Medical School Admissions - Thumbs DOWN.

From Recess to Professional Acedemics

The pleasure of the medical school admissions process most favorably compares with a scene from a recent movie Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, in which the main character is tea bagged by a 5'5 350 pound gorilla-like man. The movie makers leave nothing to the imagination as Borat is smothered by thick, hairy testicals and a baby carrot-sized penis. As I have yet to find myself in a similar situation, I can only guess that this whole medical school admissions thing is just about as enjoyable.

Traditional students, like myself, spend four years developing our resume for the admissions process. During this time, our lives revolve around the fact that grades other than an 'A' might as well be an 'F', not to mention the countless pursuits of extracurricular activities, clinical experience, and seducing a number of faculty members to write good letters of recommendation. Statistics show that more than 50% won't survive the dog fight and will contemplate reapplication attempts in the following years. Two years ago, I would have developed the following model for a successful applicant:

(>3.5 GPA) + (>3.7 BCPM GPA) + (~30 MCAT) + (5 Good Letters of Recommendation) + (Research Experience) + (Clinical Experience) + (Extracurricular Activities) + (Desire for Medicine) = The Coveted Seat

Cue the obnoxious buzzer. WRONG.

Thousands of students are still in the middle of the this years application season, sitting on the edge of their seats 24/7 and hoping for the good news. 50% in, and 50% out. And what do the statistics point to? Follow along with me and I'll explain.

Most all medical school application processes begin with the AMCAS application. If you have decent numbers you are asked to complete secondary applications during which you'll answer a bunch of annoying essay questions and send them a moderate fee. If they like you, you will be granted an interview. The interview puts you in front of a school representative, either student or faculty. The interviewer will ask you questions about your motivation, ethical standards, etc. Days or weeks later, the interviewer presents you to an admissions committee. After minor introductions, your interviewer and the dean of admissions rise. The dean then begins...

"Heads, or Tails?"

"Heads."

... a quick flip of the wrist, and:

"Accepted."

Maybe the statistics don't lie? 50/50 sounds awful close to a simple technique my friends and I utilized to settle who would be captains for touch football. It is now more obvious than ever that the tradition has continued further than expected: From recess to professional academics.