Chunking Down the App Process – One step at a time

For those of you applying this cycle congratulations on making it to this point. Being ready to apply is a huge accomplishment in its own right, and something you should celebrate. The medical school application process is a daunting roller coaster fueled with excitement, doubt, fear, stress, worry, and hopefully triumph. I advise a systematic approach to the overall process, and counsel students to take it one step at a time. At this point, all of your energy should be focused on the primary application. Completing the primary app takes a lot of work, and chunking it down into sections will help you progress through it. Keep in mind that this is your pitch to medical schools on why they should want you as part of their incoming class. Use the AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students as a framework for crafting an application that clearly communicates your strengths as a successful future physician. Here is a brief list of things to keep in mind during the primary app process:

-Order and submit your transcripts now to AMCAS.

-Contact your letter writers and check in about their readiness to submit letters on your behalf, they should do this asap. If one of your writers can speak strongly about how your work demonstrates a core competency mentioned in the AAMC guide ask them to write about it in your LOR, and send them the link describing the core competencies.

-Get feedback and edit your personal statement, do not discount the importance of this essay. Your essay should do two things effectively: provide the reader with a sense of who you are as a person, and clearly communicate why you want to be a physician (with special consideration to your core values).

-For the activities section choose experiences that speak to the core competencies mentioned above, and think about what you learned from your participation in each one.

-Use the MSAR to refine your school list, and apply as broadly as possible based on your budget. Apply for a fee waiver to increase the number of schools you can afford to apply to.

-Two of the most common reasons applicants need to reapply is that they apply too late or they don’t apply to enough programs, so do your best to apply as early and as broadly as possible without sacrificing the quality of your application.

I’ll continue to post in more detail on these topics, as well as secondary application tips, interviewing advice, non-traditional student topics, and general comments on navigating the premed process. Please feel free to send me a direct message if you have specific questions, want feedback on your essay, or post a question below.