Medical School Costs

Here's a short downer of an article on medical school debt. Per the NEJM, The median cost of attending medical school for one year (including fees) is $62,243 at private schools and $44,390 for state residents at public schools. The graph - following the trends in cost and reimbursements over the past ten years - is particularly grave.

Interviews: What are they really looking for anyway?

It helps to prepare for your interviews by considering what the questions are really asking. There are several reassurances medical school, residency and fellowship interviewers are seeking:

1. Are you sure you know what you're doing? If you're applying to medical school, can you demonstrate that you are familiar with what being a doctor entails? (Giving examples of clinical experience helps.) If you are applying for residency or fellowship, are you confident you want to be a [insert specialty or subspecialty here]? Institutions do not want to accept someone who later quits. It looks bad and can be very inconvenient, especially for residency and fellowship schedules!

2. Are you crazy? Is there anything that tips the interviewer off to some problem personality? Are you going to harass your colleagues, commit a crime or do anything that will cause the institution extra work and embarrassment? (A colleague told me about an applicant who started his interview by putting his feet on her desk and ended it by winking at her. Needless to say, he was not ranked to match.)

3. Are you really interested in this institution? If we send you an acceptance/ put you high on our match list will you really come here? You can try to convince them by knowing the institution and the city it's in.

For individualized help on your interviews give me a jingle: insidermedical@gmail. I have excellent feedback from my clients on my personalized mock interviews: http://insidermedicaladmissions.com/about/testimonials.shtml .

The blog will take a short break over the Christmas holiday.

Offers outside of the match

One of my clients emailed me to say she was already offered a residency position outside of the match but had a short deadline by which to make her decision or the offer was off the table. (This was the first program at which she had interviewed.) She asked me what to do. I'd love to say I had a great answer.

Taking a position outside of the match (before you have time to interview at other places) is safe and very understandable. But some people are risk-takers and would rather wait it out and see what happens in the Match. I don't think one or the other is the right way to go: It really depends on your risk tolerance. I recommend relying on your family and your gut to make a decision like this one because it is so individual.

But such a conundrum is a nice problem to have, huh?


For help practicing for your interviews (as the client above had done) contact me at insidermedical@gmail.com or check out InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Napping on the job?

The saga continues. Read this editorial on resident (and medical student) fatigue. I agree that mandating a nap is impossible to enforce. And can you imagine the chutzpah a resident would have to have to demand his/her nap in the current hierarchical medical training system?

How to be a good doctor

Anyone who reads my blog knows I am a big New York Times fan. There was another good article recently (even my mom pointed it out to me) regarding hubris in physicians. Just like in a good Greek tragedy, being arrogant can hurt you and your patients. Take a look at the article and remember my advice: If a nurse ever asks you to come see a patient do it. You'd be surprised how many times they can save the patient... and you.

Medical Training: Long and Dangerous Hours

Check out this NYT's article on residency training hours. What the author doesn't mention is that - despite the mandatory maximum 80-hour work week - many residents are working more. The residents have no incentive to report this to the Residency Review Committee (RRC) because they don't want to find themselves in unaccredited programs. The incentives are misaligned, leaving the residents without recourse.

Interesting feedback

A client emailed me to tell me that during one of his visits for residency interviews, a faculty member asked the group of applicants if anyone had hired a professional for mock interviews. My client was the only one to raise his hand. (I give him a lot of credit for his bravery.) The faculty member praised him publicly, and my client thinks he had a particularly good interaction with the faculty member later during their interview session.

I think it's interesting that professional admissions services are being viewed so positively by some faculty and programs.

For help with your interviews please contact me at InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com . I am booking 2 weeks in advance so email me soon.

How to evaluate an institution: Notes and vibe

A few applicants have asked me how to keep track of the institutions at which they interview. I do think taking notes immediately after your visit is worthwhile. Writing down your initial thoughts can be very helpful when you have to make decisions months later.

