Reflections of a Former Admissions Dean

Dear Prospective Medical School Student,

I offer my perspectives as a former medical school admissions dean, and to offer you some
helpful advice as you prepare to apply to medical school. I hope you will find my comments to
be informative and encouraging.
Initial Screening
Different medical schools may vary in how they make decisions, but the considerations
discussed below are important in one way or another to all schools. After your application is
complete receipt of AM!AS application, M!A" scores, secondary application, and letters of
recommendation#, it will receive initial screening.
$ecause of the high volume of applications for a limited number of first year places e.g. %,&&&
applications for '%& places at a given school#, regardless of how applications are processed, a
great deal of emphasis will initially be placed on your grades and M!A" scores. Some schools
may actually use a formula based primarily on academic criteria to initially place applications in
interview or re(ection categories) however, unless the applicant falls well below competitive
academic averages, most schools will review the entire application in making decisions to
interview. Academic assessment involves more than merely crunching numbers. *or e+ample,
an applicant with a ,% M!A" and -.& .PA may not automatically considered desirable on the
basis of academics unless he / she has a strong load of credits, including a depth in the ma(or and
breadth in other disciplines, a progression from lower to higher level courses, and evidence of
substantive scholarship. 0esearch in science or non1science areas# is not re2uired, but it may be
a way to e+press academic creativity, the ability to work independently as well as with others on
the research team.
Importance Of Timing
Most schools are only able to interview around '%13%4 of their applicant pool. So being
selected for an interview is a tremendous advantage, and drastically increases your chances for
admission. As it gets closer to medical school deadline dates the time taken for the processing
and review of applications will backlog at AM!AS and medical schools. In some cases
applications can be backlogged by 3 months or more. "he early completion of an application
may help you to avoid a long delay in admissions decisions and lower the risk that interview
slots will be filled by the time your application is reviewed. $ecause state schools typically
favor in1state residents, I heartily encourage you to apply to your state schools. $ased on my
e+perience at both state and private schools, I believe that the caliber of students and preparation
are 2uite similar at all medical schools in the 5nited States. Also, I worked within a university
that had a school of osteopathic medicine) I learned about the rigor and 2uality of this pathway to
medicine. 5nfortunately, many premedical students are not familiar with osteopathic medicine or
think of it as preparation for a different kind of career. 6ou should be aware that osteopathic
medicine is also a viable way to become a physician.
Critical Factors That Make A Difference
As your application proceeds from screening to possible decisions to interview and admit, the
assessment of letters, essays, e+perience, motivation, and personal 2ualities will have increased
significance. 7ere are some considerations that I would give to these areas.
Experience: Is there evidence of leadership8 A long term or short term commitment to
e+tra1curricular activities8 9hat is the degree of involvement: is it limited or e+tensive8
Are the stated applicant;s talents e.g. music, athletics, art, etc.# demonstrated at a low or
high level8 I often found that appealing applicants would show some degree of
connectivity with their academic work and e+periences. *or e+ample, a student who does
research in oncology to learn about the science of medicine, who also volunteers with
oncology patients to learn about the human dimensions of disease. In this case, each area
< scholarly pursuits and e+perience < serves as a basis of interest and motivation for the
other.
e!els of Recognition: indicate the perceived value of your e+periences. I would closely
consider which of the following with e+amples# are the sources of recognition for
activities listed on application forms: self reported playing a musical instrument,
intramural sports#, peer election to a position with an established organi=ation#,
institutional selection for being a resident assistant, an award, or teaching assistantship#,
national publication or fellowship#. A greater degree of recognition usually indicates a
more impressive accomplishment. Aspire to develop your abilities to the fullest.
AMCAS "ersonal Statement and Secondar# Essa#s: "he AM!AS essay probably has
the greatest range of use < some schools and individual admissions deans and committee
members will consider essays to be very important, others less so. I found that most
essays were good, but a much smaller percentage were either bad or outstanding.
>onetheless, it may be the best way for schools to become ac2uainted with you
personally, to determine what distinguishes you from many other outstanding applicants,
and to learn about the depth of your motivation and e+periences. Secondary applications
provide an opportunity to share more information about yourself, and by taking the time
to carefully answer these essays, it will show your interest in the school.
etters of Recommendation: provide an assessment of you and your abilities from
mentors and supervisors. If you attend a school that has a premedical advisor or
committee, it is imperative that you take advantage of these services, including the
writing of a premedical letter of evaluation. Many medical schools re2uire a premedical
letter from undergraduate institutions that have premedical advisors or committees. In
order for your premedical advisor to help you, it is necessary to follow all directions and
meet all deadlines, which may also be viewed as a reflection of your professionalism and
ability to assume responsibility. "he premedical advisor or committee letter gives
admissions committee details about your academic skills, talents, degree of involvement,
potential, personal 2ualities, and motivation. "hey;re a good frame of reference for what
you write in your applications and may serve to confirm what you say you;ve done. In
order to have the most helpful information for your premedical advisor or committee
letter, you should get letters from individuals who know you well, such as professors,
research mentors, employment supervisors. *urthermore, medical schools may want you
to have individual letters from one or more science faculty.
