how I got accepted to 8 medical schools
Application season is upon us, and my application cycle has just wrapped up. I couldn’t be more excited about how it turned out: I’ve been accepted to eight M.D. medical schools. As a non-traditional applicant, my journey to medicine was an unusual one (I tell my story here), so I was nervous that I wouldn’t receive a single invitation to interview. Fortunately, this wasn’t my reality at all, and I’m deeply grateful to God for the opportunities He gave me, and the sense of purpose He instilled in me.
I wanted to write a guide about how I was able to accomplish this. I spent probably dozens of hours researching what I would need to put together a fantastic application, and I’m hoping that this concise guide will save you that effort. However, there are several things I want you to be aware of as you read this. First of all, though I was interested in healthcare as an undergraduate student, it wasn’t my goal at the time to go to medical school. My extracurriculars and choice of major reflects this. I participated in extracurriculars out of genuine interest and enthusiasm, not because I was cultivating a resume for medical school (you should too). I started off my career as a software engineer, and I’m sure this real-world experience in a different field added an interesting element and depth to my application. I’m not suggesting that you mimic my exact path, especially if you’re currently an undergraduate student who intends to go into medicine.
I am suggesting that you shouldn’t rush, and should take the time to examine and nurture interests that are unrelated to medicine. These help you grow, give you a breadth of knowledge that will make you more successful no matter what field you go into, and make you well-rounded. Finally, I have no idea which specific aspects of my application served as the tipping point for my acceptances. I haven’t discussed this with any admissions committee. I am detailing my personal experience here in hopes that you can take away some useful tips and lessons.
0. Decide whether, and why, medical school is right for you. This deserves a blog post all on its own: here it is! I had always been drawn to healthcare but didn’t rush the decision to go to medical school. I began my career as a software engineer and continued to explore my interest in health, specifically around lifestyle medicine. You’re reading one of the products of that interest: my blog! After I left my job as an engineer, I was hired as a medical assistant at Ethos Health, the first farm-based medical practice in the country. Working directly with patients deepened my resolve: I had found my calling. It also gave me the insight necessary to introspect about my career path and refine my goals.
1. Choose the schools you want to apply to and research program requirements. Make a preliminary list of schools you want to apply to and narrow it down based on the elements that are important to you. Read each school’s website and mission statement. Do your goals align with their mission? Do you see yourself being successful there? Do they offer significant financial aid? Are they in the right location? If so, make note of what you need to apply there. I spent considerable time researching program requirements for the schools I wanted to apply to and created a spreadsheet. For example, I knew I would have to take extra coursework because I was missing some classes required for my application. Given that I was making a career transition, taking them all in person wasn’t an option, so I reached out directly to the admissions committees of each school and asked whether online classes were acceptable. I used Harvard Extension School to take four additional classes, as HES has an excellent reputation for being rigorous.
2. Achieve a great MCAT score and grades. I know this is easier said than done, but the reality is that poor numbers can tank your application. I achieved a 99th percentile MCAT score after studying diligently for six months, and as an undergraduate student, school was my top priority. Don’t just aim for the median at the school you want to apply to: work to score as high as you possibly can. Of course, the other elements of your application matter a great deal, but your numbers prove you can handle the rigor of medical school. I was determined to demonstrate academic excellence: anything less than stellar wasn’t an option. If you can, you should take your MCAT soon after you complete your science courses, while the information you’ve learned is still fresh. As I took mine years after graduating from college, I had to re-learn much of the material.
3. Invest in your extracurricular activities. As I mentioned, medical school wasn’t my goal when I was an undergraduate student, but I participated in a number of activities out of genuine interest. I was a columnist for my school paper, President of a student organization, and a runner. I eventually started Posifitivy, and by the time I applied to medical school, I had invested thousands of hours of time into my blog. I also worked as a software engineer for two years after graduation. By cultivating your hobbies and pursuing your interests over the long-term, you demonstrate commitment, attention to detail, and breadth. You stand out from a sea of cookie-cutter applicants. Your activities show admissions committees that you are driven by more than just a robotic, emotionless desire to become a doctor and that you have a unique perspective. I recognize that a lack of resources or time can make it difficult to invest in your activities in the ways that I’m describing, but small, daily commitments add up. Be creative and make space in your life for finding genuine joy and passion in your interests.
4. Ensure that you have adequate clinical and volunteer experience. Significant clinical experience is a must for your application. Don’t bother applying to medical school with ten hours of shadowing at a doctor’s office. Admissions committee members on Student Doctor Network recommend at least 150 hours of clinical experience. As a scribe and medical assistant at Ethos Health, I accumulated over 1000 hours of direct patient care. In addition to “checking off” the box for clinical hours, I could speak thoughtfully about healthcare in my personal statement and essays owing to this experience. Secondly, volunteer work demonstrates altruism. Ideally, you should volunteer with an organization or initiative that means something to you, and sustain your participation for a significant period of time.
5. Write a great personal statement. I wrote my personal statement a few months in advance of submitting my application and refined it several times. I also requested feedback from my mentor and close family members. Ideally, you have already spent significant time introspecting about why you want to become a doctor (see step 0 above). Now your job is to craft an honest personal statement connecting your experiences together in an authentic narrative. Don’t copy someone else’s writing style or structure - your personal statement isn’t the place to bust out creative prose (unless you’re a writer and that’s your style). Do tell your story clearly and let your voice come through.