But I have to emphasize that I'm a firm believer in "vibe." Once you've narrowed down your list by geography and quality and once you review your notes, the decision you'll be making will be based primarily on how you felt about an institution. If this sounds too touchy-feely remember that intuition is not a magical assessment; it's based on major and minor facts that you consciously and subconsciously analyze.

For individualized help with your interviews contact me at InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

The blog will take a short hiatus over the holiday and the beginning of next week. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Health care costs: Causes

There's an interesting article by economist Reinhardt that was published last week in the New York Times about what factors drive up health care costs. You'll notice that doctors' salaries are not mentioned; please see Reinhardt's 2007 article for the reason for this intentional omission.

Interview Strategies: Don't be intimidated

I've had two med students recently tell me that they felt intimidated after reading postings from other applicants on the student doctor sites. In general these web sites can be very helpful; but please don't take other people's braggadocio to heart. If you think the comments are affecting your confidence take a break from reading them. You want to approach your interviews with self-assurance.



For help building confidence for your interviews through practice with an experienced professional, contact me at insidermedical@gmail.com or InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

How to handle illegal interview questions

When I was interviewing for residency, a committee member asked me, “Do you have a boyfriend?” I found out after my session that he had asked the same question to all of the women interviewing at the program that day. (Apparently, soon thereafter he was disinvited from the admissions committee.)

Unfortunately, the occasional medical school, residency and fellowship interviewer will pose illegal questions about a candidate’s personal life. If you do not want to answer such a question (as most people do not) this is my suggestion:

Most interviewers do not really care about your personal life. They are asking you inappropriate questions (“Do you plan to have children in the next few years?”) because they are attempting to assess the likelihood of their accepting you to their program only to have you quit to manage personal obligations. Therefore I recommend allaying their underlying concern. Here’s an idea for an answer:

“What I think you’re gauging is whether I might leave my training. Let me assure you that if I were accepted at this institution I would absolutely complete my full tenure because I am very enthused about training here and pursuing my career.”

Wala! You’ve avoiding answering the question, calmed the interviewer and... not lost your temper.


For one-on-one interview practice contact me through InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com or at insidermedical@gmail.com. A comment from a client about her recent mock interview, “Highly recommend it. Well worth the money.”

Positive reinforcement in medical training: A very novel concept

Here's another Pauline Chen MD article worth reading. This one concerns the predominance of punishment over positive reinforcement in medical training and one researcher's novel approach to counter this phenomenon. It's another bittersweet essay but worth a read.

Quick tip: Be nice on the interview trail

It can be super stressful on the interview trail: You're worried about your performance and your travel details. Perhaps you haven't slept much. But I would recommend being at your best with two groups of people you might not have considered:

1. Secretaries/administrative assistants. These people often have tremendous power. When the administrative assistant used to tell us someone was rude to her on the phone we listened and it affected that person's candidacy. In fact, I even recommend sending thank you notes after interviews to the secretaries, assuming they helped you directly.

2. Other applicants. You will see some of these people again. It may be immediately or in a few years, but remember that one day the candidate who is sitting next to you might be able to help you when you have a scheduling emergency or family issue.

For one-on-one practice for your interviews contact me through InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com . Remember that I am scheduling two to three weeks in advance.

Interview Strategies: What (not) to wear

A lot of clients ask me what to wear to medical interviews: Your principal goal is not to get noticed for your clothing at your interview. I would generally recommend avoiding the following:

1. Clothes that are casual. Semi-formal attire is appropriate.
2. Clothes that are goofy. Avoid cartoon ties, outlandish stockings, silly hats.
3. Clothes that are revealing. (Enough said.)
4. Clothes that are uncomfortable. It's not smart to wear heels that will keep you from focusing on the hospital tour. Avoid the temptation despite the cosmetic appeal.
5. Clothes that don't fit the weather. Your interviews will be inside, but you may have to travel outside to get from one interviewer to the next.

