Safety Schools

Whether you call me a pessimist or a realist, I am an advocate of having a large number of safety schools on your list when applying to medical school.

I have some clients with good GPAs and mediocre MCATs and vice versa. Ensure that your safety schools include those whose averages are the same and lower than your weakest numbers. In other words, if you have a strong MCAT but a weaker GPA, pick safety schools that reflect the GPA.

Remember: You can always decline a medical school’s offer of admission; you do not want to be without options.

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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

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

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