![\"how](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/mcat\/files\/2021\/04\/Blog-headers-Anika.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Medical school applications can seem impossibly complicated, and most future med students, at one time or another, ask themselves the simple question, \u201cExactly how<\/i> do I get into medical school?\u201d The answer depends on a variety of factors, from whether you\u2019re a traditional applicant (applying soon out of college with a great GPA and MCAT scores) or a nontraditional applicant (transitioning from another career and\/or lacking qualities of traditional applicants). <\/p>\n
In other words, the answer to our intentionally proactive question in the title is no<\/strong>. There really is no silver bullet or special \u201csecret\u201d that will magically help you get into med school. BUT…there are<\/em> some easily-forgotten tips that every prospective medical school applicant should know in order to build a foundation for a successful medical school application. Read on to learn these tips, hear directly from current medical students and doctors (search for “interview alert” to check out their amazing stories and advice), and get targeted advice depending on where you may be on your medical school application journey. <\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a traditional applicant, a nontraditional applicant, a prospective applicant concerned about their candidacy, or even a high school student, rest assured that you\u2019ll leave this post with a solid game plan that will help you get into medical school!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a> Getting into medical school is challenging<\/strong>\u2014there’s just no way around it. People who want to study medicine are typically driven, high achievers (like you!). This means that they usually have very high GPAs, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, and a host of other achievements, making for a super competitive applicant pool.<\/p>\n Additionally, recent statistics<\/a> from the Association of American Medical Colleges show around a 25 percent increase in medical school applicants over the last ten years. As a result of this increased number of interested students, med schools are reporting all-time low acceptance rates. For example, John Hopkins accepts 5.3% of applicants, Harvard accepts 3.7% of applicants, and Stanford accepts only 2.3% of applicants<\/strong>. Steep med school tuition<\/a> can be a barrier to many students as well.<\/p>\n That said, hope it definitely not lost! Med schools accept a variety of students every year, and many admissions panels are moving in the direction of using holistic models to evaluate applicants rather than relying on rubrics with numerical data (although a really good MCAT score<\/a> will always<\/i> work in your favor!).<\/p>\n Here are four key tips that will help you increase your medical school odds:<\/p>\n You could be the ideal candidate, and it wouldn\u2019t actually matter unless you have a really compelling reason to go to med school. Furthermore, a compelling reason combined with strong recommendations (as well as relevant research and extracurricular) can make you a strong candidate\u2014even if you\u2019re not the perfect applicant on paper.<\/p>\n So, how do you develop a compelling reason? First, keep a file on your computer where you document anything that happens to you that reiterates your passion for medicine.<\/strong> Each time a friend or loved one has a significant encounter with the medical institution, positive or negative, you have a chance to reflect on their experience and think about how you want to make a difference in your career. Each time you watch an inspirational documentary about health or healthcare, jot down a few paragraphs. <\/p>\n Also, we highly encourage you to reflect on the universe of clinical programs out there and be clear on why you want to get a medical degree rather than pursue other programs, such as being a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, dentist, pharmacist, or biomedical engineer. <\/strong> So often, students get swept away with the idea of being a physician because it\u2019s such a visible career in the news and media, and they don\u2019t explore alternatives. The more thoroughly you look into these other career paths, the more solid you\u2019ll be on your reasons for pursuing medical schools. This means your conviction and commitment will shine through when it comes time to study for the MCAT, ask for letters of recommendation, and write your personal statement. You will be perceived as a mature, knowledgeable, solid applicant. That\u2019s exactly the type of person that medical schools want to admit! <\/p>\n All of the factors we\u2019ll discuss in this post\u2014high grades and MCAT scores, experience in the field, great essays\u2014can be mastered with time. By prepping early and thoroughly, you can ensure that you\u2019ll be successful in gaining acceptance at the right program for you!<\/p>\n Now, before you go into a panic because you feel you\u2019re starting too late in the game, we need to emphasize that \u201cstarting early\u201d doesn\u2019t necessarily mean starting early in your life journey. Here, we mean \u201cearly\u201d in relation to when you plan on applying.<\/strong> Sure, there are many students who make the decision to attend medical school less than a year before they submit their applications, but for most students, it\u2019s a 2-4 year process<\/strong>. <\/p>\n Embrace the fact that it will take you a while to get all of your science classes, clinical experience, letters, and referrals. Prime yourself to look at the (hopefully remote) possibility of being rejected the first time around<\/a> as an opportunity to see how you can improve your application. Putting a premium on time and patience in this grueling process allows you to really become really committed to the path. Medical school is a huge investment of time and money, and your pre-med years give you the chance to figure out if it\u2019s really for you.