For individualized help with your interviews please check out http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/. See testimonials from my clients' regarding their enthusiasm with the interview assistance I offer.

Don't forget to vote!

Med school: A real downer

Granted, my work here is to help candidates get into medical school (and residency and fellowship), but I still think I should point out a heartfelt piece by Pauline Chen, MD in the New York Times about depression and isolation in medical school. It's worth a look, but be forewarned that it is a downer. I think a lot of MDs - including myself - will agree with her assessment of medical school.

(Happy Halloween!)

Quick tip: Social events on the interview trail

Sometimes applicants are invited to a dinner the night before interviews or optional drinks after. I strongly recommend attending these social engagements if you are able. This is your opportunity to demonstrate interest in the institution, gather information you might not get otherwise and highlight your social skills. One caveat: Even if you are told you can say/ask anything at these events without effect on your candidacy keep your guard up and watch what you say and do.

For one-on-one mock interviews contact me at http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ . I am scheduling up to two weeks in advance so please get in touch with me soon.

Interview Strategies: Go Carry-On

Here's another blog entry on interview strategies. Today's topic is luggage. As boring as it sounds, I want to make the case for going carry-on for two reasons:

1. Cost (on some airlines).

2. You do not want to show up to your interview in shorts. Your interview clothes should be with you at all times. I know of a true story of a residency applicant who came to his interview in jeans and a t-shirt because his luggage was lost. He arrived by plane the morning of the interview (a poor idea), had packed his clothes and - rather than be late - he showed up casual. Although you can explain the dilemma, being flustered and in flip flops is not going to instill confidence in your candidacy. If you were on the committee wouldn't you worry about this person's organizational skills and common sense?


For one-on-one mock interviews with copious verbal and written feedback please contact me at insidermedical@gmail.com or see my website www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Interview Strategies: Cutting Costs

This is my first of many blog entries about interview strategies. I want to start by exploring ways to decrease costs, especially considering current sky high air fares. Here are several suggestions:

1. If you are ambivalent about an institution, schedule your interview later. By January you may decide not to interview there at all, saving you some money.

2. Group your interviews geographically. If you think this is impossible, consider this: There is nothing wrong with calling an institution and letting the assistant know you have been invited to interview at a nearby school/program, you can only afford to fly out to the area once and consequently, might the admissions committee be willing to let you know as soon as possible if their institution will be offering you an interview as well? As long as you are polite about your request, this is completely appropriate and won't harm your candidacy.

3. Check out travel web sites daily. Occasionally, a low price is available only if you catch it quickly.

4. Consider staying with students/residents if the institution offers. Hotels can be expensive, and sometimes you can gather useful information about the school/program this way. Just beware that anything you do or say may be repeated to the admissions committee. (Make sure to write a thank you note.)

For one-on-one interview practice please contact me via InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com . I am scheduling mock interviews up to two weeks in advance so email me as soon as possible.

Quick tip: Nontraditional medical school applicants

Many nontraditional medical school candidates have impressive accomplishments on their resumes. However, it's important for these candidates to ensure that their successes don't paradoxically harm their applications: Candidates who have thriving careers in other fields need to go the extra mile to prove their interest in leaving what they have for medical school. No admissions committee wants to accept a candidate who then quits school to resume his or her original field. You need to convince the committee that you won't be that person.

Having a lot of clinical experience is a good way of doing this. Also, conveying clearly in your application and interviews an interest in your current field (don't be negative) but a much stronger drive to become a doctor - despite the difficult training - is important. (Acknowledging the long road ahead shows you've had a reality check.)

Nontraditional candidates who want personalized assistance should check me out at www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

The recession and medical school

A friend was asking me how I thought the current recession was going to affect medical school applicants.

Historically, when the economy has worsened medical school applications have increased. Presumably, this is because medicine is a stable field; it's rare to find a doctor who wants to work who's unemployed. Furthermore, with the credit crunch, it's probable that medical schools will have poorer financial packages available for potential students.

