❓Ask an Expert How to Summer Smarter: Application Season, Acceptance, & Transitioning
Vested
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Hello, fellow pre-med students!
Application season is afoot, so I’m sure many of you are wondering how to make the most of this summer. For those who are preparing to submit the application soon, remember to include the activities you plan to do until admission on your application. Medical schools understand that future details can change but do prefer students to stay engaged with extracurriculars after application submission. In fact, many admission advisors prefer longitudinal meaningful experiences over a high quantity of activities. While the activities students find meaningful vary, schools do prefer students to have direct patient facing hours. It’s also a good idea to have a list of schools you do want to attend. Look beyond a school’s ranking and see if their values align with yours. Perhaps you prefer working with underserved or rural populations. Maybe you would want research to be an important part of your medical education. When you do find what you value, make sure your application reflects that as well. Some schools even have multiple campuses that have different goals. If you are applying to those schools, and they ask your campus preferences, be able to articulate your reasons on the secondary application and interviews. When secondary applications do roll out, aim to submit as soon as possible (no longer than two weeks). Secondary applications tend to come in batches so for organization’s sake, keep a checklist of schools you have submitted to and which ones you still need to complete. Use your downtime to practice interview techniques, which will make interview day less stressful. Kaplan Mock interview sessions are a terrific way to practice!
For those who are planning to submit the application next cycle, now would be a suitable time to think about when you can set aside some time to study for and take the MCAT. This is a major aspect of your application so try to maximize that score. Try to have all prerequisite courses complete before you sit down for the test, especially biochemistry. Preparatory courses can be a wonderful way to make sure you brush up on rusty knowledge and keep you on an adaptive schedule. Kaplan tutors are great at helping you design a schedule that suits your needs! Since medical schools prefer longitudinal activities, make sure you have some you can speak about on your application. Now would also be a great time to start narrowing down which schools you could see yourself attend. Reach out to programs, find out their statistics, and see if their values align with yours.
For those who have already been accepted—congratulations! There are still a few things you can do to make your transition to medical school smoother. Many schools have a list of requirements they need you to complete before matriculation. Things like Hep B revaccination can take time so plan accordingly. If you can reach out to other classmates, check with them if you are completing everything your school requires. Medical school courses can be overwhelming so if your school is far from home, make sure you take the time to visit the area beforehand and find housing. For those who want to brush up on their medical knowledge, I would recommend learning more about anatomy. It’s one of the first areas medical courses start with that isn’t a prerequisite for most schools. Often a student’s first anatomy class will be in medical school, and it can be overwhelming.
Lastly, regardless of where you might be on your application journey, make sure you are taking care of yourself. Burnout is especially prevalent in medical school, so it is a great idea to learn good self-care techniques early on. This is a stressful process so make sure you eat healthy foods when you can, get some physical activity in, check in on your mental health, take adequate time off to recharge, and spend time with people you enjoy having in your lives.
You’ve got this!
-Deap Bhandal