subject: The Secret To Medical School Admission [print this page] Every premed student knows the discouraging facts; less than half of all applicants to medical school are accepted, and there are only 159 medicals schools in the entire country.
Every premed student also knows that he or she needs to have an excellent GPA as an undergraduate and high test scores on the Medical College Admission Test (the MCAT) to get into medical school. So virtually all of them do.
But what most of these medical school applicants fail to realize is that, by doing what everyone else is doing, they don't really stand out from the other candidates. When every single applicant is a high academic achiever, a medical school has to look for other criteria to make their decisions on who they will admit - and who they won't.
And that's where the personal statement comes into play.
The personal statement is the best chance you have to "sell" yourself during the medical school admission process. If a medical school decision-maker is reading your personal statement, that means you've cleared the school's academic hurdles and your scores and grades are good enough for them to seriously consider you.
Again, many other applicants will make it to this point - but there will still be too many applicants for the medical school to accept. That's why you need to use the personal statement to demonstrate that you are a quality person with the compassion, desire and drive to be an excellent doctor. You also must display characteristics that the medical school is looking for in a candidate and have the necessary background that proves you really have those characteristics.
For example, you might write about how you enjoy tending to those who need help. However, if there's absolutely zero evidence of that in your school activities and/or personal volunteer work, your statement might seem like empty words to the medical school.
That's why, the moment you decide to become a doctor, you must work towards building a resume, an academic record and an authentic persona that demonstrates to a medical school that you are an exemplary person who deserves to be a doctor.
Many parents of premed students employ consultants to help direct their child in their undergrad course choices and outside activities so they have the best chance possible at getting into the medical school of their choice. These consultants usually have inside knowledge of the medical school admissions process that enables them to help the family make informed choices that ultimately will make a big difference when it is time to apply to medical school. The proper premed preparation is critical for anyone wishing to become a doctor.
