Another Tip to Use a Medical Adviser's Negative Words to Your Advantage 

Number 2:  Listen to the Messages Without Getting Angry 

This is going to be a hard challenge to meet but in reality, there will be multiple times in your life where someone may say something to you that infuriates you and you are much more interesting in attacking someone instead of listening to them.  If this describes you, it is in your best interest to learn how to more efficiently respond to the negatively.  In your meeting with the Adviser, even if they may question your merits for getting into Medical School, they will often say tidbits of useful information about you needing to volunteer more, or get involved in more research projects.  It is your responsibility to separate the emotions from the messages and use that as information to better yourself.  "Your volunteering is disastrous" should make you separate the anger you may feel and to just try to find a more worthwhile volunteering experience to become more competitive.  

I had this very thing happen to me when I met with my Medical Adviser and it did feel unpleasant while sitting through the onslaught of criticism.  At the time, I had already been published in two very prestigious Medical journals and the project I had worked on had won a "Best in Category" Award at the International Anesthesia Research Society's meeting.  Even with all that, the Medical Adviser picked me apart in each of the research projects that I had participated in.  I was criticized that I had not taken it upon myself to start my own side research project and coordinate the investigation myself; something that all of my peers had already done (apparently).  At the time, I was dedicating 20 hours a week to the research team so I was amazed I was still being criticized for something that was one of my biggest strengths.  I decided to ignore the Adviser's opinion because I was confident that I was well-equipped in that aspect of my application to hold my own in an interview.  Sure enough, when I did interview for Medical School, the Board member was very impressed at the research I had done and we spent nearly 45 minutes of the hour solely on that aspect because he had an interest in the field.  I received an Acceptance Letter a few months later.  

The most important to take from this article is that every Medical School has a different list of requirements and preferences for all the applicants coming into the program.  Some programs may focus on volunteering and research while others can put an emphasis on how you did in your core classes and your Science GPA.  It is impossible to meet the specifications of all the Medical programs so all you need to focus on is to make sure you have the most competitive application you can.  The most important favor you can give yourself is a strong MCAT score when you applying to these programs and that may not even be a death sentence if the scores are low.  One of my colleagues scored a 27 on his MCAT and was admitted into a US MD program because he knew one of the members on the Admissions Board.  What is stopping you from volunteering in a hospital to get to know some of the influential members on the Admissions Committee to give yourself a better chance?  An unfortunate truth is that there is a great deal of politics that goes on within the hospital walls so you can use this to your advantage.  Just remember that "the medical school student who graduates with the lowest scores in the class is still called a doctor."  All you have to do is get in the door.