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The Future Is Now: Using AI to Evaluate Medical School Applicants

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The AAMC recently published a piece regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assess medical school applications: Multiple institutions, including the Zucker School of Medicine and NYU, use AI for initial screening of medical school applications. Others, like the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and GW, are developing AI capabilities to pilot within the next couple of years.

Admissions officers say the amount of time necessary to review the thousands of applications they receive is overwhelming and that they can teach AI – using years of successful applications to the school – how to effectively assess candidates. Of course, one big downside is that if an AI platform is based on past human decisions, it will inherently propagate and reflect previous biases that produced admissions results.

See the AAMC article here.

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More Medical Students, Fewer Applicants, and a 3.86 (!) GPA Mean

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The AAMC published information recently demonstrating several trends about last year’s cycle:

1) The number of medical students has expanded because of new medical schools. First-year matriculants increased 0.8% from the previous academic year to 23,048.

2) On the other hand, the number of applicants decreased for the third year in a row. There was a 1.2% decline versus 4.7% the previous year and 11.6% two years ago. Remember, though, that there had been a huge increase in numbers during the height of the COVID pandemic.

3) Underrepresented minority group matriculant numbers generally declined.

4) What impressed me was that the current incoming class had a mean GPA of 3.86. Wow!

You can see all of the numbers and the AAMC’s conclusions here.

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Mistake or Needed Break: Should You Take a Gap Year?

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Recently, I’ve advised several premeds who are trying to make decisions about the utility of a “gap year” – an elective, non-curricular period between college and medical school. There are important professional, financial, and personal consequences to consider before making the decision. Here’s a piece I wrote for Wolters Kluwer that offers guidance. 

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A Great Opportunity for College Students Interested in Medicine

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Applications for the Summer Healthcare Professionals Education Program (SHPEP), a Robert Wood Johnson funded opportunity for college students interested in healthcare professions, are open. SHPEP specifically targets students from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and those with demonstrated interest in issues affecting underserved populations. The goal is to help college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors apply and matriculate successfully to health professions schools. SHPEP is housed at 11 universities across the country with different start dates – but all over the summer. Housing, meals, stipend, and travel expenses are all paid.

Take a look at the program in more detail here. The application deadline is February 5.

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A Valuable Tool: AAMC Webinars

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The AAMC offers a variety of recorded premed webinars on their website here, including current topics like “2025 MCAT Testing Year Update for Examinees,” “Preparing for the MCAT Exam,” and “Learn about the 2024 AAMC Fee Assistance Program.” 

They also have comprehensive information about the Fee Assistance Program (FAP) here. Please remember that the AAMC recommends applying for an FAP waiver prior to taking the MCAT.

With regard to my services at Insider Medical Admissions, premed applicants demonstrating financial hardship through a current AAMC FAP grant may be considered for reduced rates. Please contact me for more information.

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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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