I can't (and maybe don't want) to get into medical school

Medical school has been the ultimate dream profession for many people (or their parents) for many years. In some cultures in this country, only four professions exist; medicine, law, dentistry and engineering. If a person didn't get into one of those professions, then they were seen as a professional failure in the eyes of their parents. For some unfortunate students, not only are they not going to enter one of those professions, they are not interested in the subject matter or practice of one of those four professions. Almost weekly, a parent will enter my office stating that they will "disown" their child if I don't "let" them into medical school. Many of these students will say that they have little interest in the sciences (unacceptable to the parents who are paying tuition bills) and even less interest in medicine. When questioned closely, many of these undergraduates will reveal that their parents would never "allow" them to seek other professions and that medical school is the only choice.

In today's climate of grade inflation and very high tuition costs, the sheer magnitude of maintaining the medical school matriculant average undergraduate GPA of 3.7 is a burden that many are not able to carry. For some students, a very poor freshman year can mean the end of being able to get that uGPA into the average range let alone a competitive range. For others who might enter university poorly prepared in math and science because of attendance in a poor secondary school, getting their academics off to a strong start and keeping them there may be problematic. Along those lines, I encountered a young Latina woman who was valedictorian of her secondary school class (inner city). While she had maintained a very strong academic record at her secondary school, the quality of instruction was extremely poor.She would be the first in her family of very hard-working immigrants whose dream was for her to become a physician so that she could come back to the neighborhood for practice. This was a huge burden for this young lady who was determined not to let her family down. She came to our university will poor study skills, poor reading skills and deficient math skills. He school had no IB or AP courses and offered few academic courses that would prepare her for becoming a biology major in preparation for medical school.

During her first semester, she proceeded to achieve a 2.0 GPA which lead to much discouragement and frustration. When she came to my office for assistance (she was in danger of losing her full-ride scholarship), I immediately contacted the school administration to allow her to shore up her academic skills before proceeding to lose her scholarship. She had determination and discipline but lacked guidance in being able to navigate the academic world (common in many students who are the first to enter higher education). She was allowed to spend the next semester working on basic writing, reading and math skills. Fortunately, she has and always had very strong problem-solving skills which is why she sought assistance when her performance was working in the first place. While she hadn't failed any courses, those "C" grades would not be enough for medical school.

In the next semester, she excelled in her academic remediation. She was able to make great strides and shore up her deficiencies. She learned to put her drive and determination into her studies but she also learned that she was not particularly interested in science and math. Over the course of the remediation semester and summer, she became interested in psychology which she pursued with vigor over the next fall semester earning a 4.0 GPA for that semester. Her reading and writing skills were excellent along with a very strong interest in studying her population in terms of achievement. In short, her interests lay not in medicine but in helping her community and those in her community to be able to achieve in the academic world. She went on to earn a degree in psychology and entered graduate school to earn a Ph.D in psychology. While her family was not happy, she continues to research, study and write articles which have been the cornerstone for closing the gap in Latino achievement in academia. Her most recent achievement was tenure in her department at the state university where she teaches. In short, if medical school is not your dream, all of the drive and push from your parents and family will not provide what you need to get into medical school and practice well in medicine.

Another undergraduate student had come from a family where his mother and father were both physicians. He freshman and sophomore years had ended up netting a uGPA of 2.5. He loved the university life and spent many hours with his fraternity brothers working on extracurricular activities. His father brought him to my office so that I could "talk some sense into him" before he destroyed his future. After a tumultuous weekend with his parents, this student returned to my office resigned to "dig in" and get his work done. As we calculated what he would need to do in order to raise that uGPA, he said that he just didn't have that kind of drive. He said that he would "do his best" because he didn't want to let his parents down. He said that it didn't help that his brother was in medical school and was very critical of his undergraduate performance.

Over the next couple of semesters, his academic performance improved but not enough for him to get his cumulative uGPA above 3.2. He became more and more discouraged. At one meeting, he expressed interest in looking at other careers besides medicine. He decided that he would look into becoming a physician assistant which didn't take as long but would enable him to have a career in health care. While his family wasn't pleased with his choice, after making the decision not to pursue medicine, he was better grounded and had more direction. He finished his undergraduate degree in biology with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 and entered a masters program in physician assistant studies. Today, he loves his job and loves that he can travel while practicing his craft.

