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    Getting Into Medical School: The Ultimate Guide for the Anxious Premed
    Getting Into Medical School: The Ultimate Guide for the Anxious Premed
    Getting Into Medical School: The Ultimate Guide for the Anxious Premed
    Ebook244 pages1 hour

    Getting Into Medical School: The Ultimate Guide for the Anxious Premed

    By Shay Garrison

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    About this ebook

    So, you want to be a doctor? The Ultimate Guide for the Anxious Premed is the best resource out there for any medical school applicant, regardless of where they are in the process. This publication will guide you through every step of the application process: from your first day of undergraduate classes to the day you matriculate in medical school.

    Along the way, you will learn how to build a competitive resume during your undergraduate years, and learn some great study tips for the MCAT. You will get a step-by-step walkthrough of how and when to complete your applications, and read examples of successful essays. You will learn all about what you can expect on your interview day, and how to make the best impression to your future school. Finally, you will learn all about the differences in medical school curriculums, how to choose the right medical school for you, and learn about some popular medical student study techniques. The last chapter has a complete list of resources to help you in your journey.

    If you want to be a doctor, it's never too early to start preparing. Take advantage of the information in this guide to make yourself the best applicant you can be, and the best future MD.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherShay Garrison
    Release dateMay 4, 2014
    ISBN9781311338860
    Getting Into Medical School: The Ultimate Guide for the Anxious Premed

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      Book preview

      Getting Into Medical School - Shay Garrison

      Hi! I’m Shay, founder and CEO of Altiora Tutoring. I’m writing this guidebook because getting into medical school can be a confusing process. I applied to and was accepted to medical school myself in 2013, and I remember how many questions I had when I first started to apply. My school’s premed advising committee had a few tips for me, but I had to learn about most of the process on my own. If I were to apply again, there are so many things I would do differently, and I want you to benefit from the things I’ve learned on my journey. And most importantly, I want to make sure that everybody has access to this type of information, in an easy-to-understand way.

      So, after thorough research into the application process, countless interviews with medical professionals, and compiling a list of all the FAQ I’ve encountered in my own experience advising premeds at Altiora Tutoring, I have decided to share with you all the things I’ve learned about how to get into US medical schools. Chapters are ordered in accordance with the application process: starting in undergrad and ending with study techniques for medical school. So let’s get started!

      Chapter 1

      The Undergraduate Years

      One of the first things to get evaluated when you decide to apply to medical school is your undergraduate performance. The AMCAS (American Medical College Application System) doesn’t take your high school performance into account (though TMDSAS, the separate Texas application system does), and as you can imagine, how you perform during your undergraduate years can say a lot to admissions committee members (hereafter referred to as AdComs) about what type of medical student you’ll be.

      So, for AMCAS, it doesn’t matter if you were Senior Class President and scored perfect on the SAT. Many students who performed well in high school find themselves overwhelmed with the freedom of college. AdComs want to know if you can handle the freedom, or if you need your parent’s guidance to perform. Undergrad is your place to prove that you have what it takes: you can maintain high grades, complete challenging courses, and maintain good relationships with your professors. You not only study hard, but you also immerse yourself in your community and actively strive to make your world a better place. Don’t worry though, the AdComs won’t expect you to be superhuman with your resume. Here are the things you should consider during your undergrad to make yourself a competitive applicant.

      Choosing a Major

      A question I hear a lot is Do I have to major in a science? Is there a major that AdComs favor? The answer is no. The most important thing is that you pursue your passions in undergrad. You’ll get the most out of your education that way. However, it can be handy when your pre-med coursework overlaps with your major requirements.

      But don’t feel any pressure to put aside your passions in order to look like a perfect pre-med. After all, AdComs get tired of seeing applicant after applicant with identical credentials. Seeing somebody who majored in art, language, history, engineering, or even culinary arts is a refreshing change from the monotony of Biology majors that all AdComs face daily. What’s more important than your major choice is that you do well; you must show them with your GPA that you have what it takes to succeed in the high-pressure, draining, and mentally demanding environment that is medical school.

      One other thing I will say, however, about majoring in a science is that it will make medical school infinitely easier if you have previous exposure to the hard biological sciences. If you do have time in your schedule to take the pre-med recommended classes, such as Biochemistry and Genetics, I would highly recommend it. You will encounter that material in medical school, and it will be at a fast-paced and high level. So, it’s good to have heard it at least once before.

