"The [name of some person] Prize in [field]"

[premd]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Does anyone know if those college awards and prizes are valuable on a med school application? I'm talking about those that pretty much every college has and usually are of the form "The [name of some person] Prize in [field]."

 

[DropkickMurphy]

If you can get yourself a Lasker Award, I'm pretty sure that's as valuable as they come short of winning an award that gets you the chance to meet the King of Sweden.

 

[themadchemist]

If you can get yourself a Lasker Award, I'm pretty sure that's as valuable as they come short of winning an award that gets you the chance to meet the King of Sweden.

Sweden's overrated. They can keep the King of Sweden Prize. 😛

 

[Thundrstorm]

If I'm understanding you correctly, then they can be worth putting on apps. I won a community service award named after an alum of my school, and I put it on AMCAS. Obviously, I explained what it was b/c the name means nothing to people not from my college. Is that the kind of award you're talking about?

 

[premd]

If I'm understanding you correctly, then they can be worth putting on apps. I won a community service award named after an alum of my school, and I put it on AMCAS. Obviously, I explained what it was b/c the name means nothing to people not from my college. Is that the kind of award you're talking about?

Yes, exactly. They are all named after some former alumnus, professor, or benefactor and the criteria is usually doing well in some particular area or, like you said, community service or leadership.

Are these considered big plusses? Or, do medical schools not care since every college has these types of awards?

 

[themadchemist]

Yes, exactly. They are all named after some former alumnus, professor, or benefactor and the criteria is usually doing well in some particular area or, like you said, community service or leadership.

Are these considered big plusses? Or, do medical schools not care since every college has these types of awards?

The question shouldn't be whether every college has them, but whether every student at your college wins them.

I put down the research scholarship I got, but it was only awarded to three people out of the entire junior class in the College of Arts & Sciences. Albeit, not everyone applied, but the distinction still stands.