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You Can’t Be It If You Can’t See It

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I had the great opportunity to see the film Black Men in White Coats last week as part of an HMS alum event. The documentary follows several African American male doctors and, in particular, the founder of the Black Men in White Coats organization Dr. Dale Okorodudu, a pulmonary and critical care physician. Here’s the trailer for the film. 

African American men represent only 2% of all physicians, and they are applying to medical school in lower numbers than decades ago. Dr. Okorodudu is trying to improve those numbers through his organization’s efforts, including impressive outreach to kids.

If you have a chance to see the film, I highly recommend it.

 

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What Makes New Yorker Articles So Good?

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I have a dear medical school friend who gifts my family the New Yorker every year at the holidays. The New Yorker is one of the best Chanukah presents we receive, and we get to appreciate it weekly, which makes it even better than the usual candy and fruit baskets. What makes New Yorker writing so good is that the journalists offer facts and then let the reader make his/her own assessments. A subject’s own words or the description of his/her home office or clothes or even gait tells it all. There is no need for convincing.

Currently, as I’m editing medical school essays, I’m reminding my clients of the importance of that principle in writing a strong personal statement. To an admissions reader who hasn’t yet met you, you are what you’ve done. It’s the facts that matter. You need to use substantive examples of your achievements to demonstrate your worthiness for a potential medical school position. Evidence is persuasive; use it!

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Tomorrow Belongs to Those Who Can Hear it Coming: AMCAS is Opening Next Month

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This year’s AMCAS application will open on May 3 at 9:30AM EST, and candidates will be able to submit their AMCAS applications beginning on May 27 at 9:30AM EST. 

Because of rolling admissions, submitting a complete application early in the cycle has distinct advantages at many schools.That doesn’t mean you should submit suboptimal written materials on the twenty-seventh; it means you should start early enough that you are offering your best work.

Rolling admissions means that a school takes applications in the order in which they are received and makes decisions about interviews and then acceptances, accordingly. So, as times goes by, there are fewer interview and admissions offers remaining to be made. Think of an auditorium whose doors open to allow guests in. Those in the front of the line get the seats, and those who come later may not have a chair to sit in. 

If your application is not complete, your candidacy may not be evaluated early when there are more opportunities for interviews and admissions. So, if you have not already, get started immediately. It could make a huge difference in your available opportunities.

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How to Use the MSAR to Your Advantage

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The Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) is an online database that allows users to search, sort, and compare information about U.S. and Canadian medical schools. The 2021 MSAR is out, and if you are applying to medical school, I’d recommend purchasing it ($28 for one year and $36 for two) because it provides so much information about schools and their admissions statistics. The MSAR allows you to sort and compare schools by median MCAT scores, AMCAS GPAs, and other criteria.

You should use the MSAR to help determine which schools are in your range and which are “reach” schools. While it’s fine to have a lot of reach schools  (if you can afford it), it’s critical to ensure you are applying wisely to schools that match your numbers; in other words, do not apply to reach schools at the expense of those in your range. The advantage of the MSAR is that you can make evidence-based decisions. I’ve found some applicants have eye-opening experiences when they thoroughly review schools’ statistics and either realize that their numbers are low and that they should apply accordingly or, happily, that they have numbers that match with top schools. Either way, reviewing the data is critical to good decision making.

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White Coat Investor Podcast Interview

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Two years ago this week (which may seem like a lifetime ago), I was honored to be the featured interviewee on the White Coat Investor (WCI) podcast. For those of you who aren’t familiar with WCI, it’s a website/blog/podcast founded by James Dahle MD, an emergency physician whose interest in personal finance and the FIRE (financial independence – retire early) movement has sparked a slew of physician devotees. My interview focused on how Insider Medical Admissions helped me create autonomy and flexibility while balancing a clinical career and a family. Check it out here or on your favorite podcast app. 

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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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Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: