3 Mistakes That Will Lead to Medical School Rejections

When you are applying to Medical School, you are trying to compete with over 50,000 other applicants — so it is important make a good impression if you are to have any hope at all of getting an invitation to interview at the school, which is itself of course only a first step.

With such high stakes, it is paramount that you do whatever you can to ensure you do not reduce your already slim chances of getting into the Medical School of your dreams further by making some of the most common tactical errors in your preparation.

A Medical School application is not something you can turn around in a week's time, so it is vital for applicants to do everything in their power to make sure that by the time that you can submit applications, they have all material ready to go on the first day.  

Number 1:  Do Not Wait to Ask for Letters of Recommendation 

Getting a Letter of Recommendation is easily the most frustrating aspect of submitting your Medical School applications, and it is essential that you make sure you are not procrastinating and putting this task off until it is absolutely necessary. To get a Letter of Recommendation from your professors, ask for one in a timely manner.

It is a good idea to meet with professors routinely during office hours to build a rapport and make sure they know who you are and like or respect you. Then, after scoring a high mark in the class, you are in a much better position to ask the Professor for a Letter of Recommendation.

The key to a good letter is having a Professor write more intimate comments as opposed to the generic, "he was a great student, he was always eager to learn". You will not find a professor willing to veer from his or her "cookie-cutter" Letter template that they will use for dozens of students if you do not put an effort to get to know your professor, and more importantly, allow for him or her to get to know you.

In many circumstances, the Professor may even ask you to write out the letter yourself, and that will give you at least a little more leverage when you are drafting out your version.  

Another thing to remember is that even if you ask for a letter 3 months in advance, it is often one of the last things you will have when you are trying to send out your applications.

Professors are notorious for dragging their feet on completing these Letters of Recommendation on time, so it is up to you to constantly remind them and make sure that they complete the task. It may seem strange for some but it is important that you poke and prod the Professor to the point where they will complete your request just so you stop bugging him or her.

Consider the process of obtaining a Letter of Recommendation good practice for the rest of your career in Medicine. You will have to start asking doctors for Letters of Recommendation before the ERAS MATCH applications, after all, and will realize that with physicians, you may have to "border-line" stalk and harass them to make sure you get your letter within 6 months.  

A good practice is to make sure you are constantly asking for a Letter of Recommendation in your Sophomore and Junior years in classes that you are doing well in. Faculty can change constantly so the longer you wait, the more likely you may find yourself chasing down a professor who no longer works in the school or is taking a sabbatical for research. Ask sooner rather than later.