A Post for the Pre-Meds: Check out PreMedStAR.com!

Happy Monday! It’s a super busy time, but I wanted to take a quick study break to make sure my premedical student readers know about PreMed StAR, the Online Recruitment Network for Pre-Medical Students. With PreMed StAR, students can be directly recruited online by medical schools. It just opened up for pre-registration, and for the time being one year membership is free for those who register during this period! The site is www.PreMedStAR.com and you can also find out more and like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PreMedStAR. Please share this with all your fellow premedical students so you can all get recruited!

Check Out My Article in the JSNMA MAPS Minutes Fall 2014 Edition!

Two hours ago I completed my last final exam and officially ended my first term of medical school! I am so happy to finally be finished, and I am looking forward to a full week of relaxation, sleep, Netflix, and no stress! I also plan on writing a few new posts summarizing my overall experience during first term. For now, please check out my article on pages 11-13 of the JSNMA MAPS Minutes Fall 2014 edition. You can either click here or on the picture above to access the journal. Please let me know what you think and I hope it inspires some of you!

Pre-Meds: Don’t Get Taken Advantage of!

Finding a good mentor shouldn't cost an arm and a leg

Lately, I have been receiving a ton of e-mails from individuals/companies wanting me to list them as a resource for pre-medical students. Most of these resources have a fee attached to them, so I typically decline and keep it moving. One message I received recently involved mentoring services for pre-medical students at a price between $20-40 per hour, and I felt compelled to write this post.

If you are currently a pre-medical student, there is absolutely no need to pay anyone to help mentor you in your journey to becoming a physician. Mentors can be found for free all around you. There are professors, current medical students, pre-medical forums on the internet, and a multitude of other free resources. While I don’t knock these services if you have the money to blow on them, if you’re anything like me, then these services can be a huge financial burden. I have made posts regarding ways to obtain help with the medical school process in the past, but here is a brief recap:

Help with Personal Statements

One of the greatest resources you can use for help with your personal statement, is the forum section of Student Doctor Network. This forum has current medical students, school administration members, and fellow students who are willing to look over, revise, and offer suggestions to improving your personal statement completely FREE OF CHARGE! In my opinion, there is no reason not to take advantage of the resource.

If you are someone who does not want complete strangers to read your personal statement, then there are other options as well. Even if your school does not have a writing center, you could still take your personal statement to any English professor and ask them for help with grammar and such. Also, if you have a physician who you shadow, don’t be afraid to ask them for help in looking over your PS. They can be one of the best resources because they know how the game works. I remember having an ER appointment a few years back, and randomly asking one of the residents if they would take a look at my PS. The person didn’t even hesitate to give me their e-mail address, and they provided great feedback after I sent them my PS.

Finding a Mentor

When it comes to medical school, finding a mentor is not as hard as people like to make it. Again, SDN has many forums where you can ask questions and get advice from current medical students, members of admissions committees, and attending physicians. If you’re applying to osteopathic schools, the AOA went out of its way to make a website dedicated to making physician mentors available to both pre-medical and medical students alike. I previously did a blog post on this, which can be found here. As far as I am aware, a program like this does not exist through the AAMC, but finding a physician mentor can be as simple as looking through a local physician directory and making a few phone calls.

You could also utilize professors as mentors, and contact the medical schools that you’re interested in and set-up an appointment to discuss the ways in which you can become a more competitive applicant. Once you have found a mentor, they can help guide you through the application process and be a source of encouragement. Many individuals will do this for free, so again, I see no point in paying for this.

Put in the Effort

Basically, this post was just my way of saying that I do not promote high-cost companies as a resource to pre-medical students. I was not in a position to afford these companies when I was going through the process, and I do not want my readers to feel that they need to shell out cash in order for their applications to stand out. Even if you do not personally know anyone who can help you with your application, or if you have been out of school a while, all it takes is a little effort to find the help you need. Don’t be afraid to reach out of your comfort zone and find the individuals who can help you achieve your goals. Applying to medical school alone is a very expensive process; Finding the help and support you need shouldn’t be. 

More Personal Statement Advice

This post is my attempt to combine some questions I have been frequently asked regarding my personal statement. Previously, I posted some general personal statement advice (see here) along with my own personal statement (here), so if you don’t see what you need in this post, then please check out those links. I know it’s turning into crunch time for perfecting and submitting medical school applications, so I hope this helps everybody out.

How do I include all of my ECs in the personal statement?

There's really no need to write about every extracurricular activity you have ever had in the personal statement. Admissions committees can already see that in your overall application and it will come off as redundant. If there was a particularly meaningful experience that you had while on a mission trip or volunteering then write about that, but don't try to list all your ECs in paragraph form. Just focus on one aspect. You could even center your whole personal statement over one experience in particular and try to tie in how the other ECs either helped you get to that point or how you discovered new Extracurricular activities because of the experience.

