White Coat Investor Student Scholarship 2026 Applications - Now Open

Each year the White Coat Investor (WCI) offers a scholarship opportunity to students enrolled in full-time US professional schools. This year's application opened June 1, and the deadline is August 31. Students must be in good academic standing in eligible professional schools, including medical, dental, law, podiatry, pharmacy, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, and veterinarian, among others. WCI's stated goal of the scholarship is to reduce winning students' indebtedness and to promote financial literacy in professional schools.

The lion's share of the application is an 800 to 1200 word essay. There are 10 grand prize winners. Here's more information.

The Ins and Outs of Choosing a Specialty: The Generalist vs. The Early Committer

I find it frustrating that we tell students to approach medical school with an open mind but then reward those who demonstrate commitment to a field early. 

If you're a pre-med or a medical student in your first or second year, check out this piece I wrote with my colleague David Presser MD MPH called "Choosing a Specialty: The Generalist vs. The Early Committer." 

The case for deciding early is evidence-based, especially for highly competitive fields, but early commitment has real risks too. In the article, read practical advice for effectively approaching a decision about your field.

Ten AMCAS Mistakes You Absolutely Want to Avoid

May 28 (the date AMCAS application verification begins) is only three days away, so as you're completing your final review of your written materials, here's a quick and dirty list of AMCAS Work and Activities section errors to avoid at all costs:

1. Don't write to write, and don't fill to the maximum character count unless necessary. While you want to include many strong achievements, you do not want your AMCAS to be so wordy that your reader is tempted to skim.

2. While you need to be brief, don't write in phrases; use full sentences. It’s a formal application, and you want to make your written materials as readable as possible.

3. Don't assume your reader will carefully study the "header" section (including the title of the activity, hours, etc.). Make sure your descriptor could stand alone: Instead of "As an assistant, I conducted experiments..." use "As a research assistant at a Stanford Medical School neuroscience lab, I conducted experiments..."

4. Don't be vague or trite. Make sure you spell out your accomplishments clearly and substantively. If your reader doesn’t understand an activity, you will not get “full credit” for what you’ve done. Make no assumptions.

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

6. Write about yourself and your role – not an organization. For example, don’t use the space to discuss Doctors without Borders. Use it to discuss the specifics of your role at Doctors without Borders.

7. Avoid generalities and consider using numbers to be persuasive. Saying that the conference you organized had 300 participants says it all.

8. Don't merge the descriptors with the most meaningful paragraphs because they are separate sections: You can complete descriptors for up to 15 activities with up to 700 characters each plus up to three most meaningful paragraphs of up to 1325 characters each.

9. Unless your PI won the Nobel, avoid using supervisors' and/or doctors' names in your descriptors as they will be meaningless to the majority of your readers.

10. Choose the right category for each activity, so you get "full credit."

Bonus: Get help. Do not submit your medical school application without having it reviewed by someone with experience. 

Check Out Key Match Dates and Two Safeguarding Policies for Applicants

Recently, the NRMP hosted a webinar called, "Introduction to the 2027 Main Residency Match®." There are two categories of take away points:

1) Key dates relevant for applicants:

September 15 — Applicant and medical school registration opens
September 23 — Applications available via ERAS and ResidencyCAS (OB/GYN and Emergency Medicine use ResidencyCAS)
February 1 — Ranking opens
March 3 — Rank Order List certification deadline
March 15–19 — Match Week and SOAP
March 19 — Match Day

2) Two policies particularly notable for applicants:

First, residency programs can't extend more invitations than available slots and must give applicants at least 48 hours to respond.
Second, programs can't ask applicants about their ranking plans, request preference signals, or solicit commitments to rank.

Here's the webinar link.

Check out these Useful AMCAS Links

I mentioned in the last couple of blog entries the great utility of the AAMC webinar on April 14 called “Navigating the 2027 AMCAS Application Cycle for Applicants,” and I summarized some of the most important points.

One of the additional benefits of the session was a listing of useful online resources. I collected them and have listed them below. Enjoy!

AMCAS Application Resources

• 2027 AMCAS Applicant Guide
• 2027 AMCAS Application Workbook
• Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants
• AMCAS Tools and Tutorials
• AMCAS Main Program Page / Resources Hub
• AMCAS Help Resources / @AMCASinfo

MCAT and PREview

• MCAT
• PREview

Why the AMCAS Coursework Section is Even More Important than You Thought it Was

As I mentioned in last week's blog entry, the AAMC held a helpful webinar on April 14 called “Navigating the 2027 AMCAS Application Cycle for Applicants." Here are some more take-home messages from the session:

1. The Coursework area is the number one cause of verification delays.
   
2. Ensure you report every course. This means you should report even if you earned no credit, you ended up with a withdrawal, the class was incomplete or repeated, the class was physical education, the class was later removed from your transcript, the course was advanced placement. 
   
