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AI-Generated College Essays

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“I hope this letter finds you well…”

When my family and I played around with ChatGPT – asking it to craft silly letters to different people – every ChatGPT response started with that phrase. I quickly realized that originality is not ChatGPT’s strong suit.

On top of the fact that most institutions consider AI-generated essays to be unethical (even plagiarism, at Yale), an applicant’s ability to write something distinctive (and persuasive) is really what demonstrates his or her worthiness for competitive university spots.

I found this amusing New York Times piece called, “We Used A.I. to Write Essays for Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Here’s How It Went” reinforced my strong distaste for AI-generated personal statement writing.

Although challenging to craft, your written materials are a tremendous opportunity to showcase your creativity and further your candidacy.

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Medical School Interview Tips: What Do Admissions Officers Really Want?

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Congratulations to those who have already been invited for medical school interviews. It’s early in the season, so if you’re an applicant who hasn’t been invited yet, don’t be dismayed.

Getting into medical school has gotten so competitive; the interview is critical. But what are medical schools looking for during the interview process?

1. They are seeking someone distinctive. Your goal is to distinguish yourself from all of the other applicants by showcasing your accomplishments. Anyone can say s/he wants to help people or is hard working. Fewer candidates can prove it with their pre-professional achievements.

2. They want to ensure you’re committed to medicine and that you have an idea of what you’re getting yourself into. Medical school is tough; the institutions are not seeking someone who is ambivalent and might quit. Giving examples of your clinical experience can help.

3. The schools want to ensure you’re reasonable. They want to see that you don’t have a problem personality, aren’t going to harass your colleagues, aren’t going to cause them embarrassment or extra work. Being professional during the interview day and having strong letters are important.

4. They want to hear you’re particularly interested in their institution. You can convince them of your interest by knowing specifics about the school and city.

One would never take the MCAT without practicing first and yet, countless applicants go to medical school interviews without preparing. If you are interested in working with me, please hire me soon, as I’m booking up for September. 

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How Might the Supreme Court Decision about Affirmative Action Affect Medical School Admissions

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The American Medical Association (AMA) recently sponsored an interesting webinar on how the Supreme Court affirmative action decision might influence medical schools. Invited faculty included representatives from the AMA, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Association of American Medical Colleges, University of California (UC) Davis Medical School, and Meharry Medical School. I recommend listening to the recording or reading the transcript. (You can get CME credit for doing so, as a bonus.) 

There are a few points I found particularly interesting: 

  1. An African American physician has a likelihood of seeing African American patients at a rate that is approximately 23 to 24 times that of a white physician.
  2. Among first-year medical students, 62-63% of African American pupils say that serving an underserved population is what they want to do when they finish their education, whereas white and Asian students are in the twentieth percentiles in reporting that they want to serve those same populations.
  3. UC Davis Medical School is employing multiple, creative techniques to improve diversity at their institution, including implicit bias mitigation training and the implementation of a medical school track called Avenue M – focused on applicants who went to community colleges. Consequently, at UC Davis, over 50% of students coming from disadvantaged or underrepresented-in-medicine backgrounds make up their classes.

You can find the AMA webinar and transcript here.

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Medical Debt Can Be Crushing

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I recently saw a short piece in US News that reported that the average debt among medical school graduates who borrowed for their medical education was $184,000, excluding undergraduate loans. 

There are many reasons to think hard about a career as a physician, and monetary ones are first or second on the list. For those with severe financial need, the AAMC offers their Fee Assistance Program (FAP). (Please note that I also offer a discount for those who have a current FAP grant.)

Most applicants, however, don’t qualify for the FAP and may be looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt after they complete their medical education. For many reasons, make sure that a career as a doctor is the right one for you.

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Accomplished, Not Lovely

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Pre-pandemic, I went to hear the author Nicole Krauss speak about her novel Forest Dark. I’m a big fan of Krauss’ writing. The day I heard the author speak, she had published an opinion piece in the NYT Sunday Magazine called “Do Women Get to Write with Authority?” In the article, Krauss highlights the lack of power women writers have compared to men, and specifically, how female artists’ work is often characterized as “lovely,” a word she describes as lacking in “independent power.”

I must admit that I sometimes use the word “lovely” (both for women and men) when I like someone. But Krauss made me think about the word in the context of achievement – not personality – and her point is well-taken.

With medical school interviews starting soon, you should keep in mind that you want the faculty member you’ve met to leave saying you were “accomplished,” not “lovely.” Many applicants miss this point: You don’t want to simply be liked; you want to be seen as worthy. It’s critical that you focus on that important goal as you practice for interviews, crafting strategic, substantive responses to potential questions. 

I would strongly recommend Krauss’ History of Love (her best book in my opinion), Great House, Forest Dark and To Be A Man.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital. She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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