How did you talk about your extracurricular activities in your personal Statement?

I talked about a few of my ECs in my PS but it was really light. I mentioned them as a way to show how I still continued to be involved even though I had other responsibilities to deal with. I did not mention anything specific in particular. I just said that I took leadership positions within a few organizations, and wrote briefly about how they let me stay involved.

Were you specific about osteopathy in your personal statement? I heard some people saying that it's better to be specific in the secondary so that it doesn't sound repetitive. What do you think?

Do not write about osteopathic medicine in your personal statement. When you receive secondary applications, the majority of them will ask "why this school" and/or "why osteopathic medicine". If you address it in your PS, you will have a really hard time answering the question in your secondary essays. Just write about your desire to be a physician. (Note: make sure you say osteopathic medicine. Some people take offense to the word "osteopathy" because it can mean something entirely different overseas).

How long was your personal statement? (# of words) 

For AMCAS, my PS was 869 words and came out to be 4693 characters with spaces. The max character limit for AMCAS is 5300.

For AACOMAS, my PS was 790 words and 4485 characters with spaces according to Microsoft Word. On my application, it says that I have a total of 4500 characters which is the max limit for the AACOMAS application.

Where can I find examples of Personal statements and meaningful experience essays?

Finding good personal statement examples was one of the hardest things for me when I originally drafted my PS. This was almost 6 years ago though and now examples are only a short click away. Below are some really good resources I have found:

Medical School Essays that Made a Difference by Princeton Review – This was literally the only thing I used for examples when I originally drafted my PS. It helped me formulate a good starting point, but I felt that my first essay was too cookie-cutter because of it. To correct this, I dramatically changed my PS over the years to reflect me and my growth. Unfortunately, this book isn't available online.

http://www.accepted.com/medical/sampleessays.aspx - (Good example personal statements from Accepted.com)

http://www.mcw.edu/Medical-School/Student-Affairs/Residency-Match-Process/Sample-Personal-Statements.htm - (These are personal statements for residency (via Medical College Wisconsin), but I figured I would include them anyway)

DoctorORBust - A fellow blogger who not only listed his personal statement as an example, but gives excellent tips on the entire writing process.

I think that’s it for common personal statement questions. I’ll add more examples if I come across any, and if there’s anything else you want to know, just shoot me a message!

Check Out My Podcast Interview on Medical School HQ!

Hey guys! Last week, I was interviewed by Dr. Ryan Gray from Medical School Headquarters as part of his podcast series. If you haven’t heard of this site, it has awesome resources for both pre-medical and medical students alike, and it was started by a non-traditional student, so check it out!

If you are a fairly new reader of my blog, my podcast interview will basically give you a 40 minute condensed version of my journey to becoming an accepted medical student. I talk about dealing with both a low GPA and MCAT, extracurricular activities, employment, and being a mother, all while preparing for medical school. If you hear anything and need more clarification on it, just come back to my blog and click on the “Applying to Medical School” tab and I’m sure you’ll find a more in-depth response in one of my previous posts. Or, you can always send me a quick message and I’ll get back to you.

My podcast interview can be FOUND HERE. You can click on the gray "play" icon, or you can even download it for later. I hope everyone enjoys listening to it. My hope is that it inspires you all to keep pushing towards your dreams even more! 

Pre-Meds: Turn Up! It’s Time to Apply to Medical School!

The lack of posts last week can be attributed to taking the time to respond to the flood of e-mails in my inbox. Medical school applications can officially be submitted June 3^rd of this week, and it seems as if everyone is freaking out accordingly.

My main advice is to stand back, take a breath, and relax! I have been in your shoes, and I know how stressful it is applying to medical school. While applications can be submitted this week, they won’t be transmitted to individual schools until the end of the month. In other words, there is absolutely no need to rush to get everything submitted on the very first day. Don’t be afraid to take a few days to look over your application and tweak it in any way you need to.

If there is any part of the process that you need a bit of advice about, don’t be afraid to contact me. I do answer every e-mail, and I try to as quickly as possible. I will also be putting together some posts in the next few days to further clarify a few things that I get asked about often. This week will probably be the best time to contact me, so if you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail or comment below.

Good luck!!!!

Choosing a Medical School: Apply Broadly!

I cannot stress this enough when it comes to medical school applications: APPLY BROADLY! The entire process is an extreme crapshoot and there really is no such thing as a safety school. You may think you have a great chance at one school only to end up being rejected pre-secondary. The same can apply to schools that you think are a reach. When I applied last cycle, I did not think I had even the slightest chance at GA-PCOM even though my heart was set on it. I had previously been rejected from the school and various forum boards said they did not take any MCAT section with a score of less than an 8. Obviously that is not the case, although it may be more of a general guideline than a set rule. There were also a few schools that I received secondary applications to that heavily screen the primary applications. I’m pretty sure my graduate school GPA was taken highly into consideration even though it was not explicitly mentioned on their websites. I even received e-mails from some of these schools stating that they were interested in receiving my MCAT scores after a retake to help with their decisions. The fact that I could not pull my score up was definitely a factor in my rejections.

The point of this post is not to discourage anyone, but to make sure you don’t make some of the same mistakes I did in my first two application cycles. A new application cycle is opening, and I want everyone to have the best possible chance of getting an acceptance. Applying to medical school is an expensive process, and having to re-apply because you did not choose the right schools the first time can be even more expensive. It is super important to utilize the AACOM CIB and AAMC MSAR books to pick the right schools for you. In a previous post, I wrote about how I selected some of my schools, so feel free to check it out if you need a little guidance. Also, if there is that one school that you feel you don’t have the slightest chance at but your heart is set on it, apply anyway. I can say from experience that it just might result in some great news. Best wishes to everyone applying to medical school this summer!  

Encouragement for the Pre-Meds: The Best is Yet to Come!

Wow, time really does fly! This time last year, I was busy getting my medical school applications ready and praying that the third time really would be a charm. Now, I am about to move to a new state and finally begin my medical school journey. The entire process was both exhausting and an emotional roller coaster. From taking the MCAT multiple times, to trying to remember every single extracurricular activity I’ve had for over almost a decade, to feeling completely naked and exposed in the writing and sharing of my personal statement (just to name a few), I am so glad it’s over!

To all my readers who are now in the process of getting ready to apply to medical school and/or take the MCAT, I wish you the absolute best of luck. I’ve been told the hardest part is getting in, and after over five years of trying to do just that, I am starting to think it just might be true. Please don’t get discouraged and try to remember that the whole process is a marathon and not a sprint. Also try to be patient and not too hard on yourself. There were many times over the past year where I felt completely hopeless and thought my dream would never come to fruition. Looking back now, I can truly say that every time I thought a door was closing, it was really just God preparing me to be that much better. So please stay strong, and remember that the best is yet to come. 

My Personal Statement for Medical School

In one of my earlier posts, I promised that I would post my personal statement as soon as the application deadlines passed. There are only two schools who still have not reached their deadlines, but I think now would be a pretty good time to post. I hope this can help those of you who are looking for an example of a personal statement. I’ve also been asked quite a few questions about what I included in my PS, so hopefully this will answer them. Just remember that not every personal statement will look like this, and everyone should have a different and unique story to tell. This PS is a result from years of corrections, and I made sure to have multiple people read it and give me their input. Also, a lot of people told me to remove the first sentence, but I felt that it described me perfectly, so I left it in. This is the personal statement I used for my AACOMAS application, and the one I used for AMCAS only differed by having an additional sentence or two. I am posting this one since my acceptance was to an osteopathic school. It should go without saying, but my personal statement should not be copied or as used as your own. What I have written below is a representation of me, and only personal to me. Please find experiences that represent you well and give an accurate reflection of why you are pursuing medicine when you go write your own personal statement. Enjoy!

****Personal Statement Below****

I wish I could say that my academic performance was the result of partying or carelessness, but the truth is that I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into my education. My desire to pursue medicine stems from my goal of wanting to help those in need and put others before myself, and becoming a physician would allow me to continue to do so while improving lives in the process. There have been many obstacles in trying to achieve this goal, but in retrospect, these hurdles not only motivated me more towards my ambitions, but they fueled my desire to really explore the field of medicine. I also learned to find the positives out of every situation and not let my past dictate my future. It is because of this that I feel I am an excellent candidate for medical school, and that no matter what challenges or obstacles may be presented, I will find a way to achieve my goal of becoming a physician.

My undergraduate years were both rewarding and demanding due to the fact that I became a mother, a wife, went through a divorce, and had to find a balance between school and family issues, all while working to make ends meet. My first semester at LSU was met with Hurricane Katrina, which led to class cancellations and caused the institution to become an emergency center for some of the victims. This was my first time experiencing a natural disaster of this magnitude, and I volunteered my time by helping with patient registration, triage, donation sorting, and by trying to console those who had lost everything in the storm. It was at this point where I learned that compassion and understanding can sometimes do more for a person than just trying to treat them, and this experience really amplified my desire to pursue medicine and dedicate my time and resources to all those in need in and around my community.

I gave birth to my daughter during the fall semester of my sophomore year, and while this halted my ability to donate all of my time and energy to volunteering, the maturing challenges presented with raising a child far outshined the negatives. While adjusting to motherhood, I was still able to persevere and continue to pursue my interest in medicine by physician shadowing and becoming involved in various medically-related organizations. Shadowing was an especially positive experience because I was able to physically see if medicine was the right choice for me, and it allowed me to develop a more solid understanding of what it takes to become a physician.