3. Avoid other common mistakes by following these tips: include plus/minus grades; note that the AMCAS academic year begins with the summer term prior; if a course has both a lecture and lab do not combine them into one entry.
   
4. Use the 2027 AMCAS Applicant Guide and the Course Classification Guide if you are unsure how to categorize a class you're taking.
5. The BCPM that AAMC calculates is based on information provided by your individual college.
   

Look for more of my take-homes in near-future blog entries.

AAMC Webinar Take-Aways

The AAMC held a fantastic webinar on April 14 called "Navigating the 2027 AMCAS Application Cycle for Applicants," which you can view here if you registered in advance of the session. I took notes and will be offering a few take home messages below and in future blog entries.

Of note, there are two updates to this year's AMCAS:

1) Social Justice → Community Health Advocacy:

The former Social Justice/Advocacy category has been renamed Community Health Advocacy. The AAMC rep Candice Pantor (who was excellent) explained that this change is intended to emphasize action-based contributions to community and public health, while still maintaining the original intent of recognizing advocacy work. 

2) The Medical Schools section has a more user-friendly design:

The Medical Schools section now has what Pantor described as an easier look and feel. (I have not seen it yet.)

The AAMC held a "coursework" webinar last week. I'll report on that soon. 

Take-aways from the 2026 Match

Doximity recently published a "Clinical Brief" summarizing stats from last month's Match. Here are the take-home messages:

1) The good news: The Match had the most applicants ever and a strong 93.5% overall fill rate.

2) More good news: DOs and U.S. citizen IMGs saw record high Match rates at 93.2% and 70.0%, respectively.

3) Bad news: Despite 134 new positions, the Family Medicine (FM) fill rate dropped to 83.6%, leaving 899 slots unfilled. The NRMP is taking this seriously: It's convening a Blue Ribbon Panel to look at why medical students aren't choosing FM.

4) More bad news: Non-U.S. Citizen IMGs saw a 56.4% Match rate — a five-year low.

Of note, the two pieces of bad news are connected and potentially a big problem: IMGs historically fill a disproportionate number of FM and other primary care positions. If IMG Match rates and FM fill rates are both dropping, that's an escalating problem for primary health care access, particularly in underserved regions. 

Confused? Check out these AAMC Webinars

For those approaching the medical school admissions cycle, I noted (at least) two AAMC webinars that look helpful:

First, on April 14 there is a live webinar at 11 AM PST reviewing general AMCAS information, described as follows: This webinar will help applicants prepare for the 2027 AMCAS® application cycle. Participants will receive a walkthrough of the AMCAS application, an overview of updates and changes for the upcoming cycle, and information about available resources to support a successful submission.

Then, on April 21 at 10:30 AM PST there is another live webinar on submitting AMCAS coursework and transcripts. Here's the description: Submitting transcripts and completing the coursework section are important steps in the AMCAS® application process. This session will help applicants navigate common issues that arise when submitting official transcripts and entering coursework, and provide guidance to prevent processing delays.

Participants will learn about transcript submission requirements and timelines, common problems with electronic transcripts, how to accurately enter and update coursework, and common errors that result in returned applications. There will be time for live Q&A with AMCAS experts.

Both look very helpful.

Positively Influence your Letters of Recommendation by Making the Job of Letter Writing Easy

When pre-meds, residents, nurses, and physician colleagues asked me to write them LORs when I was Assistant Residency Director, the first thing I requested was that they send me background information to make my letter robust…and my job easier. Accordingly, whether you are applying to medical school, post bacc programs, dental school, residency, or fellowship, I strongly recommend you create a “LOR packet,” which can include the following:

1. A brief, well-written cover letter defining all of your important accomplishments
2. Your curriculum vitae (CV)
3. Your personal statement in its final form (if available)
4. Your transcripts.

With regard to the cover letter, keep it streamlined: Thank the writer and highlight your pre-professional achievements on one page. The point of the cover letter is to supplement a writer’s knowledge of your candidacy and offer flattering content for inclusion. A college professor may know that you made the only A in an organic chemistry class, but her LOR for medical school will be more complete, and she will demonstrate a more intimate familiarity with you if she knows enough to write that you volunteer regularly at a homeless shelter.

With regard to the CV and personal statement, these make useful supplements to the LOR packet only if they are in professional and final form. Don’t include rough drafts, as poorly organized background information leaves your writer the impression that you are disorganized. Also, only include the transcript if it bolsters your candidacy, demonstrating academic achievement. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot if you have some bad grades you’d rather not showcase.

