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Craft a Stellar Medical School Application With a Personal Story
Students need more than a high GPA and solid MCAT score to rise
above the medical school admissions competition.
Even if the subjects aren't unique, lace your medical school
applications with stories that explain why you want to become a
physician.
Medical school admissions officers look at four main components when
deciding which applicants to interview: academic performance, MCAT,
extracurricular activities and essays.

Unfortunately, a high GPA and MCAT is not enough to set yourself apart
in U.S. allopathic medical school admissions. Data show that 10.5
percent of applicants with combined GPAs of 3.8-4.0 and MCAT scores
of 36-38, respectively, were not accepted to a single medical school,
according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

This means that you must rely on your extracurricular activities and
your essay writing in addition to a strong GPA and MCAT to set yourself
apart from your fellow applicants.

Successful applications rely not on being unique, but by telling a story

that is personal and relevant. Making sure each part of your essay
helps tell that story is key to creating a memorable application.

Consider the following hypothetical example to help demonstrate how

you can use your extracurricular activities and essay writing to set
yourself apart.

prospective medical student, Jennifer, is a senior at University of

CaliforniaSan Diego majoring in human biology. Her decision to go
into medicine was heavily influenced by her mother's experience being
diagnosed with metastasized breast cancer at 44. Thanks to medical
advances, Jennifers mom is alive and well.

Jennifer started volunteering at a nearby cancer clinic during her

freshman year. She enjoyed helping cancer patients however she
could, whether it was serving the patients food or simply being by their
side as they underwent chemotherapy.

Because of her interest in cancer, she decided to pursue

undergraduate research in cancer biology starting in the middle of her
sophomore year. Around the same time, she asked the physicians in
the cancer clinic if she could shadow them.

In her free time, Jennifer loves to play chess, whether in tournaments

or with her friends in chess club. Her love for chess comes from her
father who played with her almost every night before she went to
sleep.

A successful medical school personal statement for this candidate

could open by painting a picture of a competitive chess match, then
relating it to her mothers battle with cancer. It could tell how she and
her family went in and out of hospitals to get the upper hand on a
devastating disease.

The candidate could talk about the kindness, understanding and

intelligence of the doctors who took care of her mom. This would allow
her to explain how these experiences made her passionate about
science and specifically, cancer research.
The personal statement would illustrate how medicine combines the
candidate's passion for people and science, and could end by going
back to the chess imagery. The story may not necessarily be unique,
but it would allow the candidate to be true to herself and communicate
that to the admissions committees that will read her personal
statement.

When secondary applications come, the candidate should use each

essay as an opportunity to set herself apart. The best course of action
though it would take an incredible amount of work would be to write

meaningful responses for all the secondary applications she receives,

one from each school.

Although your story and interests may be completely different from

this hypothetical applicant's, there are a few strong points to take
away from this example. Your story does not have to be completely
unique. Nor do you need to have a relative or close friend who
struggled with a disease. Im sure that admissions committees have
seen applications like this one before.

But that does not make this application any less meaningful. It shows
the candidate was given a life situation and handled it the best that
she could. In the process, she realized that she was passionate about
medicine and decided to dedicate a career to it. As an applicant, you
must realize what kind of cards you were dealt and explain how those
circumstances led you to believe that medicine is your calling.
Second, you must do what you are passionate about, even if it may be
out of the ordinary. In this example, the applicant's passion outside of
medicine is chess. Even though chess may not have anything to with
medicine, it is part of who she is. That helps her be different from all
the other applicants who did the same kind of research, volunteering
and shadowing. It may be a small thing, but it may help admissions
officers remember you.

Lastly, your application needs to have a flow, a theme or, at the very
least, consistency. Too many premed students see the medical school
application as simply a list of accomplishments. Although there is some
listing involved, the medical school application is your chance to tell
your story.

Use the application to bring everything together, your grades, MCAT,

extracurricular activities, upbringing and even your financial
circumstances. By doing that, you become more than just a name on a
piece of paper.

Understand the Factors Behind Medical School Admissions

Integrity and diversity can be as important as GPA and MCAT scores in
medical school applications.
Medical school applicants should ensure that admissions committees
understand how their interests fit the institutions academic goals.
While GPA and MCAT scores are still very important to medical school
admissions directors, there are other factors that influence the
admissions decision. Most admissions committees now take a holistic
approach to selection and build a cohort where students will benefit
and learn from each other.

A diverse class can increase student understanding of and compassion

for a wide variety of individuals. This includes diverse ethnicities, life
experiences, educational and geographic backgrounds, gender
orientation and approaches to problem-solving.
With medical schools trending toward filling classes with diverse
students who can learn from one another, prospective applicants will
gain an edge if they show admissions committees how their unique
perspectives will benefit a class. There are several guidelines students
should follow to achieve this goal.

