Home › Blog › Page 22

Changes in the AMCAS

Posted on by by

Premeds applying this cycle will notice a few changes to the AMCAS. There are no drastic modifications, so don’t worry, but it’s worth knowing what to expect.

Back in 2012, an important, new addition appeared on the AMCAS: Applicants were being asked to identify their most significant extracurricular experiences (up to three) and support their choices with more writing. Now the Most Meaningful Paragraphs are par for the course, but the change was a big surprise back then.

This year the updates are comparatively minor. One difference is the Other Impactful Experiences section. It is not an addition, however. It replaces the Disadvantaged Status section, allowing for a broader understanding of challenges that can adversely affect an applicant’s life and candidacy.

To their credit, the AAMC also changed the “other” pronoun and gender identity categories to “another pronoun set” and  “another gender identity.”

Please see this short article from the AAMC regarding other changes in this year’s AMCAS.

Tags: , , ,

BS/MD Programs

Posted on by by

Here is an AAMC piece about BS/MD programs. While these curricula do provide some benefits to students with an early interest in medicine, I am generally not a proponent of the BS/MD option, as it really precludes most participants’ ability to take full advantage of the college experience; the caveat may be 8-year programs (like Brown or Tufts) that don’t accelerate students, as much as give them early assurance of admission to medical school (assuming individuals maintain their grades). 

My bias is that taking more time – for example, a gap year – is a way to enjoy the school experience and approach medical training with maturity and career choice confidence. 

Tags: , , ,

2023 Match Data

Posted on by by

The NRMP recently published data regarding the most recent Match. Of note, emergency medicine – my specialty – had a whopping 554 positions that remained unfilled. Ouch! Additionally, although the numbers were better than last year, IMGs still struggled: US citizen IMGs saw only a 67.6% Match rate and non-US citizen IMGs had only a 59.4% Match rate.

There is a lot of data to review, so take a look here if you want more information on DO Match rates, specialty competitiveness, and SOAP. 

Tags: , , ,

USMLE Performance Data 2022

Posted on by by

The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) publishes USMLE performance data year after year, and the most recent information regarding the 2022 testing cycle is particularly interesting. Frankly, I’m not sure what to make of it, but performance on Step 1 is notably worse than years prior (e.g. 2021 compared to 2020; 2020 compared to 2019). I’m not sure if this is related to the pandemic, changes in the test itself, or some other factor. Here is the data.

Tags: , , ,

What Coursework is Really Required for Medical School?

Posted on by by

While there is a core curriculum that is a prerequisite for medical school, certain schools require additional coursework or competencies (like the CASPer exam). The AAMC does a good job of keeping up a database of that information, listed by school. An applicant can sort through to see what each institution requires. You might have to do a little bit of digging once you open a school’s link, but the information is usually accessible.

Of note, if a course is required for admission, it’s probably best not to take the class on a pass/fail basis.

Tags: , , ,

About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

Receive FREE Insider Medical Admissions Tips.

Sign Up

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: