Admission to Med school is often highly competitive and intense, making it extremely difficult to be enrolled.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the national acceptance rate is about 40%.
In fact, about one in every six of those who apply to med school get accepted, while 54% get rejected.
These days, schools look for much more than just your grades.
They want to see relevant work experience and evidence of commitment to the profession, leadership, and integrity.
Instead of worrying about the mistakes that could cost you your dream career, focus on how you could improve your chances of getting accepted into med school.
That includes researching the various admission requirements like the required MCAT percentile, so you can prepare yourself accordingly for the application process.
The good thing is that every person has an opportunity to boost their application and stand out from the crowd.
Here are a few tips that can help improve your chances of getting into med school:
1. Get Some Medical Experience
One of the best ways to make your application stand out and increase your chances of getting accepted into med school is by providing evidence of some medical experience.
Work experience in a relevant medical field can help demonstrate to the admissions committee your commitment and passion for the medical field.
While you can’t perform the duties of a doctor, you can gain some clinical experience by working at a doctor’s office, a hospital, a nursing home, or public health clinic.
Job shadowing doctors and other professionals in the medical field is another excellent way to get medical experience and show med school’s admissions committee you know what a career in the medical field entails.
While this isn’t a prerequisite to admission into med school, it can help make your application stand out from the crowd, increasing your chances of being accepted.
2. Prepare for a Personal Interview
While admission requirements differ from one med school to another, most often include interview assessments.
These interviews can happen on-campus or virtually and are usually conducted by the school’s admissions committee.
To ace your interview, be prepared to provide answers to questions in topical areas, such as grades and test scores, personal experiences and attributes, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, career choice, and ethical questions.
Practice sample interview questions with a friend or family member before the day of the interview reaches.
This will help you feel relaxed and more confident during the interview.
A personal interview also makes a great chance to ask the admissions committee any questions you might have.
Come up with a list and bring it with you on the interview day.
Use this chance to show your personality and potential to be a great doctor.
3. Ace Your Personal Statement
Writing a personal statement is one of the most crucial elements of the application process.
Acing your personal statement can help you directly influence the committee’s decision to accept your med school application.
Make sure it reflects your personal goals and unique qualities about yourself.
Use this opportunity to show the academic foundation you’ve built and the experiences that have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine.
Endnote
While getting into med school has always been notoriously difficult, preparing early for the application process can help you stand a better chance of being accepted.
Carefully review your preferred med school’s application requirements to make sure you submit all the required information.
Improve your GPA and start studying with an MCAT guide to ensure you get excellent scores.
It’s also crucial to find a mentor who has helped other students get into med schools to guide you through the entire application process.
Following the above tips will help you stand a better chance of being accepted into med school.
