The topic of this blog post came from a conversation that I had with my friend Alissa (My med student friend) about some of the questions the pre-med student that she advises had. One of the questions that the student asked was about feeling judged during the application process and that is what I want to explore a bit today.
Before Applying
For most premeds, a common element in our preparation for our medical school application is the worry about everything we do being good enough. Are my grades good enough? Is my MCAT score competitive enough? Do I have enough volunteer hours? Was my volunteer site good enough? The list is never ending. Also, if you are like me and you go through a pre-health advising committee, the list of things you need to be a strong applicant is incredibly daunting. For us, the committee had broken down whether or not we should apply this cycle based on our numbers ( GPA, Science GPA, and MCAT score). Then each number was broken down into three categories: Red , Yellow, and Green. As you went from red to green, your chances of getting accepted were greater. For the yellow category (Where my numbers were), the numbers were right in the middle. My numbers were good, but by no means extraordinary. So, you can imagine my mild stress before even starting the application.
During The Application Cycle
As you are filling out your application, you really start to feel how much scrutiny will go into your application. You list all your grades, your extracurriculars, and then come up with something worthwhile for your personal statement. If all goes well the first two rounds, the interview is the ultimate test. Here, you'll have to show why medical schools should decide to accept you and you must do this within the limits of one interview. The scary part is you don't know exactly what they'll ask to gauge whether or not you're a good candidate. Then afterward, you'll hope that you said everything just right.
Looking Back From The Other side
Now that I am standing where I am, It's crazy to think how I made it through everything. There were some weeks (following my first interview) that were very rough as I hadn't heard much from anyone, but I think that what helped me make it through was believing I had made the right choice. I knew that there wasn't a 100% chance that I would get in, but I knew that I had never wanted anything more in my life and that I wouldn't stop trying until I got it. I went in knowing that if this year didn't work out, I would try again next year. I am not sure that everyone that applies to medical school goes in with that mentality, but I do think that regardless you need to believe in yourself no matter what the odds say. The dean of my future med school said that this year they had 7,900 applicants, They Interviewed about 500 applicants, 300 applicants were accepted, and 160 will be attending at the Chicago campus. Crazy huh? What I want you to remember if you are about to take on this journey, Don't be intimidated by the numbers. Pour your heart into it, and I believe your passion will show. Also, having everything perfect on your application doesn't always mean that it'll work out. So, why stress about it? Medical schools have an idea of what they should be looking for, and that is something different for each one. So, as the AMCAS goes out next month keep that in mind.
I wish everyone luck on their pre-med journeys and if you are just reading this blog for fun, I hope you've gotten a better sense of how daunting the journey to becoming a doctor can be. Have a great rest of your week and an even better weekend. I will talk to you soon!
~Genesis<3
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