I took leadership positions in a few organizations, and helped others become more involved as well. These positions provided unique opportunities to help the community which ranged from painting houses for the elderly to spreading HIV/AIDS awareness to the public. I also found meaningful employment in places where I was able to continue to give back to the community, which included everything from teaching autistic children to working for the Battered Women’s Program. Right now, I am fully involved in research, and I volunteer weekly at my local hospital. I am also in a graduate program working to further enhance my academic skills. Being able to use my experiences to make a change for the better and impact lives helped shaped me into the person I am today, and I am thankful for it. I feel that a great sense of humility and a deep drive has been instilled in me, and because of this, I know that I have something meaningful to bring to the field of medicine.

I am proof that it is possible to overcome circumstances, and by achieving my dream of becoming a physician, I hope to push others to accomplish their goals as well. Along with my innate desire to help others, I have a strong interest in the human body and in solving complex problems, and I want to be able to help a person medically from all aspects, including being involved in both the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Furthermore, medicine would not only give me a lifelong learning experience, but it would allow me to essentially dedicate myself to a lifetime of service. I truly feel that medicine is my calling in life, and although there may be many obstacles along the way, I refuse to give up on my dream. At the 2008 SNMA medical conference, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee stated that qualifications are a measure of opportunity and not of worth, and I am grateful for the chance to finally be able to show my true worth in my journey to becoming a physician and beyond.

Thank you for your time and interest in my application.

School Selection

Another question that I get asked a lot involves the number of schools I applied to and how I made my choices. I really think this is dependent on your individual needs, but I don’t mind sharing how I narrowed down my school list. I’ve heard that the average applicant will apply to 10-15 schools. I didn’t consider myself to be an average applicant in the process, so I applied to 26 schools (included MD and DO). When selecting schools, I considered the following factors:

- GPA/MCAT: I looked at the average stats of accepted applicants for all the schools I was interested in. For MD schools, the MSAR is a valuable source for this because it lists all this information and more so every school. It’s not free, but if you are planning on applying to any MD school then you absolutely need it. It lists both the top and bottom tenth percentile of GPAs and MCAT scores accepted by each school, along with other very important information. The link to it can be found HERE (NOTE: Only order the online version. The hardcopy version that they now have will not help you). For DO schools, I used the CIB which can be found as a pdf file for free on the AACOM website (see THIS LINK ). It doesn’t list the individual accepted GPA and MCAT stats for each school, but it will tell you the minimum GPA needed to obtain a secondary. This helped me avoid applying to schools that would automatically screen me out.

- Graduate degrees: I also looked at the percentage of matriculants that held a graduate degree. I figured schools with a higher percentage of students with advanced degrees probably considered those grades more heavily than undergraduate grades. This was just a guess on my part and might not be entirely accurate.

- Race/Ethnicity data: This was entirely just a personal thing, but I avoided applying to some schools that had listed the percentage of black applicants as being zero or less than one percent. I really don’t mind being the only black person in a class, but having absolutely no black matriculants felt somewhat odd to me.

- Location: I know beggars can’t be choosers, but I just couldn’t see myself living out in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no support system or places where I could take my daughter for bonding time. Also, if I was going to be without a close support system, I wanted to at least be in a place with readily accessible babysitters in case of emergencies.

- Cost: One school I looked at had the tuition listed at 80,000 a year. Add housing and other costs to that and it really adds up. I still applied, but had I got accepted, it would have been something to really consider.

- Mission Statements: I know this is probably not the most important, but the mission statement of a school will usually tell you if you are a good candidate or not. For example, if a school says that it is committed to training students who will be physicians in a particular area then it might have a regional bias.

- Regional Bias: Look closely at the schools' mission statements and in matriculant data for this. Some schools only accept in-state residents. There is no sense in spending your money applying if this doesn’t pertain to you. For example, I know one of my state schools only takes Louisiana residents and for the other your parents need to be graduates or you have to have some really strong ties to the state.

I think that is pretty much everything I used to narrow down my schools, but if I can think of anything else I’ll make sure to add it to this post in the future.  

Letters of Recommendation (LORs)

With the next application season starting in about three months, now is a good time to start thinking about obtaining letters of recommendation. I’ve been asked a few questions about this, so this is my attempt to answer them. It probably doesn’t cover every aspect of the process, but it should help a little. If there is anything else that you want to know, just send me a message and I can add to the list. Also, be sure to check out the Student Doctor Network (SDN) forums, because they literally have an answer to just about every question you can think of.

When should I ask for letters of recommendation?

