Medical school applications can be overwhelming and often stressful without the added pressures of gathering all of your material before the May 31st submission date. Unfortunately, no matter how prepared we may be, there remain situations where you need to submit an application before your MCAT scores are posted or your application may hinge on the reply of an unresponsive letter writer. A lot of the time, these circumstances feel out of your control.

When we think of the financial burden associated with becoming a physician, our thoughts often center on the student loan debt medical students incur during their studies. Unfortunately, even just applying to medical school is a costly process. We’ll give you an idea of what kind of costs to expect and how to avoid burning through more money than you need to!

Having a well put together school list can be the difference between a successful cycle or a fruitless one. With so many medical schools to decide between, it can be hard to narrow down your list of schools. Hopefully, this article will provide you with a bit of insight on how to construct a school list that will maximize your chances of having a successful cycle.

There are three things you want to accomplish with your Personal Statement:

1. Who are you? What makes you unique or an interesting person?

2. Why medicine?

3. Why are you qualified?

The work and activities section of AMCAS is, most basically, the CV portion of your application. It is your opportunity to showcase the activities you’ve been up to outside of school, and also to explain how these activities are pertinent to your career in medicine. In addition to listing activities, this section is your opportunity to list awards, presentations, and publications

In April or May, quickly check the admissions websites to find the recommendation letter requirements for each school on your application list. Then, create a spreadsheet of all the schools and the specific letters that you’ll submit.

The personal statement is the bane of many a pre-med’s existence. For an applicant who might fall within the lower percentiles of a school’s GPA and MCAT, a strong personal statement can springboard you into the competitive echelon of candidates. For otherwise strong applicants, a lackluster personal statement can sink your chances at many schools. For many, navigating such a high-stakes 5,300 character essay can be an arduous process. After reviewing countless personal statements, I felt that it was appropriate to address some common issues to ease the pain of crafting an essay that many view as equivalent in weight to your GPA and MCAT.