I do not advocate trying to become a physician assistant because you can't get into medical school but it is a profession that is worth exploring if you have a strong interest in the practice of medicine but can't spend the minimum of 7 years above undergraduate school in order to enter the profession of medicine. In terms of love of their work, physician assistants have the highest job satisfaction in healthcare and earn a very strong salary which is quite appealing for people who have families whose needs won't allow an additional four years out of the workforce. In terms of academics, the same strong academic skills in reading, writing and math are needed by a PA that would be needed by a physician. I would also caution that the academic achievement to become a physician assistant is just a bit lower than what is needed for medical school with the average uGPA of the PA class that entered our state university being 3.6. In short, getting into PA school isn't that much easier than medical school but the training is shorter which is appealing to many people who have an interest in medicine but do not want the long training period.

Other careers worth looking at are anesthesia assistant which is a physician assistant who does anesthesia and perfusionist. The training programs for this profession are quite competitive but as with PA, the job satisfaction is very high. Anesthesia assistants work with anesthesiologists and provide anesthesia care in a variety of settings. This particular profession seems to attract people who have no interest in nursing and going the CRNA route but have a strong interest in working the operating room environment with anesthesia. The perfusionist runs the heart-lung machine (and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenator ECMO) which is used during cardiac surgeries such as coronary artery bypass grafting or valve replacement. If ECMO is used in a nursery, it is the perfusionist that maintains that machine too. Perfusion technologists earn a very high salary and enjoy very good job security. There are a limited number of perfusion technology schools (and training slots) in this country but for many people who find that medicine is not for them, perfusion technology can be a very good healthcare profession.

For the undergraduate who has applied to medical school more than twice, the chances of getting into medical school will not increase and are likely to decrease. Just reapplying is not enough to achieve admission as whatever kept you out in the first place has to be corrected and upgraded. Every year, the medical school matriculant average goes up along with the matriculant average score for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). To continue trying to raise an otherwise undistinguished uGPA (graduate doesn't count) with one class here and there is a long and expensive process. One poor year as an undergraduate can be overcome but multiple drops and repeats of the pre-med courses (especially organic chemistry, calculus and general physics) do not bode well for medical school admission success. There are just too many medical school applicants out there who have completed their studies without drops and repeats. There are also many applicants who have very competitive uGPA/MCAT scores who will be admitted ahead of those who have a less distinguished record. No amount of research or extra curricular activities will off set a poor uGPA; nor will a high MCAT score do the same. In short, the admission process into medical school is long, unforgiving and quite expensive with little guarantee of success in any given year.

Multiple retakes of the MCAT with final scores less than 30 are going to be problematic for many who desire to enter medical school. One retake of the MCAT if you were ill (or severely distracted) is warrented but several mediocre scores with no or a 1 point improvement will no work will. Not releasing scores on more than one retake with mediocre scores is not a sound practice either. Students who have a less-than-distinguished academic record can't expect to "ace" the MCAT and get into medical school. This is why it takes both strong academic achievement and a strong MCAT in order to achieve admission success. Medical schools want to accept students who show evidence (by undergraduate achievement and scores on the MCAT) that they are able to master a very competitive curriculum. It is far from a certaintly that once you are accepted into medical school, that graduation will happen. In short, medical school is a very strong academic challenge that many of the strongest students find daunting at first. It takes a consistent and high level of scholarship to achieve the performance in medical school that is needed to become a physician. Also keep in mind that USMLE (United States Medicial Licensing Exam) steps are not retaken which means that multiple retakes of exams such as the MCAT do not bode well for USMLE success.

If you find that you are not successful in gaining admission into medical school, you need to do an objective and thorough inventory of why your application didn't work. After your inventory, you need to figure out how and what you can upgrade that will ensure successful admission. If you are on a waitlist, I strongly advise getting the application together for reapplication for the next year as soon as possible with updates and reworking of things such as your personal statement. In the intervening time, upgrade anything that is within your power to upgrade and apply early (exceed every deadline). If you didn't get any interviews or waitlist, then your application need a thorough upgrade (might take more than one year). If you can't upgrade your uGPA (t0 a competitive range) significantly in one or two years, you likely either need to look into a Special Masters Program for credential enhancement (if you enter one of these you need to do well) or look into another profession. Getting a Masters of Public Health (MPH) isn't going to offset a poor uGPA or MCAT nor is entering a Ph.D program as most medical schools require that you complete any graduate work that you start.

Working and attending college...

