Wondering when is an appropriate time to contact medical schools? In this podcast episode, I answer that question and more!
Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A is brought to you by Blueprint MCAT. Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.
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“For a lot of people who didn’t do so well in undergrad and they can’t get their undergraduate GPA above the 3.0 GPA, you said to advocate for yourself.
My question is when is the appropriate time to ask medical school admissions committee members?
And when they’re not so busy reviewing applications, interviewing people getting ready for the next cycle so that I don’t bother them at an inappropriate time. But also, so that I can get an answer that’s not like please check their website?”
Medical schools are typically more willing to have a conversation with you, pre-application, which means right before you are an actual applicant to their school. You can reach out to them and be strategic.
Don’t just email 100 schools, but be strategic. Tell them how you’re interested in their school because of XYZ and talk a little bit of your story. And that you’re worried that because of XYZ, you’re going to be filtered out, even though you have this prolonged upward trend. Ask for their advice.
Be strategic with who you’re asking and why you’re asking. And give a little bit of the story, and not your entire biography. Now, see if they’ll respond to that.
A lot of students, unfortunately, either give way too much information and medical schools don’t have time to read it. Or students give too little information and they don’t give the schools an opportunity to actually provide decent advice or information specific to you.
Our student is planning on taking a postbac and wondering if it would be too early to reach out to medical schools. But I don’t think it’s ever too early to start having those conversations with medical schools.
Undergraduate coursework seems to be more heavily weighted among medical schools. And so, that’s not to say that you can’t go do a hard sciences master, do well, and really help overcome your undergraduate GPA. Obviously, you can still do that. It may just limit the schools that are going to look at that or give you an opportunity.
Now, our student’s masters is a little bit weird because it has that law part in there. Schools may wonder if it’s really the hard sciences and how much weight should they be giving it. In her case, a postbac may be right for her.
There may be some schools out there that may question taking it at a community college and wonder if you’re doing it because it’s easier.
That being said, I don’t like to tell students to go to the formal postbac because that’s a lot more money than just going to a community college. Going to community college provides more flexibility to keep a job or keep doing research, whatever it is you’re doing. Because the courses or the class schedule is a little bit more flexible, than a formal postbac.
Ultimately, look at your situation and your life circumstances. Can you afford it? Does your current situation allow you to do that? Or are you putting yourself in a hard situation and sacrificing a ton to go to this formal postbac when you’d be happier doing a community college postbac?
When asked about her MCAT prep, our student is listening to The MCAT Podcast, and using Blueprint MCAT and Anki flashcards. A little announcement though that Blueprint is soon going to have their flashcards as well. So stay tuned for that!
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I just received my admission to XXXXX! This is unreal and almost feels like I am dreaming. I want to thank you for all of your help with my application. I cannot overstate how influential your guidance and insight have been with this result and I am eternally grateful for your support!
IM SO HAPPY!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP, IM INDEBTED TO YOU! Truly, thank you so much for all your help. Thank you doesnt do enough.
I want to take a few moments and thank you for all of your very instructive, kind and consistent feedback and support through my applications and it is your wishes, feedback, and most importantly your blessings that have landed me the acceptance!
I got into XXXXX this morning!!!! It still has not hit me that I will be a doctor now!! Thank you for all your help, your words and motivation have brought me to this point.
I wanted to once again express my heartfelt gratitude for your help in providing feedback during my secondary applications. Your guidance has been instrumental in my journey.
Just wanted to share my wonderful news! I received my first medical school acceptance! Thank you for all that you do for us Application Academy!!!
I am excited to tell you that I just got my third interview invite from XXXXX today! I can’t believe it. I didn’t even know if I was good enough to get one, let alone three – by mid-September. Thank you so much for all of your help and support up to this point; I would not be in this position without it!!
I wanted to thank you for helping me prepare for my XXXXX interview. Even in a 30-minute advising session, I learned so much from you. Thank you for believing in me, and here’s to another potential success story from one of your advisees!
I just received an acceptance with XXXXX! This is so exciting and such a huge relief and so nice to have one of our top choice schools! I also received an interview with XXXXX which brings the total up to 20 interviews! Thank so much, none of this would have been possible without you!
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