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Fee Assistance Program

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As the 2021-22 medical school application process ramps up, I want to remind candidates about the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Fee Assistance Program (FAP) and Insider Medical Admissions’ available discount for those with a current FAP. The FAP is designed to offer help to individuals with financial limitations who cannot pay the MCAT registration or AMCAS application fees without financial support.

If you think you are eligible, it’s worth applying for an FAP grant early: If an applicant submits his/her AMCAS prior to receiving a decision on his/her FAP application, that candidate will be ineligible to receive the FAP for the AMCAS. In other words, the candidate will not receive a refund.

For more information on the FAP, please click here. I offer reduced rates for applicants demonstrating financial hardship through a current AAMC FAP grant. After researching the issue, I believe Insider is the only medical consulting company that currently supports a discount for FAP grant recipients. (I apologize if I’m missing a company.) Once you have been granted the FAP and thus, can prove receipt, please feel free to contact me for more information.

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Pre-Med? Avoid a Big Mistake

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Several years ago I was hired by a re-applicant who wanted to better understand why she did not get into medical school the prior year. She had a 3.9 GPA and a 40 on her MCAT (100% percentile). Yet, she had been rejected from all medical schools.

I looked through her materials and discovered the problem. The applicant had no clinical work at all. She had never been in the room with a patient. Many of you know that I like the saying, “No one wants to hire a chef who hasn’t been in the kitchen.” She had fallen prey to that adage.

We talked, and I advised her regarding options she had for obtaining clinical experience. Fast forward a year: The client completed a robust clinical activity and was readily accepted to medical school (and felt more confident about her career choice).

If you are a pre-med, note that robust clinical experience is critical. Working as an EMT, in a good clinical care extender program, formally as a scribe (where you can also make some money), in a hospice setting, or in a low-income clinic are just some ideas for obtaining excellent clinical exposure. (Although you might think free clinics would be thrilled to have a pre-med volunteer, many understandably require one-year commitments.) 

Shadowing is a mixed bag: Medical schools don’t know whether you’re second-assisting in the operating room or just standing in a corner being ignored. If you choose to shadow, make sure that – in your written materials – you highlight any substantive clinical skills gained. Other popular options for clinical experience include international work (although the activity is usually short-lived, which makes it less robust) and working as a volunteer in a hospital (although it might be more clerical than clinical, depending on the position; thus, the benefit of clinical care extender programs. Do your research before accepting a volunteer hospital job). I’ve also had advisees who became certified, practicing phlebotomists and others who worked in veterinarians’ offices to obtain procedural skills.

More important than getting into medical school (gasp), getting robust clinical experience will help you ensure you’ve made the right career choice. Simultaneously, you’ll demonstrate to admissions officers that you can handle the heat.

See the short video below on the importance of clinical experience:

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Flight of the Conchords’ “The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)”

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I’m a huge fan of Flight of the Conchords – both the show and the comedy duo themselves. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement sing a hilarious tune called “The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room” whose lyrics include

…Looking ’round the room
I can tell that you
Are the most beautiful girl in the… room
In the whole wide room (ooh)
And when you’re on the street
Depending on the street
I bet you are definitely in the top three
Good lookin’ girls on the street, yeah
Depending on the street, ooh…

The lyrics proceed from there, consistently qualifying Jemaine’s crush’s beauty:

…You’re so beautiful
Mm, you could be a part-time model
But you’d probably still have to keep your normal job

I thought of this song recently when a wonderful client asked if he should let a residency program know it was one of his top two choices. While very well-meaning, that type of endorsement can fall flat. I would also avoid phrases like “one of my top” picks.

Instead, you can say (or write) something like “I would be thrilled to be at your institution,” or ” I’m confident I can make a positive contribution.” In other words, you can stay honest while not shooting yourself in the foot.

Here’s the “Most Beautiful Girl” video. It’s hilarious.

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Ten Ways to Improve your Medical School Application

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As we know, New Year’s resolutions are notoriously hard to realize. But there are smart tips for executing them, including making sure goals are specific and truly achievable within a reasonable time frame. That’s why starting early with your candidacy for medical school is important. The beginning of the year is a great time for pre-meds to redouble their efforts toward their medical school goals. This past cycle, applications to medical school increased again, so the process has gotten even more competitive.

As always, I recommend a very focused approach that allows you to do more of what you want and less of what you don’t. Think research will help your candidacy but don’t like being in the lab? Consider public health or clinical investigations. Think volunteerism will bolster your application but don’t like being one of a crowd in a group project? Start your own social justice initiative.

There are definitely necessary elements to any robust medical school candidacy (clinical experience, strong grades), but being a pre-med can also be fun, mind-broadening, and career-affirming.

Here are ten ways to improve your medical school application that will give you direction but also leeway to be a happy applicant – not just a strong one.

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Medical School Interviews: Preparing for your Virtual MMI

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While the majority of medical school interviews are traditional, an increasing number of institutions (including dental schools) are using the MMI platform. The MMI (multiple mini interview) is a format that uses several timed stations to assess applicants’ interpersonal skills and judgment. Despite the virtual approach, a number of schools are still using MMI. A few things to note about MMI interview questions:

1) They are not always medically related. You may be asked to manage an everyday problem (e.g. a disagreement at the supermarket).

2) They are not always situational. You need to be prepared for conventional questions too (e.g. What are your three greatest strengths?).

3) Schools are trying to assess whether you can skillfully employ important techniques and demonstrate professionalism. Underlying topics might include your ability to offer effective counseling, your understanding of patient-doctor confidentiality, your ability to diffuse a heated situation, or your capacity to admit wrongdoing, etc.

4) Make sure you know what structure the school is using and employ the right mindset: Working with an actor is different from executing a group project (especially remotely!), which is, in turn, different from answering questions about your opinions. 

5) Practice MMI questions before you “go” to your interview. Even if you have excellent social skills, there are techniques you should hone to expertly manage the challenging MMI format. 

Contact me for help. 

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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:

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