Pre-meds: Dr. Miller added a 2nd MDadmit Admissions Bootcamp in June

Hey pre-meds,

 

The May 30-31, 2013 MDadmit Admissions Bootcamp sold out. Given the demand, I have added another bootcamp that will still allow you to submit your AMCAS application in early June:

 

Dates: June 6 and 7, 2013
Hours: 8am to 5pm
Location: New York City (Manhattan)

More info can be found here: http://www.mdadmit.com/component/content/article/121

 

Feel free to contact me with any questions (info@MDadmit.com).

Also not that payment plans are available.

MDadmit Admissions Bootcamp highlights:

Can you imagine how much time and energy you will save by strategizing MCAT timing, deciding on recommenders, creating a school list, completing the AMCAS work/activities, finishing the personal statement, outlining secondary essays, preparing for interviews, and learning post-interview tactics in TWO days? MDadmit Admissions Bootcamps makes this dream a reality.

MDadmit Admissions Bootcamps are intimate, intensive, and strategic seminars run by Dr. Miller and her team of experts. Realizing the incredible amount time and energy pre-meds spend on medical school admissions, often because of inexperience with the process, Dr. Miller has created MDadmit Admissions Bootcamps to provide personalized, efficient, and comprehensive admissions help that will give you an advantage in medical school admissions.

• Limited to a maximum of five pre-meds to ensure personalized service.
• Expertise and real-time feedback from Dr. Miller, CEO of MDadmit, best-selling author, and leading medical school admissions consultant.
• Dr. Miller runs and is present for the entire bootcamp with professional editors and interviewers assisting.
• One-on-one writing sessions with Dr. Miller and expert team of professional editors.
• Essay editing by Dr. Miller and expert team of professional editors.
• Mock interview by experienced university professors with video recording and written feedback.
• Blend of targeted lectures, interactive workshops, and one-on-one sessions.
• Pre-bootcamp preparation including copy of The Medical School Admissions Guide: A Week-by-Week Admissions Handbook, 2nd Edition and comprehensive MDadmit Bootcamp Preparation Guide and Workbook.
• Breakfast and full lunch provided each day.

You will walk out of a MDadmit Admissions Bootcamp with:

1. Clear understanding of how to approach the MCAT
2. School list (including MD, DO, and foreign schools, if applicable)
3. Recommendation list and approach to recommenders
4. Complete, professionally edited AMCAS work/activities
5. Complete, professionally edited AMCAS personal statement
6. Secondary essay outlines
7. Mock interview recording with verbal and written feedback
8. Plan for post-interview tactics
9. Personalized, clear strategy of how to excel in medical school admissions process
10. All of your questions answered in a personalized, supportive environment

 

 

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO, MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com
415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Pre-meds: Do you know how the AMCAS will classify your courses?

There is nothing worse than working hard in a course you thought would "count" for medical school admissions requirements only to find out the AMCAS application does not classify said course in the way you expected. Be an educated pre-med! Review the AMCAS course classification guide published by the AAMC before you sign up for classes. And if you are applying to medical school this cycle, be sure the courses you have taken count the way you think. Because if they don't, you may need to take a summer course or change your future classes to meet the requirements.

 

--Dr. Miller

 

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO, MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com
415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Medical School Admissions (2013-2014 Cycle): Free Q&A on Premed Problems May 10

I am doing a free question and answer session tomorrow on premed problems forum:

Date: May 10, 2013

Time: 10am to 12pm EST

Location: www.premedproblems.com/forum

I am answering all pre-med and medical school admission questions. Come join!


--Dr. Miller

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO, MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com
415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Medical School Admissions Cycle (2013-2014): To delay or not to delay the MCAT

With the AMCAS medical school application opening upon us (opens May 8), I have been receiving frequent e-mails from pre-med clients wondering, "Is it ok for me to delay the MCAT?" Many of these premeds are scheduled to take the exam at the end of May and want to move it to the end of June. Here are the issues every premed should consider if contemplating delaying the MCAT:

1. A low MCAT score (below 30 and less than 10 in each section) can sink an otherwise stellar application. You want to take the test when you will be best prepared.

2. Applying "early," which means submitting your AMCAS application in June, offers a large advantage in the admissions process of rolling admissions schools.

3. It takes about 30 days to get your MCAT score back. So if you take the test in late May, you'll get the score back in late June and still have enough time to submit the AMCAS in June. But if you take the late June MCAT, you won't get your score back until late July, which is not an ideal time to turn in the AMCAS. Further, submitting your application without knowing your MCAT score is a huge risk. If you don't do well, you may want to take a year off, retake the MCAT, and apply the next cycle. And you don't want to be a re-applicant, which is treated as a red flag by medical school admissions committees. Unless you are scoring near the 40s on your practice test, don't apply without seeing your MCAT.

