An Insider's Guide to Getting into Medical School: Tips They Don't Teach You in College

• Author: Dr. X
  
• ISBN 10: 1-930056-11-7
  
• ISBN 13: 978-1-930056-11-4
  
• Copyright Date Ed:  July 18, 2005
  
• Pages: 212
  
• Binding Information: Paperback
  
• Size: 6 ✕ 9 Inches (US)

This is an excellent new reference for anyone who wishes to go into the medical field. You will be guided through the application process starting in undergraduate level or before, to increase the chance of the successful outcome of being accepted to medical school. If you are a nontraditional and/or minority applicant you will benefit from chapters devoted strictly to your situation and how you might maximize your chance of being accepted. Discussion of the Americans with Disabilities act and how it affects admission and how to deal with questions about your disability will be of value to you if you are disabled. You will benefit from the section entitled “An Insider’s View of the Admission Selection Process," written from the perspective of admissions committees, admissions officers, and interviewers. This section will give you a basic sense of what these professionals look for when screening and accepting or rejecting applicants.

You will start with a general overview of the selection process, and then proceed to critical undergraduate courses, categories of volunteer work considered helpful, and how to prepare for the MCAT examination. You will then be advised on the typical admission requirements and application and submission processes common to most medical schools, selection of schools for application, and pros and cons of transfer and early decision programs. You are also provided with extensive information on obtaining quality letters of recommendation and writing an excellent personal statement, both important parts of the process. You are also advised on the interview process, including what might be expected during the interview, appropriate sample questions and answers for student and interviewer, dress, and behavior. This chapter also covers inappropriate, unethical, or illegal questions or requests and how to answer and handle them. You will also learn about the fifteen common errors made by medical school applicants, and are given samples of necessary documents such as letters of recommendation. It is hoped that the information in this book will help you attain a successful result, but if you are rejected you are given guidance in this area as well. You are given suggestions on topics such as re-evaluating career goals, evaluating your application process, ways to improve you application, other health care professions as potential careers, and applying to foreign medical schools.

This book is an important, useful and beneficial reference for you at all levels of your education, for your family and friends, and others involved in this process such as high school, junior college and university professors, instructors and academic advisors working with pre-med and science majors and other potential medical students, other career counselors and coaches in both the public and private sectors, medical practitioners and researchers working with potential medical students. It is also valuable for school and public library education and career counseling sections.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Overview of the Medical School Selection Process
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Why Become a Physician?
1.3 The "Average" Medical Student
1.4 Mission of the Admissions Committee
1.5 Non-Academic Factors Predicting Success in Medical School
1.6 Summary

Chapter 2: Key Undergraduate Courses to Take
2.1 Introduction
2.2 How An Undergraduate College Can Affect Your Chance for Medical School Admission
2.3 Transferring to Another Undergraduate School
2.4 Required Courses
2.5 Double Major
2.6 Behaving Yourself at College
2.7 Grading Systems
2.8 The Role of Advanced Placement Courses From High School
2.9 Major Field of Study
2.10 Summary

>Chapter 3: Extracurricular Activities That Make a Difference: The Importance of Volunteering, Medical Shadowing, and Research
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Extracurricular Volunteer Activities
3.3 Medical Shadowing/Medical Experience Activities
3.4 Importance of Athletics
3.5 Participation in Medical Research
3.6 Working to Earn Money
3.7 Summary

Chapter 4: Preparing for the MCAT Exam and Analyzing Your Results
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Key Undergraduate Subjects
4.3 Testing Format
4.4 Analyzing Your Scores
4.5 Registering to Take the MCAT
4.6 Retaking the MCAT
4.7 Do Professional Preparatory Courses Help?
4.8 Testing Tips
4.9 Preparing to Take the Examination
4.10 What Portions of the MCAT is Most Helpful Towards Admission?
4.11 How Important are the Personal Essays for Admission?
4.12 Summary

Chapter 5: Medical School Admission Requirements
5.1 Introduction
5.2 AMCAS Application and MSAR Guide
5.3 Pre-Medical Advisors
5.4 Summary

Chapter 6: Which Medical Schools Do I Apply To? Selecting Your Core Group
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Establishing State Residency
6.3 Difficulty in Gaining Admission
6.4 Cost
6.5 Accreditation
6.6 Problem-Based Learning Education
6.7 Determining Your Core List of Medical Schools To Apply To
6.8 Summary

