Medical School FAQs
Questions
- General
- What are the prerequisites for medical school?
- Should I have clinical experience?
- Is research experience necessary for getting into medical school?
- Does your service ever write the essays for the students?
- Are there services out there that actually write the essays? Is this good or bad, if it gets a student into a school?
- Does myEssay.com review essays?
- The Essay: General
- The Essay: Content
- What should I write about?
- What can I do to get started?
- How do I convey my earnestness in wanting “to help people†without using that cliché phrase?
- What kind of brainstorming tips do you have for the planning period?
- What should the applicant remember while choosing a topic?
- What should the applicant remember when writing the conclusion?
- The Essay: Style
- The Essay: Mechanics
- The Interview
- What should I wear to the interview?
- How should I prepare for my interview?
- Should I bring anything to the interview?
- What questions will I be asked?
- What questions should I ask?
- Should I send a thank you note after the interview?
- Recommendations
- Who should write my recommendations?
- How do I ensure that my recommendations are good?
- Can I send additional recommendations?
- The Application: General
Answers
General
- What are the prerequisites for medical school?
All medical schools require a bachelor's degree (e.g., BA, AB, BS), with rare exceptions. Typical pre-med requirements are: 1 year of each of the following (all with lab): Biology or Zoology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics. Some schools also require Biochemistry, English or other Humanities classes, or Calculus. If you did not complete the required courses while in college, you can enroll in courses at a nearby college or university, or in a more formal one- to two-year "post-baccalaureate" program with full-time classes. - Should I have clinical experience?
Having clinical experience under your belt demonstrates that you have tested your decision to become a doctor. Experiences in which you have worked directly with patients are particularly valued. - Is research experience necessary for getting into medical school?
Outside of classroom laboratories, no research experience is required. However, having it does allow you to develop scientific analytical skills that are helpful for physicians. - Does your service ever write the essays for the students?
No, myEssay.com does not write essays for students ever. - Are there services out there that actually write the essays? Is this good or bad, if it gets a student into a school?
There are services that actually write the essay, but we do not recommend using them for three reasons.
1. No writing service can write a successful application essay. How can a third party write a personal essay where the applicant's character and personality shine through?
2. Admission officers can spot a phony from the other side of the room. They will know immediately that it wasn't the applicant who wrote the essay.
3. It is fraud. If you are caught you will automatically be denied admisson. And even if the school finds out years later, you may risk expulsion. - Does myEssay.com review essays?
No, myEssay.com does not provide an essay review service.
The Essay: General
- What practical advice would you give student beginning to write their admission essays?
1. Begin early. Start working on your essays in the summer.
2. Visit our site (www.myEssay.com). Within the world of the application essay, we really do provide you with everything. The application kits are the best products by far available in the market today.
The Essay: Content
- What should I write about?
Avoid writing about anything so intimate or serious that it would make the admissions committee excessively uncomfortable. Also, avoid reciting a list of activities or a string of experiences without providing any real insight. Whatever topic you choose, make sure to use plenty of specific, illustrative details that will help show the admissions committee what kind of person you are and what motivates you to become a doctor. Always be very clear about how your experiences relate to your decision to become a doctor. - What can I do to get started?
Try some stream-of-consciousness exercises. Pick any topic and fill up a piece of paper with words as fast as you possibly can, essentially writing down your thoughts as they come to you. You may find it helpful to impose a time limit on yourself. At this stage, don't worry about content, style, or grammar; just get the words going and you might be able to find a usable topic in that mess of words. Also try myEssay.com's innovative interactive tool, The Brainstormer™, to help generate essay topics. - How do I convey my earnestness in wanting “to help people†without using that cliché phrase?
Many medical school applicants do indeed want to become doctors because they have a sincere desire “to help people.†But unfortunately, that phrase has become empty with overuse. Instead of explicitly using the phrase, demonstrate its intended meaning by talking about specific personal experiences in which you have actually helped people, or that have inspired you to want to help people. - What kind of brainstorming tips do you have for the planning period?
Brainstorming is an integral part of writing the essay. Most students spend zero to very little time brainstorming and as a result, end up sitting in front of a blank computer screen for hours.1. Be willing to invest a significant amount of time (time unit is days) brainstorming. Get started early so time will not be an issue.
2. But create a deadline. Don't spend weeks brainstorming, or rather daydreaming.
3. First spend time thinking about yourself and the question. You must reflect thoroughly. Ultimately you will want to focus one to two themes and develop those thoughts. Then spend time thinking about approach and style.
4. Try free writing for ten minutes at a time. Choose a topic and do nothing but write for ten minutes. Try to stay with your topic, but if you can't, just continue writing. The important thing is to keep writing and avoid any interruptions that could hinder your flow of thought, such as editing what you've written. Save the editing for later.