Potential lethal combination?
Many students find themselves in the unenviable position of HAVING to work and attend college at the same time. This a a potentially lethal combination in many ways. First of all, when something starts to suffer, it generally isn’t the job and second, burnout is a strong possibility. Both of these problems can be potentially avoided if you cut back on your coursework if you find that you must work full-time. If you are a full-time employee at most jobs, you have minimal time to study in between and thus, you can’t take on a full-time course load that includes pre-med lab courses. Decide that you are going to take your time and do well in your courses while leaving yourself plenty of time to rest from both coursework and employment. No medical school admissions committee is going to give you “brownie points” for trying to do a full-time course load along with full-time employment especially if your uGPA (or postbacc) work has suffered.

Recharging your batteries
You need time to digest and assimilate the material that you are learning in your pre-med coursework. Rushing through these classes with last minute “cramming” is not going to leave you with enough time to get the material in your long-term memory so that you can apply it on the Medical College Admissions Test. You need to be able to see the subtleties of what you are studying in addition to having some time to let your brain just rest. Again, rushing through your coursework makes MCAT review on the other end a total chore instead of a progressive process that will lead to success. Take your time, recharge your brain (even take a semester off if necessary) and then come back refreshed and ready to work at very high level.

Damage control
If you are retaking courses or attempting to take additional postbacc work to enhance your application, you need to do well without exception. You can’t keep posting mediocre grades and retaking courses with the expectation that eventually you will get that A and get into medical school. If you have significant prior poor coursework to overcome, take your time and remediate one course at at time. Pair a more demanding course like Physics with something less demanding like English/Psychology. Again, if you have prior poor coursework, you can’t afford to either do poorly in your recent coursework or drop courses because you have overloaded yourself. Slow, steady excellence will bring the success that you seek.

Keeping some perspective
If you have a family to support and take care of, be sure that you allow plenty of time for them. Working, attending class and then diving for a nap on the sofa or heading for bed is not going to do much for your relationship with your loved ones. They need your undivided attention and you need to interact with them for your sanity too. Let your loved ones be your much-needed and much-desired break from your schedule. They generally don’t expect your to be on your best behavior but only want you in your basic form. Allow them to see you, hang out with you and take you away from the grind of work/study on a regular basis. You grades will be better, you will be happier and you can keep yourself reminded of why you seek your goals in the first place.

Setting goals and achieving them
The whole key to finding success in the medical school application process is keeping your eye firmly on your long-term goals. I have stated in other posts that the process is like having 100 pounds of weight to lose. It isn’t going to happen overnight and you must take small steps on a daily basis to stay on track. It’s easy to get off track by the demands of work but you can’t achieve your goals by letting this happen. This means total organization and total commitment to the task at hand, be it work your studies. If you are at work, you give your work your full attention. When you attend class, you give your classwork the attention that it demands. It’s neat to be able to multi-task but most people are not able to work at a high level and achieve those A grades that you need for medical school admission at the same time. Again, if you work full-time, don’t expect to attend school full-time. If you attend school full-time, don’t expect to work full-time. The end result is that you wind up doing both things at a mediocre level which won’t allow you to achieve your goals.

Finally…
There are no “points” for getting this process “almost” right. The level of academic achievement that is demanded of a potential medical student is getting higher every year. The MCAT is getting more competitive as many students are taking prep courses and spending more time preparing for this exam. You can’t expect to be competitive next year with this year’s work because the bar will move higher. If you are attempting to upgrade your credentials, then you need to do a complete overhaul and put up some good academics (even one course is better than nothing). Don’t expect to be the exception to any of the rules in this process. You are not generally in a position to be objective about yourself and your abilities. Make sure that you get some honest and objective advice. Trying to self-evaluate is like asking your Mum if you are a great kid. Of course, she’s going to answer in the affirmative but it’s far better to get someone who doesn’t know you, to look over your things (like a good academic adviser who knows the pre-med climate). Allow plenty of time for getting your work done at a high level and you will see movement toward your goals without sacrificing your employment records, your sanity or your soul.

Getting Through the Semester (or what if I fail something).