I usually ask two months in advance of when I would need the letters. Usually LORs aren’t needed until you complete the secondary application which will be around July or August if you submit at the very beginning. Giving two months will also allow you to send a one month reminder if your letter still has not been written.

How do I approach and ask potential writers?

If you’re still in school, you can always swing by during office hours and ask professors. Just tell them a little about yourself and your goals. Ask them if they would be able to write you a “strong” letter of recommendation. Don’t be afraid to ask if you haven’t interacted much with your professors. In the past, professors who did not know me very well usually asked me for a copy of my CV and personal statement to help them write the letter.

If you have taken online classes or have since moved away from school, e-mail is another great idea. I have asked for LORs by e-mail before, and it really has not been a problem. At most they will want more information about you, which shouldn’t be too hard to provide. I have never been denied a request for a letter, and I really do think people enjoy writing them. Just make sure to give them time. These are very busy people!

In the case of physicians, when you initially contact them for shadowing, don't be afraid to ask if they would also be willing to write you a good LOR. They may not know enough about you to write a strong letter, but they can definitely give a character reference and their thoughts on how much interest you have shown.

How many LORs should I obtain and who should write them?

At the very minimum, I would say it is good to have at least two letters written by science professors and one from a non-science professor. If you are applying to osteopathic schools, a letter from an osteopathic physician is required or strongly recommended for a lot of schools. It is best to go directly to the websites of the schools that you want to attend, and look up the individual requirements. I remember having one school that specifically only wanted two letters, and another really only wanted a letter from the pre-medical committee. It will save you time if you look up the requirements in advance.

For the 2014 cycle, I had letters from the following:

1. My current boss (non-science/research/work)

2. Science professor from my graduate course (science)

3. Science professor/mentor from undergrad (science/research)

4. Science professor from graduate course who was also the advisor of my program (science/advisor)

5. Osteopathic physician (DO/clinical)

Should I have my writers send the letters directly to AMCAS or the schools?

The first time I applied to medical school I had my writers send their letters to each individual school (osteopathic). This can be extremely time-consuming, and it will be hard for you to keep track of everything. I strongly recommend that you set up an Interfolio account (www.interfolio.com). It only costs $19 per year, and you can have your writers send one copy of a letter directly to them. Interfolio will then make copies, and send the letters to wherever you designate them to. Your writers will also be able to send in an electronic copy of their letters and digitally sign it on the website. Super convenient! For AMCAS, the letters will need to be sent directly to their letter service, but this can also be done through Interfolio.

As a non-traditional student who has been out of school for a while, what letters should I get?

Unfortunately, you will still need to obtain letters from science professors who have previously taught you. It is also good to have LORs from employers and possibly clinical letters from places that you may have volunteered at. If you completed grad school, also include letters from graduate professors and your advisor.

How important is a letter of recommendation from my school’s pre-medical committee?

For some schools, this letter is very important (and I have the rejections to prove it). As a non-traditional student though, some schools will allow you to substitute science professor letters for this requirement. The pre-medical committee at my undergraduate institution does not give letters if you have been out of school for more than a few years or if you have a GPA below a 3.0, so unfortunately I was unable to obtain one. The pre-medical committee at my graduate school also did not want to write me a letter (which I mentioned in a previous post), and this hurt me at a couple of schools.

Can I pick and choose which letters I want to send to specific schools?

Yes! AMCAS will let you designate which letters you want sent to specific schools. Interfolio is also great for this because you can have all your letters stored in advance and sent to the individual schools (osteopathic only) at your convenience.

How can I check to make sure the letters meet specific requirements?

This is another plug for Interfolio, but they are the absolute best for checking this. I waived all my rights to view my letters, so I had no idea if they met the requirements of being SIGNED and on LETTERHEAD. This past cycle, I applied to Boston University and they sent me an e-mail stating that some of my letters did not have this. I would not have known otherwise! After that, I made it a point to call Interfolio and ask them which letters did not meet the requirements. The customer service representatives will go through each of your letters and let you know if they have what is needed. You can then send another request to your writers, and they will replace the letters. This is very invaluable because it can mean the difference between an automatic rejection or an interview.

Should I wait to submit my application until I have received all my letters?

As soon as you are ready to submit the application, go ahead and do so. The letters will be required to mark your application as complete once you receive the secondary and submit it. Some schools reject pre-secondary, so there is no need to send letters until you have been asked to do so.

Should I mention osteopathic medicine in my personal statement?

Even if you are only applying to osteopathic medical schools, in my opinion you should not write about osteopathic medicine in your personal statement. When you receive secondary applications, the majority of them will ask "why this school" and "why osteopathic medicine". If you write about this in your personal statement, you will have a really hard time answering the question in your secondary essays without sounding redundant. The personal statement should focus on your desire to become a physician and seek to answer the question "why medicine?". 

