How many full length MCAT tests should I take?
Take at least 6 practice tests over the course of your studies. In my opinion, this was the most important part of my MCAT prep.
How important is my BCPM GPA?
So what BCPM GPA is best for medical school admissions? Here are some essential BCPM GPA facts: BCPM is the term for your science GPA, and includes grades in all Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math classes taken during your undergrad years. However, depending on the classification of certain classes by individual universities, some classes outside [...]
Should I re-do the MCAT? Does retaking the MCAT look bad?
You'll need to ask the schools you're planning to attend how they treat multiple scores for those re-taking the MCAT.
Medical School Application Timeline
Med school application process: from MCAT prep through med school interviews School's starting, and for a lot of you that means getting serious about MCAT prep and thinking ahead about your med school applications. While some of you have been studyingferociously for months, I would imagine that the majority of you med school hopefuls are just starting [...]
Medical scribe good choice for clinical experience?
Is being a medical scribe good clinical experience for pre-meds? What's a medical scribe? A medical scribe is an assistant who accompanies physicians (often in the Emergency Department, but sometimes in other settings), keeping notes on interactions with, evaluation of, and diagnosis and treatment of patients. It's like paid shadowing, but the responsibilities are much [...]
Will a medical mission trip impress the admissions committee?
Will a medical mission trip on my resume give me props from the admissions committee(s)? Medical mission trips for pre-med students have increased in numbers, causing many premeds to assume they're a necessary part of the med school admissions packet. They aren't. What are your reasons for going on a medical mission trip? In fact, [...]
Re-submit the same LORs the second time around?
Re-submit the same LORs if they're targeted to impress! The much-hyped LORs (letters of recommendation) are hyped for a reason. They're hardly a second-tier piece of the medical school application puzzle. In fact, many a pre-med has been undone by an unflattering letter from a professor or previous boss. Several of our posts [...]
Med school application process: what’s the cost?
Will it break the bank? Getting accepted to med school takes stellar grades, a great MCAT score, and unique volunteering and research experience, among other things (check out specifics here). But besides brains, determination and a little bit of luck, the med school application process is guaranteed to set you back a few pretty pennies! [...]
Writing a personal statement: these are big DON’Ts!
Here are some suggestions: avoid generalities, maintain a good tone, don't get political, and don't revisit grades or test scores.
Shadowing: Make the most of the experience!!!
How to Maximize Your Shadowing Experience Shadowing is a vital component of any well-rounded application. It’s tremendously important that you shadow multiple doctors in different specialties. This can be just a box checked off your pre-med to-do list, or it can be a growth experience for you. Honestly, admissions committees will probably just want to [...]