What exactly do medical schools look for?

[tomi65463]

There are so many medical school applicants each year and I recently just noticed how low the acceptance rates is for med school in general. Is it really just grades, a good MCAT score and decent extracurricular activities that guarantee acceptance? My parents tell me that its all about the numbers when it comes to getting into a school. That I must keep a high GPA if I want a chance. But it seems to me that almost (not everybody) that applies to medical schools has these things. Basically, how do medical schools really choose a class of 100 to 200 from 5,000 + applications?

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[preMedDonut]

Well if you read the "less informed pre med quotes" thread, not everyone that applies has a high gpa. Then the people with none of the basics (volunteering,shadowing) are weeded out. Now basically you have to find your "hook" to up your chances. Have you done anything special in life that is unique? A lot of people do this by research, different volunteering options which makes their leadership shine.

 

[McNCheese]

Between gpa and the MCAT, a lot of people are weeded out. Then there are people without shadowing or volunteering. There are also people who only apply to schools out of their reach. It is true that grades and MCAT scores are important, so put as much energy as possible into them. They aren't the entire picture though, and you do need to have the extras - volunteering (clinical and non-clinical), shadowing, and other interests/activities. Having all of this doesn't "guarantee" an acceptance, sometimes it comes down to how you present yourself and if your reasons for pursuing medical school are genuine and informed.