manifest.

Medical School Applicants

Posted by stacysalerno in thought on February 25, 2011

I am going to let you in on a few things I have learned throughout this process. In no way do my comments reflect the opinions of institutions I have been involved with.

Don’t forget you are a person. You are not a GPA, an MCAT score, or a research publication. If you aren’t able to see yourself as a person, you might not see your patients as people either. This would be a problem.
So, hello human.

Humans have interests. Go with them. Do what inspires you. Create happiness through your actions – for yourself and others. This is important, and doesn’t have to be medical. This is what will make you unique out of the 5000 applications for 100 seats.

Every applicant has to take Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, maybe Biochemistry and English. These are all interesting as hell. Do swell. Learn it well. And try to enjoy the courses, make study buddies or teams, ask the professor questions, whatever gets you going. And while you are going at these undergrad courses pick up some MCAT review books and practice relevant questions – maybe do some MCAT physics practice questions that link with the unit you are studying in class. You won’t regret getting extra practice. But get good grades. If MCAT is a distraction then wait.

The MCAT is a test that you can practice. Take all of the AAMC practice exams (some people take them twice). Again, you won’t be upset you did the extra practice. I am not going to give you a magic number here. I have a friend who got into UCSF with a 28. Again, we are all people. And the score is just a component of the application. Don’t stress, it is a game. Practice hard and play hard.

Here is the break down:
Physical Sciences (PS) – Chemistry and Physics passages and questions all mixed together. Great puzzles. Bored? Try some passages. You actually learn concepts by reading these. Then maybe try some free standing questions. They can actually be quite fun. Some books – the Berkeley Review, Exam Krackers, Princeton Review, Kaplan… in that order of quality.

Verbal Reasoning (VR) – Read articles online. The length of those that can be found in Local News papers, Lancet, Economist, NYTimes, Atlantic, National Geographic, and the list goes on. Journal articles – medical and not. If you haven’t already – start now. You can learn things about the world and about medicine. This shit will be interesting and churn ideas. Then practice answering the MCAT style VR questions (Exam Krackers Verbal 101).

Writing Section (WS) – Thesis, Anti-thesis, Conclusion. You have been writing these 3 paragraph essays since 3rd grade. If you need practice, by all means. I think the AAMC practice exams should be enough. Having trouble with supporting your ideas with real life examples? – read more.

Biological Sciences (BS) – This is a mixture of Biology passages and Organic Chemistry passages. But mainly Biology. Practice and learn. The passages are informative. Some books – the Berkeley Review, Exam Krackers, Princeton Review, Kaplan.

If you have taken all of the AAMC practice exams and you are not happy with your score, take them all again and keep studying. If you have a grand or two to throw down, you can take a course. I would say the Berkeley Review, Exam Krackers, Princeton Review or Kaplan.

Nothing will prepare you better than doing well in your undergraduate coursework and simulating the MCAT by taking the AAMC practice exams. Take them how you would actually take the test in a prometrics test center – with strict breaks, silence, the utmost concentration.

Okay.
So you have:
1. Good Grades
2. Baller MCAT Score

These are baseline and might, maybe, get you an interview.
But they really aren’t enough!

Again, you need to be a person.
You need to show that you are actually interested in life, medicine, social welfare, the arts, athletics, the environment, politics, anthropology, [insert any human interests here]. You are a human with passionate interests.

Things you should try:
1. Clinical work – volunteer in an area that interests you. Maybe with an under-served population.
2. Research – clinical research or basic science even anthropology or social sciences, epidemiology, biostatistics, public health. Are you curious? Yeah. Employ the scientific method.
3. Community Volunteering – Give back. Pay it forward. The most that you can spend on any child is time. And deep down we are all children. So give a little. This doesn’t have to be medical, but it should be consistent. Develop relationships with socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. “Physicians are natural attorneys of the poor, and the social problems should largely be solved by them.” – Virchow
4. Teach – As you teach you learn. So learn to teach and teach to learn. As a physician you will be a teacher every day. You should be a good one.
5. Leadership and Teamwork – Maybe you led wilderness trips, organize an indie band, captain of the ultimate frisbee team, started a chess club, work with an NGO in a developing country. Whatever interests you, take it where you want to go and be both part of the team and a leader.

If you have done all this, learn how to talk about it. Then you will do fine for your interviews. Highlight your accomplishments, know your application, know why you want to become a physician. Passion for science, love for people, enjoy teaching, advocacy, social work, politics, community development, serving the economically and socially disadvantaged… there are so many great reasons to become a physician! Choose those that are most exciting for you and back them up with your experiences. “I love teaching so I became a tutor for students struggling with Biochemistry. I know that as a physician I will have students and the opportunity to teach everyday. This excites me!” Just an example.

Love life and your fellow humans. Respect the planet. Advocate for the poor. Carry a high value system and make it obvious that you will do so for the rest of your life. Travel. You may find that the only real nation we have is humanity.

“Medical education does not exist to provide students with a way of making a living, but to ensure the health of the community.” – Virchow

Apply early and from within.