Medical School Application Flowchart

[medception]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Edit.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Because premeds, especially SDN premeds, aren't formulaic and cookie-cutterish enough already.

 

[Plue00]

Good chart, definitely helps those who are brand new to premed.

Because premeds, especially SDN premeds, aren't formulaic and cookie-cutterish enough already.

As long as it gets you in, it doesn't matter.

 

[GreyF0X]

Hey everyone,

I made this application flowchart to help someone I'm tutoring/mentoring through my tutoring business, and I thought I would post it here as well to help those starting out or currently attempting to navigate the process in the context of your own experiences.

Hope this helps?

Thanks Medception. My brother is new to premed this chart will definitley put things in perspective for him. 👍

 

[ChartaBona]

Pretty good flowchart. Wish I had this senior year of high school.

However...I don't agree with needing >1000 hrs of volunteering. That's just ridiculous. Might also want to mention the pre-med committee LOR.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Strong post.

Do you do this for fee or free? I am interested in establishing a website that provides this sort of information to hs and college students from low income backgrounds. AAMC has some good stuff, but it lacks specifics and is too focused on URMs.

 

[Ismet]

Pretty good flowchart. Wish I had this senior year of high school.

However...I don't agree with needing >1000 hrs of volunteering. That's just ridiculous. Might also want to mention the pre-med committee LOR.

+1. 1000 hours is completely outrageous as a goal. The pre-med committee at my undergrad recommended 250 hours, and even that is a lot.

 

[medception]

Edit.

 

[def1]

1000 hours of volunteering?

Thats way overkill imo.

Otherwise a pretty good chart.

 

[medception]

Edit.

 

[DoktorO]

The application submittance date has changed to the 6th of June for this year.

 

[red doctober]

7 LORs is too many...

 

[Lamel]

Because premeds, especially SDN premeds, aren't formulaic and cookie-cutterish enough already.

Because that's how it works? Don't blame the premeds when being formulaic is the name of the game.


In terms of the flowchart, it is fine. However 500 hours of both clinical and nonclinical volunteering is a lot.

 

[medception]

Edit.

 

[medception]

Edit.

 

[Mr Avante]

 

[gimghoul]

Damn, apparently I didn't get into med school.

 

[NickNaylor]

Also noted, but I know some people would disagree, especially non-traditional applicants with lots of work experience. In certain cases, it helps to have multiple perspectives of you as an applicant. However, I know that some schools will only accept up to 5 or 6 letters, so I understand this caveat.

Seven LORs is insane. The average applicant isn't going to have seven people to get solid letters from. Nontraditional applicants obviously will because many of them likely have solid work or other experiences. Your average pre-med isn't going to have that exposure. Even four is pushing it for many applicants, and it certainly isn't necessary to get into any school. Obviously n=1, but I was accepted with a full tuition scholarship at a top 20 school with two very strong letters. Quality is way, way more important than quantity.

Sent from my SGH-M919

 

[mTORC]

Do any med schools even require a letter from a doc?

 

[NickNaylor]

Do any med schools even require a letter from a doc?

I don't know of any MD schools that do, but this is a relatively standard requirement for DO schools.

Sent from my SGH-M919

 

[Bluto385]

Glad I didn't see this chart during freshman year. I probably would have switched out of pre-med.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Seven LORs is insane. The average applicant isn't going to have seven people to get solid letters from. Nontraditional applicants obviously will because many of them likely have solid work or other experiences. Your average pre-med isn't going to have that exposure. Even four is pushing it for many applicants, and it certainly isn't necessary to get into any school. Obviously n=1, but I was accepted with a full tuition scholarship at a top 20 school with two very strong letters. Quality is way, way more important than quantity.

Sent from my SGH-M919

I agree that 7 is crazy, but the bolded is not true in my experience. Assuming you weren't a pre-med in college, getting decent academic letters is difficult if not impossible for the average career changer. You might have one or two letters from employers or other activities, but meeting the LOE requirements was one of the more onerous parts of the process.

 

[gettheleadout]

I really don't see why you would need a letter from an MD, a supervisor, or a volunteer coordinator. Also counting by hours just seems like a bad idea, regardless of the fact that 500 clinical and nonclinical is insane (500 combined would be crazy too). I would think it'd be better to describe a time commitment for the duration of involvement, e.g. "non-clinical for ≥ 1 year."

 

[I like meowmix]

500+ hours and 7 recs???? I was nowhere close to that. I highly disagree with these numbers.

 

[JPodel]

Pretty cool man, thanks for the post!

 

[jm192]

Seven LORs is insane. The average applicant isn't going to have seven people to get solid letters from. Nontraditional applicants obviously will because many of them likely have solid work or other experiences. Your average pre-med isn't going to have that exposure. Even four is pushing it for many applicants, and it certainly isn't necessary to get into any school. Obviously n=1, but I was accepted with a full tuition scholarship at a top 20 school with two very strong letters. Quality is way, way more important than quantity.

Sent from my SGH-M919

This.

7 letters--most are going to be fluff letters saying nothing of value from people that don't know you. I'd imagine they put no weight in them, if they even read them all.

I had no MD letters, was going to try to get one in the final month before I submitted, and the advisor said not to. They won't add anything.

 

[Benedictus123]

I don't know anyone who would actually submit seven LORs, and having one from an MD isn't at all a requirement (though sometimes having one from a non-science person is). Also, 1000+ hrs of volunteering is not at all realistic for most premed students. I know this is SDN, land of the 400 hr volunteering average, but many successful premedical students have much fewer than that and do just fine getting in.

 

[sworzeh]

Also, >10 in each MCAT subscore isn't required. >=10 is nice, but not required.

 

[askamsky51]

Step 3... PROFIT