First, be a thoughtful applicant. Remember that each school selects

students who fit its mission. Prepare by reading the school's mission
statement and other related information online.

There are similarities and differences between each school. Some

medical schools emphasize increasing the number of primary care
physicians. Others are known for producing academic physicians who
are interested in medical practice and research.

Whatever outcome a school aims for, applicants need to ensure that

application screeners or interviewers understand why a student
believes he or she is a good fit for that institution.

One applicant, a biomedical engineering student from a small

university, loved research and teamwork. She readily accepted

coaching to improve her performance and saw parallels between her

undergraduate education and the Cleveland Clinic, including small
group learning, expectations that came from feedback to the individual
student and student acceptance of faculty feedback.

In an interview with the Cleveland Clinic, she described the school

saying, "This is the Montessori of medical schools. I don't think there is
another place that could beat this for my learning style."

Students must also understand "the sacrifice factor" in applying to

medical school. Our own committee describes this as the need for
medical students to volunteer in notable ways.
Physicians might not want to give up free time to be on call, but that is
the life they chose. Admissions committee members want to see that
students already recognize that they get great satisfaction from
serving others and do so willingly.

One-day events that require little free time from the student are
unlikely to impress. The motto at our institution is "patients first." That
means that, even when it's inconvenient, the expectation is that the
physician and medical student will put the patient ahead of their own
wishes.

If a colleague needs your help in caring for their patient, you do

whatever necessary to bring about the best outcome for the patient,
and we expect students to mirror that attitude. Shadowing physicians
at work and observing the perseverance and hours required helps
applicants know if they will really enjoy the lifestyle.

Finally, demonstrate integrity in your medical school application. Group

and team activities are important in showing the applicant can both
follow and lead. A doctor must be able to do both.
Servant leadership is absolutely critical in today's health care system.
Operating room procedure mandates that every team member
participate and, regardless of position, be able to halt the procedure to
avoid a mistake.

Respect for what every employee brings to the enterprise is a must. An

applicant can appear arrogant if he or she doesn't give credit to others
who have helped along the way, or fails to show respect for people
with less education or resources.

Integrity is critical to gaining the trust of patients and physician

colleagues. Humility and honesty are treasured in every institution
where I have worked. Distorting the truth on an application or during
an interview can lead faculty to imagine that the student might do that
with a patient or on a medical record.

Our admissions committee will always look at grades and test scores.
But you can become a much stronger applicant by demonstrating your
passion for medicine, highlighting how your goals align with the
school's mission and showing your integrity and humility.

Learn to Show Professionalism in Medical School Applications

Maintaining a professional attitude with those you meet while applying
will likely reflect well on your medical school application.
Being on time and courteous during the medical school application
process professionalism will show admissions committees that you
have the mentality to excel as a physician.
Professionals, such as physicians, clergy members or teachers, are
expected to place the needs of others before their own even when
doing so is inconvenient. But what does professionalism mean for
medical school applicants, and why is it important? After all, won't
professionalism be taught in medical school?

Professionalism will be discussed throughout your time as a student or

physician, to some degree. But showing good character as an applicant
can make you more likely to be accepted to medical school, as the
admissions committee will believe you can only continue to improve.
On the other hand, it is considered risky to accept an applicant who
appears lacking in professionalism.
There are many ways you can demonstrate professionalism as an
applicant. One way might be to apply to medical school early. Applying
early demonstrates you are well prepared and likely to continue that
behavior throughout your career. When caring for your patients, you
will be timely in completing notes for their office visits and sending in
orders.

Another way might be to arrive early for your interview. Remember,

surgeons never roll in half an hour late to the operating room.

You can also demonstrate professionalism by being courteous to

others. Whether interacting with a secretary, another applicant, a taxi
driver, a host student or the dean, an applicant is expected to be polite
and considerate. During a visit, a phone call or in an email, respectful
behavior is the rule.
If you need to change or cancel an interview date, it should be done as
early as possible so that another student may interview. Team play is a
critical marker of professionalism, and admissions committees will
scour applications for evidence.

A true member of a team inspires and assists others to be their best.

We watch closely how applicants treat each other, whether they are
sitting at lunch or participating in a group discussion about ethics.

Is an applicant observant and offered to help a secretary lift a heavy

box? If an applicant drove to the interview and heard that another
applicant needs a ride to the hotel, will he or she offer to help?
Physicians must respect and be responsible to each other and to all of
their patients.

In building a professional reputation, it's just as important to avoid

errors of judgment that can cost applicants an acceptance offer.

First of all, never badmouth a school or people you interact with during
the admissions process. A tactful physician does not rant about others.
I recall one student who could hardly wait to complain about our sister
school, thinking they were out of earshot. They were not.

