The Medical School Admissions Guide Book Event: George Mason Alpha Epsilon Delta

As part of The Medical School Admissions Guide: A Harvard MD's Week-by-Week Admissions Handbook book tour, I have been speaking to pre-med groups throughout the country. Tonight, I had the pleasure to address the George Mason University Alpha Epsilon Delta chapter in Fairfax, Virginia. Thank you to James Colchao for making this event happen.

These talks are the most enjoyable part of my work as an admissions consultant. I particularly love the one-on-one interactions after the lecture and general Q&A session when I hear each individual applicant's story. Tonight, I had the pleasure to meet a non-traditional student who had initially attended an Ivy League university then joined the military where he realized a passion for medicine. Now, in his late 20s and a retired veteran, he has returned to school to complete pre-med coursework while gaining clinical experience. It just goes to show that it is never too late to apply to medical school. If medicine is your calling, you will find out how to make it happen one way or another.

This night was also special in that I had the pleasure of meeting US Navy Captain Calloway and Joan Stearman from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) admissions committee. Captain Calloway provided an incredibly informative presentation on the academic and financial benefits of obtaining a medical education at USUHS. I can say from personal experience teaching fourth-year USUHS medical students during my work in the Emergency Department at Inova Fairfax Hospital that these student are very well-educated. In this time of exponential increases in the cost of medical education with decreases in doctor salaries, I suggest every medical school applicant investigate the pros and cons of a military-based education. You can find more details at the USUHS website.