Blog Archives

You Never Get a Second Chance to Blow a First Impression

I have received a lot of questions about interview attire; I have two rules to guide applicants:

1. Do not be noticed for your clothes. You want to be remembered for your accomplishments, not your attire. Years later, I still remember the applicant who arrived in a Bugs Bunny tie. I also recall the applicant who arrived in jeans. (He packed his interview clothes, checked his luggage, his bags were lost, and he had nothing else to wear for his early morning interview. Keep your clothes with you – carry-on.)

2. Be comfortable. No heels that are so high you are in too much pain to take the tour. No coat so light – but stylish! – that you can’t walk out of the building.

Tags: , ,

Being the Squeaky Wheel

medical school application

Several years ago I helped a strong applicant who had been rejected by a top medical school. He thought he was a very good fit for this particular institution, so he called the school to make his case. Surprisingly, after the applicant’s phone call, the school granted him an interview, reversing their original rejection.

It was at this time when I met the applicant; we conducted a mock interview, so he would be well-prepared.

Ultimately, after being initially rejected, this applicant was admitted to that top school.

Of course, this is an exceedingly rare occurrence. (Just to clarify: In seven and a half years as a professional coach, I’ve only seen this happen once!) But to me, the moral of this story is that it is worth being assertive (not aggressive) in the medical school and residency admissions processes: Send an update letter, call institutions (politely) to inquire about your status (if they do not expressly prohibit phone calls), and be proactive during your interviews.

Tags: , ,

How to Get Strong Medical School Letters of Recommendation

I’ve received questions recently about the ins and outs of medical school letters of recommendation (LORs). For those needing guidance, here’s a piece I posted last year on the Varsity Tutors blog regarding the LOR:

medical school application and residency application

Today’s topic will be letters of recommendation (LORs), a part of your application you should get moving on immediately if you haven’t already. Having read many LORs as a Harvard Assistant Residency Director, I can tell you that these letters matter much more than I originally thought when I was applying to medical school and residency myself.

I have a distinct memory from years ago of a colleague’s pointing out the word “shy” in an applicant’s LOR and asking me what I thought it meant. I didn’t make much of it, but my admissions colleague was worried about what the writer was trying to convey about the candidate. If one ambiguous word can make an admissions reader balk, you can imagine what a weak letter can do.

This brings me to one of the most important points about medical LORs: Mediocre letters (not to mention frankly bad ones) are a lost opportunity at best and a fast way to bomb your application at worst. It is critical that you get strong letters of recommendation…so let’s review how to do that.

Getting the best letters of recommendation for medical school, residency and fellowship is dependent on multiple factors:

1. Following Directions
2. Asking the right people
3. Influencing the content of your letter by making the job of letter-writing easy

Because there is so much advice to offer on these topics, today’s blog entry will cover #1 and #2, and I’ll focus on #3 in a follow up piece.

Following Directions
Different medical schools are seeking different sources of your letters. It’s worth checking online to ensure you meet the varied requirements of each institution.
Many medical schools require at least two science professors and one non-science professor to submit LORs on your behalf. Some also require a letter from your principal investigator (PI) if you’ve done research. Other medical schools may prefer a composite letter from a premedical advisor or committee. (For students attending schools that do not provide this service, individual letters from faculty members can be substituted.)

If you are currently attending graduate school, you may have a different set of letter writer requirements altogether, so it’s worth looking into this issue at each medical school before you apply. Furthermore, if you are employed in the workforce or on active duty in the military, some schools will require that you have a letter from an immediate supervisor. Also, some medical schools mandate “expiration dates” on their letters; they may require that no LORs be older than a year.

The reality is that medical schools are (generally) not malevolent institutions bent on creating confusion for their prospective applicants; being able to read and follow their directions is a basic and reasonable prerequisite for consideration as a candidate. If you can’t be bothered to follow instructions as an applicant, how can they expect you to learn the nuances and complexities of caring for patients :)?

Asking the right people
Now, beyond fulfilling a school’s requirements, you want to get the strongest letter you possibly can from the most influential writer. Choosing the right professors can be a challenge, and advisees often ask me what to look for in a letter writer. Here is my suggested wish list for potential letter-writers:

1. Senior faculty
2. Weighty academic titles
3. Well known in their field
4. Spent significant time with you
5. Experienced letter-writers
6. Explicitly state they will write you a strong LOR

Of course all of these qualifications are not possible for all letter-writers. But the more of these you can garner the better. With regard to #1-3, admissions officers are human just like the rest of us: Receiving a LOR from an accomplished, known colleague will be weighed much more heavily than one from someone deemed less successful and unfamiliar. If you are better connected to someone without a title, consider asking the professor (a more senior person who has a weightier title) if she would consider writing the LOR with significant input from your closer contact (i.e., the TA who taught your section, or the postdoctoral fellow who directly supervised your research project). That way you get a LOR that includes insight from someone who knows you, signed by a name that packs a punch.

With regard to #6, don’t be afraid to ask a potential letter-writer if she will write you “a very strong” LOR. It may seem awkward at the time you ask but, believe me, getting a wimpy letter will be much thornier. If the faculty member says no, hesitates, or tells you in May that she has to plan her Thanksgiving get-together, politely thank her and move on. Although disappointing, acknowledge that she has done you a huge favor. You are far better off avoiding her letter. You now have the advantage of substituting a stronger LOR written by someone who loves you.

Remember that your letters have a big impact on your application, and a mediocre letter can bomb your candidacy. In a follow up blog entry I’ll review how to influence the content of your letter by making the job of letter-writing easy.

Tags: , ,

Medical School Admissions

Medical School Admissions Timeline

medical school application and medical school admissionsEvery year in June I receive panicked requests from pre-meds, begging me to edit documents urgently. Don’t be one of those people! Here is a safe timeline for you to follow to avoid the frenzy:

Now: 1. Draft your AMCAS activities (maximum 700 characters) and your three most meaningful paragraphs (maximum 1325 characters). Also, complete a strong draft of your personal statement. Then get expert editing help. Expect to spend several weeks updating your written documents after aggressive edits. 2. Request all letters of recommendation if you have not already. If your school has a pre-medical committee that requires an interview, set yours up immediately.

June 3: Submit your AMCAS.

July through early August: Complete your secondaries. Set aside time now to ensure you will be able to complete the multiple essays in a timely and thorough fashion.

September: Complete mock interviews with an adivsor who has admissions experience. Practice, practice, practice.

October through winter: Interview. (I’ve seen applicants who submitted their AMCASes at the beginning of June receive medical school acceptances as early as October.)

Winter through spring: Celebrate acceptances and send letters of intent to wait list schools. Consider “second looks” to help make matriculation decisions and to show wait list schools you are interested.

Summer: Enjoy your freedom.

Tags: ,

Avoid Medical School and Residency Application Missteps

Please check out my recent Student Doctor Network piece  to help you avoid big admissions bloopers.

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.

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

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