premed

Mar 26 2017

Three unique ways to make your med-school application stand out

As pre-medical students we face tough competition for getting into the medical school we want. We are pitted against many other strong applicants, often ones who will have a better GPA or MCAT score than us. This is why it is so important to find ways that make your medical school application stand out. There are two things to focus on when crafting the perfect application: Activities that are unique, which can grab the attention of those who are reviewing your application. And activities that show your character, which demonstrate your commitment to helping others. Adding these things could make the difference between you or someone else getting accepted into medical school.

Here are the three ways to make your medical school application stand out:

Go on a study abroad
Do tutoring
Lead a club at your university

Go on a study abroad:

Going on a study abroad trip looks great on a medical school application. A study abroad trip shows a lot to those who review your application: It shows that you are open to new experiences, you aren’t afraid to leave your comfort zone, and you are exposed to different lifestyles and cultures. This is something which will not only make your application stand out to those who review it but it will also give you some fun stories to talk about in your interview.

Do Tutoring:

Tutoring is another excellent way to make boost your medical school application. Tutoring is excellent for many reasons, but one of them is that it looks great on a your med-school application. Tutoring demonstrates your willingness to help your fellow students, that you take your studies seriously, and that you are good at interacting one-on-one with another person. These are all essential characteristics a physician must possess, so it makes the admission board happy when they see it.

Lead a club at your university:

A huge thing that medical schools want to see in prospective students is that they are leaders. Being able to create a club or be in a leadership role in a club makes you stand out from other applicants. This shows you are someone who is not only a leader but also responsible, which are crucial for being a physician.

As pre-med students we must find ways to make us stand out from the other applicants. This is especially true when your metrics (GPA and MCAT) are not above average or even below average. However, that does not mean we should slack in that department. What it does mean is that there are many ways to improve your chances of getting into medical school. Many pre-med students only focus on the GPA and MCAT, and that gives an advantage to those who take the time to add more to their application.

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Mar 22 2017

What score to aim for on the MCAT 2015

Its important to have a good score on the MCAT because if you don’t have a high enough score often medical schools won’t even bother looking at the rest of your application. Having a good score is essential to being a competitive applicant to medical school. So what is a good score on the new MCAT? The MCAT 2015 introduced a new scoring scale that seems like a radical departure from the old one. For many students this can be confusing. So let’s do a quick review of how MCAT 2015 is scored and then what score you should aim for.

MCAT 2015 Review:

The MCAT 2015 is comprised of four sections. The total score is now scaled from 472 to 528. With each individual section being scored from 118 to 132.

The four sections of the MCAT are:

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

For comparison, on the old MCAT there were just three sections which were scored from 1-15. The main differences between the old MCAT and the new MCAT is that the essay portion of the MCAT was replaced with the psychology and sociology section and the scoring scale was changed to 472-528.

So what score should I aim for on the MCAT 2015?

The AAMC tries to say that you cannot convert scores between the old MCAT and the new MCAT, because of all the changes made to the MCAT. However, that doesn’t mean its any less important than before to do well on the current MCAT 2015. The average MCAT score of matriculants into medical school in 2016 was 508.7 (which corresponds to roughly a 30 on the old MCAT). The average MCAT score of matriculants for each section was 127. This data was obtained from the aamc, you can check the link here.

average-2016-mcat-matriculant-score

Average applicant and matriculant MCAT scores. Picture from aamc website (link above).

Prior to the new MCAT, the national average on the MCAT was 31.4 in 2014, which corresponds to a 511 roughly. This is alot of numbers I know! So what score should I aim for??

510-512 or greater for total MCAT score
~128 per section

This is a safe goal to make for yourself for the new MCAT. This will put you above the average matriculant but is still possible to achieve. Obviously getting a higher score is better, but not necessary. If you achieve atleast a 510 or greater then ultimately your admission to medical school will depend on the other factors of your application such as your GPA, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, etc.

If you want to convert between old MCAT and the new MCAT scores, check out our article here!

And if you want to know the exact GPA and average MCAT score of each medical school, check out our free download here!

Some important things to know about your MCAT score:

– Medical schools want you to have a balanced score among all of your sections. It is not better to make a 132 on one section and then get a 118 on the other sections. Try to show you are balanced in all the sections.

– Your MCAT score is not the only factor in determining your success and ability to get into medical school. There are many other aspects to a competitive medical school application that just your MCAT. These other areas include things such as your extracurricular activies, letters of recommendation, and GPA.

– There is no score that will guarantee you get into medical school. Like I mentioned in the last point, its important that you have a strong application in every area not just the MCAT. Your MCAT score will help get the admission officers to look at your application in the further detail but it alone probably won’t get you into medical school. Make sure you are shadowing, volunteering, and maintaining a high or good GPA.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions, you can always leave a comment down below!

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Feb 18 2017

Frequently Asked Questions by Pre-Meds

Check out our page where we answer some frequently asked questions that pre-meds have! There is also a link to a downloadable pdf!

