Please check out my latest guest posting “Exploring the Medical School Myth” on the Varsity Tutors blog.
Blog Archives
Med School and Residency Interview Advice
Early this year I launched the Insider Medical Admissions Guru on the Go© stop motion video series with residency application and medical school admissions tips. Now, as medical school and residency interview seasons approach, I’m posting the first of three original Guru on the Go© videos called “No Ring, No Thing.” Take a peek.
AMCAS is Done. Now Prepare for Your Next Big Step.
Pre-meds, now that your AMCAS personal statement writing is completed, are you starting to worry about your medical school admissions interview?
Have no fear! I’ve just started a series of interview blog entries as an invited guest writer on the Varsity Tutors blog. Take a look at the first in the series “How to Prepare for Your Med School Admission Interview” here.
Note: This series of entries will offer residency interview strategies too. Take a peek.
The Craft of Writing
Two weeks ago I blogged about the importance of using your personal statement to showcase your accomplishments, while ensuring your essay does not become a resume in prose. In the “The Sound of a Sentence,” Constance Hale reviews techniques a writer can use to invigorate his or her compositions.
During my medical school admissions process, I introduced myself to my Duke interviewer who said, “Ever since reading your secondary essay, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!” I had made a favorable impression and distinguished myself through my writing – the goal of my essay. I find some applicants are simply slogging through the process of writing their personal statements. Remember that you only have a small piece of geography to catch the admission reader’s attention. Use the personal statement space to your advantage, and don’t lose a great opportunity to make a positive impression!
Contact me for help with your written materials – AMCAS, ERAS, personal statements, secondary essays, CVs, letters of intent, etc.
Start with a Clincher…
Advisees routinely tell me how they struggle with crafting their personal statement introductions. My advice: Start with a clincher (and end with a zinger). But how can you avoid writing about accompanying your grandmother to the emergency department/ realizing your calling? (FYI: If you are considering this tactic, it’s worth noting that I’ve seen it scores of times.)
Here is a great piece from my alma mater’s The Stanford Magazine. I originally read this short article way back in 2008, but it stuck with me.
Let the examples you read open your eyes to the opportunity you have to distinguish yourself in the eyes of medical school admissions committees and residency directors.
If you are interested in my editing assistance, please consider hiring me soon. My volume is already increasing tremendously as the summer approaches.
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