FAFSA Time!

It’s going to be another busy week for me, but just wanted to remind everyone to take some time out to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is the application that will qualify you for student loans and grants once you start medical school. Even if you are not enrolled in school, and do not currently hold an acceptance, still go ahead and fill it out with the codes of the schools that you hope to attend. It can only help you in the long run, and if you do not attend school in the fall there will be no consequences to having filled it out.

Also, check with the schools that you plan on attending for individual FAFSA requirements. Even if you are married, an older student, or have children, some schools may still require your parents’ information for aid consideration. I believe the majority of allopathic schools have this requirement, but some osteopathic schools will allow you to leave out parent information if you are over a certain age.

The application is really easy and only takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. It’s easier if you have already filed your taxes, because you can transport the information directly from the IRS into your application. The link can be found HERE.

Wishing everyone a very wonderful and productive week!

Research and Publications

Getting involved in research is not only a great way to enhance your medical school applications, but it also provides invaluable skills that can last for a lifetime. I first became involved in research during my junior year of undergrad, and it was definitely not what I expected it to be at first. For some reason I thought I would just jump into experiments and come out with breakthrough research within my first month. Never mind the fact that I had no previous research experience outside of a few class labs, and I still had a lot to learn.

 My first few months of research involved stuffing pipet tips, washing equipment, and organizing specimens. Although I majored in biochemistry, I started off working in a genetics lab so I was exposed to a lot of new material that I had not yet learned. As time went on, I slowly began to learn about different genetics techniques and I also got to apply some of the biochemistry methods that I had learned. I was soon doing PCR, gene sequencing, electrophoresis, and an array of other things. It had its boring moments, but I always found everything extremely interesting. I was ecstatic when I was asked if I wanted to go travel and present a poster at a summer conference, and this was also the time when I wrote my very first abstract. Attending conferences allowed me to become comfortable with speaking to people and presenting research, and it also challenged me to learn more. There’s nothing worse than being asked a question about your research and not having a clue what the answer is (and yes, I’ve had this happen to me). I continued with the genetics research right up until the day before graduation, and then I had to stop because the grant was only for undergraduate students :-(

Shortly after graduation I applied for a position in the lab that I work for now. It was a stretch since the position preferred someone with a graduate degree, but I figured I would apply anyway. The research involved parasitology and immunology, and I figured it would be a great way to spend a gap year or two before medical school. I was ecstatic when I got the job, and it is what I have been doing ever since. I’m amazed at how much everything fascinates me even after four years, and I’m always getting to learn something new. I get to work with blood, human parasites, and animals! I even got a chance to do my first chamber surgery about a year ago, and for me there is no greater feeling than being able to cut open a living thing, suture it closed, and have it come back to life without any problems once the anesthesia wears off. I absolutely love it!

But in a nutshell, I wrote this post just to say that if you are a pre-medical student and can get involved in research, then please do! It not only helps reinforce some concepts that you will be taught in your classes, but it really does help develop critical thinking skills. Having a research background will cause you to question everything and look at material from many different standpoints. It also gets you out of your comfort zone and allows you to teach others about your work. It is one experience that I am glad that I have, and I most likely will continue to do a little research in medical school and as a physician.

In terms of publications, I recently found out that my lab just got another publication and I wanted to share a bit of it. It can be found HERE. Enjoy!

Extracurricular Activities (ECs)

Taken in 2006: Literally two weeks before giving birth to my daughter

With all the fuss that goes on about GPA and MCAT scores, a lot of people tend to forget another important aspect of the medical school application process: extracurricular activities (ECs). Some medical schools weigh these heavily because it shows that you can be a well-rounded student and balance multiple activities. It’s easy to have a 4.0 GPA if the only thing you do is go to school and study, and it is way more noticeable if you can maintain a high GPA while being heavily involved. In my case, I was extremely involved in when I first started my undergraduate career, and I tried my best to maintain my activities even after I had my daughter. I will say that once I became a mother, it became a lot harder to keep up with my ECs, but I found a way to have meaningful employment that sometimes doubled as community service and work. A lot of students may have to work to support themselves or families, and I know that medical schools take this into consideration as well. I guess the point is to make sure that you are always staying busy. You don’t necessarily have to become an officer of an organization or do community service all the time, but if you can fit it in every once in a while then you should be good to go. With that being said, below is a condensed list of the ECs I listed on my application (along with some commentary) so that you can get an idea of how they may have helped offset some of my low stats.

Research – This is how I killed two birds with one stone. Research offered me paid employment, the chance to write abstracts and present posters out of state, and I even got a few publications. I basically have been doing research since junior year of undergrad. A lot of schools want to see research experience, so if you’re lucky enough to find a lab with money then this is a good route for a non-traditional student or someone who’s been out of school for a while.