Moti!ation: must be demonstrated not (ust espoused. 6ou may want to ?help people@,
but without sufficient direct e+posure to medicine, how do you know you want to become
a physician, rather than a teacher, or social worker or other health care provider8 "he
admissions dean and committee will want to know what e+periences you;ve had to
confirm your interest in medicine.
"ersonal $%alities: Do you have strong communication and social skills, the ability to
relate to people from diverse backgrounds, the capacity to be serious as well as pleasant8
7ave you shown evidence of professionalism, humanism, and integrity8 Are you a
caring, compassionate and tolerant person8 "hese are 2uestions that you should ask
yourself before you decide to apply, because these are features that medical schools will
want their students to possess. Assays and letters of recommendation are often helpful
sources of information about the applicant) however, the interview will be essential to the
assessment of these 2ualities.
The Role&Importance Of The Inter!ie'
5nlike the folklore, which portrays medical school interviews as a way to see how an applicant
can handle stress, I believe that the vast ma(ority of interviews are intended for admissions
committees to become better ac2uainted with the applicant, find out more about the substance of
his/her e+periences, and get a sense of the applicant;s humanism, and social and communication
skills. As a matter of fact, I considered the interview day as an opportunity for recruiting
prospective students. "his is why medical schools spend an enormous amount of time and
e+pense on admissions. Aven if we didn;t select an applicant, or he / she didn;t select us, there is
a good chance we would see the interviewee later as a resident, member of the faculty, or
associated with us in some other capacity. Beep in mind that you are si=ing up the school as
much as they are assessing you. 5ltimately, I think of the interview as a way to find reasons for
selecting students rather than re(ecting them. Students often tend to view the interview in the
opposite way, which is disappointing. Perhaps, this is the reason why many applicants think they
did poorly on an interview when the reality is they did very well. $e aware, admissions
personnel, students and others with whom you meet at the medical schools may have input about
you. It;s important to be on your best behavior, but also to be your natural self. !ommittees
and deans are 2uite astute in differentiating between the real person and play acting.#
7ow the interview is conducted will vary from school to school and with each interviewer. 6ou
may have multiple interviews at some schools that are given by faculty, students or others) single
interviews e+ist less so, as do panel interviews. In order to understand how the admissions
process works, I would note that committees use ob(ective criteria, but in the end the process is
also sub(ective. Ctherwise, decisions would be focused almost entirely on M!A" scores and
grades, and your e+periences, essays, personal 2ualities, letters, etc. would have little value.
$ased on my e+perience, academic records and M!A";s are usually not an issue during
admissions committee meetings, because with few e+ceptions applicants invited to interview are
deemed to have the academic foundation to succeed in medical school. Schools have tried to
find ob(ective ways to classify sub(ective areas, but without much success. 9hat;s important to
know is that the medical school admissions process is as thorough and deliberate as any other
area of admissions with which I;m familiar. Admissions committees and deans work very hard
at meetings to make thoughtful choices and use their best (udgment. 9ith a range of
perspectives from faculty with diverse backgrounds and specialties, a consensus emerges during
committee meetings that is intended to select the best possible class for a given school.
My role was to provide consistent and uniform information and guidance to help the committee
make good decisions, although I often wished we had a larger class, because there were so many
e+cellent candidates. Assuming you have a competitive application, you are likely to have some
surprises) you may get admitted to some schools that you thought would re(ect you, and vice
versa.
Closing Tho%ghts
Aven if you have a strong application you may not get admitted, or for that matter, get
interviews at most of the schools where you apply. It is difficult to convey the enormous
volume of other outstanding applicants to medical school. Don;t be discouraged by the
long and arduous time it takes for medical schools to make decisions. In the event you
are not admitted, confer with your premedical advisor) there may be some viable ways to
strengthen your preparation for a successful application in the future.
An Admissions Dean;s Pet1Peeves:
o Cverly persistent individuals, who fre2uently email, call or write to the
admissions office. A+cessiveness indicates a lack of patience and an abundance
of self1importance.
o Applicants who hold many acceptances for a long period of time, and especially
those who hold multiple acceptances after the deadline date of May '%. "his
shows a lack of sensitivity to peers, i.e. other applicants, and disrespect to medical
schools. If an applicant needlessly held a large number of acceptances in addition
to one at my school, I;d want him / her to go elsewhere.
o Applicants who felt they were entitled or showed signs of arrogance < there was
no room for these kinds of students at our school.
An Admissions Deans; *avorite "hings:
o "he opportunity to meet so many wonderful and talented applicants. A sense of
faith and reassurance about the future knowing that these students will become
practicing physicians.
o "he chance to meet hard working faculty who spent a tremendous amount of time
for unselfish dedication to students and their medical schools.
9ords of Advice and Ancouragement: 6ou have chosen one of the most honorable
vocations for your life;s work. !ongratulations. 6ou will fre2uently be challenged, but
never lose sight of your commitment and compassion for each of your patients.
I wish you great success for your acceptance to medical school and career in medicine.
Sincerely,
David "rabilsy, Ad.M., Ad.S.
*ormer Assistant Dean of Admissions
Dohns 7opkins School of Medicine, 'EFG13&&&