      Premed Prerequisites

      If you plan on applying to medical school, you absolutely must have completed the prerequisites for it. These can vary slightly from school to school (so always double check with medical school websites before you plan your classes), but the standard is as follows:

      -One full year of Biology, with lab

      -One full year of General (Analytical) Chemistry with lab

      -One full year of Organic Chemistry with lab

      -One full year of Physics with lab

      Other common requirements/highly recommended courses are:

      -One semester of Writing

      -One semester of Biochemistry

      -One full year of Calculus

      As the MCAT changes in 2015, it is likely that these requirements will expand to incorporate the behavioral sciences, such as Psychology and Sociology.

      If you decided late in undergrad, or even post graduation that you want to pursue medical school, and haven’t completed the pre-requisites, don’t fear! There are a number of post-graduate programs you can take that are especially designed to complete your pre-med requirements. Alternatively, you can enroll in classes individually at your state school. There are rare exceptions where schools will overlook your lack of a specific prerequisite, under the condition that you have proven elsewhere that you have the skills and knowledge gained from that particular class, or if your school doesn’t offer it. For example, the standard requirements are 1 full year of General Chemistry, and 1 full year of Organic Chemistry. I know of an applicant who attended a school that did not offer a solid year of General Chemistry, but rather an accelerated two-quarter course for students in a particular major. As that student got As in all the General Chemistry courses taken, and continued to excel in Organic Chemistry, many schools overlooked the lack of that third quarter or General Chemistry.

      Taking Courses at a Community College

      I get asked frequently if it’s all right to get these courses out of the way over the summer at a local CC. After all, it’s much cheaper, and probably easier. For the latter reason, many schools prefer that you not take prerequisites at a CC. Now, it’s probably all right if you took an unrelated class at a community college, such as your humanities credits, or if you took additional classes to expand your education. But you never want to look like you took the easy way out of something. If you had a unique situation, such as transferring from a community college to another college after two years, schools will probably consider this when they evaluate your application. It would be incredibly unfair for them to discriminate against you just because you took a non-traditional route. But if you did take this route, be wary of each school’s requirements before you spend the money on applications. It would be a pity to drop hundreds of dollars applying to a school only to get a rejection because of such a small technicality. Information on each school’s policy about community college credit can be found on the MSAR, or the Medical School Application Requirements handbook, which is linked in the resources chapter. Additionally, you can always call the admissions offices and ask. Most of the admissions personnel I have spoken to were very friendly and willing to answer my questions about their program.

      GPA

      Most successful applicants have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above. However, I’ve heard of people with GPAs of 2.8 and even lower who were accepted on their first application cycle. With most schools, the AdComs will take the time to look at your application as a whole. If it’s clear that your grades suffered for a good reason, and you’ve proven elsewhere that you do indeed have the drive to overcome obstacles and succeed academically, your lower GPA might not be a deal-breaker.

      I’ve heard so many pre-meds pulling their hair out over a B in Organic Chemistry, wondering if they’ve just thrown away their dream of practicing medicine. No, that B won’t get your application thrown in the trash. Because here’s the thing. AdComs are human too, and they know that applicants don’t always have the best professors, and hey: sometimes, real life can get in the way of school. So long as you have a reason to explain any academic failings, and can show that you’ve learned from it, you’ll be in no worse situation than any other applicant. Also, please note that a B isn’t considered an academic failing. A few B’s or even a C or two won’t get your application thrown away. If you have a D or lower, it’s a good idea to retake the class (even if it’s not a graduation requirement) to show your dedication to success.

      However, the fact remains that GPA is still an incredibly important factor in determining your admission. Medical school is incredible demanding, both psychologically and intellectually. It will be orders of magnitude more intense than your undergraduate experience likely was. As such, AdComs want to make sure that you have proved your ability to function consistently at a high level. So while it’s perfectly okay if you haven’t had straight A’s since infancy, the de facto rule is to have as high of a GPA as possible.

      My undergraduate GPA wasn’t up to par. Is it all over?

      If your GPA was too low for you to feel comfortable dropping the bucks on an application cycle, there are options for you to prove your academic prowess to the AdComs. Getting another degree, such as an advanced degree through a Post-Baccalaureate program, a Special Masters Program, or another type of graduate school (and maintaining a high GPA while doing so) can show that you’ve learned from your undergraduate mistakes, and you’re not going to let anything stop you from pursuing your medical degree.

      AdComs do understand that when people have personal issues, grades can suffer. However, they also know that the medical profession is an incredibly demanding one. The reason they weigh GPA and ECs (extracurricular activities) so heavily is because it's an indicator of how well you handle stress

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