“The Thrill of Victory or the Agony of Defeat”

The Drama of Human Competition as the opening lines of ABCs “Wide World of Sports” promised. By now, many students have had their first blocks of exams in medical school. Some people have done very well and some people have “breathed a sigh of relief” that they passed and some people have not passed one or or more of their exams. To fail an exam at this stage can be a huge personal blow but your actions after discovering that you have not passed (I am going to avoid the word “failure” here) are critical to figuring out what you need to do to get “above the yellow line”. Sure you NEED to do a bit or mourning in terms of the loss of those wonderful feelings that infused during orientation week but don’t let the mourning phase go on longer than a couple of minutes. Replace mourning with a very objective strategical look at what might have gone wrong and how you are going to fix the situation.

There is something in medical school that will throw every person. It may be that first round of exams, that USMLE score or a patient contact that just did go well. The important thing is that out of every experience, good or bad, you learn something about yourself and what you are capable of achieving. It is out of experience that you will learn to treat your future patients so let your experience become your teacher and move forward from here. Not passing an exam just doesn’t feel good and can play with your “head” in terms of how your look at your future. My point here is that nothing except that round of exams is over at this point. You mourn a bit and then you push forward because (and I am not wrong on this), the material for the next round of exams is already upon you.

As soon as you know that anything has not gone well for you academically, ask for help. Your first action should be reviewing the test and trying to figure out where you went wrong. Do you need to rely on more detail? Did you move too fast and not answer the question that was asked? Did you neglect to read every answer choice with a more correct answer further down? Did you not fully understand the material? Were you distracted by something outside of school such as a relationship or illness and not put in enough time studying? In short, try to figure out what went wrong and take steps to make sure that you don’t repeat your mistakes.

What if I fail a whole course, like Biochemistry?

The consequences of failing an entire course in medical school are largely school-dependent. Some schools will want you to retake only the material that you did not pass while others will have you go through an entire summer remediation course. In any event, look at your remediation/retesting as an opportunity to hone this material well. You definitely want a strong knowledge base for your upcoming classes and you will have made some steps toward review in terms of preparation for USMLE. In this light, having to retake or remediate is not totally the worst situation that you can find yourself going through.

Plunge into your review with total concentration on the subject at hand. If you have one course or one area of subject matter, this is easier than if you have multiple subjects to remediate. Your only resolve in this situation is to not miss this golden opportunity to thoroughly master this material. You are not a “lesser person” because you need a second review and keep in mind, that you are reviewing at this point. In most cases, you have learned the material on the first shot but this review gives you insight into the material that you likely previously missed.

I am always more concerned about those students who “barely” passed than the students who failed and are re-mediating. In most cases, the student who re-mediates does not carry a knowledge gap forward while the student who barely passed likely has gaps in their knowledge base. It is those who barely pass that will need the most intensive review and preparation for board examinations. I always encourage students who scored below an 80% to study for and take any optional shelf subject exams if offered by their school. These shelf exams can pinpoint knowledge gaps that can be filled in before taking Step I.

Class Attendance - Is this time well spent for me?

In some medical schools, class attendance is not mandatory. If this is the case, and you ran out of study time, try figuring out if there is one day a week that you can stay home and study the material using note service/lecture tapes or vids/textbook and syllabus reading. Many students do not attend class and find that home (or away from school study) works best for them. This may work for you but be careful if you have too many distractions at home or find that not attending class puts you behind. (Getting behind in medical school is deadly.)
If your work is not detailed enough, figure out which classes do not require the detail and which ones DO require more detailed study. In short, give each course what it demands. Many schools have integrated courses that definitely demand loads of detailed work coupled with “professional-type” courses like Practice of Medicine that are more performance-based. Try to look at your coursework from this perspective and see if you can give your integrated course a bit more time and your performance course a bit less time.

Another problem is that in many first year courses, the load of information can seem overwhelming. Resist the urge to dwell on what seems overwhelming and nibble away a chunk at a time. I always remember that scene in the movie “Shawshank Redemption” where the protagonist chips away at the prison wall over the course of 17 years with a small rock hammer. Eventually, he gets through the wall and escapes. Extreme but I think you get my drift in terms of divide your work into manageable chunks and stay on course. Keep moving forward because you can only affect what is happening now and use that to impact the future. Weekends are your friend because you can breathe a bit, relax a bit and catch up if you have fallen a bit behind your class. In the middle of the week, go to where the class is and use the weekend to “catch up”.

Wasting time and less efficient practices

I discourage students from recopying notes as a means of study. When you have volumes of material and information, you can become more of an excellent clerk in terms of producing a beautiful set of notes that you have not mastered.

