Just a reminder that AMCAS opens on May 3, and you can submit your AMCAS as early as June 7. This application cycle’s AMCAS Processing Fee is $160 (which includes one medical school designation). Additional medical school designations are $38 each.
AMCAS has fantastic resources, including a FAQ sheet and pre-med calendar for applicants. Take a look here to get started.
The ECFMG® recently published 2016 Match statistics for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). In the 2016 Match, only 53.9% of U.S. citizen IMG participants were matched to first-year positions, and of those IMG participants who were not U.S. citizens, only 50.5% obtained first-year positions. While the actual number of IMGs matching was slightly better than last year (with more residency positions on the whole available), IMGs still face large challenges in the residency application process.
Many medical school applicants ask me if they have to do things they don’t want – like bench research – to get into med school. While having reasonable academic numbers and some clinical experience is critical, candidates can succeed while lacking traditional aspects of the application, like research.
Now, having a strong research project (especially a publication) under one’s belt will almost invariably help propel an applicant’s candidacy forward, but finding very strong alternatives is a reasonable option.
Here’s some interesting information from the Association of American Medical Colleges on the recently proposed Graduate Medical Education (GME) Bill. The legislation’s intent is to increase the number of residency training slots in an effort to improve the U.S. physician shortage problem
It’s that time of year… Check out my Student Doctor Network® article on how to craft a persuasive personal statement. Remember the goal is to convince the reader of your worthiness – not simply tell a story.
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
