I am a sophomore majoring in molecular bio who wants to ask tips from those who got into top medical school from a state school about their ECs. If you are or you know about a student like that then please share any tips on how you/they got accepted.
Older sister of D1’s best friend got into the MSTP program at WUSTL from a state university ranked in the #200-220 range. What did she have beside a great stats (gpa 3.9+, mcat >97th percentile)? Several publications in major journals, including one first author pub. She had all the other typical pre-med ECs, but it was her research that caught the eye of adcomms at WashU. Her application was well written and laser- targeted for MD/PhD programs.
Caveat: admission to MSTP programs is different than admission to med school only. MSTP programs are more focused on research than straight MD admissions.
If you google “student profile” plus the name of a medical school, you can often find profiles of admitted students that include their ECs.
There will be many people that will have close to perfect GPAs from state schools and so it adds very little as a variable.
A single sitting 522+ is noticeable.
Publications are very noticeable.
Getting a national scholarship - Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshalls, Gates, etc. puts you in a separate group.
A 4.0, near-perfect MCAT score, great references, and published research will certainly help.
So tell us…why are you on,y interested in top medical schools?
When it comes time to apply to medical school…if you get to that point…please cast a broad net.
And remember, there are literally tens of thousands of excellent doctors who did not graduate from top medical schools.
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Lol. You should be researching info from the many profession web resources, speaking with med school aspirant advisors at your college (their support is essential,) ensuring you understand what the academic requirements are and mastering them, seeking out the right side experiences, and more, before asking for tips. And, exploring the new alternative doctoring pathways, PA and NP.
It requires a lot of drive and self motivation to get there.
Get straight As. Do everything it takes -tutoring, office hours starting NOW. That means you write down 1-2 questions either for further explanation or for in-depth exploration, after every science lecture and go ask.
Look into the minor in medical ethics or at least take some courses that help you think about social and medical issues. Don’t skimp on courses offering you a perspective that’s different from what you’ve been comfortable with. Go to art house/foreign fims series on campus (same idea: see things from a different perspective. There’s even a film course you can take for credit.)
Take the EMT course and participate.
Join RAM.
See if you can find a lab to do research.
Volunteer in any capacity, medical or non medical, through a charity, town group, or religious group and actually get something done.
Avoid parties/getting drunk/high as any citation or pb may come back to bite you + anything impacting your health (being hungover…) has consequences when you’re competing against everyone else.
Stay fit - pick up games or 1-credit “KIN” classes, whatever works best for you.
Well, as everyone said, there is no reason to get into a top medical school to be a good doctor. A top medical school will help someone become a top medical researcher.
I have a friend’s D went to Harvard Medical School. Other than her flawless academics and strong medical ECs, she also won a beauty queen contest. Perhaps that kind of achievement will tip the scale. For guys, maybe a quarterback in a Big Ten football and Val in graduation?