AMCAS tips

On June 7, you can submit your AMCAS. In preparation for that rapidly upcoming date, here are a few quick tips for writing your AMCAS activities:

1. Use full sentences. It's a formal application, and you want to make your written materials as readable as possible.

2. Avoid abbreviations. Again, you want to be formal, and abbreviations you think are common might not be familiar to the reader.

3. Make sure you spell out your accomplishments clearly. If your reader doesn't understand an activity, you will not get "full credit" for what you've done.

4. Choose "most meaningful" activities that show a breadth of experience, e.g. one that is related to research, another that is clinical, and a final that is volunteer.

5. Write about yourself and your role - not an organization. For example, don't use the space to discuss Habitat for Humanity. Use it to discuss the specifics of your role at Habitat for Humanity.

6. Use numbers to be persuasive. Saying that the conference you organized had 300 participants says it all.

7. Get help. Do not submit your application without having it reviewed. Don't submit suboptimal materials for a process that is this important and competitive.

Medical Students: How Do you Select Your Specialty?

'Tis the season: Yes, it's time to make those final decisions about your future specialty. However, the way the medical education system is set up, it's a very difficult and stressful choice to make. Here's my Student Doctor Network article on how to choose your future career.

Get a Better Letter

After over a decade of reading medical school and residency letters of recommendation (LOR), I can tell you that the biggest error I see in the LOR process occurs when applicants settle for mediocre letters. In other words, they know that a supervisor/faculty member/attending isn't going to write them a strong letter, but they fill the LOR slot with the middling endorsement anyway.

Please take a look at my most recent Student Doctor Network article, "Get a Better Letter" for concrete ideas on how to approach the letter of recommendation process.

Personal Statement Errors You Can Easily Avoid

As AMCAS® and ERAS® openings approach, I wanted to remind candidates about a few personal statement errors to avoid. First, take a look at my piece Tales from an Insider on Student Doctor Network about how to write a persuasive (not narrative) personal statement. Second, spend under two minutes (literally) checking out two Guru on the Go® Videos on my YouTube channel: Personal Statement Russian Roulette #1 and #2.

Contact me for personalized help on your documents.

AMCAS Opens this Week

Just a reminder that AMCAS opens on May 3, and you can submit your AMCAS as early as June 7. This application cycle's AMCAS Processing Fee is $160 (which includes one medical school designation). Additional medical school designations are $38 each.

AMCAS has fantastic resources, including a FAQ sheet and pre-med calendar for applicants. Take a look here to get started.