4 Common Mistakes That Lead to Medical School Rejections
In 2014, more than 49,000 people applied to allopathic medical schools in the U.S. Fewer than half enrolled.
Every year, applicants who are not accepted to medical school wonder why they didn't make the cut. For most of these applicants, the reasons are obvious and the pain of rejection could have been avoided with a more objective review of the applicant's candidacy and application. Below are some common mistakes applicants make.
Here are [ways medical school hopefuls can cope after a rejection.]
1 . Applicants overestimate their competitiveness. One common theme I see when reviewing applications of students who are not accepted to medical school is an unrealistic view about the applicant's competitiveness. As a result, a student may apply primarily to reach schools or a narrow range of medical schools and not have good results.
When deciding to which schools to apply, it is vital that you review average MCAT scores and GPAs for students accepted at that institution. If your numbers are not close to these averages, the school is likely a reach. Some students may need academic enhancement to compensate for a poor undergraduate performance to be competitive.
2 . A pplicants don't show a commitment to medicine. While academic excellence is an essential prerequisite for medical school admission, great grades alone will not get you accepted to medical school. You must demonstrate your interest in medicine through your extracurricular and scholarly activities.
Clinical exposure is a crucial ingredient for any medical school applicant. The vast majority of applicants shadow physicians while others may volunteer in a free clinic or hospital or do clinical research that includes exposure to patient care.
Learn about [three top reasons medical school applications are rejected.]
3 . Applicants write uninspired applications . Showcasing your accomplishments and insights in your written application is what wins you interviews. Some applicants who come to us for reapplication analyses have written personal statements and application entries that show little to no insight.
Medical school admissions committees are seeking applicants who not only have participated in the right activities but who can clearly communicate what they have learned and their observations about these activities. Your written application must convince the admissions committee member who reads it that you are worthy of an interview.
4 . Applicants interview poorly . There is no question that interviewing is a skill. Some extroverts are naturally strong interviewees, while other students who have more introverted dispositions or don't feel immediately comfortable talking with new people underperform during interviews.
Get [tips on answering frequently asked medical school interview questions.]
Once a student is at the interview stage of the medical school admissions process, the way admission officers evaluate them on interview day becomes the most crucial piece of the medical school admissions puzzle. To have successful interviews, I recommend practicing by engaging in mock interviews, which help a candidate feel more relaxed, confident and natural on interview day.
Applying to medical school is no easy task. Writing excellent application documents and secondary essays requires an enormous amount of time, energy, money and emotional investment. I always advise applicants to apply to medical school only when they are truly ready and can put forth the strongest application possible.
Students must also be realistic about their competitiveness and honest about their strengths and weaknesses. Asking for help during the medical school admissions process, whether from a career center or premedical adviser, is often a key to success and is not indicative of deficiencies. In fact, seeking out help shows wisdom and a realistic understanding of the medical school admissions process.
Jessica Freedman, M.D., is a former faculty member at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where she served on the medical school admissions committee. She is the founder of MedEdits Medical Admissions, a medical school admissions consulting company. She is also the author of four books on applying to medical school and for residency, including "The MedEdits Guide to Medical School Admissions."
