Medical School Application Mistakes | 6 Common Pre-Med Blunders 

Med School Insiders Would y’all be able to help somebody applying to a joint BS/Md school

Hey. Love your videos. Could you make one on how to go about these early assurance programs? Thanks.

Amazing video!

I am a 3rd year mbbs student from indian .. i was hoping if you could help me with how i can apply for my post grad put of India?

Hi Dr JC, do you know any medical school start in spring? I am kind of finish prerequisites in December, the time line for me is better for start in spring.

Cool username

Thanks so much for the valuable insight! I hope you can pop back up on some other MedSchoolInsiders videos to help expand upon anything else that might need clarifying.

Thank you for this, undergrad here

You will be the difference for those that need help in this world.

Idk why I watch these videos and I already graduated med school in 2011

Cuckoo Phendula how was it?

@@kasandrarojas5739 In short, actually enjoyed med school, but absolutely hated residency ;P

Cuckoo Phendula do you know any international students who got into US medical schools? I’m an undergrad in the US but isn’t a citizen and I’m worried that it will make things more difficult for me

Keeps students from just applying to any school (which we all want to do just to get in somewhere). Medical schools want to create doctors that will one day work for their city. This is why they ask for any "special connections to _____city"

Wellllll in Europe you pay significantly more in taxes to afford these systems depending on the country. Universities in America rely almost entirely on the applicants money through tuition or whatever else, while in Europe I believe the government is what pays.

We do as well in Europe, or at least in France to apply for architecture schools you have to pay 95€ for each application and for some engineering schools, even some medical schools And trust me we pay lot of taxes in France !

@@myriamdupont5611 Whaat? Lol.. We in Czech Republic just about 25€ And this is already expensive 😅 For other school it is less

livem yes but the cost of living is higher in France because our incomes are higher so that’s why we pay more , but education should be completely free

You could very easily have a set back or many family emergency that messes you all up, but you keep plugging away as well.

DID YOU GET IN?

i'd also like to know the answer to this

Pro's your application will be stronger if you do something productive during that break. You will also be way more prepared for the material that will come at you in Medschool. It comes FAST and Dense, they always relate it to "drinking from a fire hydrant" Con's: Money for the degree/program you completed during that year.

go on a mission trip.

I’m so sorry for your lost. Meanwhile, you can take a gap year and that’s fine. Some people take breaks to prepare more for MCAT and the whole medicine thing. It’s really normal and not a bad idea if you are considering this field for the rest of your life. Good luck and take your time.

Did you get in??

@@vatsalpatel2291 yes I did!

Do you mind telling where you applied and your stats?

congrats

Mr. Popo which schools did you apply to?

Didnt the application just open this past Wednesday? How did you apply late? Its only been 4 days

Alfred oh! Sorry I forgot to mention that I'm from the Philippines and application here actually starts around January and ends in May or July depending on the amount of applicants. Classes starts in August.

@@15delacruzmillicentnadine47 how did it go?

Of course its not all about money, but in North America physicians makr way more here than they would in Europe.

Lydia Olika aah that sounds good but what is the average pay to a UK doctor, in the us it is about 80k>

The pay for doctors in the UK is not good at all for doctors - they work long enduring hours (not always as much as residents though in the US, I think) and are underpaid (nurses too!) . It’s probably due to the NHS (National Health Service) we have over here that means free health care. Free health care is obviously a bonus but it does come at the expense of a doctor’s pay check 😂😬

True, here in India there is also free healthcare in the government hospitals, and hence doing residency(md ms) you get meagre pay because it is more desirable to do residency at a government institution because we get plenty experience but the drawback is it is with long working hours and heavy(est) patient load. After which you May choose to enter the private healthcare sector following a bond service in a govt hospital. Peace

The best thing to do is to become best friends with another premed student that's a year ahead of you. Having that kind of mentor/ friendship meant I never missed a beat.

@Aaron jkbjhknmnkn step 2 don’t be an asshole

Literally depresses me 😭😭😭

Bárbara Pérez this is exactly how I feel. I came to America with my family when I was 12 and now I feel like it’s so hard because I don’t know what I’m suppose to be doing and my parents don’t either

The PM I think that would be great 👍 simply because I’m thinking about med school. However I already have a masters degree 📜 already ..

Definitely not true

For The Love of Medicine Not pre-med. I’m just regurgitating advice I saw elsewhere. Khan Academy is said to be good. Again not a doctor, probably not qualified to even be answering this question but that’s what other people said.

Dahabo yes!!

