thoughts on using medical school counselors? are they worth it? has anyone had experience with one? if so, any recommendations?
medical school counselors
- Thread starter yellow400
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Sample bias may have produced the dim view that I have of the cottage industry that is "medical school advising."
Contact the NAAHP if you are not applying this cycle.
They are great and they provide their services out of the kindness of their heart (even though they often have a day job providing counseling at their own schools).
Contact the NAAHP if you are not applying this cycle.
They are great and they provide their services out of the kindness of their heart (even though they often have a day job providing counseling at their own schools).
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We have admissions consultants and sponsors who support SDN, post here, and offer some pro bono counseling (including blogs, vlogs, and ebooks). I also am supported and salaried by HPSA to provide pay-what-you-can advising but I have also worked for a company in the past on admissions consulting. I know the folks at the NAAHP Ask-an-advisor service too. There are a few others who are former prehealth advisors or admissions professionals who are independent counselors (a couple of them have an independent certification for freelancing admissions consultants, which I had never known existed or would be eligible for).
So those disclosures being said, it's like choosing a personal trainer. You should have specific problems or expectations to work on to benefit the most from any coach you are paying for their help. A hobby I can relate to is hiring a professional instructor to improve my [salsa] dancing technique... there are many instructors, so you choose based on the type of experience the coach has, the approachability of the coach, the teaching ability, and accountability for the cost you are paying for the coaching. Many amateurs or beginning pros may be available who would aren't pricey, but their expertise is not always based on their own experience.
Many are current medical students, residents, or junior staffers who are leveraging the fact they got in or served in an observer role on admissions committees. Some are prehealth advisors or application screeners.
In general the basic advice is universal and doesn't really change much. You can get this information from the AAMC website and reinforced by our website and articles, those of the individual schools/programs, websites from admissions consultants, websites from professional student organizations, and journalism outlets like US News and World Report. Some people are better in explaining things than others, or being creative. Some are more expert in writing, others in interviewing. In the end, it's about what you want to get out of the relationship.
[Reserving the "personal trainer" joke that came to mind... you'll just have to figure out which joke it is.]
So those disclosures being said, it's like choosing a personal trainer. You should have specific problems or expectations to work on to benefit the most from any coach you are paying for their help. A hobby I can relate to is hiring a professional instructor to improve my [salsa] dancing technique... there are many instructors, so you choose based on the type of experience the coach has, the approachability of the coach, the teaching ability, and accountability for the cost you are paying for the coaching. Many amateurs or beginning pros may be available who would aren't pricey, but their expertise is not always based on their own experience.
Many are current medical students, residents, or junior staffers who are leveraging the fact they got in or served in an observer role on admissions committees. Some are prehealth advisors or application screeners.
In general the basic advice is universal and doesn't really change much. You can get this information from the AAMC website and reinforced by our website and articles, those of the individual schools/programs, websites from admissions consultants, websites from professional student organizations, and journalism outlets like US News and World Report. Some people are better in explaining things than others, or being creative. Some are more expert in writing, others in interviewing. In the end, it's about what you want to get out of the relationship.
[Reserving the "personal trainer" joke that came to mind... you'll just have to figure out which joke it is.]
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The advising /consulting arm of my medical school admission technology and process business was built under the “motto” that the vast majority of students do not need our services. Often its fear of the daunting application process with the belief that they arent good enough that brought prospective applicants to my former company. Most of them just need guidance on the process steps, timing, etc along with how to evaluate and present themselves. Most seemed unable to create a theme, pattern, or big picture of their application.
Unless you are a very non-traditional, atypical, or problematic applicant you dont need outside advisor. If you have solid GPA and MCAT, along with appropriate volunteering, activities, and research, you dont need an advisor. If you can take the critiques from volunteer readers on here and research questions on SDN, AMCAS, etc, you dont need an advisor
Of course if you still want an advisor, I will gladly take your money and do so. But I am expensive
Unless you are a very non-traditional, atypical, or problematic applicant you dont need outside advisor. If you have solid GPA and MCAT, along with appropriate volunteering, activities, and research, you dont need an advisor. If you can take the critiques from volunteer readers on here and research questions on SDN, AMCAS, etc, you dont need an advisor
Of course if you still want an advisor, I will gladly take your money and do so. But I am expensive
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If using the services of an advisor will help you apply to the right programs given your qualifications and goals while guiding you to present yourself effectively so that you get accepted when you otherwise would not do the above and get accepted, yes, they are worth it. BUT, you don't know if you could have done it on your own when you sign up. Many people apply successfully without a med school consultant and many people apply and could really benefit from their assistance. I can't tell which group you belong to.