Bottom line: An applicant who offered me a list of her accomplishments in a tidy, accessible package was more likely to get a strong, comprehensive letter that was submitted promptly. If you can make a letter writer's job easier, your forethought is likely to pay dividends in the letter you receive. The savvy applicant can take subtle advantage of her ability to "lead the witness."

People > Prestige

For those of you medical school applicants who are fortunate enough to have more than one acceptance by the end of this cycle, I would recommend looking into research by Dan Chambliss, author of How College Works. I also heard him interviewed on the Your College Bound Kid podcast. Chambliss argues that colleges work best when students form robust connections with other students and with faculty because human bonding is a major driver of learning, belonging, and motivation.

Chambliss' assertions are based on a 10-year study of Hamilton College students, who were tracked over time to identify the experiences that matter most in college. In choosing a learning institution, he recommends asking yourself:

1. Will I find my people here?

2. Will I know my professors here?

3. Will this place make connection easy?

While we can't say for sure that these findings apply to medical school, they sure do make intuitive sense. I'm still in daily contact through text with multiple medical school friends! Peers were the best part of medical school for me.

"...We'll Build Our Own Damn Medical School"

A California Assemblywoman, who is also a physician, recently introduced a bill to force the hand of the University of California in hopes of opening a medical school by next year in an underserved area of California. 

Since 1960, the University of California has been the only public education system authorized to confer medical degrees in the state. However, a new bill, introduced by Jasmeet Baines, a family physician and Democrat representing Kern County's city of Delano, allows California State University, Bakersfield, and the Kern Community College District authority to establish a medical school if the University of California doesn't do so within a year. 

In 1978, the Fed formally designated Kern County an area with a physician shortage. The County is located in the California Valley, which has fewer than 45 primary care physicians per 100,000 people compared to 156 per 100,000 across California.

Dr. Bains was quoted as saying, "If the UC won't build it, we'll build our own damn medical school."

Match Week is Here

Match week has arrived, having officially started at 10 AM EST today when applicants received notifications indicating whether they'd matched. Those who didn't obtain a position can participate in the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), which will proceed from today through Thursday. (If you're interested in the ins and outs of SOAP and its universally disliked predecessor the Scramble, take a look here.)

This Friday, March 20, applicants will learn where they've matched. 

Good luck!

Sesame Street Can Help You Write a Great Medical School Personal Statement

I learned an interesting fact years ago: When small children don't understand something, they will simply tune it out and start to engage in another activity. That's why great shows like Sesame Street use professionals to make sure their content is precisely age-appropriate. Children - and adults - don't like being confused, and you can’t blame them.

In their personal statements, some medical school candidates make the mistake of referring to an accomplishment without explaining it. This is understandable since we are all intimately familiar with what we've done. The problem is that the vast majority of application readers are way too busy to do independent research or go back and forth checking an applicant’s supporting documents if she writes something that isn’t crystal clear.

I remember a talented candidate I advised who showcased an award she had won. She listed the name, but didn’t explain what it was. When I asked her, she told me the award was an academic honor given to only the top 1% of students out of several thousand. I was impressed! And, I asked her to rewrite the section so that her admissions readers would give her the credit she deserved for that extraordinary accomplishment. Because the medical school admissions process is so competitive, what you fail to adequately explain counts against you.

On a related topic, don’t expect a reader to understand something in your essay because it’s explained in your AMCAS activities. Different faculty members will approach the application in different ways, so – to get “full credit” for your accomplishments - you need to assume that your reader is seeing your essay first, independent of your AMCAS activities. Ensure your personal statement can stand alone and doesn't rely on your AMCAS Activities section for clarification.

Contact me for help with your written materials. I have read thousands of essays, and I personally review every document sent to me.

Fellowship Match Data is Out

Take a peek at the NRMP's recently-published Results and Data: Specialty Matching Service. This information is not as granular or useful as Charting Outcomes of the Match (focused on the residency Match), but it's still helpful to see what percentage of a subspecialty goes unfilled. (Geriatrics had 77% unfilled in the most recent cycle. Gastroenterology had 1.5%.) The trends year over year are also instructive. 

The NRMP Rank Order List Due Date is Fast Approaching: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

The rank list deadline is March 4, 2026 at 9 PM EST, however waiting until the last minute and making impulsive changes to your list is not a great idea ;).

Ensure you avoid simple missteps in creating your list. Improving written materials and interview skills is important, but all of that work can go down the drain if applicants do not understand basic strategies for the Match. In November 2015, the NRMP published an article called, "Understanding the Interview and Ranking Behaviors of Unmatched International Medical Students and Graduates in the 2013 Main Residency Match" in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. The data is still relevant today and especially important for IMGs who represented the majority of unmatched candidates.

