The trick is knowing how the system works.
Many pre-meds think "Well, my GPA is ridiculously low, but my MCAT is ok, and I have six years of research that should outweigh my low GPA. I mean, undergrad was so long ago. I've matured since then. Not to mention, I have tons of clinical work, and I know I interview well... so this should work!" Right? WRONG!
The truth is that ADCOMS don't review every application and they don't take into consideration the applicant's whole big picture. It's not that they don't think that your six years of research should outweigh your GPA. The problem is that your low GPA and MCAT aren't getting you to the "second round" so to speak of the application process. Your application isn't even making it someone's desk. ADCOMs get thousands upon thousands of applications. Usually there are only a handful of reviewers (who are busy physicians themselves). They can't possibly read every application.
Applications get read by one of two* ways...
.
1) By score. ALL applications are given a preliminary score. Every school's scoring system is different, but essentially it revolves around GPA and MCAT. For instance, one school I interviewed at outright told the applicants their scoring method for review. These numbers are arbitrary... just for demonstration purposes (please don't email me and ask if they are real and what school!) They take the GPA (say 3.2) and convert it to a two digit# (32). They then add that to your MCAT score (say 31). Your score would be 63. The school used a cut-off (say above a score of 60) to decide which applications to review in depth. From those reviewed in depth, a certain number will be selected for interviews. So you can see how if you are weak in your MCAT but strong in GPA (like a GPA of 3.7 and MCAT of 24) you could still get a full review. But if you are mediocre in both areas (or REALLY weak in one area), you'll never get reviewed no matter if you're an Olympian, Rhodes Scholar, Brad Pitt, etc.
2) The second way you can get a full review is by recommendation. And not just by anyone. This means that someone that the ADCOM values (not YOUR mentor, college professor or hometown doctor calling to say how great you are) has requested a full review of your application. This is usually a professor in that medical school, a donor to that medical school, a top doc in one of their affiliated hospitals, or someone else of consequence to the ADCOM. In some schools, such as mine, a med student can ask the ADCOM to review the application of a candidate they like.
*Ok, I lied. There is one more way you can get a review. That's if you yourself are high profile (ie. an Olympian, Rhodes Scholar, or Brad Pitt). I didn't make that an official category... I guess I figure the Brad Pitt's of the world should have to figure some things out on their own.
So the point of all this? If you can't get your application through the system via route #1 because your academics are too sketchy, you sure as heck better start making friends (route #2). My best advice is to find THE med school that you want to go to (this should be a reasonable school.... probably not Harvard... but hey, anything is possible)... and GO THERE. Move across the country, get your Master's degree there, do research at their teaching hospital, teach their undergrads, sweep their floors, do something (ANYTHING) that demonstrates your abilities and puts you in touch with the right people. After you've proven yourself (after about a year) you can start asking for favors and poking around looking for ways to get in.
Not only is this how I got into med school, its how MANY people get into med school.
No comments:
Post a Comment