<\/p>\n In case you are unfamiliar, there are two routes you can take for medical school: getting an MD to study allopathic medicine (which takes a more traditional approach to medicine) or getting a DO to study osteopathic medicine (which has more of an emphasis on holistic medicine).<\/p>\n If you want to increase your chances of getting into medical school, you should definitely consider applying to DO schools<\/a>, which generally have lower average MCAT scores and lower acceptance rates than MD programs. <\/strong> <\/p>\n Viewing it from another angle, pre-meds with very top GPAs and MCAT scores are still more likely to apply to MD over DO schools, so some people make the argument that DO schools are less competitive. The important thing to keep in mind is that medical careers are changing rapidly, and DO schools are rising in prominence and reputation. A growing number of students are exclusively<\/i> seeking careers in osteopathic medicine because they are committed to philosophies that value preventive medicine and holistic models of diagnosis and care. <\/p>\n Though DO and MD programs look for many of the same qualities in candidates, this post will focus primarily on MD programs, which are easier to analyze, thanks to centuries of robust data on admissions trends and patterns<\/p>\n When you\u2019re starting the med school application process, it\u2019s incredibly tempting to think that only a top med program<\/a> will do. After all, these are the programs that applicants obsess over on message boards, that have the \u201cbrand-name\u201d polish. Get into one of these, and you\u2019re set for life. Right?<\/p>\n Not necessarily! It\u2019s really important to keep in mind that what will determine your future success in the medical field is how you do during your medical education\u2014not the name of your school. You can absolutely still be a respected physician, even a leading physician, if you do well in a lesser-known program.<\/p>\n Now, are there still reasons to look for really competitive programs? Of course! They can offer unique coursework and research opportunities while increasing the chances that you\u2019ll get into the residency program of your dreams. <\/p>\n The key is to really reflect on your career goals and see which programs\u2014top-ranked and lesser-known\u2014align with your goals. If you know you want to go into dermatology or psychiatry, for instance, look for medical schools that place a large portion of their graduates in those residency programs. Knowing that you don\u2019t have to get into Harvard or Johns Hopkins to have a great career can take the pressure off in a really important way.<\/p>\n With all of this in mind, let\u2019s dive into how to get into medical school as both a traditional and a non-traditional applicant.<\/p>\n In this section, we\u2019ll take a look at the ideal traditional applicant<\/b> for medical schools. Historically, traditional applicants were viewed most favorably by admissions panels, although this has shifted over the past 15 years or so. Is it still possible to be viewed as a top candidate if you don\u2019t have the \u201ctraditional\u201d portfolio? Absolutely! But there are certain advantages to belonging to this pool of applicants, largely because the precedent was set to favor these applicants over 100 years ago. Let\u2019s take a look. <\/p>\n Having a strong GPA is crucial to getting into med school, especially at top-ranked schools like NYU or Brown. So, you should do everything you can to get the highest GPA possible. The best place to start is by choosing a science-based major you know you\u2019ll be passionate about. After that, study, study, study! Get a tutor if you need to, and definitely go to office hours. All the hard work you put in now will really pay off when it comes time to apply to med schools. Accept that you will inevitably do better in some science classes than others. Maybe you do well with science subjects that are more mathematical and logic driven, while finding it harder to master organic nomenclature. Make the decision right now that you won\u2019t get discouraged when you encounter that first class that really throws you for a loop. And don\u2019t compare yourself to your classmates! People learn topics at differing speeds, and there will probably be at least a couple of classes that don\u2019t come naturally to you. You\u2019ll just have to devote that much more time to getting good grades in those courses. <\/p>\n Now, it may be too late in your university career to change your grades. Keep in mind, your grades and MCAT score are important pieces of the med school application\u2014but they\u2019re not everything. Medical schools evaluate you as a whole person in addition to your grades and test scores, and you should think about your candidacy that way.<\/b><\/p>\n Even if a piece of your profile\u2013like your GPA\u2013is less than ideal, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean your chances at medical school are ruined! Focus on maximizing the other aspects of your application to help make up for this. Remember that having a really compelling reason for attending med school, particularly combined with other strong personal factors, can help compensate for a weak area of your app.<\/p>\n Many students compensate for a lukewarm GPA by pursuing a post-bacc or MS degree. This shows the admissions panels that you have mastered advanced material, even if you didn\u2019t get all As in those subjects as an undergraduate. If you go this route, it\u2019s a good idea to choose a graduate program that will compensate for some of the weaknesses in your undergraduate portfolio. That doesn\u2019t necessarily mean getting an MS in Physics just because Physics was your weakest topic. Instead, choose a program that lets you demonstrate proficiency in biology or chemistry. Search broadly, because the best program for you might be \u201chidden\u201d in a department of public health, health sciences, medical imaging, or something similarly multidisciplinary. <\/p>\n An important sub-category of your GPA is how well you\u2019ve done in your science courses: chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry\u2026you get the picture. If your overall GPA is lower than you\u2019d like but you\u2019re killing it in science classes, admissions committees are likely to look at your application with a more favorable eye. In other words, it\u2019s really OK in many cases for a future doctor to get a C- in Underwater Basket Weaving 101 if your science grades are stellar.