Ways to Strengthen Your Med School Application

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

"It may seem like the greatest setback in life. After years of hard work, intense studying, and a great deal of sacrifice, you apply to medical school and do not get accepted. It is a demoralizing experience for many that often leads to internal questions about aptitude and abilities.

But for those who have not been successful in gaining admission to medical school, the prospects are not as grim as they may seem. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, in 2017, less than 50 percent of medical school applicants were successful in getting accepted to medical school. Many of those who secure admission to medical school are second or even third time applicants.

Narrow Down a Medical School Short List
If you have not been successful in your first attempt, you should not be totally disheartened. Instead, focus your energy and drive on your passion for medicine and draw on your perseverance to modify your approach before you reapply." …

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/articles/2018-12-18/ways-to-play-up-your-strengths-when-reapplying-to-medical-school

2

Not to contest the esteemed USNWR, but I’d always understood that it’s much harder to get accepted as a re-applicant(the numbers seem to back this up), and some schools basically tell you not to apply again after a second rejected application. UMiami has a very direct(plain spoken?) reapplicant page which I’d suggest is more helpful, and more concise, than the above article.

3

Here is the link to Miami: http://admissions.med.miami.edu/md-programs/general-md/reapplicants

Few students informed that Iowa Carver does a very good job to have a discussion session for 30 minutes or more with any unsuccessful applicant and provide specific areas of improvement. Some reapplied and got admitted to medical colleges including Iowa. But note discussion appointment will happen only after the admission peak cycle ends. Reach out during relatively lean time May-June.

4

Students should be aware that most med schools will not give specific feedback to unsuccessful applicants. Most advice will be generic. (Improved your GPA. Raise your MCAT score. Increase your volunteer hours.) Admissions officers cannot discuss the contents of LORs.

Also unsuccessful applicants are strongly advised AGAINST doing back-to-back application cycles. Med schools advise students to take a full year off (or more) to strengthen their application between cycles.

A number of medical schools offer advice for reapplicants–

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
http://admissions.med.miami.edu/md-programs/general-md/reapplicants
Roughly 20% of the students who apply to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in any given year are reapplicants. Data that we have collected indicate they have a lower acceptance rate than do first time applicants

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Heath
http://www.med.wisc.edu/education/md/admissions/reapplying/31716
There should be significant improvements in your application before reapplying. This might mean not reapplying the very next year. The most common error made by reapplicants is that they submit their next application too soon.

The Ohio State University College of Medicine
https://medicine.osu.edu/admissions/md/tips-and-advice/pages/index.aspx
To maximize the chances of giving off this perception, you must allow enough time before reapplying. This will undoubtedly be the hardest part of the process, but be patient; if you rush it, you may join the ranks of those who are applying for a third time.

University of Minnesota Medical School
https://www.med.umn.edu/admissions/how-apply/re-applicant
Though you can submit a second application immediately after your first application, you may want to consider waiting a year if you feel you need more experiences that help you demonstrate the essential and desired qualities of an ideal medical student.

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
https://www.med.unc.edu/admit/requirements/reaaplicants/
https://www.med.unc.edu/admit/requirements/our-ideal-candidate/

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
http://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/admissions/re-applicants/

LSU Health Shreveport
http://www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/Education/som/admissions/reapplicants/index

University of Missouri
http://medicine.missouri.edu/admissions/nontraditional.html

East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/bsomadmissions/whatif.cfm

SUNY Upstate
http://www.upstate.edu/com/admissions/reapps.php
Applicants are discouraged from reapplying unless their qualifications have significantly improved.

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC)
https://www.unthsc.edu/texas-colleg…ants-home/common-mistakes-made-by-applicants/

Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
http://www.com.msu.edu/Admissions/Guidelines_For_Success/Reapplication.htm

5

UMiami class profile has some interesting points
http://admissions.med.miami.edu/md-programs/general-md/class-profile

  • OOS applicants are 3 times of IS, yet IS entrants are more than OOS, clearly in-state preference (CA tops OOS, NY next)
  • undergrad schools Duke 6, Harvard/JHU 4, Cornell 3, Princeton 2
  • undergrad majors - Bio 39, way up than the next BME 10