Organizing your material is good (can be done with a highlighter or in the margins of your notebook) but total recopying of every word may be too time consuming and not as beneficial as when you were an undergraduate student with less volume. You may need to review the material and then constantly question yourself or recite the material back to yourself rather than a complete recopy. If you can recopy your work in an efficient manner while learning and your grades are good, then recopying is working for you and don’t change your strategy.

Another problem that can interfere with some freshman medical students is feeling that they “need” to study for boards. You don’t need to take time away from your coursework mastery to do board study at this point in your career. If you absolutely feel that you NEED to do some board study, then do it during the summer between your first and second year but the best preparation for boards is to thoroughly master your coursework and then study for boards at the end of your second year. You cannot “review” what you have not “learned” in the first place. Don’t take valuable coursework study time to do board study.

Board review books are most useful because they summarize material but most medical school courses require the details and not summaries. Beware of the “I am going to use a review book to summarize” method of study because it might work against you in terms of you not getting enough of the details to pass your course. The other extreme is to attempt to memorize the textbook which is most likely too much detail. In short, strike a happy medium that will work for you.

Don’t be afraid (or ashamed) to consult your instructor or your dean if you are struggling. Not to reach out for help (especially because of the amount of money that you are paying for your school tuition) is not wise. It really looks great to a residency program director to see comments from your dean or professor that state that you were able to overcome a deficiency and excel. These types of comments indicate excellent problem-solving skills which are highly prized in a physician.

Finally, tune out the boasting of your classmates who say that they “didn’t study” and “aced” their exams. They are lying period. You have to do what you NEED to do for yourself. Congratulate them for being so “brilliant” and don’t waste a second of your precious time worrying that you are somehow deficient because you studied like a demon and didn’t do so well. There is nothing wrong with you that correcting your study strategy will not solve. Just don’t add “questioning your worth” to your list of things to overcome. It isn’t necessary and it won’t get the job done.

Striking a Balance

Finally, one key aspect of medical school, residency and the eventual practice of medicine is that you will have to constantly “strike a balance” between study, personal life and professional obligations. The first semester of medical school will definitely test your resolve to keep working away at your studies until you get them mastered but this should not be at the cost of your personal integrity or sanity. Try to find ways of incorporating some stress relief (physical exercise) and socialization (away from your classmates) into your life. Nothing, including the practice of medicine is one-dimensional and there needs to be balance.

For example, if you are studying in the library and know that you won’t make it to the gym, try to walk up at least 8 floors of steps on the days that you don’t get to the gym. Take 10 minutes and take a brisk walk around the corridors to get your brain relaxed before you keep “grinding” away at your study materials. Study and pace at the same time while reciting the material to yourself in your own words. Try making some study-drill tapes and drill yourself while you are on the elliptical trainer/treadmill in the gym. Finally, picture that professor’s head when you are doing your bicep curls or on the fly machine and pound things out. You will be more relaxed, less stressed and more efficient in your studies. In addition, you can enjoy eating without worrying about gaining weight.

Statistics (and odds) state that if you were accepted to medical school, you will get through the four years successfully. Some people make the adjustment to the rigors of medical school academics faster than others but trust yourself enough to know that you will get the job done. There is very little difference in intellect between the person who graduates first in their medical school class and last in their medical school class. Residency program directors know this which is why the person who graduates last in their class is still called “Doctor”. Run your own race and get what you need.

Playing the Waiting Game and Keeping Your Sanity

Timing

You scrambled around and made sure that every one of your writers of your letters of recommendation did their respective jobs. You started your Personal Statement early and left plenty of time for editing and corrections. You started to fill out your AMCAS application as soon as it was available and you made sure that there were no mistakes. Finally, on the first day that you could, you pushed the submit button and the “waiting game” started. You had heard that in every circumstance, early application is the best strategy for success in getting into medical school. So now, you find that it’s early summer, school is out, and you are in for the wait.

Starting the Wait

Your next hurdle is to receive word that your AMCAS is verified. This can take six weeks or more if there were no mistakes or lost transcripts and can often take much longer if things are not moving efficiently. This step has to happen and it can cause worry if things are delayed. I can tell you that, in terms of medical schools, early summer is a non-time in terms of admissions. Most of our time is spent on getting the current class underway and gearing up for the start of receipt of new applications. For us, that early lag of time between when you can submit your application and verification is vacation time, organization time and just plain much-needed down time for us in terms of application review. It is also the time when we try to put the finishing touches on the class that is set for the new year.