Hospital Volunteer – I volunteered 4 hours every Sunday for basically all of 2013. I was in the Labor & Delivery department, so this mostly consisted of getting patients extra blankets, bottles, etc and checking urine and diaper amounts. It was pretty low-key so I used most of the time to study. Being in a hospital is also a good way to get the clinical experience that most schools want, and it lets you know if you really want to pursue medicine for the rest of your life. If you hate being in a hospital or if you don’t like sick people, then you may decide that another career path will work best for you.

Regular Volunteering – Hurricane Katrina hit my very first semester of undergrad, so that is where my volunteering started. My school was one of the emergency centers for the state and since we were closed, I spent a lot of long days and nights helping those being flown in. Clean-up volunteering was on-going for a few months after the storm. I’ve also served as a high school mentor, volunteered at health fairs, read books to elementary children, and helped with a few on-campus events.

Physician Shadowing – I have over 200 hours of this just by spending every day one summer shadowing a DO. This took a bit of effort because I also had to work, but I somehow got it all in. In 2013, I shadowed another DO and got about 20 hours from this. Most osteopathic schools will require a letter from an osteopathic physician, and you usually won’t get it unless you’ve spent some time with the person usually in the form of shadowing.

Employment – Outside of research I also had jobs that included teaching autistic children, working for the Battered Women’s Program legal office, being a coffee house barista, and even working for residential life on campus. The first two jobs doubled as community service in a sense, and my work for the BWP was one of my most meaningful experiences. As a single mother, I needed to make sure that my child was taken care of, but I also really tried my best to have jobs that could benefit my medical school application as well. I’ve also served coffee and worked other odd jobs as well, so don’t be afraid to do what you need to do to take of yourself.

Organizations / Leadership – I served as an officer in a pre-medical organization, and I also was the Vice-President/Co-Founder of an on-campus HIV/AIDS organization. This took a lot of effort and it wasn’t really feasible once I became a mother. I was involved until I couldn’t be anymore though. Case in point: the above picture was taken two weeks before I gave birth to my daughter. The sweat shirt covers my huge belly, but I was out with one of my organizations and a big smile on my face painting houses for the elderly.

Conferences / Presentations – Whether I solely attended a conference or presented at one, I listed them all on my applications. Outside of those related to my research I mostly attended conferences related to medicine, so in my opinion listing them shows the schools that you really are interested. For presentations, I listed conferences that I attended and did not attend separately. Some of the research that has been done in my lab has been presented at international conferences, but I could not attend. If your name is listed on the abstract or poster though, you can still list it and just make a note that you were a contributor. I also listed the travel awards that I received from some conferences.

I think that basically sums up my ECs. I know I didn’t list all the hours, but all my volunteering and community service hours came out to be over 1500 when I had to calculate them for one of my secondary applications. For employment, I usually worked 25-30 hours per week. I know a few people who think they should list being a parent as an EC, but I am somewhat against this. While raising a child and attending school is a huge accomplishment, it is a 24/7 job and not just an activity. I did mention the fact that I am a mother in my personal statement, but I left my activities section for everything else. I also would suggest keeping track of everything you do from the time you start college, because there were quite a few things that I forgot about and failed to mention in previous application cycles. This list can also be put into the form of a CV and used to give to your letter writers when the time comes. 

Money Matters

Looking at my checking account today made me realize one thing: applying to medical school is a super expensive process! I sent a $250 deposit to hold my seat when I first got my acceptance letter, and now I am getting ready to send a final deposit of $1500. That’s vacation money! LOL I know it will all be worth it though, so I’m not too upset. I know quite a few of my readers will be applying to medical school soon though, so I wanted to make this post to give you an idea of the expenses that you will be incurring during the application process. This way you can properly budget for everything. I’ve split everything up in categories, and I hope it helps. Good luck to all those who will be applying this year!

MCAT:

 $275 - $325 (Apparently the test is now in zones. The earlier you register, the cheaper the price)

Letters of Recommendation:

For my LORs, I used interfolio. It’s completely free for your letter writers, but the cost is around $19 per year and there is a fee of $6 every time you submit the letters to each school. Fortunately, they do not charge you for multiple submissions to the same schools, and this comes in handy when you have to get updated letters because of a lack of signature or letterhead (yes, this did happen to me).

Transcripts:

The school that I attended for undergrad sends transcripts for free, but the other schools on my record had fees of $5-$10, so keep this in mind. You will need to send them to the application services and to the school that you eventually become accepted to.

AACOM application fees:

First school: $195

Each additional school: $35

Secondary Fees: $50 - $200

AMCAS application fees:

First school: $160

Each additional school: $35

Secondary fees: $50-$200 per school

Interviews:

This is really specific to the school and the distance of the school from where you live. This number could easily get into the thousands, so keep that in mind. I won’t give the individual costs, but here are the things you should budget for:

- Hotel

- Rental car

- flights and baggage fees

- food

- gas

- business suit and shoes

Once Accepted:

The fees don’t stop after you get accepted, so make sure you budget for the following:

- Class Deposit (For GA-PCOM this was $250 within 30 days and then $1500 before April 1^st)

- Background check fee

- Costs for immunizations and physical exam

- Moving expenses

- One to two months of rent, groceries, and personal expenses while you wait for financial aid to kick in (typically in the middle of the month when classes start)

- School supplies

I believe that’s everything, although I may have missed a thing or two. I also want to add that making sure your credit score is top notch will help you out so much when it comes to school. I am sure that I will need to apply for some loans that require a credit check, so I have been very careful to make sure that I maintain a good credit score and history. It can also come in handy in emergency situations, so it’s good to be on the safe side.

Application Timeline

Another question I get asked the most is when I submitted my application. For the 2013-2014, I made sure to apply as soon as the application cycle opened. Everyone’s experience may be a little bit different from mine, but I figured it would still be helpful to a few people out there. I’m writing it all from memory, so please forgive me if any of the dates are a little bit off.

January/February

If you will be applying for any fee waivers or financial assistance, then this is the best time to make sure that you file your taxes and fill out your FAFSA. Both AAMC and AACOM will require this information. Also, if you plan on taking the MCAT in the spring this will allow you to apply for the AAMC fee waiver as soon as possible. I had already paid for my MCAT by the time I applied for mine, but it would have saved me quite a bit of money had I done it earlier. The AAMC FAP application is now open for those applying for the 2014-2015 cycle so take advantage of it if you can!

May

The AACOMAS application should open around May 1^st, and the AMCAS application opens shortly after that. You won’t be able to submit the application until June, but it gives you a month to add in everything and make sure it’s perfect. The sooner you get started the better because once submitted it can take up to six weeks to process.  You should also send in your transcripts at this time.

This is also the time when you can submit the AACOMAS fee waiver application. I submitted mine around the first week of May, and I was approved on May 24^th. This will allow you to apply to three DO schools for free.

For those of you planning to take the MCAT, this is also a good time to do so because it will ensure that you receive your scores back in June or early July. A lot of schools will wait on these scores, so if you have never taken it, the earlier the better. I did not need to worry about taking the MCAT early this past cycle because I still had scores that were valid (they’re good for three years), so I scheduled mine for July.

Lastly, start asking for letters of recommendations and try to give a one to two month deadline. Be sure to follow-up with your writers because they tend to have busy lives and can forget. You can also ask for these at the start of the year and store the letters in Interfolio. It’s super convenient, and allows you to send your letters to both MD and DO application services.

June

Because I had received a fee waiver in advance and started on my application a month prior, I was able to submit my AACOMAS application on the first week that submissions were allowed. I also submitted my AAMC FAP application on June 10^th and was approved on June 14^th. This allowed me to apply to 14 allopathic schools for free, take the MCAT at reduced cost, get free MCAT assessment tests, and free MSAR and Getting to Know the MCAT books. Unfortunately, I had already paid for all of these months prior so it really was of no benefit to me. The reduced MCAT fee did come in handy when I re-took it in September though.

You want to submit as early as possible, but don’t stress if you don’t get your application in within the first week. The application services do not actually send the applications to schools until weeks later, so the only benefit is being a part of the first batch of applications that are transmitted.

July

AACOMAS released my application around the fourth of July this past cycle, and I started receiving secondaries the next day. I believe AMCAS had a bit of a delay, so I wasn’t verified until August 2^nd. Secondary applications came in pretty fast though. I made sure to have all secondaries mailed back within two weeks of receiving them. The Student Doctor Network website is a great resource for pre-writing your secondary responses because it has the prompts for the previous year. These typically do not change, so it helps save some time.

August-September

This time was spent filling out secondary applications, and playing the waiting game.

October

I received my interview invite around the 16^th of October, but I was first complete at the school around August 27^th. It just goes to show how long of a wait it can be sometimes.

November

I had my first interview and an acceptance a few days later. It was my first-choice school, so I was officially done!

December-May

Unfortunately, most people will not get an acceptance so early in the cycle. This is why I recommend that you apply as early as possible! Don’t feel discouraged if you haven’t been given an invite or an acceptance before March because as you can see there are still five more months to go and this is a very long process.

I have no experience with wait-lists, but I’ve heard stories of some people not being accepted until a few days before classes start in August! So continue to keep the faith and think good thoughts if you have been placed on a wait-list.

I guess that sums everything up. Remember that I did all this from memory so let me know if you think I forgot anything.