a factor at private schools).

As far as specifics for schools, you can find that out pretty easy from their mission. Ie. a place like WashU is a research powerhouse, so they like more academic, research-oriented applicants than a service / primary-care powerhouse like UCSF (lower avg GPA and MCAT, yet still fantastic for research).

Craft a list of things you want from a school—ie. heavy research, or service opportunities—and go from there.

 

[LnSin]

Check MSAR. A school that has 98% research is likely looking for students with several research interests, etc.


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[ScottTenorman54]

I think I remember seeing a link from @gonnif with a ranked list of things med school admissions directors are looking for in order of importance, comparing private and public schools. It's a nice little outline of what to prioritize in your app. That could be a good place to start, if you can find it. For specific schools, it's often anecdotal, third-party information from previous applicants or classes. Or the wording of a school's mission statement. Best taken with a grain of salt.

 

[Catalystik]

You might read through Indiana's School-Specific thread for comments about what seemed to impress interviewers. Or the converse.

 

[BrittHoch1]

Thank you, everyone. I do appreciate it! I will be starting my prereqs in about a year. I'm waiting until my youngest is in kindergarten, that way it is much more manageable for me to go to class, study, get tutoring if needed etc. I'm 29 years old, so I am a nontraditional student. Even though I have done quite a bit of research, I still have questions. I believe I have a good grasp on what I need to do, though. Once again, thank you for your responses. Honestly, I think it's probably important just to do what I can in every area of what they are looking for. I'm interested in doing a couple years of research, but I understand that I need to cover my basis in other areas that medical schools are looking for.

 

[Goro]

How about doing something extremely radical and actually visiting the school's admissions web page????

Here's what U UT likes:
Admissions Requirements - U of U School of Medicine - | University of Utah

Hello everyone,
So I frequently read how some say that a specific school likes research, or that another particular school loves shadowing etc. etc. How do you find this information out? I love volunteering and research, so it's not a matter of not being interested in staying motivated. I'm just curious how some of you are finding this information out. Indiana University is one school that I'm interested in. Is there one particular area that they like to see more than others? Thanks!

 

[BrittHoch1]

How about doing something extremely radical and actually visiting the school's admissions web page????

Here's what U UT likes:
Admissions Requirements - U of U School of Medicine - | University of Utah

I already did this extremely radical thing you mentioned and visited the school's admissions page, but I was unable to find anything on whether they prefer a stronger applicant in one area over another. I was trying to ask if there was another way to find out, but I already called admissions to confirm this. They don't prefer one area over the other. 5 other members were able to give better advice, recommendations, and info than doing this "extremely radical thing" you mentioned. Thanks for the most obvious advice, though!

 

[BrittHoch1]

In general. while most premeds have some research, the perception of the importance of research in medical admissions is greater than the reality, often at the expense of community service/volunteering (both clinical and non clinical). A nontrad from a non-academic background (ie not moving from another advanced degree) would likely not be expected to have significant research, particularly wet bench. You may find a clinical, social, public health, etc, study involvement as well as traditional research to enhance your record

Right, I understand what you're saying. I do love research, but I wouldn't compromise my volunteering and clinical experience. I didn't see information regarding whether IUSM prefers a stronger applicant in one area over another, so I called the admissions office myself to confirm this. She said that they really don't prefer any specific area and to just attempt to get enough experience in every area I can. Thank you for your advice, I do appreciate it.

 

[BrittHoch1]

You might read through Indiana's School-Specific thread for comments about what seemed to impress interviewers. Or the converse.

I wasn't able to find much going through a few threads. Even though I already had my question answered by the admission of IUSM, I can certainly search for more threads. Thank you.

 

[BrittHoch1]

I already did this extremely radical thing you mentioned and visited the school's admissions page, but I was unable to find anything on whether they prefer a stronger applicant in one area over another. I was trying to ask if there was another way to find out, but I already called admissions to confirm this. They don't prefer one area over the other. 5 other members were able to give better advice, recommendations, and info than doing this "extremely radical thing" you mentioned. Thanks for the most obvious advice, though!

You know what, I apologize for acting sarcastic. I couldn't tell whether you were being snarky, rude, and insulting, or whether you were really just trying to help. I'm sorry if I took it the wrong way. Thank you for the advice, truly.

 

[Goro]

This is just an example.

This: The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix

is very different from this:

Admission Requirements


Did you only look at the admissions pages, or did you look at the entire website to get a sense school mission? For example, many admissions pages will tell you requirements, but not mission.

I already did this extremely radical thing you mentioned and visited the school's admissions page, but I was unable to find anything on whether they prefer a stronger applicant in one area over another. I was trying to ask if there was another way to find out, but I already called admissions to confirm this. They don't prefer one area over the other. 5 other members were able to give better advice, recommendations, and info than doing this "extremely radical thing" you mentioned. Thanks for the most obvious advice, though!