The best strategy for you at this period is to make a folder for each school that you have applied to. In this folder, you will place copies of your personal statement, copies of any completed secondary applications one they have been received and completed and copies of any correspondence that you receive from that school. You can also put an envelop on the front of the folder with a copy of your itinerary once you have made travel plans for your interview. In any event, start making the folders and securing a safe place for them.

The next thing to do is make and Excel spreadsheet. On that sheet, you should make a book for each school that you have applied to. You will eventually log every date and every receipt of correspondence that you will receive. You columns should go something like date received, date sent, and date of school’s receipt. (Needless to say, anything that you send to a school should be sent by certified mail with receipt notification). Repository services such as Interfolio will also post dates of when they send your materials and when they were received. You definitely want to make sure that you keep your application materials and correspondence with each school very organized and safe.

Plan B

Plan B is what you will do if you are not accepted. In the business of medical school acceptance, nothing is a certainly except you won’t get accepted to a school if you don’t apply there. Acceptance, even if you have submitted an application with a 4.0 uGPA and 45 MCAT is not assured for anyone. It is wise to have a carefully though out and planned Plan B. From experience -mine and others- the more elaborate and complete your Plan B, the less chance you will have to use it. Start planning and working on you Plan B.

Financial Aid Forms

Right after you have submitted your AMCAS, you should begin and complete your FAFSA forms. You will need to obtain a financial aid transcript from every school that you have attended whether or not you received financial aid. If you are not applying for scholarship or financial aid for medical school, you can skip this step.

When you complete your FAFSA, have the results sent to every school that you have applied to. This will save you time in the long run. If you are not accepted, having your financial aid information sent is not going to make a difference one way or the other. If you are accepted late, having your financial aid information already in place can save plenty of headache when school starts.

Senior Year

If you are an undergraduate, you want to plan a strong senior year. I know that “senioritis” sets in and you are tempted to want to coast because you are done with MCAT and done with the majority of your courses but don’t do this. Take some seminar courses and expand your knowledge base or take some research courses and pick up some valuable skills. My senior year of university was spent writing and presenting my honors thesis work. This was actually great experience for me and propelled me into the world of research scholarship. Use that senior year to shore up any possible deficiencies that you might have and to finish strong.

This is also a prime time to begin a solid exercise program. My biggest regret in medical school was that I didn’t stay in good physical condition. If I had kept up with my conditioning, I would have been an even more efficient student and a student with far less stress. Take this time to start and hone a solid aerobic exercise system that you can complete in 30 minutes to 1 hour each day. It can be as simple as taking three 10-minute brisk walks or climbing a couple of floors of stairs until you work up to 14 floors daily (only up direction counts). Even today, I make sure that I do at least 14 floors up every day. I can find steps pretty easily and do a couple of floors between cases or when I need a break from my desk.

Early Fall

By this time, you should be keeping your senior coursework strong and completing all secondary applications within one week of receiving them. Another thing that you need to do is go to a professional photographer and have some professional head shots taken of you in your interview attire. You will need these for many secondary applications and you will need them later for things like USMLE application. Don’t use a cheap “Passport photo” service. These cheap services will take photos that make you look like you have been in prison. Use a professional photographer and groom yourself as if you were going for interview. That secondary application should look polished and professional. Once you have chosen a good photo from the proofs, have several passport-sized sheets made and keep these in a safe place.

Again, as soon as you complete and post a secondary, make a copy and place this in the folder for that school. It’s a good idea to make a copy of everything that pertains to each school including things from their website (names of deans of admissions, names of admission coordinators) along with dates of any phone conversations. Also place copies of any e-mails that you have received for each school.

Interview Time

Most schools spend July and August reviewing applications and interviewing Early Decision applicants. You can expect to receive notification that you are complete but not much more information from your schools. Early Decision applicants have to be notified by September 1 so their applications are processed first. After the first couple of weeks of September, some of the earliest regular applicants may be notified of acceptance by some schools. If you receive a notification of invitation to interview at this time, this is great but don’t read anything into not receiving an invitation to interview. At this point, it is way early and you should be either working on Plan B or working diligently on your coursework. In short, don’t start obsessing about timing.

