2. How strong is your school's track record in
getting people into medical school?
Where have your school's applicants been most
successful? Don't hesitate to con-
tact your premedical office, which should have
this information and be willing to
provide it. This will clue you in as to where it
is most worthwhile applying.
3. How supportive do you think your
recommendations will be? Have you selected
the most suitable faculty to write on your
behalf? Talk to those who know you
well and think highly of you. Explain your
borderline situation regarding admis-
sion and ask them for as strong supporting
letters as possible.
4. How adequate are your financial resources?
Could you afford to apply to more
schools than originally planned and, if
necessary, in more than one academic
year? Talk to those who are assisting you
financially to see if this is feasible.
5. How strong are your interview skills? How
well do you perform on mock inter-
views? Ask your interviewers for their frank
criticism. Strive to improve your
interview potential to an optimal
level.
In the event you decide to defer applying, your
time can best be spent, besides tak-
ing courses, for research work at a medical
school. Where possible, this should be at one
to which you plan to apply and stand a chance
of getting in. An impressive recommen-
dation from a faculty member can help
facilitate admission at any medical school. The
downside of this approach is that you will have
to invest two years beyond college, one
to do your research and a second to apply and
await the result.
In summary, a borderline applicant can best
determine the desirable course of action
by judging how far away he or she is from the
threshold for admission, as defined
above. If you are relatively close and the
other factors are positive, such as essay, rec-
ommendations, and interview skills, it may well
be advisable to apply. This is especially
true if you can afford, if necessary, to try
again. Try to obtain impressive grades in your
lower senior year. These should be sent off in
January to all medical schools to which
you have applied. If, however, you are a
substantial distance from the borderline accep-
tance level, deferring applying may be the
wiser alternative. Taking additional courses
and/or securing a research position should
improve your chances for admission. In any
case, before selecting from the various options
available, discuss this issue thoroughly
with your premedical advisor. In addition, it
may be worthwhile to consult an authorita-
tive individual at the admissions office at a
local medical school. This matter merits
careful consideration before you finalize your
future path.
The Essay (See also Appendix C)
The AMCAS application is four pages long and
the questions asked are straightforward.
Detailed instructions are
included.
Page 2 of the application is entitled "For
Personal Comments" and is completely
blank. It enables you to communicate directly
with the admissions personnel who screen
the applications and with those who evaluate
the candidates. Your essay can thus be
considered your brief or appeal for a place in
the next freshman class. It affords you the
opportunity to express yourself and to present
your attributes in the most appealing
manner possible, so the reader will want to get
to know you personally by means of an
interview.
One approach to drafting your essay can be to
itemize all the information you wish
to convey: biographical highlights,
motivational factors behind your career choice, sig-
nificant life experiences, and information
about yourself or your past performance that
needs elaboration or clarification. Having
identified the key elements, you can next pro-
ceed to preparing a preliminary draft. The lead
and concluding paragraphs probably
deserve special attention since they will more
likely be read during an initial scan of
your essay. Once the draft is prepared, put it
aside for a few days and then reread it and
revise it as much as you feel is required. You
may want to repeat this once again before
your rough draft is completed.
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