The Med School Pulse

“Please list five personal hobbies/interests.” I looked at the question on my medical school application and thought, “Do I really write ‘collecting comic books’ here?” It turns out that because I did answer honestly and uniquely (actual response: “Collecting comic books; specifically Batman), I made a positive impression on the admissions committee and was ultimately accepted by my first choice medical school. Sharing the following understanding of the secondary application process will help you on your way to doing the same thing.

As you probably know, the medical school application process is a marathon. It requires patience, determination, perseverance, …

by Sam Asgarian, Kaplan Elite MCAT Instructor

When it comes to the medical school application process, there are generally two types of techniques: the “machine gunner,” and the “sniper”. The former is an applicant who just starts applying to as many schools as possible, hoping to get at least one “hit”; the latter is a student who selects the right schools based on fit and targets them specifically. Although both techniques have their own merits, the sniper is usually more successful – and most often happier – than the machine gunner, because they find the programs that mesh with their …

By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

After two decades of virtually no increase in the number of allopathic medical schools, recent years have brought an expansion in the number of schools. With rising demand for healthcare services in the U.S. as the population ages and more people are covered by health insurance under the reforms, the need for physicians, especially primary care physicians, will also increase. This is good news for you as a med school applicant. Existing schools will be expanding their class sizes and new schools will continue to be added.  The result: you now have more schools to which …

By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

Choosing schools is one of the more enjoyable aspects of applying to medical school. It gives you a chance to imagine yourself beyond the admissions process, at last delving into the finer nuances of stethoscope use. Yet, with over 120 allopathic schools in the U.S., how do you choose? And how many should you apply to?

On one end of the spectrum are the applicants who apply only to only a few schools – a risky strategy for sure. And then there are those who take the opposite approach, applying to literally every med school …