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Understanding American medical school applications
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Why consider the US for medical school?

• Advantages
• More choice of medical schools
• More residency options
• Many of the best schools consider Canadians
  non-international

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Why consider the US for medical school?

• Disadvantages
• Most schools no better than Canadian ones
• Canadian-specific disadvantages
• Discrimination at public schools
• Bad finances
• Financial aid
• Escrow
• Private loans

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What these medical schools want

• Academic excellence (grades and MCAT)
• Research excellence
• Service
• Leadership
• Direct medical experience
• Enormous applicant surplus (30-50 applicants for
  EACH spot)

MD
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Birds-eye view application timeline
Premedical years
Pre-application
Application
Post-application
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Premedical years (Usually 1st-2nd year univ.)

• Academic preparation
• Grades
• Clinical experience
• Research
• Service and leadership

Premedical years
Pre-application
Application
Post-application
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Premedical years (Academic preparation and grades)

• Plan required coursework
• When to take classes?
• Meet premedical advisor
• Make a friend
• Discuss future goals
• Grades (a.k.a. marks)
• MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR
• All grades matter
• Cutoff GPAs?

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Premedical years (Clinical experiences, research,
service)

• Clinical experiences shadowing/volunteering
• Research experiences
• Independence
• Service leadership
• Depth gt breadth
• Being memorable is half the battle
• Mid-college crisis

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Premedical years (Letters of recommendation)

• Get letters IMMEDIATELY
• Need 4-6 (gt Canada)
• MUST have science faculty
• MUST have all research advisors
• Avoid overlap
• Optional physicians shadowed, non-science
  professors

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Premedical years (Asking for a letter of
recommendation)

• Must be outstanding to matter
• "Do you think you know me well enough to write
  me a strong letter of recommendation for medical
  school?"
• Yes ? schedule meeting, discuss content
• Provide
• Cover letter (why you?)
• 1 page CV
• Waiver form, if applicable
• Writer list
• Envelopes
• Premedical committee letters

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Pre-application (Year before you apply)
Premedical years
Pre-application

• Taking the MCAT
• Determining the application year

Application
Post-application
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Pre-application (MCAT)

• Background and format
• Preparation
• Target date summer after 2nd year
• Last possible date June of 3rd year
• Valid for 3 years
• Target score?
• Retaking the test

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Pre-application (When do I apply??)

• 3rd year vs. 4th year
• Applying after 2nd year is impossible (? Canada)
• Gap years
• Can use to strengthen application
• Very common in US
• Median age of entering medical class is usually
  in the mid-20s

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Application (Usually 3rd4th year of university)
Premedical years
Pre-application
Application

• Personal statement and schools list
• Primary application
• Secondary applications
• Interviews

Post-application
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Application (Personal statement, schools list)

• March-April of 3rd year
• Write personal statement
• Make list
• How many schools total?
• Apply to schools with early acceptances
• Avoid single-choice early decision
• Rankings
• Finances
• Schools worth noting

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Application (Primary and secondaries)

• Early June
• Submit AMCAS (a.k.a. primary)
• July-August
• Submit secondary applications IMMEDIATELY upon
  receipt
• Deadlines?
• October
• Interviews begin

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Application (Interviews)

• Schedule immediately, be strategic
• Prepare ALL common questions
• Student Doctor interview feedback
• Interview formats
• Be especially prepared why US?
• Length

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Post-application
Premedical years
Pre-application
Application

• Decisions
• Waitlist movement

Post-application
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Post-application (Decisions)

• November-April
• Rolling decisions
• Accept everyone
• March
• Fixed-date decisions
• May 15
• Multiple acceptance deadline
• May-July
• Do waitlists
• August-September
• Start medical school!

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Important Resources

• www.studentdoctor.net
• Interview feedback
• http//more.studentdoctor.net/schoollist.php?type
  2
• Applicant profiles
• http//www.mdapplicants.com/
• AMCAS official site
• http//www.aamc.org/students/amcas/
• MCAT official site
• http//www.aamc.org/students/mcat/
• US News and World Report medical school rankings
• MSAR

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