Overall Advice
STAY CALM AND BE POSITIVE
Between deciding upon which schools to apply to and preparing for secondaries, the idea of staying calm and maintaining a positive attitude throughout the application process can seem impossible.
How can you make the seemingly impossible possible? Grace Ng, an incoming medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine, says “relax and take things one at a time! The hardest part of the application process is already behind you (or almost behind you!) — the MCAT, your academic courses, your research and other activities and experiences. All you have to do now is to tie these experiences together and present them as stories for other people to understand. There is no rush to get through all your essays right away — take time to brainstorm and edit your writing. Then, take some time to celebrate and rest after you finish each milestone (taking the MCAT, submitting your primary, submitting your secondaries, going on your first interview, etc.). You got this!”
BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
Trust that your experiences and talents have shaped a narrative that is unique to you. Reflect upon this narrative and don’t feel that your story needs to fit a cookie-cutter image.
“Introspection is powerful and you should be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Always tell you can achieve more, because you can,” says Dillan Villavisanis, an incoming medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Remember that everyone comes from different backgrounds and there are multiple paths to become a doctor. Johanna Dungca, an incoming medical student at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine recommends: “Don’t let another person’s application experience affect you. One person’s application could be similar in every way except for one and that’s all it takes to make your application better or worse. Be prepared for the year-long process. It requires patience and a level-head to get through this application season.”
IT'S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT
Applying to medical school is a lengthy process that contains lots of waiting and anticipation. Make sure you not only stay organized and on top of the process, but also find time to engage in other activities such as work or hobbies to occupy your mind and relax.
Abdi Abdullahi, President of Bridging Admissions, says “it’s long and stressful, but just try to take it one thing at a time. Remember that everyone’s experiences during the process is different; try not to stress too much about who else has heard back from schools before you have.”
Just like any marathon, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it and to properly prepare yourself. “Make a timeline and be strict with yourself on it (especially during secondary season) but also recognize that taking an extra day or two make sure you’re submitting your best work is worth it,” suggests Lydia Nelson, an incoming medical student at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.
APPLY EARLY AND BROADLY
As the admissions process is rolling, submitting your application as early as possible can increase your odds of receiving early interviews and offers of acceptance. Utilize all your resources to ensure your application is the best it can be before submitting to a wide range of “safety” and “reach” schools. Have confidence in yourself when selecting schools and maximize your chances by applying strategically.
“The most important piece of advice I can give to anyone is to apply early. If you have time between March and June, I suggest prewriting secondaries. They can be found very easily and do not change from year to year [for the most part]. I prewrote all my secondaries which allowed me to submit them all by mid-July. All the interviews I received were before September. I also received interviews at schools that my MCAT/GPA were below the average because of submitting so early,” says Chimere Ezuma, an incoming medical student at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Johanna Dungca, an incoming medical student at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, recommends applicants to: “Apply broadly and don’t limit yourself but apply to schools strategically. Apply to school within your reach but don’t sell yourself short. I’d say that 75% of the schools on your list should be in your range and ~25% reach schools. That being said, you have to be honest with yourself and acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of your application. Enjoy the process and don’t let the crazies on SDN get in your head!”
FIND YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM
Whether you need someone to vent to or answer your questions, finding your support system plays an important role in managing your mental health throughout the application process. Your family, friends, and mentors are all here to support you – don’t be afraid to reach out!
“It is helpful to go through the process with people who genuinely have your future, goals and best interests in mind – people who won’t secretly look down on you when you’re not doing so hot, and those who won’t envy your successes and genuinely root for you to rise!” says Russyan Mark Mabeza, Vice President of Bridging Admissions.
Ariana Rodriguez, a graduate of UCLA, recommends applicants to: “Have someone to guide you through it and people to talk about it with who understand the process. Everyone will experience their own unique struggles throughout the cycle so have someone to talk through those difficulties with.”
BE ORGANIZED AND EDUCATED ON EACH PART OF THE PROCESS
Each part of the process requires organization and plenty of time to prepare. Use this to your advantage to re-invigorate yourself on why you’re pursuing medicine and to find what works for you in coping with stress and developing routines. Heba Mahjoub, an incoming medical student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, suggests that applicants “stay organized with to do lists and calendars in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed, but recognize that EVERYONE going through it DOES feel overwhelmed or nervous.”
In regards to tackling secondaries, incoming UCSF student Hamzah Yusuf says, “secondaries look terrifying to those of us who have spent more time in a lab than in an writing classroom, but when you step back and look at how many essays you’re recycling and how much time you have to pre-write, you can really set yourself up for success before you even get that first secondary email request.”
As you complete the waves of secondaries, you may begin to receive interview invitations. Allison Reinhardt, an incoming student at the Duke University School of Medicine, recommends reviewing your application as “it’s totally within the realm of possibility that an interviewer will ask specific details about your previous research projects or previous extracurricular activities. Make sure you call recall these details; it looks pretty bad if you can’t remember the details of your own life.”
STAY RESILIENT AND DON’T BE AFRAID OF REJECTION
Remember that you are enough. There will be schools that may reject you outright enough though you considered them to be “safety” schools and there will be “reach” schools that will fulfill your dreams. Don’t focus on any weak aspects of your application or compare yourself to others applying within your cycle, your uniqueness will get you into the place that is the best fit for you!
“Stay resilient! I doubted myself a lot, whether it’s with my personal statement, secondaries, activities/experiences, and sometimes even my character. But at the end of the day, it was my dream. If this is your dream, it’s worth it. You are a bonafide badass and will make a great provider. Schedule ahead, submit everything on time, exercise, and take your breaks whenever you need it. Everything will work out,” says Xavier Cortez, an incoming medical student at UCSF.
Ariana Rodriguez from UCLA reminds you to remember that “for URMs, imposter syndrome is an easy trap to fall into and it can feel like you are only being allowed into spaces because of your URM status. Please know that you are just as qualified as everyone else, you worked hard to get to where you are, and you deserve every bit of success that you experience.”