The Medical School Admissions Guide Book Event: University of Virginia

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. On March 28, 2011, I had the pleasure of meeting with the University of Virginia AMSA. Thank you to Shayan Moosa for making this event happen.

The day started off well with the independently-owned University of Virginia Bookstore agreeing to sell The Medical School Admissions Guide. It should be available as of next week. Of course, the book is always available through MDadmit, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

One question that came up repeatedly in the Q&A session concerned GPA. What is the GPA needed to get into medical school? This is such a difficult question to answer given that GPA is only one of many components medical school admissions committees use to evaluate an applicant. As a general guideline, a 3.7 GPA and even MCAT over 30 (ie. at least 10s across the board) is "good enough." Of course, you need more than just a good GPA and MCAT to get into medical school. Below a 3.0 is generally a non-starter and you should consider post-bac and special masters programs to gain more science experience and improve the GPA. Obviously, there is a huge range between 3.0 and 3.7. No magic number exists. You could have a 3.5 GPA and 33 MCAT and get into Harvard if you have other stellar components of your application. You could have a 4.0 GPA and 43 MCAT and NOT get into Harvard. I can't say GPA is not important. It certainly is. But it is only one of many factors that determine if you will gain admission to medical school.

Do you have specific questions about your GPA and how it affects your chances of getting into medical school? Visit www.MDadmit.com or contact Dr. Miller at 415.939.525/info@MDadmit.com to set up a strategy session.

Medical School Admissions (2010-2011 Cycle) – Recommendation Calls to Admissions Committees

Now that the March 15^th deadline has passed, you should know where you stand with most schools – accepted, waitlisted, or rejected. Some schools have a “hold” designation. Consider a “hold” to equal a waitlist spot at this point in the medical school admissions cycle.

Many clients come to me for help formulating a waitlist strategy. In addition to writing a letter of intent to the top choice school and update letters to other waitlisted schools (see February 14 and 21, 2011 posts for more details on these letters), clients often ask if calls from recommenders or school alumni to the admissions office on their behalf are beneficial. In general, any glowing recommendations will help your case. But calls should only be from recommenders who know you well. A call from your uncle’s cousin’s wife who has met you once but happened to graduate from your waitlisted school will not be of much help and might even hurt you. So be smart. Don’t inundate the admissions staff with calls. A glowing phone call, or even unsolicited written recommendation, can improve your application.

Stuck in medical school waitlist limbo? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to get your waitlist strategy going with help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Admissions (2010-2011 Cycle) – Multiple Acceptances

By now, you will likely have heard from schools regarding your acceptance, waitlist, or rejection status. Many schools put a strict deadline on the acceptance, meaning that you will have to accept the acceptance within a certain period of time. The good news is that you can hold multiple acceptances, thus deferring your final decision until May 15, after which you must withdraw your application to all but one school.

Though it may boost your ego to hold multiple acceptances, please only say yes to schools you are seriously considering attending. Don’t confirm multiple acceptances just so that you can brag on Student Doctor Network. Try to make a decision early so that others can get off the waitlist.

Looking for help getting off the waitlist or deciding which school to attend? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to get help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Admissions (2010-2011 Cycle) – March 15 Deadline

By March 15, all AMCAS schools are supposed to have offered the number of acceptances as space in the class. Unfortunately, some schools will not let you know your status until April. Check the websites of each school for information on when they send acceptances. If the website does not have the information, you may call the admissions office. Be sure to be polite to whoever answers the phone. A curt phone conversation can turn an acceptance into a rejection.

Would you like to discuss how to get off the waitlist or to decide which school to attend? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to get help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Medical School Admissions in PreMedLife Magainze

PreMedLife Magazine recently published my article, "The Seven Deadly Sins of Medical School Admissions." 

Check it out!

The Medical School Admissions Guide Book Event: University of Maryland AMSA

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. On February 15, 2010, I had the pleasure of meeting with the University of Maryland AMSA group. Thank you to Adam Pampori 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 was most impressed by the large number of underclassman who attended to meeting and are already thinking ahead to how they can best prepare for medical school. Gaining acceptance to medical school is a long process that started well before filling out the AMCAS application. It is never too early to start strategizing!

One great questions from the event that I wanted to post the answer to here:
Q: When is the best time to read The Medical School Admissions Guide?
A: The Medical School Admissions Guide is written as a week-by-week guide that starts in the January before you apply (i.e., you will turn in the AMCAS that June). However, it is most advantageous to read the book straight through as soon as possible to gain a sense of what is expected during the admissions process and then turn back to the guide weekly while applying. Reading this as early as freshman year will provide a huge advantage.

Pictures and details of the event can be found at:
http://www.umdamsa.org/events/2011/2/15/discussion-with-dr-miller.html

Medical School Admissions (2010-2011 Cycle) – Be On Your Best Behavior

This is the time of medical school admission decisions. You likely have and will continue to hear from schools regarding your acceptance status. Every school has a different time line for reviewing applications and offering acceptances. Naturally, you may feel inclined to check in with certain schools to see when final decisions will be made. Even though this is a time of high anxiety, please be sure to be polite when contacting schools. Angering the assistant answering the phone is a very easy way to sink your application. Also, remember to avoid slang, acronyms, and text shorthand in e-mails to schools. Every phone call and e-mail should use formal language.

Haven’t heard from schools yet and wondering what to do? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to set up a consulting session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions insider.

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.