All in all, the financial situation makes things harder for medical school applicants in more ways than one. Because the application season already got underway prior to the most recent financial downturns, I'm hoping the changes won't be felt until next year (or later).

For help optimizing your application to medical school please see www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Personal statement and secondary essay pitfalls

Here's an oldie-but-goodie blog entry written by my colleague Ann Levine who is a law school admissions consultant. I have found these same errors in medical application essays, especially Ann's number four "I believe" (and its corollary "I feel"). Along these same lines, please see my blog entry about the importance of brevity in essay writing.

For one-on-one help with your statement please contact me at insidermedical@gmail.com or see www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Quick tip: ERAS and AMCAS pitfalls

Here are a few errors to avoid in composing your ERAS and AMCAS:

1. Use full sentences. Some applicants erroneously use phrases in their activity descriptors. You're submitting a formal application, and full sentences are appropriate.
2. Avoid abbreviations. Again, we're talking about a formal application here so let's treat it as such. Also, abbreviations you think are common might be unintelligible to the reader.
3. Ensure the email address you offer has a spam detector that is set low. You don't want to miss important emails.
4. Do a spell and grammar check. Don't submit only to be embarrassed by a simple error.
5. Get help. Do not send your application without having it reviewed. You cannot afford to submit suboptimal materials.

For professional, individually-tailored assistance with your AMCAS or ERAS please check me out at www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com . My testimonials page is growing!

IMGs and J-1 visa waivers

As many international medical graduates know, the J-1 exchange visa is restrictive and its corresponding waiver is highly coveted.

There was an interesting article in the New York Times this week regarding the symbiotic relationship that can develop between medically-needy, non-urban areas and IMGs who want their J-1 waiver. Because medical school costs are so high, many American graduates focus their job hunting on urban centers, leaving the needy rural areas without adequate physician penetration.

The article is a good, short read, especially for IMGs considering their future options.

Quick tip: ERAS and AMCAS content

Here's an important tip for those who have not yet submitted their applications to medical school or residency:

If your reader does not understand an activity (or activities) on your application you will not get "credit" for what you've done. Although you are very familiar with your accomplishments you need to spell them out in your application as though you are speaking to a lay person.

I read an interesting observation once that when small children do not understand something they don't cry or get agitated; they simply look away and focus elsewhere. Imagine that this applies to your adult admissions committee member as well. You must explain your research, clinical experience, volunteer work, etc. in the simplest terms if you want your reader to concentrate on it.

For help with your ERAS, AMCAS or secondaries check me out at www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Catchy personal statements

I've blogged before about the importance of starting your essay with a "clincher," something that will convince the reader your statement is worth reading: I found this short piece in the Stanford Magazine worth a read. The author compiled a list of first lines from the application essays of Stanford's newest college class.

Some of my favorites:

Unlike many mathematicians, I live in an irrational world; I feel that my life is defined by a certain amount of irrationalities that bloom too frequently, such as my brief foray in front of 400 people without my pants.

When I was 8 years old, I shocked my family and a local archaeologist by discovering artifacts dating back almost 3,500 years.

As an Indian-American, I am forever bound to the hyphen.



For help with your medical school, residency or secondary essays contact me: www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Quick tip: Personal statement content

On September 8th I wrote an entry on the number one mistake I see in personal statements (wordiness). Today I'm writing about the number two mistake I see.

Writing an essay that is not distinctive to you is a waste of a chance to sell yourself. If any sentence in your essay could have been written by someone else the phrase should be omitted.

The goal of your essay is to highlight your accomplishments and activities and demonstrate how the qualities you have garnered from them will make you a good [insert doctor or specialist here]. So if you say, "Internal medicine is an excellent specialty because it encompasses clinical medicine, research, technology and preventive care" you are not writing a personal essay. You are simply writing an essay... and a dull one at that. This concept is valid for medical school secondary essays as well.


For help making your essay distinctive and increasing your admissions appeal contact me at
http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ .

Secondary essay dilemma

Many of my med school applicant clients have been emailing me about their frustration over the number of secondary essays they have to complete. It might sound like a nice problem to have but remember that many schools send out secondaries indiscriminately - to all applicants from whom they received primary applications. It's cynical but true: Secondaries are a way for schools to make a little cash.

I recommend the following to keep your workload to a manageable level:

1. Start to prioritize where you want to attend school. If you've applied to fifty schools (some people do) and have received an equivalent number of secondaries, this is the time to consider which schools you want to eliminate. Don't be flattered by the fact that you were asked to complete secondary (especially because, as mentioned above, some schools send them out to all applicants).


2. Try to use the same essay for several secondaries. With some small changes (or better yet, none at all) an essay may be versatile.


3. Get help from a professional. I edit scores of essays every month. I offer secondary essay editing as part of my services.


For individualized help on your secondary essays, go to http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/applicants/medapplicant.shtml .

Competitiveness of a specialty's match is related to projected income

Mark Ebell, MD (University of Georgia) just published an article indicating that a higher salary in a particular specialty tends to mean more U.S. med students fill residencies in that specialty at academic hospitals.

For example, family medicine had the lowest average salary last year at $186,000; it also had the lowest share of residency slots filled by U.S. students (42%). Orthopedics, on the other hand, paid $436,000, and 94 percent of residency slots were filled by U.S students.

I think it's hard to blame U.S. med students for this trend: the Association of American Medical Colleges reports that the average graduate last year had $140,000 in student debt (up nearly 8 percent from the previous year). Yikes!

For help getting into that better-paying :) and hopefully, personally-satisfying specialty get help from me at http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ .

Study shows waning med student interest in primary care

Hauer, et al published an interesting study in the recent issue of JAMA demonstrating that only two percent of nearly 1,200 fourth-year medical students surveyed plan to work in primary care internal medicine. (Click here to view the abstract.) Factors likely include lower insurance reimbursements for primary care visits (Medicare's fee schedule pays less for office visits than for simple procedures) and associated lower salaries.

Interestingly, 19.4% of the med students studied responded that their core IM clerkship made a career in general IM seem more attractive, whereas 48.8% responded that it made a career in subspecialty IM more attractive.

For help with your residency application check out http://www.insidermedicaladmsisions.com/ .

Quick tip: Personal statement length

The number one mistake I see with personal statements is wordiness. Remember to keep your essay at a single-spaced page or under (forget the word count) and avoid flowery language. As my colleague Dr. Presser says (see the bottom of this blog for his credentials), a writer should imagine s/he is being charged for each word.

So when you read your PS draft say to yourself, "If I had to pay $5 for each word how would I save myself some bucks?"

For one-on-one help with your personal statement editing please see http://www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

How important is applying early?

Because yesterday was the day when students could start applying to residency programs through ERAS, I've had a lot of clients recently ask me about the importance of getting their applications in now. These are my thoughts:

1. Yes, getting your ERAS in early helps. At the beginning of the season there weren't many ERASes to review so I recall giving more time and attention to the early applications. I was also impressed by students who could get their materials in promptly.

2. On the other hand, if your application is not in its best shape then submitting early is a huge mistake. Waiting a few weeks is absolutely preferable to submitting a suboptimal ERAS that will be tossed into the "do not invite" pile.

For personalized help on your residency application check me out at Insider Medical Admissions.

Geriatrics Fellowship Training in the News

Geriatrics as a subspecialty has been somewhat unpopular in part because of poor reimbursements. As we know, procedure-based subspecialties are best remunerated. Having said that, as the elderly population grows and the government offers some loan forgiveness programs, the field is having a bit of a resurgence. Most Geriatric Medicine fellowship programs are available to candidates from both Internal Medicine and Family Medicine backgrounds and use ERAS. Click here for a list of ERAS-participating specialties and programs, including Geriatrics. There was a short piece on NPR that is now posted on their site about Geriatrics that is worth a listen.