Richard Wood What type of hurdles did you experience? What speciality are you in?

THLP Emergency Medicine. I am military which definitely evens the playing field in the match process. But if you go to an MD School you definitely float to the top of the pile. During residency, I was a med student coordinator. I got a very unique look into how students were selected and ranked. I interviewed dozens of candidates, went through hundreds of student evals/resumes/board scores. Ultimately, it all comes down to your board scores and how you perform on your rotation/interview. Those who are remarkable in both those areas have their pick of the litter, but the reality is: most are average. Ultimately, the better the school you come from, you will rise to the top.

Richard Wood Thank you sharing your experience. I know it won’t be easy but I welcome the challenge. I wish you continued success in your career.

Shadow a doctor for a few hours each year. Do research sophomore year. Prepare for MCAT Junior year. Maintain a decent GPA 3.5 or greater. MCAT score way means more than GPA. So if your school grades suffer a bit from studying for MCAT dont worry too much, just dont let your GPA drop below 3.2

No worries. You were me 9 years ago. Yeah, it will always feel overwhelming but that feeling should tell you that you're doing something worthwhile. If you went through life without ever feeling pressured you lose the sense of accomplishment. I felt overwhelmed with the amount of info we needed to know as biology majors and started doubting myself. That next semester instead of bio classes I signed up for Computer Programming classes (my next big interest) I aced those courses but it felt very hollow. That's when I knew that Pre-Med was where I was supposed to be. The one thing that helps me when I feel overwhelmed is to remember "Growth only occurs outside our comfort zone"

Don’t worry about it! Websites like this make it sound more difficult than it really is. Just work hard, be passionate, and be involved and you’ll get in

Alfred I really liked reading that perspective. I’m a pre-med as well and see some of my non pre-health peers having a more relaxed time in college. I’ll keep that in mind as I’m studying for finals lol

@@InfinityHardware77 Yes, what also helped me through those feelings as well was something one of my professors told our class during finals week which really holds true time after time. "There are two phases of life. Part of your life there will be Joy/Happiness and the other part will be Hard work/struggle. Its up to you to choose which phase comes first"

Alfred That is so true! I look around at all of my friends who were always relaxed and partying during college and they are trying so hard to get jobs. Many of them are working as servers at restaurants or working office jobs that they hate. Meanwhile I’m about to start medical school in a couple of months and I’m thrilled to finally begin doing what I love most. I wish I could have been more relaxed during college but there is no way I could go through the uncertainties that my friends are. Medicine is worth the hard work because it is a career that you actually want to do every day

Yes if you want to go straight through you have to apply at the end of junior year

Yes. The sooner you get your application in, the sooner schools can process and review them. The processing time becomes slower the longer you wait due to the increase in applications submitted. I submitted mine in Aug and didn't hear back for an interview until late November.

yes

you can take a gap year. not a problem.

How did your first year go?

Not likely. They use MCAT and GPA to pick which applications they want to consider. Then they look at you and an individual. If they rejected you with High MCAT and GPA your application probably lacked in research, shadowing, involvement in the community. Or your interview skills were just terrible.

The last line rhymed doe "Pretty sad, this video was basically an ad."

@@mustafaaa772 lmfao just noticed

@@Jimpopal hey, im happy for you!

The fact they said "we help dozens of applicants" doesn't sound like a very big number.

Kemal Soydere that’s actually terrifying. You don’t need to apply?

@@rufussweeneymd you don't need to PAY for applications

@@claymodelexpert Ahh, good catch. Thanks for correcting.

@@meddaddy197 no problemo

Josh Mahgerefteh There are quite a few videos on RU-vid regarding your situation: low gpa, but maybe good MCAT score. I think that depending on what schools you want to apply to, maybe they’ll see that even when you don’t have straight A’s, you perform excellent on the field. Some people are just not meant to be in the classroom. I’d definitely advice you to apply the earliest you can. Maybe you can catch some interviews and get you better chances of being admitted, as well as perhaps an opportunity to explain your grades. If you really love the field, your passion for it will get you through. I believe in “what’s meant to be is meant to be”. Good luck!

2.8....

Hi

Yes you will be marked as a Reapplicant and the process will be much harder to get into Med School.

@Ian Antequera thank you! that is very encouraging, I apply next cycle so I still have time to improve. I just really want to get to any school

My question is taking the exam really hard and how long should you prepare for it??

@@brendajones5895 I have heard many people say they study about 500 hours, so you can divide that however you like. The hardest thing is stuffing all the information I think.

Master Assassin ohh no baby 👶 get into college first then see if u still ready

Micheal. G sure thing I’ll let you know 😌

@@LSSJG_M5150 let me know

Pre-med requirement courses should be taken at 4 year institution, not community college ideally

@I Frenzy U I'm behind on my degree reqs and don't have time to do some of my pre med reqs during the academic year I want to take summer classes at my uni but it's 5k a class and I cant afford that even with my grant ill have to pay 2k out of pocket

I Frenzy U Yeah I’m just going to take the risk and take the classes. Thank you so much for the support!

@@Summer-ky6tz the good for summer class is more compressed information so easier to remember but you may skip chapters that are important

@I Frenzy U we love an encouraging stranger! :)

Focus on study strategies and implementing effective habits

Mabye that's why the acceptance rate is so high.

Check out our post bacc blog posts on the website!

Angelina Low me too!

no they do not, unlike US. In fact, if you look at U of Calgary they specifically states that you should EXPECT to apply on average 2-3 times before getting in. UBC also explicitly states applicants are welcomed to re-apply without prejudice. Do ur research :)

@@Renguagua I've heard this too! Also that apparently medical schools in Canada like to see re-applicants as it really shows dedication, apparently!

@@alissad7221 medical school in canada application process COMPLETELY different than the states. Its way more cut throat when it comes to GPA and MCAT, but a lot more lenient when it comes to stuff like this.

Wow, pediatric oncology? That’s my goal!! Any advice for a first year undergrad hoping to go in that field?

​@@jugarcia1212 First, good luck. You have chosen to pursue a difficult and rewarding path which often challenges people to do what they consider impossible. I am not in your intended specialty. I do hope you take this bit of advice from someone who just survived residency. Be ready to find out that what you really want isn't what you think you want. Many premeds start the path and realize their heart was never really in it. That's fine. The kindest cut is getting cut early and finding your own way forward. You're entering a giant winnowing process which can be pretty miserable at times. If you find the passion isn't there, don't be afraid to be honest with yourself about it. Let us suppose you really have the passion for medicine. The hard work of earning your seat at the table in medical school is still ahead. Everyone has warned you about that, so I won't repeat it. Having then earned that spot, be prepared to fall out of love with what you think you wanted or to fall in love with something you think you will find dull or uninteresting. Maybe the first time you sit in on a lap-chole, you are fascinated (and remain fascinated when you sit in on your fifty seventh). Maybe you really are happy with complex patient interviews in psychiatry. Maybe you just fall head over heels with that moment you present a new mom her infant. Maybe you become an action junkie during that first code when you've got to intubate and the team is actually taking your orders. Or maybe you are right and your only place is on the pediatric wing as a heme-onc. It takes a ton of self-reflection to be a happy doctor. That self-reflection must have enough awareness to be open to change. It happens to many who start this path. By no means am I saying it will happen to you, but if it starts to happen, don't be afraid. It just means you're finding the best you. Good luck, be strong, be brave!

There’s nothing ignorant about it. DO schools are easier to get into than MD schools. Lower average MCAT, lower average GPA, etc. That’s not to say that DO’s are any less doctors than MD’s, but it’s significantly easier to get into a DO school

PinkBlink It completely depends on the school. Usually they say a 3.0 GPA is the minimum, but you are not likely to get in anywhere in the US with a 3.0. Search each school online and you can find the average GPA and MCAT score for the latest matriculated class. Go off of those numbers.

Figure out your why

It's not impossible but requires sacrifice and dedication!

And lots of parents money.

You are supposed to take the MCAT whenever you feel prepare. You will need to wait until the MCAT score, and then apply to med School.

I would say the more experience and the more you immerse yourself into medicine, the helpful it’ll be. Also starting young will show that you are serious about becoming a doctor. I would say go for it!!! (P.S. sorry for the comment above... idk what his/her problem is...)

Hey! Pre-med Canadian student here. Many information he gives here are specific to the United States, and the application process changes according to the university where you want to do your M.D. here in Canada. For example, uOttawa and McGill do not require you to submit your MCAT if you studied in a Canadian university. If you live near Ottawa, I'd really recommend attending an "Operation Med School" seminar. They generally take place once a year at uOttawa's campus and you can ask any question regarding pre-med, med school and residency. Good luck, and God bless!

A bit late but for what it's worth, biochemistry was by far the most helpful class I ever took in terms of preparing me for the MCAT.

We can help with your personal statement. Brainstorming, outlining, editing. Check out the our website. Link in bio