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Medical School Application Flowchart
Started by medception
Because premeds, especially SDN premeds, aren't formulaic and cookie-cutterish enough already.
Good chart, definitely helps those who are brand new to premed.
As long as it gets you in, it doesn't matter.
As long as it gets you in, it doesn't matter.
Thanks Medception. My brother is new to premed this chart will definitley put things in perspective for him. 👍
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.
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.
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.
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.
+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.
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7 LORs is too many...
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.
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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.
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I don't know of any MD schools that do, but this is a relatively standard requirement for DO schools.
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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.
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."
500+ hours and 7 recs???? I was nowhere close to that. I highly disagree with these numbers.
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.
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.
Step 3... PROFIT