For one-on-one help from me with your fellowship application please see the Insider Fellowship Page for a detailed list of my admission services.

AMSA 2009 Annual Convention Speaker!

Great news! I've been invited to be a featured speaker at AMSA's 59th Annual Convention to be held in Washington, DC March 11-15, 2009. In the past the American Medical Student Association's national meetings have been the largest annual gatherings of medical students in the United States. I'll be offering an interactive lecture on insider tips for optimizing residency applications.



For one-on-one help with your application to medical school, residency or fellowship please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ .

Tips for how to improve the likelihood of training in a city you enjoy

Please see my July 12 blog entry about the importance of prioritizing a nice place to live for your medical training, if possible. As I pointed out, not everyone gets the opportunity to go to medical school or train in a residency and fellowship program in a city that is fun and populated by a personal support system. However there are a few things that can be done to increase your chances:

1. For residents, tailor your personal statements. (ERAS allows you to do this.) I have advised people who are desperate to be in a particular city to make that clear with an extra sentence in their essays. (Just make sure, via ERAS, that you send the correct personal statement to the correct program.)
2. For medical school, residency and fellowship applicants, tell all the important individuals you encounter at your interviews. Some programs may not believe, for example, a Californian will move to the East Coast. (As a devote Californian, I hardly believe it.) If you want to move let them know and tell them why so that you are convincing.
3. For all applicants, when you write thank you notes tell the receivers.
4. For all applicants, choose accordingly. Don’t box yourself in by pursuing schools/programs in cities you cannot stomach. You may feel you need to apply broadly because of weaknesses in your application or because of how competitive medical school admissions or your specialty is. This is reasonable for many candidates. But if you have some options, explicitly consider geography as well as school/program reputation. This is particularly important for residency and some fellowship applicants who are bound to their match lists.

As I said in my July 12 entry, where you live for your medical training is as important (or more so) than the quality of your training program. For one-on-one help from me with your application please see www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Might there be an easier way?

I can't help myself. Here's another interesting NYT article. This one chronicles the growth of the physician assistant and nurse practitioner roles.

As anyone reading (and writing) this blog knows, becoming a physician requires a tremendous financial and time commitment. According to the article, the average total income for physician assistants in full-time clinical practice is about $86,000, and the average total income for nurse practitioners is $92,000. Considering how many fewer years of training (and thus tuition) one needs, being a physician assistant or nurse practitioner is an interesting alternative for those who want to be clinicians.

Here's the link.

Controversy in New York

Here's another great NYT article. This piece discusses the controversial move by New York City’s Health and Hospitals Corporation to provide clinical training for St. George's University medical students at the city’s public hospitals. The Corporation has signed a 10-year, $100 million contract with St. George's.

Students in New York are understandably concerned that their training might be suboptimal with the influx of new students. (A problem we had at Harvard Med was the rare ability to practice procedures because of the high numbers of fellows, residents and medical students vying for experience in the Harvard hospitals).

Here's the link to the article.

For residency applicants: Where to apply

Assuming you’ve chosen your specialty (or at least have a couple in mind), a good way to get started in considering where to apply to residency is to check out FREIDA. This service is provided by the American Medical Association and is available on line: http://www.ama-assn.org/vapp/freida/srch/ . FREIDA allows you to define your search by specialty, location (see my previous blog entries on the importance of geography) and program size, amongst other specifics. It then provides all programs that meet your criteria and their details – program director, program coordinator, web site address, etc.

With this information you can pick programs initially and then contact residencies for information including application requirements; accreditation status; ERAS use; special requirements for personal statement and letters of recommendation; unique deadlines and, as necessary, if they IMG-friendly.

For one-on-one help applying to residency – strategy sessions, assistance with your ERAS, personal statement and interviews – please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/applicants/residencyapplicant.shtml .

Doctor and Patient at Odds?

