Book Summary- Getting into Medical School: The Premedical Student's Guidebook

 

Getting into Medical School: The Premedical Student's Guidebook

By Sanford Brown, M.D.

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This book explores the path from being a pre-med to becoming a strong medical school applicant. It covers all medical school application components including MCAT, personal statements, extra-curriculars, interviews, internet advising, extraordinary success stories etc. It provides interesting information for summer programs available throughout the country as well as a directory of allopathic and osteopathic schools with detailed information about their GPA and MCAT ranges, fees, etc. It is an excellent resource for those who want more information about the process. 

Here is a summary of the chief points taught by this book:

Introduction

Medicine is much more than just prestige, security, independence, remuneration, service and intellectual challenges and an applicant must understand this before even deciding to apply

For every one seat in Medical School, there are 3 applicants competing. Choosing to go to medical school means you have made the decision to stand out and put in the effort to be a strong competitive applicant.

Medicine is often described as a long dark tunnel with just a ray of light at the end to inspire you on your journey through

Being a pre-med is not just a set of science courses or involvement in extra-curriculars. It is a state of being that requires a lot of time, effort, hard work, determination, diligence  and perseverance.

The Admission Process

MCATs and GPA

MCAT is the only standard to compare all applicants. GPAs from different schools, extra-curriculars, personal statements, etc. are all subjective and differ from applicant to applicant.

Some colleges pre-screen applicants for a certain cut off using MCAT, GPA and other lesser factors before viewing the rest of the application. In such cases, MCAT gains even more importance since your application may not be even viewed if you don't meet a certain score

This screening may often be computerized based on a pre-fed formula, which varies from school to school

In terms of your GPA, junior year grades are more important than freshman and some majors are viewed from a different lens than others.

 

The Application and Secondaries

Applications open in the June of senior year of college

Most colleges send secondary applications to almost all applicants

Secondary applications may need 2" x 2" photos, so make sure you keep them handy

Don't let your secondaries pile up

The faster you submit, the better are your chances of acceptance

Certain secondary questions are similar and it might be useful to keep outlines for such essays ready before hand.

Common topics include -

    Why did you choose medicine?

    Why do you want to attend this particular medical school?

Turn around time for secondaries should be preferably around 3 days. 

Taking too long with the secondary applications can raise a red flag

Hurrying with your secondaries can lead to silly errors and impact your overall impression

Some medical schools have an early decision plan but it is not always a good idea to apply and there are several considerations before you make this decision

A good application will include 15-20 schools on average

Always complete your entire application. An incomplete application is not looked upon favorably and questions your dedication and diligence

An incomplete application may not even be reviewed

What you write in the application must match what you do or have already done

The Admissions Committee

Applications may be reviewed by a committee ranging from 5-25 members

These committees may include, med school students, Asst. Dean of Student Affairs, etc.

These ad-coms want to know whether you can withstand the rigor of the medical program

They want to learn whether the applicant is stable, responsible and competent

1000-10,000 applicants compete for as many as 50-200 seats 

Admissions committees look for:

•     Humanitarian beliefs and Sincerity
•     Evidence of Psychological Maturity
•     Initiative, Perseverance and Enthusiasm
•     Ability to Communicate Effectively
•     Interest and Knowledge of Medicine
•     General Intellectual interest and Cultural Development
•     Imagination and creativity
•     Alertness, Conscientious and Honesty 

Interviews

Interviews begin in September

Acceptances can arrive as early as October 15 and can save a whole lot of money in the admission process

Interviewers may ask how many medical schools have you applied to and you must be honest about this number. Honesty is crucial for any of your med school interviews. 

Female applicants may have to answer questions about family plans in interviews. It may sound unfair but med school admission committees want to know how much time and dedication you can provide to the profession in the long run. 

Some other possible interview questions include

    Why did you choose medicine?

    Why did you prefer medicine over other social help professions or health care occupations?

    Do you follow medical newspapers?

    Tell me about yourself

    Background and experiences

    Hobbies, interests

    Employment

    Relaxation Techniques and stress management

    Ability to work with others

    Thoughts on current issues like AIDS, euthanasia, abortion, etc.