<\/p>\n You also want to consider the colleges you were attending when you took your core courses. Maybe you started at a junior college and transferred to a 4-year research university. If all of your chemistry and physics were taken at your junior college and you only took upper division biology courses at the 4-year university, it might be worth taking some electives that highlight your ability to do chemistry-heavy coursework. <\/p>\n Ah, yes, the MCAT score. This likely isn\u2019t a surprise to you; med schools do love a good MCAT score<\/a>. Your GPA and MCAT will be the two most important points of academic evaluation. If one dips, focus on the other to help balance out your profile. Grades and test scores never constitute the whole story since most schools do use a holistic process of review. But they are of course important. Especially when considering the rigor and poor retention rates of medical school, admissions committees need to know that you can perform up to their standards. Doing well on the MCAT (especially with a low GPA) always helps.<\/p>\n So what does this mean for your application?<\/p>\n Bluntly, you should do everything in your power to get the best MCAT score you possibly can. Carve out the time to adequately prepare for the MCAT (three months is adequate if you can devote 20-30 hours a week to studying, but six months<\/a> is ideal) and make sure you follow the best MCAT study tips<\/a> to make effective use of your prep time. This one component of your application is crucial to getting into your dream school.<\/p>\n You must have clinical experience to be admitted to medical school. The minimum number of hours for acceptance is about 40 hours, but it\u2019s better to have 100-150 hours. To log these hours, some students choose to shadow physicians or to volunteer. Other students get certified as a Nursing Assistant or Emergency Medical Technician. Consider becoming a Medical Scribe, which is viewed quite favorably by admissions panels due to the variety of experience you gain and the extensive contact you have with patients. The training might initially seem like too much of a time investment, but remember what we said earlier in this post: The pre-med journey is a long one, and the most successful applicants dedicate several years building their repertoire of experience.<\/p>\n Find every opportunity you can to get hands-on medical experience. Whether through paid work or volunteering, try to get as much practical involvement in the medical field as possible. Not only will this experience help you better understand what being a doctor will be like, but it also shows admissions committees you are dedicated. And who doesn\u2019t want to impress those Harvard or Dartmouth admissions officers? The AAMC has a great resource page<\/a> to start your search for opportunities.<\/p>\n In addition, to get into medical school, it\u2019s a good idea to show your ability to research through faculty-led research projects. Many students also find opportunities in non-academic settings because medical research happens in all sorts of clinical settings. And to get into a top med school, you\u2019ll need to complete impressive research, beyond what students typically produce. That\u2019s because the top medical schools are in the business of producing research physicians. If you\u2019re angling this way, you should try to have published work that demonstrates your ability to do research. U.S. News<\/i> has a helpful list<\/a> of where undergrads can get their research published.<\/p>\n A lot of students undertake this work as undergrads, either in addition to coursework or doing summers. So what should you do if you\u2019re considering med school, but you haven\u2019t done either of these things during your undergraduate education?<\/p>\n It\u2019s very possible, and even desirable, to take a gap year between undergrad and med school<\/b>. Not only will taking this time allow you to develop the experience that med schools are looking for, but it will also show them that you\u2019ve taken time to reflect on your goals\u2014and are still convinced that a medical career is right for you after working in the medical\/research field.<\/p>\n Many students hesitate to take a gap year because they believe it will \u201cpush their medical career\u201d back a year and they may be 31, 32, or 33 before they\u2019ll finish their residency. To that, I\u2019d argue two things: you\u2019re not actually pushing your medical career back but gaining valuable experience that will make you a better doctor. And also, you\u2019ll be turning 31, 32, or 33 someday whether or not you take the gap year\u2014so why not spend the time in between polishing your skills to be the best doctor at that age (and any age!) you can be?<\/p>\n Still not sold on a gap year? Hear from graduating medical student and a future OBGYN Kamilah Evans, also known as @medschoolmilah<\/a>, on how taking a gap year helped her:<\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\nFour Tips Everyone Needs to Increase their Med School Odds<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/mcat\/files\/2019\/07\/cta-mcat-sidebar-readyToApplyQuiz.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTip #1: Have the Right Reasons for Wanting to Go to Med School<\/h3>\n
Tip #2: Give Yourself Plenty of Time<\/h3>\n
Tip #3: Consider Applying to DO Programs<\/h3>\n
Tip #4: Don\u2019t Stress About Going to a Top Medical School<\/h3>\n
\n![\"Back](\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/mcat\/files\/2020\/12\/100x27-Back-to-Top-button.png\")
<\/a>
\n
\n<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nHow to Get into Med School as a Traditional Medical School Applicant<\/h2>\n
Strong Overall GPA<\/h3>\n
Strong Performance in Science Coursework<\/h3>\n
High MCAT Score<\/h3>\n
Medical and Research Experience<\/h3>\n
\n