Here's another NYT article about dissatisfaction in medicine. This piece (unlike the other one I blogged on) is about patient disillusionment. I think it's worth a read for those training to be physicians. Click here to read the article "Doctor and Patient, Now at Odds."

"Cliff notes" for the MSAR

In my last blog, I wrote about the utility of the MSAR for choosing where to apply to medical school. (Remember, though, that the MSAR only includes schools in the U.S. and Canada.) I wanted to suggest a good web page I found that highlights medical schools' average GPAs and MCAT scores, data that comes directly from the 2008-9 MSAR. Although this data is technically a year old, this site is useful if you don't have a MSAR at home: http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/downloads/gpamcat.pdf .

Alternately, you can order the brand new 2009-10 MSAR from the AAMC web site and Amazon (currently cheaper).

For one-on-one help applying to medical school – assistance with your AMCAS, personal statement, secondary essays, your interviews – please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/applicants/medapplicant.shtml .

For medical school applicants: Where to apply

Many clients tell me they don’t know where to start in picking which medical schools are appropriate for their application list. I recommend starting with the MSAR. This book (fully titled Medical School Admission Requirements) is published by the Association of American Medical Colleges and lists all U.S. and Canadian medical schools. Unfortunately, the MSAR does not include schools outside the U.S./Canada, including those in the Carribbean, Mexico, Israel, etc. However, it’s still a good start. The MSAR lists selection factors that can help you compare your qualifications to schools’ accepted applicants.

Considering how competitive medical school is, I recommend setting your sights on getting an MD (or DO), rather than on attending a particular school. (As we discussed earlier, geography is important, and it’s fair to rule out schools based on their location. But understand this might hurt you if you are not a competitive candidate.) Ensure you create a list that has three tiers of schools: Your dream schools, more realistic schools and schools you would be less excited about but you would attend if admitted.

For one-on-one help applying to medical school – assistance with your AMCAS, personal statement, secondary essays, your interviews – please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/applicants/medapplicant.shtml .

The importance of geography for your medical school, residency and fellowship applications

When I was a medical student applying for Emergency Medicine residency programs, a well-meaning dean gave me some bad advice. I was deciding the order of my rank list and was particularly concerned about one program that had an excellent reputation but was in a city I didn’t like. The dean told me, “You’ll be so busy during residency it won’t matter where you live.” Luckily, the advice rubbed me the wrong way, and I wholeheartedly disregarded it. Where you live for your medical training is as important (or more so) than the quality of your training program! The reasons are several-fold:

1. Medical training is extremely time-consuming, and you want to be in a city you can enjoy fully when you’re able to blow off steam.
2. Medical training is extremely stressful and you want to be in a city where you have social support.
3. Medical training is not completed in a vacuum. Your personal life continues. If you’re single you may meet someone and end up staying in the city where you have trained for the rest of your life (gasp). If you’re in a long-term relationship you may decide to have children or may already have them. Down the road you may not want to relocate your family.

Not everyone gets the opportunity to go to medical school or train in residency and fellowship programs in a city s/he likes. But you can make choices that will increase your chances. In a future blog entry I’ll talk about how. In the meantime, prioritize geography and certainly don’t be embarrassed to do so!



For one-on-one help with your application please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ .

Tips for how to improve the content of your letters of recommendation

Getting the best letters of recommendation for medical school, residency and fellowship is dependent on

1. Asking the right people (See my previous blog entry on this topic.)
2. Making the job of letter-writing as easy as possible for your recommender.

Regarding the latter what I strongly recommend is creating a “LOR packet,” which should include the following:

1. A brief, well-written cover letter defining all of your important accomplishments
2. Your transcript/ evaluations
3. Your CV
4. Your personal statement in its final form

Also, be polite: Ensure that you don’t leave your letter-writer to find the address(es) to which your letter should be sent. As someone who was asked to write letters of recommendation, I can tell you that applicants who offered me a list of their accomplishments in a tidy, accessible package were more likely to get a comprehensive letter that was submitted promptly.

