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The Medical School Application Process and COVID

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Greetings from California where we are hoping to flatten the curve by proudly being the first state to order residents to shelter in place. 

Last week I posted some truly excellent articles and a podcast on COVID. This week, I’m listing some considerations pre-meds need to ponder in the setting of the virus:

1) The March 27 and April 4 MCAT exam administrations have been canceled globally. It’s unclear whether some future dates will be eliminated.

2) It is hard to get clinical experience right now. Many non-essential personnel are – rightly – being asked to stay home. 

3) Letter of recommendation writers may be harder to reach or focused on other concerns.

4) As of now, there is no indication that the AMCAS application calendar will change. 

Please stay home and stay safe.

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The LAX Test

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How does Google attract the best talent and what does that have to do with medical school and residency training anyway? If you don’t have time to read the whole book How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg, I strongly recommend this excerpt.

Schmidt and Rosenberg highlight their “secrets” on hiring, including the LAX test, “Googleyness,” and hiring folks they may not want to have a beer with. They say the most important skill a business person can develop is interviewing.

In the end they declare, “Nothing is more important than the quality of hiring,” which is the ultimate truth for medical admissions as well, of course.

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Choosing your Medical Specialty

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The medical education system is really quite twisted: We spend a mere 2-12 weeks exposed to a specialty and then must make a quick decision as to whether we want to spend the rest of our careers in it.

A few recommendations:

1) Understand that what you are seeing in your rotation may not jive with what you would really be doing on a day-to-day basis after training. For example, most internists don’t spend the majority of their days in the hospital, although you will likely do that on your internal medicine rotation.

2) Ask attendings what they do and don’t like about their fields. Make sure you could stomach the worst parts.

3) Consider whether you like the operating room or not.

4) Shadow a few attendings outside of rotations.

5) Study statistics on physician burnout by field.

6) Finally, do some soul searching, and don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself about your likes and dislikes. It’s okay to admit you want a reasonable lifestyle or a salary that could support a large family. Considering those “ugly” issues now may help you avoid a lot of pain later.

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Letters of intent

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medical school application and residency application I receive a lot of inquiries this time of year about how to distinguish one’s self after the interview process.

One option is the letter of intent. This is a formal note to program directors and medical school deans that a) states your interest in the institution and b) restates the strengths of your candidacy. As I tell my clients, what you do not want to do in the letter of intent is wax poetic about the program’s good qualities. The reader is already familiar with them.

Getting into residency and medical school is never clear cut, so I’ll end by saying that the weight that a letter of intent carries is variable. It depends on the reader, the institution, the timing, and the program’s interest in you. But in this competitive game of residency and medical school admissions, taking a little time to make yourself distinctive before decisions are made won’t hurt.

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Understanding the Admissions Game

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medical school application and residency applicationIn the most recent Stanford Magazine, I encountered a piece called “What It Takes: How Does Stanford’s Undergraduate Admissions Staff Decide Who Gets Accepted? Short Answer: It’s Complicated.” Although the article focuses on college admissions, it’s instructive for medical school and residency applicants as well.

A take home point is uncovered when Stanford Dean of Admission Richard Shaw says he is seeking “intellectual vitality” and “passion.” He remarks, “We want to hear a ‘voice’ – that’s a critical component.”

These comments directly support the point I drill into those I mentor: Make sure your candidacy is distinctive by showcasing your accomplishments. Make sure you can be distinguished from all of the competing applicants.

Take a look at the piece. It’s worth the short read.

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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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