At least two students at my hospital were rejected because they wrote

negative blog posts or remarks about students they met on interview
day.

Impolite, commanding or nagging verbiage over the phone or in an

email to a secretary should also be avoided. If applicants don't answer
emails or fail to give an explanation when they don't show up as
expected, they are unlikely to make the admissions cut.
You should also be careful not to exaggerate your volunteer hours.
Application screeners will add up your hours and know when it would
have been impossible to volunteer that many hours while attending
classes. I can recall multiple applications who were passed by for this
reason. If you are brought to interview, the faculty will pay great
attention to whether or not the exaggeration is continued or whether
you give are honest and accurate responses.

Remember to act professionally in all situations that involve interaction

with prospective medical schools. Don't drink to much when out with
other students or at a residency interview dinner. You are at work and
must maintain professional.

The quality and safety of patient care depends upon a high degree of
professionalism. Without this, physician morale and self-esteem suffer.
Even more importantly, our patients lose out on a high level of care.

When interviewers look at you, they want to see someone who will
protect those values of professionalism as much as they do. They
expect to see in you their ideal future physician.

Highlight Compassion in Your Medical School Application

Develop strong listening skills to demonstrate compassion in your
medical school applications.
Medical schools want students who will provide attentive and
compassionate care, regardless of a patients attitude or demeanor.
Top-notch medical school admissions committees look for multidimensional people to enroll in their programs.

Medical schools know the best physicians care for the entire patient
both body and mind and want students who are smart and
understand the value of compassion in their medical education and
professional lives.

Beyond academic achievements, extracurricular activities are

examined very carefully and provide good fodder for interview
questions. Applicants must have participated in activities, which they
can speak enthusiastically about.

Prospective students should go beyond saying "I volunteered at my

local hospital," and explain what the experience says about them as
potential physicians and as people.

Compassion includes empathy, concern, kindness and benevolence.

We have road maps from scientific journals and guidelines dedicated to
the identification and treatment of particular diseases or conditions.
But there is no road map for compassionate care. This must come from
each individual.

There are a variety of ways a student can focus on developing

compassion and show admissions committees that he or she will
become a compassionate physician. Volunteering, for example,
teaches valuable lessons, creates connections to others and builds a
sense of self-worth.

Growing compassion hinges on good listening skills. This is a critical

ability to successfully practicing medicine. A potential diagnosis may
be found in a patient's words, so careful listening without interruption
is imperative.

Imagine if every few seconds your doctor broke your train of thought
by asking a question. Instead of saying, "Please tell me why you are
here today" and quietly listening to the response, doctors often start
by asking a barrage of questions, such as "Where does it hurt?," "When
did it start?"or "What medicines are you taking?" By listening first, a
doctor demonstrates concern and begins building trust.

Prospective medical school students can get a head start on

developing good listening skills. Check to see how often you interrupt
someone during a conversation. Keep a tally, and then listen closely to
the person allowing them two minutes to talk uninterrupted.

Learn to relax into this practice in a non-medical situation. Next, apply

it when you are volunteering and notice the difference in the
communication exchange.
Smile, and look people in the eye when you speak with them. Put away
your smartphone when talking to people and give them your undivided
attention. Don't hold the phone in your hand as if you're waiting for
someone to text or call, much less look down to check.

Another way to grow compassion is by "walking in another's shoes."

Patients come in all varieties and may frequently look and sound
different than you.

You may often find that patients do not do what you perceive to be in
their best interest. But all patients are vulnerable, and it's our duty as
physicians to provide the best possible care every time, regardless of
their demeanor, attitude or choices.

With difficult patients, this can require an inordinate amount of

compassion. This is the difference between a smart physician and a
smart, caring one.

Aspiring physicians should volunteer in a hospital or medical clinic, or

enthusiastically donate time to organizations that are personally
meaningful.

A highly accomplished physician with little ability to connect to

patients is perceived as being rude and uncaring. An appropriate touch
or a kind word can do wonders to uplift the spirit and start patients on
the road to recovery.

A compassionate bedside manner is important, and it's never too early

to practice random acts of kindness. For example, since it's always cold
in the hospital, provide an extra blanket for a patient. Practice as a
volunteer, and then add these skills to your medical training.

Many medical school applications look alike on paper. Let your

uniqueness shine through. Use your personal statement to highlight
the experiences that have helped you come to the decision to be a
physician.

In order to move from the application pile to the accepted pile,

demonstrate attributes that show why you would be an ideal medical
student. The admissions committee's goal is to seat a class of
interesting, well-suited students who will contribute to the field of
medicine in meaningful ways.

Keep in mind that compassionate people make compassionate doctors.