Medical School Application Resolutions Can Help Set the New Year Off Right...And Benefit Down The Road Too

Now over a month into the new year, many are still committed to New Year's resolutions. Traditionally, resolutions are aimed at changing undesired traits and/or behaviors, accomplishing personal goals, continuing good practices, and generally improving life over the next calendar year. For those looking to apply to medical school, it is helpful to take time and think about how to stay on the right track. 

We've discussed here on our blog the ways in which undergrads can position themselves to prepare for the medical school application process. We've also discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting, well, everything. Despite the pandemic, there are several things to consider when planning out what moves to make next. This all depends on where you line up in the process and what you need while on your journey. 

Building a strong application is a bit of a longitudinal process and the stage in your progress matters. If wanting to add some resolutions framed around the med school application, here are some things to consider. 

 

FRESHMEN/SOPHOMORES

For undergraduate freshmen and sophomores, students can map out/update plans for courses and experiences. This will help to prevent gaps down the line while acquiring the necessary prerequisites and experiences that will ultimately help round out the application. While the process is longitudinal, that doesn't necessarily mean each student's experience is a straight line. Keeping abreast of a plan and working with academic advisors will help students make adjustments when unexpected curves come along.

College of Human Medicine admissions counselor, Elizabeth Lyons, insists that students really begin building a relationship with their academic advisors right away to receive vital guidance throughout all four years. Premed/pre-health academic advisors especially "are the ones who talk to medical schools regularly, so they know what we're looking for. They can be great resources to help guide [students] with the whole application." 

In this second semester for freshmen, consider majors and plot out opportunities for the spring/summer for medical exposure as well as volunteer experiences. 

Sophomores should be coming to some conclusions regarding major, working with the academic advisor to ensure that path is clear. Students should start, if they haven't already, to gain clinical and volunteer experiences. It's important to note that medical school applicants are more commonly coming from majors outside the sciences. So if an applicant prefers a major not in STEM, planning for how to acquire prerequisite courses and experiences is necessary.

Volunteer and research opportunities including those within medicine may be limited at the moment. But don't be alarmed. Many medical schools with holistic admissions processes also like to see applicants involved in activities they are genuinely interested in, which may include interests outside of health. If possible, right now may be a good time to fill those opportunities with activities that genuinely make you happy and show character. Some students may also need to work, and schools are more and more taking socioeconomic factors into account.

Schools like to know how students help improve their communities in fulfilling ways. "If an applicant still needs experiences, some unique virtual experiences have popped up for students that are virtual and still meaningful. For instance, teaching English as a second-language (ESL), volunteering for a crisis text line, tutoring, and even becoming a virtual scribe may be good options," says admissions counselor, Jessica Davison.

The CHM admissions committee also loves to see activities surrounding social justice and serving underprivileged populations. It is our mission, after all. Experiences with helping disadvantaged communities like donation and supply drives for instance are valuable experiences outside of a clinical environment. 

Read: "It's All About Fit: A Holistic Approach To CHM Admissions"

Sophomores should also become familiar with what to anticipate on the MCAT exam and which courses over the next year or two will best prepare you for the exam. When to take the exam should also be considered as part of that plan. 

 

JUNIORS/SENIORS

For undergraduate juniors and seniors who've yet to apply, it's never too early to work on the personal statement. By this point, students should be near to wrapping up their prerequisite courses, research projects, and activities. If there are any gaps, work with the academic advisor to fill those holes and round out the application. 

Another portion of the application is a student's letters of evaluation. Acquiring mentors, leaders, and faculty to help write the letters shouldn't be too difficult at this stage. Hopefully and especially for seniors, some have already agreed to assist with this important function.

At this stage, students are taking the MCAT. Readiness is important here as well. Consider that it may be wise to allow some time to also re-take the exam in the case an initial score doesn't meet personal standards. And that's okay. Many schools like ours do not mind re-takes, though it may help to research preferred schools to see how each evaluates multiple scores.

As we move full steam ahead into the year, determine when will be a good time to apply. Some students may want a gap year before diving into a cycle. And that's okay. At the College of Human Medicine, we encourage students to take a gap year if they feel that's best for them. The point here is that applicants should apply when the application is fully ready.

The start of the year allows students to create a reasonable timetable for when to apply that considers all factors, including academics and experiences. Some introspection allows students to see as a whole what needs still are yet to be met. If academics need to be improved, find ways to bolster those moving ahead. Again, a later application cycle and even post-bacc enrollment may be the best option moving forward. An application with great academics but light experience may need some extra time as well, so that the applicant can acquire additional hours. 

NONTRADITIONAL APPLICANTS

That goes for nontraditional applicants as well. For those taking a nontraditional route, remaining gaps and how to acquire them naturally leads the action from here. For those who don't come from science-heavy backgrounds, a post-baccalaureate program is an option to acquire those courses. 

Read "Taking the Nontraditional Route: CHM Students Discuss Path To Medical School"

Some students may be working on a graduate program before applying to medical school. In this case, figuring out the timetable for when to apply is again important. It's also wise to find out how many graduate credits a school will need in order to observe those grades and GPA. Tests like the MCAT and CASPer are also necessary in order to apply, so preparing and taking those is vital to that timetable.

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It's an uphill climb, but medicine is certainly a fulfilling profession worthy of all the hard work. Planning and working with advisors can go a long way into making the journey as smooth as possible. Even without a pandemic, the road to medical school can be rigorous. While we understand that the current circumstances can produce levels of anxiety and even urgency, Associate Dean for Admissions, Dr. Joel Maurer, insists that applicants truly take their time in ensuring their building up their application to be the best it can be. 

In terms of pointers, "My biggest ones would be embracing 1) patience and 2) thoughtful reflection," he says.

"Be patient with your process and preparation. Don’t rush the application; continue to hold onto the mantra of 'apply when your application is strong and competitive.'  In the meantime, reflect on your preparation and use any time afforded by the pandemic-related disruption to strengthen the application."