<p>I am currently a senior in High School and close to graduation. I have decided to attended my state's public university (I have gotten accepted and the university honestly isn't bad, 84% grad rate) because I do not want to invest a whole lot until grad school. I know it is a bit too early to think about all this but I was wondering what I can do to be on top of my game in college and improve my chances of getting into HMS? I want to be a psychiatrist and will probably be doing a double major in college in psychology and biology. </p>
<p>Some personal information: I am very dedicated and ambitious when it comes to pursuing academic careers. All throughout high school I have made straight A's and participated in a lot of community service. I DO NOT mind working hard, studying and not going out on weekends because I have work to get done. I am 100% willing to take any extra steps required to achieve success. </p>
<p>Cure cancer, found an international non-profit to prevent [medical problem of your choice], win a Nobel Prize, sing lead in an opera at the Met, win a gold medal at the Olympics, get elected to Congress, win a Bronze Star… :)</p>
<p>You get the idea. Seriously, HMS admissions are spectacularly competitive. Not only do you need stellar academics, you also need stellar ECs.</p>
<p>Here are some student profiles for HMS students:</p>
<p>HMS’s average GPA 3.88, average MCAT 36-37. HMS receives over 6000 applications each year, interviews ~900, accepts ~220.</p>
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<p>A hint–NO medical school wants academic robots. They want interesting, well-rounded individuals who demonstrate compassion for others, superior academic ability and achievement, strong leadership skills and a clear understanding of what being a doctor means professionally and personally.</p>
<p>~~~~~</p>
<p>Gaining acceptance into any US medical school is an achievement and will require you to beat long odds.</p>
<p>75% of all freshmen pre-meds never make it to their senior year as pre-meds. (Some due to academic issues; most because their interests change over time or they are unwilling to jump thru all the hoops expected of pre-meds.) Of the 25% that remain and take the MCAT, only ~50% complete a AMCAS application. Of the approx 66,000 unique applicants each year, fewer than 40% are accepted into ANY US medical school.</p>
<p>You are ‘totally stressed’ and you want to be a psychiatrist? Doctor, heal thyself…</p>
<p>Seriously, if you are totally stressed in high school, you will burn out way before you get to med school. And WOWM nailed it. If you get into medical school anywhere, you should consider yourself fortunate. </p>
<p>How to improve your odds? Download the application (it’s a common ap for med schools) and take a look at what the application is asking for. They want to see your overall GPA, your STEM GPA, your research experience, your ECs, etc…Take a look at the essays. Make sure your profs know you well enough to write decent letters of rec. And remember that when you interview, you will need to stand out from all the other applicants who will have the same excellent grades and test scores that you do, so you need to develop the kind of interpersonal skills and life experiences that let you connect easily with people you don’t know. One other key factor is your state of residence - if you are lucky, you are living in a state that has at least one state medical school where the seats are restricted primarily to in-state residents and has proportionally fewer applicants (like, say, New Mexico. You can check your state school’s stats in any catalog of med school). Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you both M’s Mom and WMOM. And yes I know that stressing too much is bad. Its just that while I was in high school I realized that I would have been able to make myself a better candidate for so many prestigious colleges if only I had a better idea of what I could have done to look more appealing as an applicant. It’s too late now but I am accepted into colleges I genuinely like and will be more than happy to attend. I just don’t want to make the same mistake again and remain ignorant. Honestly, I will be happy to attend any medical school. I considered HMS because if I try to reach the top of top medical school’s goals I might improve my chances of getting into a med school that is not all high :)</p>
<p>Why do you want to do HMS?
Do you want to practice medicine or do research?
All Harvard docs are on a salary and see nothing of the fees collected and MUST do research</p>
<p>There are only three things you can do that can absolutely, 100% guarantee you admission to Harvard’s School of Medicine.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You know the Dean of the Medical School, on a first name basis, and go golfing with him on a regular basis.</p></li>
<li><p>You discover a novel therapy that is proven to have the best possible cure rate for diseases like metastic melanoma or hemophagocytivc lymphohistiocytosis.</p></li>
<li><p>Win the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Try hard not to focus on going to one particular med school. I was going to get a Ph.D before I switched to medicine. Prior to that I once asked a friend where he wanted to go to medical school. His answer? Wherever I get in. Simple answer, but hard to argue with. Do the best you can in college and apply to schools you want to, including Harvard. If you get in great. If you don’t but get in somewhere else, well that is great too. IMHO where you do your residency is much more important than where you go to med school. Harvard is not the only good school out there. Getting into a Harvard residency can be done. I considered psych as a choice. Harvard or actually Mclean follows the biochem theories as opposed to the psychoanalyt approach. Don’t overthink it now. Concentrate on doing well in college and getting into a med school. The rest will follow. Also, do not think you have to major in bio and psychology to become a psychiatrist. Major in what you really like and do well. </p>
<p>To add to what others were saying, all medical schools are virtually the same. Try not to have your mind set ONLY on HMS. HMS is indeed very selective. </p>
<p>Getting into medical school itself is a huge achievement. </p>