If a question seems out of context, ask the interviewer the relevance

Make the committee feel as good about you as you feel about yourself

Be honest, punctual and well dressed

Be truthful about your financial situation and economic needs

Know your strengths and weaknesses and be yourself

Review the evolution of your career choice in medicine and your qualifications to suit the career field

Assert your positive qualities but don't exaggerate

Be a good listener and a good orator

Learn to maintain eye contact with your interviewers

Try to avoid pitfalls of everyday English such as like, you know, um...

Think before you speak rather than taking frequent pauses 

Don't try to flaunt your medical knowledge or engage in medical conversations. The admission committees know much more about the field and if they decide to continue in such terminology you may end up at a loss of words.

Relax. If you are extremely nervous, let the interviewers know politely so they will question you accordingly. 

A quick tip to relax your body is to curl your toes while sitting. This way the tension moves to the feet and eases the rest of your body.  

Research your interviewers prior to interview day, if possible.

Don't go ignorantly to your interview. Read about the college and feel free to ask relevant questions during the interview.

Avoid asking redundant questions or questions that have been answered on the school website

That is why it is important to thoroughly read through the med school website and other resources before the day of the interview.

Read the mission statement of the college prior to going to the interview. 

Write down the names of the people who interviewed you. This does two things:

    1. The interviewer will remember you better

    2. It helps to send a thank you note later

What matters most?

Interview - MCAT - Science GPA - non-science GPA

This is the order of importance of med school application components:

1. GPA, MCAT scores, course review

2. Extra-curriculars

3. Personal Statements

General Tips

Motivation, Preparation, Commitment and Sincerity are four of the important qualities that make a good physician

Family backgrounds matter only in two cases

    1. If the family is economically weak

    2. Parent(s) is/are Physicians

One of the chief qualities of a good medical school applicant is a sense of altruism and inquisitiveness.

A quick tip to ease yourself from the constant race to fit the 'perfect med school applicant mould' is to take classes that you truly enjoy during your fourth year

Rejection and Re-applying

Interviews may ask what you will do if you don't get into medical school

Common answers may be reapplication, foreign medical school, MS/PhD, Caribbean medical schools, etc. 

Some students may even show the confidence that they haven't considered any other occupations because they feel capable to handle the med school curriculum.

Whatever your answer may be, have it ready

A number of post-bacclaureate programs are available to students who choose to take a gap year or re-apply

Resources

Pre-Medical Advisors

Pre-medical advisors can be a great resource to guide you on your pre-med journey. 

If you don't have one log on to NAAHP.org and get one for free

NAAHP also has some great publications that can serve as useful references

Learn to regularly read articles from medical journals such as the Journal of American Medical Association 

Talk to your pre med advisor about NAAHP materials such as newsletters given to most advisors

Develop a personal relationship with your pre-med advisors. They are involved in the process of giving committee letters to your choice of medical school. 

Financial Assistance for Applications and Medical School

Indian Health Services

National Medical Fellowships

Book: Informed Decision Making Part I: Sources of Financial Assistance for Medical Students

Medical School Institution Scholarships and Grants

AAMC's Financial Assistance Program

MCAT Resources

AAMC's MCAT Student Manual 

Barron's MCAT
James Flower - Science Review

Scoring MCAT Writing Sample (AAMC)

MCAT Essentials by AAMC

Minority Opportunities

AAMC's Minority Opportunities in Medical School

Minority Medical Education Program (MMEP)

Medical schools mostly have an office of Minority Affairs and these can be great sources of information 

Extra-Curricular Opportunities

Find a medical magazine and try publishing an essay

For eg. New Physician, Pulse Magazine, Sun Magazine

Summer Programs 

***Please note that this book is fairly old and may contain some information that is not up-to-date. use it as a reference and do not completely rely on this material. Please engage in sufficient self-research before making any kind of decisions. 

***This material does not belong to me. I have simply summarized the book based on my understanding and knowledge. Please be advised that there may be certain discrepancies based on individualized opinions. 

Wishing you all the best on your pre-med journey! May success be yours! 

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Until then....signing off!

S...

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Statistics

Number of Pages - 433 pages

Number of Hours -  4 hours (Reading material - 168 pages)

Days Read - 9 Sept - 21 Sept 2020 (4 breaks) - Half hour everyday