How do I make myself an outstanding medical school applicant?

A great medical school applicant is more than just academics, even though great academics can open many medical school doors. The big picture is extremely important. Medical schools are looking for well-balanced applicants. Their passions, caring, identity, scholarship, and goals are all traits that medical schools look for in applicants.

First off, Envision yourself as the doctor you will become. What do you need to do to become the physician you envision yourselft to be.What skills will you need? What kinds of activities shall you do to prepare? Imagination is the key. Muhammad Ali said it the best.

"The man who has no imagination has no wings."
Muhammad Ali

Doctors aren't born they are made. As a premed of color you need to prepare yourself to be the doctor you envision yourself being. To become that doctor you need to work on the basics. Eventually, all the pieces will come together and you will be ready.

So let’s get down to business…. let’s break down the characteristics that medical schools are looking for. Use this as a guide to focus the budding doctor inside you.

Good Applicant Graph- Courtesy of Ron Garcia, Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs, Center of Excellence at Stanford University School of Medicine

Academic

“Your grades and MCAT scores, taking into account your educational context, will make
medical schools notice your application.”
Dr. Gabriel Garcia, Associate Dean of Admissions, Stanford University School of Medicine

Learning medicine is a challenging obstacle. You need to prove to them and yourself that you can step up to an academic challenge.

High grades and MCAT scores are important. Don’t worry if you don’t have a perfect 4.0 GPA or a 35 on the MCAT. Grades aren’t everything but having good ones can make your application process much smoother. Note that admissions committees take other factors into account when looking at your grades, such as working full time during school, illnesses, fianacial situation, family education, and English being your second language. They understand that you don’t live in a vacuum and outside factors do influence our academic potential. Just do the very best you can. Never settle for average grades.

Don’t worry about your mistakes as a freshman or sophomore. Admissions committees know that most students don’t know what they want to do early on in their academic careers. They overlook those low grades. But make sure when you decide medicine is for you that your grades show this and that they don’t fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Keep working hard and keep improving academically…that is what they want.

Passion

A successful medical student requires a great sense of passion and purpose.

Medical school is challenging. What keep you going? What drives you?

Passion comes in many forms. Students go to medical school for a variety of reasons. They might be interested in HIV , working in underserved communities, changing health policy, or discovering a cure for cancer. Or they may have had a life changing experience that drew them to medicine. The key to being a successful premedical student is having passion for what you do and what you want to become. Then those long nights in the library won’t seem that bad. What’s your passion?

Caring

What issues are important to you? What do your activities say about you?

Everyone focuses their energy on what is important to them. So who you are is more than your grades or what school you went to but what you did in your spare time. Did you tutor high school kids or did you spend your summer at a cystic fibrosis camp? Do activities that you find exciting, interesting, challenging, and fun. But make sure to take time to do things that will teach you about doctoring. A big part of doctoring is the patient/physician relationship. Volunteer in a hospital or a community clinic and get some exposure. You will learn more than you think.

Identity

What kind of person are you? How do you fit into your community?

" Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
John F. Kennedy

Who you are as a person is important. Medical schools look for leaders, advocates, innovators and thinkers. Above all they are looking for potential. Luckily, these are all skills you can improve and work on. Like I said earlier, doctors aren’t born, they are made. Get involved and challenge yourself. Do you see a problem in the clinic you volunteer at? Find a way to fix it. Start small and keep finding ways to improve yourself and your community.

"I am Cuban, Argentine, Bolivian, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, etc... You understand."
Che Guevara, when asked his nationality

Medical schools also want to see how you fit into your ethic community. As a person of color you possess an asset that most medical students don’t have. You have intimate knowledge of another culture and you might have the ability to communicate in a different language. Diversity is your greatest asset. Are you contributing positively to your ethnic community? The gap in health care access and health status in underserved communities is widening. Are you a solution?

Scholarship

Scholarship is the foundation of Medicine.

How can you contribute?

Medicine is always evolving, changing, and improving. Every year new medicines are created and new proteins are discovered. I’ve been told that a big part of what you learn in medical school will be obsolete in 20 years. Can you keep up with that change? Biomedical research, from basic to social research, is an important part of medicine. You don’t necessarily have to do research but medical schools want to know if you can use your book knowledge to critically analyze the medical literature. Can you analyze a research study? Are their flaws in the research protocol? Is this conclusion valid? The best way to learn this is usually by doing research. In 20 years, this skill will allow you to keep up with the new discoveries, medicines, and techniques.

The added advantage of doing any type of research as a premedical student is that it shows that you are a critical thinker. Medicine is a career of learning. From the time you start medical school to the time you retire you will continually need to learn new techniques and medicines. Evaluating your scholarship activities is one way that medical schools predict if you can be a life long learner.

Admissions committee’s also look at other educational pursuits you many have participated in such as conferences and programs attended. These don’t have to be science or medical based. Premeds have done internships in politics, studied abroad, began business ventures, and wrote books. They want to see that you are interested in some sort of academic pursuit. It does not necessarily have to be focused on medicine. Note that doctors are politicians, activists, researchers, and business persons. They are involved in every facet of society.

Goals

How do you see yourself making an impact in the field of medicine?

Can you see yourself in the operating room, filling out prescription pads, doing research, working in a underserved community clinic, running a hospital, or advocating for your patients? Is medical school for you? Being a doctor is a lifelong career. Once you get your MD degree you are no longer Sol Lopez but Dr. Sol Lopez. No matter where you go and what you do, you will always be a doctor. Even on loan applications there is a box for Doctor right next to Mrs., Mr., and Ms. Doctor becomes apart of your name. It is part of your identity. This isn’t to say that all you can be is a doctor when you get your MD degree. But with being a doctor comes responsibility. Is this for you? What will you do with this responsibility? How will you impact the field of medicine?

Medical schools also want to see if you are a good fit for their school. Different schools have different focuses. Some excel in research while others excel in community medicine. You can tell a schools focus by their national ranking (on different indicators such as research and community medicine) and also the school’s statement of purpose. You can usually find the latter on their web site. Usually they can tell if you will be a good fit by your grades, the activities listed on your medical school application, your personal statement, and your medical school interview. Remember that as a premed of color you need to be a salesman. You need to show medical schools that you will be a good fit at their school.

Good Applicant Tip!

Now that you know what medical schools are looking for, put this knowledge into action. Start doing and learning and make yourself the doctor you envision yourself to be.

Actions speak louder than words but being able to vocalize your story, ambitions, and dreams is also important. Learn to do both and you are halfway in the medical school door.