So, we have a "catch 22" here. If you take the test in May, you may not be ready. If you take it in June, your application will be late. So how do you make the decision?

If you are scoring well on practice tests (mid to high 30s consistently) and only want more time to boost confidence, then take the test in May. If not, take the test in June and be sure to have your AMCAS application 100% done other than the MCAT score so that you can hit the submit button the minute your score comes back.

Good luck!

--Dr. Miller

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO of MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com, 415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Medical School Admissions (2013-2014 Cycle): Get ready for the AMCAS

The AMCAS application "opens" on May 8 at 9:30am EST. "Opens" means you will be able to log into the online application and officially begin filling it out. It does not mean you can submit the application. This is not allowed until early June.

Even though you can't submit the application for about a month, it will take you a month or more to prepare. Now that finals are behind you or soon to be behind you, it's time to dedicate serious time and effort to the AMCAS application. It's a huge process. But as with any large task, it is best to break things down into smaller, less intimidating chunks. Here is my suggestion for how to tackle the AMCAS:

1. Obtain AAMC ID and login
2. Send recommenders letter writer form (if you have not yet done so)
3. Request official transcripts to be sent to AMCAS
4. Obtain unofficial transcript for yourself
5. Fill out identifying, schools attended, and biographic sections
6. Enter grades from transcript (this takes longer than you think)
7. Use updated resume to create first draft of AMCAS work-activities. After you have edited the draft at least three time and chosen your most meaningful activities, send to an editor.
8. Write personal statement. Go through at least three drafts and then send to editor.
9. Re-edit work/activities section based on editor's comments. Send out for one more round of edits.
10. Re-edit personal statement based on editor's comments. Send out for another round of edits.
11. Finalize AMCAS work/activities
12. Edit personal statement again. You will likely go through about 10 drafts. Do a final copy edit for any typos or spelling errors.
13. Choose where to apply, casting a wide net.
14. Copy and paste (from txt or rtf) work/activities and personal statemnet
15. Proofread entire app and send in early June

If you like the idea of a step-by-step guide to the medical school admissions process, I think you will find The Medical School Admissions Guide quite helpful.

Good luck and get in!

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO of MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com, 415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Pre-meds: Medical school admissions committees are looking at your social media sites!

We all knew it was coming. Prospective employers are already doing it. Other admissions committees do it. And now it has arrived in the pre-med world - medical school admissions committees are looking at your social media sites as part of the admissions process, as evidenced but his recent article.

Thought that Twitter handle filled with expletives was funny? Hope its super funny if it keeps you from getting into medical school. Even if your Facebook settings are private, you still may be tagged in photos posted on someone else's page. Though college students rarely consider their social media presence seriously, every pre-med must diligently check your online presence to ensure there is nothing posted that will hurt your chances of getting accepted to medical school.

Here are some suggestions for how to prevent social media from hurting your medical school application:
1. Turn your Facebook settings to the most private ones possible. Then search for your name and check that no inappropriate pictures or posts exist on other pages. If they so, ask the person who posted the less than flattering content to take the photo or post down. If they refuse, ask them to untag you.
2. Check your Twitter handle. Does it say something like "Premed Bitch" or ""Premed F-up" or "Cougar Premed." When you are sick, would you want to go a doctor who tweeted from "Premed Bitch?" Doubt it. Create a professional Twitter name and pretend that every tweet you send could be viewed by an admissions committee.
3. Ensure your Instagram photos are all appropriate. Again, would you feel comfortable showing all the pictures to a medical school admissions committee? If not, delete them.
4. YouTube. Did you know YouTube is one of the three most searched sites in the world? Are you included in any videos that might make you look less than professional? Have you posted videos that could be thought of as inappropriate? Check your presence on YouTube and delete any videos you wouldn't want an admissions committee to see.
4. Create a professional LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn has escaped the frivolousness that plagues much of social media. Create a respectable profile and obtain recommendations. Think of it as putting your resume online for all to see.
5. Look at your Blogger/Tumbler/Wordpress pages if you are a blogger. How does it look? All good? if not, delete it.
6. Remember all of the other sites you are on (Google +, Reddit, etc.) and apply the same rules as above - what would a medical school admissions committee think of the content? Do you look professional? Do you look like an aspiring physician?

Social media is fun and can be an excellent source of obtaining news and maintaining friendships. But it can also sink an otherwise outstanding medical school application. Manage your social media presence now as a pre-med and continue these practices throughout your entire career.

Good luck and get in!

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO of MDadmit Medical Admissions
www.MDadmit.com, 415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA