Hallie took the MCAT three times, voided it once, and logged 28 full-length practice exams before applying to medical school — and her score barely moved a single point. In this episode of The Premed Years, she talks honestly about what went wrong in her prep, what she eventually understood about quality versus quantity in studying, and how that same lesson came back around when she hit Step 1 in medical school. A Division I fencer who worked overnight ER shifts between tournaments, Hallie built a strong application in every dimension except the one score that gatekeeps the process. She applied broadly to both MD and DO programs, processed real disappointment on the MD side, and found her footing at a DO school where she is now in her clinical years with orthopedic surgery in her sights. She also gets specific about what she is doing right now — walking into orthopedic ORs on her own time, introducing herself to every member of the surgical team, and building relationships with genuine interest rather than calculated positioning. This episode is for any premed who is putting in the hours and not seeing the results, and who needs an honest conversation about what it actually takes to get to the other side.
What You’ll Learn:
– Why taking more practice tests without deep review is one of the most common and costly MCAT prep mistakes
– How to honestly assess whether you understand a concept versus whether you have simply seen it before
– What pursuing a competitive surgical specialty as a DO student actually looks like in terms of preparation and match strategy
– How to build meaningful relationships with attendings and residents before your official surgical rotations begin
– Why the reasons you choose medicine matter as much as the credentials you build to get there
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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!