Chapter 7: Early Decision and Transfer Programs: Pros and Cons
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Transferring From Another Medical School
7.3 Summary

Chapter 8: Letters of Reference: Selecting the Right Individuals
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Developing a List of Potential Writers
8.3 Requesting a Letter of Recommendation
8.4 Content of the Letter
8.5 Multiple Medical School Requests
8.6 Thank-You Notes
8.7 On-Line Letter of Recommendation Writing Services
8.8 Summary

Chapter 9: Application: Submission Procedures and Your Personal Statement
9.1 Introduction
9.2 American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
A. Application deadlines
B. Transcript requests
C. Application format
D. Key application guidelines
9.3 Allopathic Medical Schools in Texas
9.4 Preparing Your Application
9.5 Writing the Personal Statement
A. Key personal statement guidelines
B. Example of an outstanding section from a personal statement
9.6 Non-AMCAS Schools
9.7 Osteopathic Medical Schools
9.8 Waiting Lists/Alternate Lists
9.9 Military Medical Scholarship Programs
9.10 Summary

Chapter 10: Non-Traditional Applicants to Medical School: Do's and Don'ts
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The Importance of the MCAT Score in Your Application Package
10.3 The Interview
10.4 Post-Baccalaureate Programs
10.5 Selecting A Post-Baccalaureate Program
10.6 Graduate School Programs
10.7 Letters of Recommendation
10.8 Medical Shadowing and Other Extracurricular Health-Related Experiences
10.9 Review of Your Application by the Admissions Committee
10.10 Summary

Chapter 11: Minority Applicants to Medical Schools
11.1 Minority Student Issues
11.2 Minority Recruitment Programs and Information
11.3 Education and Mentorship Programs for Minority Applicants
11.4 Financial Aid
11.5 American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) Self-Designation
11.6 The Application Process
11.7 Summary

Chapter 12: The Secrets to an Outstanding Interview Experience
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Purpose of the Interview Process
12.3 Arranging to Travel for Your Interview
12.4 The Interview Day
12.5 Interviewing Skills
12.6 The Agenda of an Interview
12.7 Applicants With Physical Disabilities
12.8 Types of Questions
12.9 Interview Rating Systems
12.10 Dressing for Success
12.11 Questions to Ask the Interviewer
12.12 Thank-You Notes
12.13 Requests for Extra Meetings by the Interviewer
12.14 Interview Evaluations and Summaries
12.15 Post-Interview Analysis
12.16 Summary

Chapter 13: The 50 Most Commonly Asked Questions During Interviews
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Questions

Chapter 14: An Insider's View of the Admission Selection Process
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Secondary Applications
14.3 Race, Ethnicity and National Origin
14.4 Types of Undergraduate Degrees
14.5 Applicants with Disabilities
14.6 Criminal Convictions
14.7 GPAs
14.8 MCAT Scores
14.9 Your Interview
14.10 Grade Inflation
14.11 Admissions Committee Voting
14.12 Rating of Applicants
14.13 Admission Offers, Alternate and Waiting lists
14.14 Notification Windows for Acceptance
14.15 Financial Aspects
14.16 Summary

Chapter 15: The Fifteen Most Common Errors Made by Medical School Applicants
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Common Errors
15.3 Summary

Chapter 16: Rejected: Options and Future Strategies
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Re-Evaluating Your Motivation to Becoming a Physician
16.3 Contacting the Dean of the Individual Medical Schools
16.4 GPA
16.5 MCAT Scores
16.6 Letters of Recommendation
16.7 Extracurricular Activities and Medical Shadowing
16.8 Personal Statement
16.9 Interview skills
16.10 Selection of Core Medical Schools
16.11 Application Submission
16.12 Future Options: Reapplying
16.13 Graduate School
16.14 Health-Related Employment
16.15 Alternatives to Medical School
16.6 Summary

Chapter 17: Final Thoughts
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Hippocratic Oath-Modern Version

Appendix A: Sample Letters of Recommendation

Appendix B: Key Resources

Appendix C: Sample Resumé

Appendix D: Accredited U.S. Allopathic Medical Schools: First Year and Total Student Enrollment