Many schools will not even begin interview session until late October and early November. Again, if you applied in early June, it will have been a long time. Don’t get crazy and don’t begin to call schools. If you have received a “complete” notice, then you wait. Find something else to do. If you have an interview notification, then work on your travel plans and logistics. Elsewhere on this blog, you will find posts about traveling to interview.

If you haven’t heard from any school by the end of October, consider applying to more schools. If you were in the very early applicants, you may need to broaden the number of schools that you have applied to. A major mistake that many applicants make is overestimating their competitiveness for medical school. If you are not securely above the averages for matriculants (uGPA 3.65 and MCAT 31) then you likely need to add more schools. If you are above those averages, you can hold but you probably should have head from schools by now. If not, make sure that your application materials have arrived.

Holiday Time

You applied early and haven’t received any interview notifications. Yes, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being depressed but this is the time to plunge into the holidays and not get insane. Yes, I know that it’s only your future here but you cannot do anything more at this point. I will repeat in all caps for emphasis, YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING MORE AT THIS POINT. If your application is complete then you have to wait. It’s a good time to plan your trip home for the holidays and take a breather from coursework.

January and February

These are very heavy interview months. You may find that the interview invitations will roll in at this time. Again, there is still plenty of time to receive an interview and receive an acceptance. This is also a time when many of the early interviewers will begin to receive acceptances. If you have done a couple of interviews but received no acceptance, don’t panic here either. Again, work on and finalize your Plan B.

If you are a dedicated reader of The Student Doctor Network, don’t obsess over the fact that others have been accepted but you are still waiting. Timing is out of your control and dependent on things like the number of applications received by the schools that you have applied to and the competitiveness of those applications. The only thing that you can do at this point is WAIT (dread).

March and April

By the beginning of April, some folks will find themselves on wait lists and without an acceptance. This is not entirely a bad situation though you may want to make a decision as to whether you will begin to collect the things you need for reapplication. If you need to do things like re-take the MCAT, you need to have gotten started on your study and planning for the test. You can’t wait too late and you can’t do a re-take without some significant review and preparation. The worst thing that you can do is post an MCAT retake with a mediocre score.

If you are on a wait list, remember that there is a huge wait list movement on and after May 15th. May 15th is the date when people cannot hold multiple acceptances. I always advise folks to release acceptances as soon as they have either been accepted by their first choice or when they have made the decision as to where they want to attend. I released my acceptances by the third week of February because I had made my decision. I am sure that five people were grateful that I did that because they were able to get in that year.

May and later

In general, after May 15th, you are not likely going to gain acceptance. There are exceptions, especially the schools with rolling admissions but by this time, you should either have an acceptance or gathered your materials for reapplication. You can look at my previous post on when to give up on application to medical school but if you don’t have an acceptance by now, you likely need to take an objective look at your competitiveness and do some application upgrading.

If you need more coursework, this is a good time to get registered for post bacc work. If you are planning to enter a SMP (Special Masters Program), then you need to get busy fast. These SMP programs have deadlines too. In short, these may become your new Plan B and you need to get to work. If you are on a waitlist at this point, it will not hurt you to go ahead and plan on reapplying. Sure, you will lose the money of submitting your application but if you are not accepted off of a wait list, you will be happy that you reapplied early.

If you reapply, change everything that you can change about your application. Do not apply to the same schools with the same application materials. We do compare old and new applications. If you were unsuccessful and submit the same unsuccessful application materials, you are most likely not going to be successful next year either. The average matriculant uGPA and MCAT scores have always gone up. Also, unless a school tells you that you need more extracurricular activity, you likely don’t need to add more here either.

Finally

You may want to look into the following:

1. Getting the services of a professional pre-med counselor. For nontraditional applicants who have been unsuccessful, this is money that will be well spent.

2. Taking more undergraduate coursework to raise your uGPA. If you are significantly below 3.5, you likely need a year or two of more coursework.
If you have an MCAT score below 28, you need a re-take period if you are applying to allopathic medical schools.

3. Making sure that you have applied to a wide range of schools. If you only applied to schools in the Northeast, you may want to go out of that region. You need a minimum of 10 schools if your are a strong applicant and 15 to 20 if you are less than competitive.

4. Don’t thumb your nose at osteopathic medical schools. If you are under the averages for allopathic but your uGPA is above 3.2 and MCAT above 27 but less than 30, you stand a good shot at osteopathic medicine. If you get into osteopathic medical school, you can have the same career as attending allopathic medical school. If you want to be a physician, they are definitely the way to go.