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Get insights on med school application process, debt, salary, and detailed guidance for completing the American Medical College Application. Learn how to excel in interviews and secure strong recommendation letters. Prepare for a rewarding journey into the medical profession.
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Medical School Applications Prepared for MAPS Pre-Medical Students:April 14, 2010 Presenter: Isabella Nga Lai Harvard University, B.A. 2009 Stanford School of Medicine, M.D. 2014
What are you getting yourself into? • Attending • Manage an office? • Solicit referrals? • Negotiate with insurers? • Return calls and e-mails • Answer pages? • Fill out forms? • Give depositions? • In Between • >50% take at least a year between college and med school • Med School • 2 years of science courses • 1 year of core rotations: intense, enlightening, humiliating • 1 year of electives • +/- additional years for research or second degrees • Residency • 1 year internship • Years of Residency • Long hours • Low pay • Little autonomy • Positions assigned using match system • Fellowship • Specialty training • Optional, but becoming more common • Hours and pay similar to residency
DEBT Average debt is over $150,000 80% of medical students have over $100,000 of debt Debt and Salary SALARY • Intern/Resident: $50,000 • Fellow: $60,000 • Attending: $150,000 • Nurse: $45,000 • Pharmacist: $110,000 • Dentist: $200,000
So you want to go to Med School? • Fill out the AMCAS! • AMCAS = American Medical College Application • This is the primary application for most of the schools: www.aamc.org • They do not consider your application until you turn in your primary applications, your scores (transcript/MCAT), your recommendations, AND secondaries • Students always dilly-dally with secondaries: DO NOT be one of these students
So you want to go to Med School? • Biographical Information • Disadvantage Status • Academic Record • Grades and MCAT Scores • Experience • Experience Type • Experience Name • Contact Name/Title • Organization and Location of Organization • Description • Personal Statement • Letters of Recommendations
Biographical Information • Fill out information about yourself • If you don’t know this…we’re in trouble!
Disadvantage Status • Explain what makes you disadvantaged • Where did you grow up? • How much did your parents make? • Have you been underserved? *All these things are taken into consideration when you apply* Don’t have a pity story but don’t downplay yourself either. You are amazing, make sure they know that!
Academic Record • The MOST important factor • Medical school is a gazillion times more challenging than undergrad! • Can you handle undergrad? • Can you handle the stress of the MCAT? • Reconsider your priorities if you said NO to both
Experience • Experience types: (you will have to categorize each of your experiences according to the choices they give you from a pull down menu) • Paid employment-military • Paid employment-non-military • Extracurricular/hobbies/avocations • Honors/Awards • Community Service/volunteering-medical • Community service/volunteering-non medical • Research/lab • Teaching/tutoring • Artistic endeavors • Journalism/publications • Leadership not listed elsewhere • Other • Experience Name • Contact Name/Title • Organization and Location • Description
Personal Statement • Not that important…but NEEDS to be done well • Chance to show adcom something else about you • Significant life experiences? • Personal development? • Potential to be a great physicial? QUESTIONS: • Why do you want to be a doctor? • To help people? Or is it something else? • What activities/life experiences have make you the person that you are (which is a person qualified to be a physician)? • What do you want to ultimately do as a physician? • Where do you see yourself in 10 years? TIPS: • Sample essays: http://www.studentdoctor.net/essays/index.asp • START EARLY! • Paint a picture of yourself that you want to present to the adcom
Recommendation Letters • Choosing the RIGHT recommenders: • You want one recommender for each category: Some that can talk about… • Academics (talk about your abilities in the classroom and class work) • Research (highlight your scientific abilities: not only knowledge of techniques but if you can think like a scientist) • Clinical Experience (highlight your love for treating patients) • Personal Attributes (highlight your personality) • Leadership (demonstrate that you can lead) • Asking for recommendations • Be polite and give them ample of time (1-2 months!) • Tell them deadline • Give them your personal statement and scores • Clearly tell them points you want them to address in the letter • Directly ask them to write you the “STRONGEST” letter • If they cannot, then they might not be the best person to ask
Interview Tips • Be yourself: kind, considerate, polite, intelligent, confident, etc. • Prepare certain answers: • Tell me about yourself • Why do you want to be a doctor/physician? • Why medicine? • Tell me about your research • What qualities make a good physician? Do you posses them? • Look at my notes for more sample questions • Dress professionally • Know currents events in medicine and the healthcare system • Mock interviews!
The Path Researchers Doctors Educators Med Student Leaders
My Path Doctor??? Medical Student My Personal Statement:http://www.sfms.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=2875&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm
