AUA's Top Tips for Applying to Med School

If you're considering applying to medical school, you need to check out the top tips that'll help make you a competitive candidate.

Do you dream of becoming a doctor? Do you want to save lives, contribute to medical advancements, solve problems every day, and empower your patients? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then medical school could be the best choice for you! However, applying to medical school can be intimidating and overwhelming when you don’t know what to expect. So, to help you prepare as best you can, the American University of Antigua College of Medicine (AUA) shares their top tips on how you can nail your application:

Prerequisites and requirements

The process of applying to medical school begins long before you submit your application. Here’s what you’ll need to be eligible for med school:

Degree requirements

The first requirement you’ll need to apply to any medical school is a four-year undergraduate degree. A pre-med program is the leading choice for students who want to pursue their MD because it ensures you’re taking the right courses to prepare you for med school. While a pre-med program is a common choice, it’s not the only option.

You could choose to study in programs like life sciences, chemistry, biology, or even the social sciences. As long as you plan ahead and take the prerequisite courses you’d need, you’ll be able to apply for med school. Medical schools will often list the courses students will need as prerequisites for their programs, so make sure you check those out!

GPA

For most medical schools, your GPA is one of the top factors that they consider. And for the schools that have made MCAT scores optional, your GPA becomes an even greater factor. Make sure you compare your GPA to the average accepted applicants’ GPAs at the schools you’re interested in.

Most medical schools will see different versions of your GPA:

• Your overall GPA — your average from all your courses throughout your degree
• Your non-science GPA — your average from your non-science courses throughout your undergrad
• Your science GPA — your average from your sciences and math classes (biology, physics, chemistry, and math)

Each school will look at various parts of your GPA, so you’ll want a high average for all of them. But, your overall GPA may be the most important, as it’s often used to filter through applications before it’s reviewed by admissions.

If you’ve got a low GPA, you can take these steps to make yourself a more competitive candidate:

• Retake classes to improve your grades — especially if you only have one or two classes that could use some boosting
• Add an addendum to your med school application — if there was something you were dealing with for a limited amount of time, this could be the opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned from it and how you’ve improved
• Focus on your MCAT score — your GPA is not the only factor med schools look at. If you’ve got a stellar MCAT score, that could help boost your application
• Shift your target schools — every med school has different GPA criteria. Not all med schools place the largest weight on your GPA. For example, AUA believes in a holistic approach to evaluating applicants that sees you as more than your GPA or MCAT score

MCAT

The MCAT is a standardized test used to assess prospective medical students on their problem solving, critical thinking, written analyses, and knowledge of scientific concepts. While some schools are making the MCAT optional, many still require it for your application. The MCAT is divided into four sections:

• Biological and biochemical foundations of living systems — content from your intro to biology, intro to general and organic chemistry, and biochemistry courses
• Chemical and physical foundations of biological systems — content from your intro to general and organic chemistry, intro to physics, and biochemistry courses
• Critical analysis and reasoning section — your reading comprehension
• Psychological, social, and biological foundations of behaviour — content from your intro to psychology, intro to sociology, and intro to biology courses

A top tip when it comes to your MCAT scores is to apply to schools where your scores make you a competitive candidate. Most medical schools will weed out candidates if their MCAT scores are lower than their designated average. So, if your MCAT score isn’t the greatest, consider applying to med schools that look at more than just your grades and scores, like AUA.

Extracurricular activities

Many med schools will ask about your extracurricular activities. While it’s great to see how rounded you are with your participation in choir or varsity soccer, this is a great spot to highlight activities that would demonstrate your ability to do well in a clinical program.

These extracurriculars include shadowing at a medical office, independent research projects, volunteer experience in the medical field, or anything else that demonstrates your interest in medicine, attention to detail, and compassion for others.

Interview

Interviews can be one of the most stressful parts of the application process, but luckily many med schools ask similar types of questions. A great way to prepare for these questions is to write them down on cue cards with some bulleted talking points on the back. You don’t want your answer to sound memorized or scripted, so the talking points will help you sound prepared and natural.

Here are 10 common questions you could be asked:

• What is your biggest strength?
• What is one accomplishment from your past that you’re most proud of?
• What is the number one issue in health care today and how do you suggest we fix it?
• How would your classmates describe you?
• What would you do if a patient refused treatment that could save their life?
• Is empathy a skill that can be taught to doctors?
• What experience do you have working with diverse populations?
• Tell me about a time you had to solve a problem by thinking outside the box.
• Tell me about the most challenging period in your life and how you worked through it.
• Why did you apply to this specific program?

Check out this list of the top 100 most common medical school interview questions.

Additional requirements

You can also expect to need to submit additional documents when applying to med school. Some other requirements you may need to submit are:

• an essay — usually providing more detail on your academic journey or personal circumstances
• a resumé outlining your extracurricular activities
• reference letters — these requirements vary from school to school, but usually involve at least one letter from an academic referee, such as a professor from your undergraduate studies, and one from a professional referee, such as a supervisor you had in a working role
• your CASPer test results — this situational judgement test is quickly gaining popularity in the Canadian medical school system, as it is now required by a dozen of Canada’s 17 medical schools
• a criminal background check

How many med schools should you apply to?

There is no right answer, but the more schools you apply to, the better your chances to be accepted. In Canada, there are only 17 medical programs to choose from. However, these programs are all incredibly selective as their average acceptance rate is lower than 20%. So, you shouldn’t limit your options to only schools in Canada. Consider branching out to the U.S. or the Caribbean.

The recommended average number of schools to apply to is between 16 and 20. Make sure you apply to med schools where you’re confident you have a realistic chance of being accepted. Check out AUA’s article for more advice on how many and which schools you should apply to.

Applying to medical school is no easy accomplishment, so make sure you give yourself enough time to put your best foot forward. The application process can take a few months, as you must write the MCAT, collect your references, write your personal essay, and attend an interview.

If you don’t get accepted to medical school on your first try, don’t give up! Review your application to see where you could improve, whether that’s your MCAT score, your personal essay, more relevant experience, or even your interview, and then apply again next year!

With these top tips in mind, you’re sure to be a competitive applicant when applying to med schools!