Top 4 Misconceptions About Preparing Your Medical School Application

As you prepare your documents for your Medical School application, there is a lot of unsolicited advice from friends and family about what schools you should apply to and how quickly you should get your application in.  It is amazing at the variety of information that you will receive and it can get confusing if you do not stay focused and just stick to a set-plan.  The Internet is a great resource but you can often find "fake news" on chat rooms pertaining to Medical School Applications so it is imperative that you understand what some of these myths are so you can avoid them.  In this article, I will present you the Top 4 Misconceptions About Medical School Applications.  With any luck, at the end of the article, you will be able to alter your preparation to make sure you submit a good package of documents for a Medical program.  

Number 1:  You Have the Same Probability of Getting an Interview Early On or Late in the Application Period 

This is a very important thing to realize when you are submitting your applications because this urban legend is absolutely not true.  The longer you delay your application, the more difficult it will be when you are attempting to find an interview opportunity.  Medical schools in the US typically follow a rolling admissions schedule so qualified students that present their applications during the first wave of interviews will be able to find Interview slots with lower credentials than what they may have needed to get into the program normally.  The longer you wait to submit your application, the fewer number of positions are left for you.  The later in the season, the stiffer the competition will be for the last few spots so you will need to have a stellar MCAT, near-perfect GPA, and amazing extracurricular activities just to be noticed at this point.  Your best option is to plan your schedule accordingly so that you will be able to get your application in as soon as possible.  

Number 2:  Science GPAs Are the Only Thing That Matter 

This is one of the biggest lies that I've heard when I was moving through the Pre-Med course load and it should not be a trap that you fall victim to.  Yes, a Science GPA does carry a lot of weight during the admissions process but a Medical School is looking at every single grade you have ever received even in High School.  They want to get a comprehensive overview of the academic performance that a student has shown throughout his courses and it could hurt you if you take easy electives through University.  They will be able to easily map out your schedule during the year and see if you had enough time to volunteer or work on research projects so it is important that you do not have a false sense of security when you are completing your additional course credits. That transcript is an objective review and can be a big enemy for you in some cases.  

At times, the courses that you do register for can also be a point of controversy during an interview.  A colleague of mine decided to Minor in Business Administration for the logical reason of knowing something about Business should he want to open his own practice one day.  A Board member was quick to realize this during his interview and questioned the logic behind this decision.  He believed that a medical student should only be focused on helping patients and if you want to have a background in Business, there is a strong probability that your motives for going into Medicine were just financial instead of for the good of the patients.  As ludicrous as this may sound, it is a true story so make sure you are prepared to defend anything choice that you have made in selecting your classes.  

Two More Myths to be Wary of As You Fill Out Your Medical School Applications

Number 3:  It is Okay to Apply to an MD and DO Program During the Same Academic Year

According to a few of my colleagues who are friends with directors of DO programs, this is a partially true myth.  A DO program does not care if you are applying to an MD program during the same year.  They realize that most students are interested in starting their medical careers so it makes sense to have back-up options that are easier to get into in order to ensure you begin your career the following Fall semester.  Luckily for them, it is also why they are able to charge so a premium price for admissions into their programs. 

Unfortunately, MD programs do not share this same sentiment and if you are applying to an MD program and a DO program, you could adversely impact your chances of receiving an interview to the MD program.  The program will look at your decision to apply to both as you being uncertain of whether you want to have a career in Allopathic Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine and can overlook your application in that process.  If you are lucky enough to get an interview, the interviewer will likely question your decision thoroughly and it will transform into an interrogation rather than a pleasant conversation as to why you thought it was necessary to do both.  My roommate revealed that when he sent multiple applicants to both and got an interview at an MD, they told him they only considered him still because of his good MCAT, otherwise his file would have been passed over because the DO mark does not sit well with MD Admissions' Board members.  

Number 4:  Taking a Science-Heavy Course-load Will Benefit You on the MCAT 

This one is absolutely not true and it is something I wish I had known more about before I progressed further in my Undergraduate studies.  The MCAT is not a general knowledge test and you are not required to know additional subjects like Biochemistry, Physiology, or even Anatomy if your University offers it in order to do well on the MCAT.  It is a combination of applying theoretical knowledge and practice problem-solving strategies in order to do well on the exam.  You are only required have completed Biology, Physics, Inorganic Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry to fulfill the science-components of the exam and you should do everything you can to make sure you can take the MCAT as soon as you finished your last course in one of those 4 subjects.  The longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to remember concepts in the last class.  In most cases, chances are that was Organic Chemistry so if you only have to remember three classes instead of four, you will give yourself about an extra month to practice Full-Length Mock MCATs to hone in your skills to make sure you are successful on Test Day.  

Realize that you can recite facts from your Kaplan Prep Course from memory but still not score well on the MCAT.  It is a comprehension based exam as well so it is important that you do as many practice questions as possible to learn the style of how to solve these problems.  Test writers love to trick students or have them fall into traps to weed out pretenders from promising young doctors of tomorrow so make sure that is not you and study effectively and efficiently.