Sadly, the authors found that some applicants made strategic errors including the below:

- Not attending all interviews, thus failing to capitalize on every opportunity to market themselves.

- Declining to rank all programs at which they interviewed or not ranking all programs they would be willing to attend.

- Misunderstanding the Match and ranking programs at which applicants did not interview.

- Failing to rank programs based on true preferences or ranking programs based on the perceived likelihood of matching.

Here is a video explanation of the Match algorithm. If you do not understand how the Match works, it is absolutely critical that you learn about it to avoid destructive errors.

How are Residency Programs Managing the $100,000 Fee for New H-1B Visa Applications?

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recently published a piece on the effect H-1B visa fees will have on the Match, hospitals, and access to medical care going forward unless there is an exception made for the healthcare field. The article also explains the distinctions between the H-1B and J-1 visas for physicians.

Andrea Price-Carter, MPA, director of health equity advocacy and government relations for the AAMC points out that J-1 and H-1B visa holders do not displace U.S. medical graduates, and instead, fill gaps where there is a shortage of needed professionals.

Here's the AAMC piece.

AW(e)SOM(e)

This week a friend texted me a PBS NewsHour segment she saw about the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) that opened for its inaugural class this cycle. The school is located in Bentonville, Arkansas, and its mission is to provide an innovative program that incorporates art and humanities. The school shares a campus with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and medical students are encouraged to learn the "art of healing." Importantly, for the first five cohorts, tuition is free, so the admission process is fierce. 

Take a look here at the PBS segment.

Some Faculty are Using AI to Craft Letters of Recommendation

The AAMC recently published a piece about faculty members who use artificial intelligence to craft first drafts – at least –  of recommendation letters for students. 

I understand the pull of AI for this purpose, but even if the flow and syntax are better, I'm concerned these letters will sound generic and unoriginal. Letters of recommendation can make a huge difference in a student's candidacy, and submitting something iterative or bland could be a real disservice to the applicant.

The article ends with a quote from a urologist advising that faculty members tell students and the institutions that receive their letters that they use AI to help compose the text, but I would go further and say that if a faculty member is planning to use AI, s/he should tell the student before writing the letter so the applicant can decline the recommendation if s/he wants to.

What is a DO Really Anyway?

Many laypeople and premeds are not clear on the difference between an MD and a DO. This piece from the New York Times was not written with medical readers specifically in mind, but it's helpful as a starting point for anyone. The American Osteopathic Association also has some good information on their website here.

How Some Colleges Make Their Acceptance Rates Look More Impressive

Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I'm a huge fan of Mark Stucker, the earnest, knowledgeable, and sweet college admissions expert who produces the Your College Bound Kid Podcast. There are many similarities and differences between college admissions and medical school admissions. Still, the economics and incentives of the college process are really fascinating and reflect on how strange and faulty both systems are.

Mark covered a really interesting topic in episode 604: Tactics some colleges use to make their acceptance rates look more impressive. While the techniques are technically ethical, they're certainly not student centered! Listen to the episode (at about seven minutes in) here.

Medical and Dental School Interviews: Preparing for your MMI

I just completed a Mock Interview Service with a lovely client who was about to face his first MMI-style interview. Although the majority of medical and dental school interviews are still traditional, some institutions utilize a multiple mini interview (MMI) platform. The MMI is a format that uses several timed stations to assess applicants' interpersonal skills and judgment.

A few things to note about MMI interview questions:

1) They are not always medically-related. You may be asked to manage an everyday problem (e.g. a disagreement at the supermarket).

2) They are not always situational. You need to be prepared for conventional questions (e.g. what are your three greatest strengths?).

3) Schools are trying to assess whether you can skillfully employ important techniques and demonstrate professionalism. Underlying topics might include your ability to offer effective counseling, your understanding of patient-doctor confidentiality, an ability to diffuse a heated situation, a capacity to admit wrongdoing, or reporting an impaired supervisor.

4) Make sure to read the school's description of their MMI format: How many minutes do you have to prepare with the prompt, how long are the stations, are there role-play scenarios? Knowing what the structure is will help decrease stress. 

It's important that you practice MMI questions before you go to your medical or dental school interview. Even if you have excellent social skills, there are techniques you should hone to expertly manage the challenging MMI format.

Time to Take a Reading Break

I hope each of you has a moment of downtime over this holiday season. One of the ways I relax is with a good book. Here's a piece I wrote for Student Doctor Network regarding great books for doctors in training.  

In addition to the list, I want to add another strong recommendation: Pulitzer Prize Finalist Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air. Get ready to cry your eyes out, while appreciating beautiful prose and insightful content. Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer when he was a senior neurosurgery resident at Stanford. He chronicles his short life in a book that's hard to put down.