Home › Posts tagged Medical School › Page 11
Blog Archives

Do Interviews Matter?

Posted on by by
Residency Application and Residency InterviewYes!
For residency candidates: The NRMP Program Directors’ Survey makes it very clear that interviews matter a lot, which was also my experience as an Assistant Residency Director. I recall very robust conversations about even small comments candidates made during their interviews, some of which affected their ranking on our Match list.
For medical school applicants: Although there is controversy over how much college interviews matter, even skeptics acknowledge that graduate school interviews make a difference in the application process. In this NYT piece, two former interviewers strongly advise conducting mock interviews and being prepared for “curve ball” questions.
Remember: If you’re well-prepared, once you get your foot in the door, you can make a strong impression about the worthiness of your candidacy.
Tags: , ,

Medical School – Accepted!

Posted on by by

So far this year, Insider clients have seen a lot of medical school acceptances. School include University of California – Irvine, Washington University, Drexel, University of Michigan, Northwestern, Louisiana State University, Tulane, University of Texas – Southwestern, Baylor, Temple University, Oakland University, and Hofstra-LIJ North Shore School of Medicine, to name a few. Click here to see a complete list of Insider client acceptances.

Tags: ,

Avoiding a Re-application to Medical School

Posted on by by

After disappointing admissions cycles, multiple medical school re-applicants hire me every year. Individual cases are complex, but keep the below five suggestions in mind as you approach the application season in order to avoid missteps:

1. Make sure you have robust clinical experiences. No one wants to hire a chef who’s never been in the kitchen.

2. Ensure you have the grades/MCAT and apply to schools that are appropriate to your academic level. Check out the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) to get an idea of what grades you’ll need. (Take a deep breath. It might be shocking.)

3. Get very strong letters of recommendation. Consider a mediocre letter a bad one in this competitive environment.

4. Craft a compelling personal statement that distinguishes you from everyone else.

5. Practice interviewing. Don’t get as far as the interview only to be rejected because you weren’t prepared.

Tags: , ,

Gap Year

Posted on by by

I’d recommend purusing this brief piece by Varsity Tutors’ Dr. Anubodh “Sunny” Varshney regarding the benefits and drawbacks of taking a gap year before medical school. I should note that Dr. Varshney does not mention a gap year’s financial drawbacks, which can be significant.

I took an extra year (although it was during medical school, part of HMS’s 5-year plan) that grounded me and made me a more competitive emergency medicine applicant. If feasible, it’s a great opportunity.

 

Tags: , ,

Medical School Personal Statement

Posted on by by

personal statement for medical school and medical school admissionsAs I mentioned in my penultimate (I love that word) blog entry, it’s time to get started on your medical school personal statement. We’ve talked about distinguishing yourself with your accomplishments. Now, let’s start at the top and briefly consider the intro.

Catching the reader’s attention is a way to make an excellent first impression and increase the odds that your essay will be read – not skimmed. Consider a topic that is distinctive to you that also demonstrates traits, talents, and/or perspective that other applicants might not have. I’ve read excellent essays that start with a description of applicants’ unique hobbies, international experiences, performances, and sports events. Note that these may seem to have nothing to do with medicine at first blush. However, once they are conveyed for a few sentences (not more!), the skilled writer can link the introductory stories to traits, talents, and/or perspective that make the writer a good match for medical school.

Tags: ,

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

Receive FREE Insider Medical Admissions Tips.

Sign Up

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

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