How to Use the MSAR to Your Advantage

The Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) is an online database that allows users to search, sort, and compare information about U.S. and Canadian medical schools. The 2021 MSAR is out, and if you are applying to medical school, I'd recommend purchasing it ($28 for one year and $36 for two) because it provides so much information about schools and their admissions statistics. The MSAR allows you to sort and compare schools by median MCAT scores, AMCAS GPAs, and other criteria.

You should use the MSAR to help determine which schools are in your range and which are "reach" schools. While it's fine to have a lot of reach schools  (if you can afford it), it's critical to ensure you are applying wisely to schools that match your numbers; in other words, do not apply to reach schools at the expense of those in your range. The advantage of the MSAR is that you can make evidence-based decisions. I've found some applicants have eye-opening experiences when they thoroughly review schools' statistics and either realize that their numbers are low and that they should apply accordingly or, happily, that they have numbers that match with top schools. Either way, reviewing the data is critical to good decision making.

 

White Coat Investor Podcast Interview

Two years ago this week (which may seem like a lifetime ago), I was honored to be the featured interviewee on the White Coat Investor (WCI) podcast. For those of you who aren't familiar with WCI, it's a website/blog/podcast founded by James Dahle MD, an emergency physician whose interest in personal finance and the FIRE (financial independence - retire early) movement has sparked a slew of physician devotees. My interview focused on how Insider Medical Admissions helped me create autonomy and flexibility while balancing a clinical career and a family. Check it out here or on your favorite podcast app. 

On Your Mark. Get Set. Go: It's Match Week.

At 11am EST today (8am here on the West Coast) applicant Match statuses becomes available and SOAP starts. If you're looking for a way to distract yourself with interesting material, take a listen to last week's wonderful Planet Money podcast on matching algorithms called "The Marriage Pact." The episode starts with a reference to my alma mater Stanford (go cardinal), reviews an innovative dating algorithm, and touches on the NRMP Match system. 

Match Week Starts Next Monday

Monday, March 15 starts Match Week 2021. For a comprehensive review of events, see the calendar here. Of note, SOAP starts at 11am EST and ends on March 18 at 3pm EST. On Friday, March 19 at noon EST, applicant Match results are available. 

SOAP is somewhat complicated, so if you have questions about the process, make sure you read about it. 

I'm wishing everyone good luck in the Match. If you are a current residency client, please email me with your results!

Implicit Bias in Medical School Admissions

I participated in a great Harvard Medical School webinar on implicit bias in medicine with cardiologist Dr. Quinn Capers IV, who is a dean at UT Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Capers has published work documenting racial and gender bias in medical school admissions, among other realms. He has also published recommendations on how clinicians and medical educators can mitigate implicit bias in patient care and candidate selection. 

In the webinar, Dr. Capers covered strategies to reduce or neutralize implicit bias, including 

1. Common identify formation - Ask interviewee questions about interests and activities that you share in common.

2. Perspective taking - Take the perspective of a member of the group against which you have unconscious bias.

3. Consider the opposite - When data seem to point to one conclusion, briefly look for information supporting the opposite conclusion before making a final decision.

4. Counter stereotypical exemplars - Spend time with or focus on individuals you admire from groups against which you have a bias.

Dr. Capers described providing an implicit bias "cheat sheet" that included these strategies to medical school interviewers at The Ohio State College of Medicine, where he previously worked. If you have a chance to hear a lecture by Dr. Capers, make sure to grab the opportunity.