5. Use myEssay.com's brainstorming workshop. - What should the applicant remember while choosing a topic?
The topic itself is not important. What is important is what the essay reveals about you. So if you choose your grandfather as the topic of your essay for instance, the focus of your essay should not only be about your grandfather; instead, it should be about your relationship with your grandfather and why that relationship in particular is meaningful or significant to you.Don't ask too much of your essay. Don't try to fit your life history in one page. Share a snippet instead, a piece of yourself with the reader. Give the reader an insightful glimpse into your life.
- What should the applicant remember when writing the conclusion?
Conclusions and summaries are for term papers; endings are for admissions essays. Don't use phrases like in conclusion or in summary. First, good writing doesn't require these kinds of clauses. Second, you have a stated or implied word limit and using clauses like these is wasteful. A good ending rounds out your essay, resolves any hanging issues, and provides a lasting impact so the admissions committee won't forget you. Remember...Schools want bright, active people-- not wet blankets. So finish on a positive note. Tie up and resolve any loose or hanging issues. You don't want to leave the reader hanging.
Beginnings can also make a difference. You need to grab your reader's attention, right from the start. Why? Because if the admissions officer doesn't get beyond the opening few sentences, you've missed your opportunity. Now you're just another face in the crowd, one of a thousand applicants. With the right beginning, you draw the reader in and have him or her not wanting to put the essay down until the very end.
The Essay: Style
- Is it acceptable to be funny?
Part of writing a good essay is making yourself memorable, and one way to do that is with a little humor. You should, however, be careful. If overused or used too flippantly, humor can make the writer seem too casual, too glib, or uninterested in getting admitted. - How can I sound self-confident without sounding arrogant?
The key to differentiating confidence from arrogance is your tone. Do not be overtly boastful about your accomplishments. Rather than tell admissions committees what you have achieved, convey your achievements indirectly by showing them evidence from specific past experiences.
The Essay: Mechanics
- How do you feel about using quotes?
You should quote sparingly. Using too many quotes can make your essay sound overly scholarly or cliche. - Should I title my essay?
The use of titles is acceptable, but is superfluous to most admissions committees, who are far more concerned with the content of the essay itself. Go ahead and title your essay if you think it would help communicate your message; otherwise, leave your essay untitled.
The Interview
- What should I wear to the interview?
Wearing the appropriate attire is important. It is not necessary for a man to wear a designer Wall Street suit and power tie, but a neat, professional appearance is very important. You should keep fragrances and make-up to a minimum, and you should not smoke or chew gum. - How should I prepare for my interview?
Do thorough research on each school before you interview. Learn about what instruction methods are used and which faculty members specialize in your areas of interest. Be prepared with questions that you would genuinely like to hear the answers to. - Should I bring anything to the interview?
Bring a list of sincere and earnest questions you would like to ask, pen and paper, and a copy of your application. - What questions will I be asked?
The questions you will be asked depend on the school and the interviewer. You will probably be asked to talk about experiences that have changed you or made you who you are, and that have inspired you toward a career in medicine. Be aware that some schools still like to grill applicants. - What questions should I ask?
Ask anything you want about the school, but be sure that you really want to know the answer. Be prepared with three to five questions about the school that are thoughtful and sincere. - Should I send a thank you note after the interview?
This is optional. Some appreciate it as common courtesy while others are indifferent to it.
Recommendations
- Who should write my recommendations?
Typically, medical schools ask for individual recommendations and a “premed committee letter,†which can be an original letter written by your undergraduate premed committee or a letter that summarizes recommendations submitted by individuals at your request. If your college does not have a premed committee responsible for this procedure, you will usually be asked to submit two or three individual recommendations. These recommendations must come from senior science professors rather than teaching assistants. Letters written jointly by the TA and professor are, however, generally acceptable. Some medical schools also ask that non-science majors request a recommendation from a professor in their major. Finally, you may have to submit a recommendation from someone who is familiar with your clinical or research experience. Ask people who know you well and who can write about your qualities sincerely and enthusiastically to write your recommendations. - How do I ensure that my recommendations are good?
Ask your recommenders early, give them all the necessary materials (forms; stamped, addressed envelopes; a list of deadlines), and provide materials that will help them be as specific as possible about you (papers; presentations; your résumé). A good recommendation should relay insightful anecdotes about you and attest to your character and abilities. - Can I send additional recommendations?
You should never send more than twice the number of required recommendations. Before you decide to send additional recommendations, make sure that they contribute significantly to your application.
The Application: General
- Can you tell me more about the e-Application?
AMCAS stands for the American Medical College Application Service. It is a centralized program run by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) that works like the Common Application that you may have seen during your college admissions process. Your application is processed and distributed to medical schools you want to apply to. You can obtain an electronic version of the application, AMCAS-E, at www.aamc.org/stuapps/admiss/amcas/start.htm. - What is a secondary/supplementary?
Secondary or supplementary applications are sent by some schools who use the AMCAS application rather than their own application. Secondary applications ask for additional information ranging from a final signature to responses to more essay questions. Some schools screen applicants based on their GPA, MCAT scores, essay, and other data before they send out secondary applications. - Can I handwrite my application?
No, do not handwrite your application. Type it and make sure it's neat.