6. Cultivate relationships with people who can speak to your character and preparedness for medical school. You are required to submit letters of recommendation to medical schools (requirements are specific to each school, but hopefully you know this because you’ve done your research). Nurture your relationships with mentors, supervisors, and professors - letters from those who know you well are best. When you make a request for a recommendation letter, ask if the individual would be willing to write you a strong letter. You do not want a lukewarm (or even negative) letter to hurt your application. If the person declines, respect their decision and move on. I had five letters of recommendation: two from professors, two from supervisors at my software engineering job, and one from my mentor, Dr. Ron Weiss. One professor outlined specific rules for letter requests in his syllabus, so I made sure to follow them closely.
7. Submit your application as early as possible. I can’t emphasize how important this is. For your best shot at receiving an interview invitation, you should submit your primary application in early June, and send your secondary application (specific to each school) ideally within two weeks of receiving it. Your application is considered early if all your materials have been submitted before Labor Day, but note that many schools begin inviting applicants to interview as early as July (which is when I received my first invitation), and there are limited spots. To get a head start, consider pre-writing your secondary essays. The questions are specific to each school, but they often don’t change very much year to year. You can find them online. You will also find that many schools ask similar questions, so the more you write, the easier these questions will be to answer. A caveat: just because you should submit your applications early, does not mean you should cobble together half-baked responses quickly for the sake of getting them in. This is your opportunity to let your motivations, character, and experience shine. Pre-writing is helpful for this very reason: it allows you the time and clarity of mind to repeatedly revisit your responses until they represent you well. As I mentioned in step 6, I wrote my personal statement months in advance. I also pre-wrote many of my secondary responses. I love writing, so this wasn’t difficult for me, but it really allowed me the time to put my best effort into the task.
A note: I submitted my primary application before I took my MCAT. This isn’t advisable: it’s better not to be a re-applicant, and there was always the possibility that I would perform poorly on the MCAT and have to withdraw my application. The following year, I would be considered a re-applicant, which could negatively affect my chances for acceptance. Ideally, you should have your MCAT score in hand before you apply. I took the risk because the rest of my application was completely ready, and my practice exams gave me confidence that my score would be good enough for my target schools. I carefully selected my MCAT date (June 15) so that my secondaries (which you don’t receive until your MCAT score is in) wouldn’t be late, but my study time was maximized (six months).
8. Prepare for and take the CASPer. The CASPer is a “situational judgment test” meant to assess your people skills. A growing number of schools are using it as a screening tool. I spent a couple of weeks preparing for mine, which you must schedule online in advance. Make sure to account for the time it takes for your results to come back, as some schools may require it to consider your application complete. I read BeMo’s Ultimate Guide to CASPer Test Prep which helped me learn to write my responses. I would also recommend that you take the free, full length practice CASPer on the official website. If you’re not a fast typer, consider working on your typing speed before you take the test, as you only have five minutes to respond to each scenario. You won’t be penalized for incomplete answers, but the more fleshed out your responses, the better.
9. Invest significant time into preparing for interviews. So you’ve received an interview invitation. Great! Now isn’t the time to rest on your laurels. Whether your interview is traditional or an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview), you need to be well-prepared. An interview can (and does) make the difference between an acceptance and rejection. I read two books in preparation: Multiple Mini Interview by Samir Desai, and Clinical Ethics. I recognize that this may seem like overkill, but I didn’t want to spare any effort in securing an acceptance. Also, clinical ethics will always be relevant to me, so the investment into learning them was valuable.
For the traditional interview, know your application well and be prepared to answer questions about any aspect of it. This is why it’s so important to be honest and authentic: interviewers can often see through a phony. You should also practice common interview questions with someone you trust. If you can, schedule mock interviews with a third party, such as your undergraduate institution’s career center. This is critical. Know your responses, but don’t be rehearsed or robotic. Practice a firm, dry handshake. Smile. Work on your body language. Thank your interviewer for their time. Every detail matters.
For the MMI, all of the above advice applies. You should also practice and know your ethics. I saw this advice all over the place online: “There is no right or wrong answer in MMIs, and you can’t really prepare for it.” I strongly disagree. There is a wrong answer. If you signal to your interviewers in any way that you’re okay with engaging in unethical behavior or remorselessly have in the past, consider your application finished. I also encountered some genuinely difficult ethical questions on the interview trail, ones that I had to treat with careful nuance. My preparation was incredibly useful for those questions. Finally, I listened to some sample responses on YouTube, and practiced timed MMI scenarios with my husband, who generously came up with thought-provoking follow-up questions that helped me refine my responses.
9. Pray. For me personally, prayer was essential. I’ve poured my heart out to God for years since I decided I wanted to go to medical school: I asked for better understanding of my purpose, for guidance, for help, and for strength. I don’t believe I would have been successful without God’s grace. I continue to feel and express gratitude regularly.
10. Celebrate! You’ve done it! Having been through the entire process, I know how incredibly hard it is to get accepted to medical school. Celebrate yourself! You deserve this moment. Soak it up!
Most applicants to medical school don’t get an acceptance, so it’s essential that you put your best effort into all aspects of your application. Hopefully, this gave you some insight into what you need to do to receive an acceptance to medical school. Was there anything that I missed? Leave your questions below!
Edit 5/17: I updated my acceptances count to eight. ;)
