Quick Tip: Be Too Proud to Beg

In writing their personal statements, some candidates end their essays
with a plea like "I hope your residency program will see me as a
valuable candidate who is eager to learn and work."

Remember that if you are writing an effective, persuasive document
with explicit examples of what makes you a distinctive applicant, you
won't need to make a second person appeal because your accomplishments
will make your case for you.

Imagine that you are a lawyer in front of a judge. How can you best
argue the case that you will be an excellent resident? With examples!
Keeping that idea in mind will help you show – not tell.

Check me out at www.insidermedicaladmissions.com

Medical School Secondary Essay Tip

I receive a lot of questions about the "why-our-school" secondary essay prompt. Although it's a lot of work, the goal here is to research each school and then link your qualities or interests with the school's.

The mistake I see made is that applicants tend to use generalities, e.g. "XX University is an excellent match for me because I am seeking a medical school with an outstanding faculty and a focus on research." That sentence does not afford the admissions committee members a sense that the applicant is interested in their institution. On the contrary, it sounds like something anyone could have written about any school.

Say your interests and accomplishments are linked to the underserved. Look into the school's commitment to that community - a free clinic at which the medical students volunteer, a medical student program to teach sex education in a struggling public high school, etc. Then, in your essay, specifically mention your achievements and the school's associated opportunities.

Remember: Schools want to see that you like them!

For those who need some guidance, here's information about my secondary essay service.

Check me out at www.insidermedicaladmissions.com

The AMCAS Verification Process - Longer than Expected

I'm getting feedback from some medical school applicants that this year's AMCAS verification process is taking longer than many candidates had hoped. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), applicants should expect a wait of up to six weeks from the initial "Ready to Review" status post-submission to complete processing. To check on your AMCAS status, you can go to the Main screen of the application and click on the "Status" link on the left hand side. 

You can send questions to AMCAS@aamc.org. I've found the response time to be quite fast.

Check me out at www.insidermedicaladmissions.com

MyERAS Residency User Guide

For those of you feeling lost in the logistics of ERAS, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) offers the 2013 MyERAS Residency User Guide in PDF format. It's 32 pages of detailed, step-by-step instructions to help navigate the application process. Here it is.


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