(If you are requesting a letter years before you apply then you won’t have a personal statement but can still compose the rest of the packet. If you’re requesting the letter closer to your application date, you should include a personal statement for your letter-writer to improve the letter’s content.)

I’ll write more about LORs in future entries. For one-on-one help with your application please see www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .

Tips for writing your personal statement: What to avoid

Please see my previous blog entry on how to get started on your personal statement for medical school, residency or fellowship. Once you’ve picked a distinctive topic and organized your thoughts in an outline you’ll have to sit down and write your statement. Here are some errors to avoid:

1. Don’t use flowery language. Pretend that you are being charged for each word you write. How can you keep the imaginary cost down?
2. Don’t use quotations, clichés or questions.
3. Avoid medical terminology unless absolutely necessary to convey a point. A layperson should be able to easily understand your essay.

4. Don’t forget to spell and grammar check. (You’d be surprised how many folks don’t do this.)

5. Highlight your accomplishments but don’t sound arrogant. Even one bad sentence can bomb your essay and make the committee worry about who you are.

You’ll see more personal statement suggestions in my future blog entries. For one-on-one help on your essay please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ for information about my personal statement editing services.

Physician (dis)satisfaction in the news

Many people have referred me to a recent article in the New York Times regarding physicians' discontent with medicine. It might seem strange to showcase this type of article in a blog about medical admissions. But I think reading the piece helps clarify why medical schools are so gung ho about applicants' having clinical experience and why residencies and fellowships want to see applicants with multiple examples of dedication to their respective specialties.

The article's author Sandeep Jauhar MD was an American Association for the Advancement of Science Mass Media Fellow with me.

Enjoy (sort of)!

How to get started on your personal statement

Getting started on your personal statement for medical school, residency or fellowship can be very painful. One applicant admitted to me that he would rather spend the entire summer prepping for his upcoming boards than write his one-page essay. With that in mind, here are some tips to facilitate your writing:

1. Start early (= now). It’s usually a surprise how much time writing a good essay takes.
2. Pick a distinctive topic. If someone else could choose the same subject then it’s not a good one.
3. Make an outline. Although this might sound like something your fifth-grade English teacher told you, you’d be surprised how many essays are corrupted early by disorganization.
4. Do not regurgitate your CV. Yes, you should highlight your accomplishments but they should be interwoven in a logical manner – not listed without direction.

I’ll write more about personal statements in future entries. For one-on-one help on your essay please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ for information about my personal statement editing services.

Selecting your letter of recommendation writers

Welcome to the blog! I'm starting with a discussion of letters of recommendation (LOR) because they're a part of your application you should get moving on immediately if you haven't already. (Getting started sooner rather than later on various parts of your application is advice you'll hear from me ad nauseam.)

Choosing who writes your LOR for medical school, residency or fellowship applications is a critical decision because your letters - good or bad - will significantly impact your admissions success. Here is my suggested wish list for potential letter-writers:

1. They are senior faculty with weighty titles and are well known in their field.
2. They have spent significant time with you.
3. They are experienced letter-writers.
4. They have explicitly stated they will write you a strong LOR.

Of course all of these qualifications are not possible for all letter-writers. But the more of these you can garner the better. With regard to #1, admissions officers are human just like the rest of us: Receiving a LOR from an accomplished, known colleague will be weighed much more heavily than one from someone deemed less successful and unfamiliar. If you are better connected to someone without a title (for example, a TA for pre-meds or a resident for pre-residents and pre-fellows), consider asking a more senior person who has a weightier title if s/he would consider writing a LOR with significant input from your closer contact. That way you get the best of #1, #2 and #3.

With regard to #4, don’t be afraid to ask a potential letter-writer if s/he will write you "a very strong" LOR. It may seem awkward at the time you ask but, believe me, getting a wimpy letter will be much thornier. I’ll write more about LOR in future entries.

For one-on-one help with your application please see http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/ .