This is a good place to start if you are a new pre-med! Check it out!

Feb 12 2017

One of the most underrated resources available to a pre-med

blog graphic - pre med community

Hey pre-meds! In this article I got a quick tip or rather a reminder that could help ensure you make better grades. I don’t see many pre-meds taking advantage of one of the best resources available to them. The one right under their nose. Yes, I’m talking about their teachers!

Your teacher’s job is to teach you what you need to know to do well on their tests and learn the material. This is what you are paying for so you should make them work! They can be your number one resource for passing their class. Because not only are they the ones who are making your tests and grading your papers, but they are extremely knowledgeable in whatever they teach. This means that they can probably answer any question you have and make sure you understand it. Not only that but most teachers love the students who are very eager to learn and ask many questions, so it could lead to a potential letter of recommendation too if you are consistent enough! Also seeing that you want to succeed and are so motivated will also help make them more invested in your success too.

Okay so what are the best ways you can start utilizing your teacher more to get better grades?

Visit them during office hours
Asking them questions after class
Sending them emails

Visiting them during office hours: This is a great way to get some one on one time with your teacher. Think of it almost like having a free tutoring session with the person who will be making your tests! Thats pretty awesome! When you come to their office, make sure you have made a list of the questions and problems which are giving you the most trouble. Come with a specific set of questions and or problems to get help with. Your professor wants to help you and it will make it much easier if you come prepared. It can be anything from asking questions about the upcoming test and what will be on it to asking for help on a specific problem you don’t know how to solve.

Asking them questions after class: This is something you should be doing after every lecture if possible. You can’t spend too long asking questions because usually another class is coming in or the professor has some other obligation. But this is a great opportunity to ask one or two simple questions you had from lecture. Use this opportunity to help clarify anything that you found confusing during the class. This is important because it will save you time later from trying to figure it out on your own. Don’t leave lecture without trying to get some clarification on something that confused you. Remember, don’t be afraid to use your teachers to your fullest!

Sending them emails: This method is not as good as seeing them during office hours or asking them a question or two after class but it still can provide you a good opportunity to get some of your questions or problems answered. Obviously talking to your teacher in person will be more productive but it still can be very beneficial to get clarification through email. This can be useful for when you don’t have time to see them during office hours or ask them questions after class or especially if you have some pressing question that must be answered. I have sent my teachers plenty of emails and gotten very helpful responses.

Don’t be afraid to go see your teacher and ask them questions. This is what their job is and what you are paying for. Most teachers will be delighted that you are so interested in what they teach and it will actually help build a relationship with them. Your teachers can be your number one resource. They are the ones making and grading your exams so who better to ask questions to? If you are consistent and motivated to learn they may even be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. So go see your teacher during their office hours, ask them questions after class, or go send them an email! I hope this helped or was a friendly reminder!

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Jan 26 2017

Here’s a much better way to take notes from powerpoints (alternate version)

Hey guys, heres a quick tip to help improve your note taking ability in classes that use powerpoint. As I mentioned in my article , the proper way to take notes , you absolutely shouldn’t be copying down words on the powerpoint if they post them online. This is a waste of your time and doesnt lead to better notes. Instead you should be focusing on what the professor is saying ABOUT those powerpoint slides. I showed a method of how to do that in the article , the best way to take notes in a powerpoint class , where you are able to print out three powerpoint slides on one page with a section for notes next to each slide. This method is for those of you who bring a laptop to class. If you like actually writing something down then I would suggest go reading the other article.

This one is super easy! Simply take the notes straight in powerpoint! Under each slide there is a section for notes. Like this:

premed, pre med, pre-med, medical school, med school, science, chemistry, biology, physics, organic chemistry, Biochemistry, MCAT, GPA, tips , advice, tutorial, doctor, physician, surgeon, college, undergrad, university

Simply add in bullet points in for each of the main things your professor says about the slide. Or you can add notes however you want, thats up to you!

The advantage to this method is that it is faster to type than write. However, the major disadvantage is that you won’t be able to draw. This means you won’t be able to draw structures, reactions, draw out math equations, pictures. As with the other method that I showed in this article , you can draw on the slides. The only downside to that method is that it will cost you some printer paper (not too much) and it is slower to write than to type. So whether you use this method for taking notes on powerpoints or using the other method will be up to you to decide! Think about what kind of class you have and if it would be more beneficial to type what your intstructor says or being able to draw out structures, pictures, reactions, etc.

I hope this helps! Comment down below if you use this method of note taking and if it helped you! Also please share this page with your fellow pre-meds! Stay tuned for more articles!

For more pre-med tips and advice, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

Download a comprehensive medical school rankings report and get the free ebook, The Pre-Med’s Beginner Guide, right now! Download here! Don’t miss out!

Get your Free Pre-Med ebook! Download now!

(You definitely want this!)