Some things to consider about which med schools to apply to

If you're stressed out about your future and where to go to medical school (much less get accepted) you are not alone.  Many there are many qualified applicants to Medical School yet fewer than half ever matriculate.  The good news for you is there are 4 paths one can take to become a Doctor.

1. Probably the best way if you can pull it off is to get accepted into an American allopathic (MD) school.  Things to take into account is they are harder to get into, you need a relatively high GPA and MCAT (your GPA or MCAT alone can't get you in but it can keep you out.)  The state school to which you are a resident is your best bet, state schools guarantee the majority of their positions to their state's residents and this is because the state is investing into their best interest by subsidizing your education with the hope you stick around to practice.  Private schools have a higher tuition  but they offer the same level of competitiveness.  What makes Harvard or Stanford so great isn't because the school's name will get you into that competitive residency (it can't)but rather the scores you will receive on your USMLE's  from being surrounded by the best and brightest students and faculty will likely be higher but in reality no matter where you go you it is ultimately up to you to do well on the USMLE's
2. An option that is growing in popularity is Osteopathic medical Schools (DO).  These schools get you licensed to be a physician and you can go into any specialization (but they do draw in more general practice) as long as you do well.  Traditionally there had been two barriers that kept osteopathic medicine from being seen as equals to allopaths; the first being they aren't as well known (although this has changed significantly over the past decade and well known physicians such as Dr.90210 are DO's) the second thing that held them back was that they are a little more liberal in their teaching (many still teach manipulation yet few go onto use that 'chiropractor stuff' in their own practice.) This has changed as the Allopathic symptomatic approach met the osteopathic holistic approach somewhere in the middle.  Some DO schools actually blend with MD schools in some of their clinical classes and hospital rotations and entirely in residency programs.  The good thing about DO programs is they you can get in with a lower GPA or MCAT than most allopathic schools because they focus more on the big picture and the applicant being well rounded.
3. Caribbean Medical Schools are growing in populrity and reputation.  The Big 3 are Saint George's, Ross, and American University of the Caribbean but there are others like University of Health and Medical Sciences St. Kitts which are good.  Some reputable Caribbean schools can have USMLE pass rates comparable to allopathic medical schools which is amazing since they typically are full of students who got rejected from US allopathic schools.  Many accept student 3 times a year and do the first 4 semesters year round making it possible to graduate faster.  One other thing to note is that most of these programs send you out to an affiliated hospital (often from another Allopathic medical school) to do your clinical training (also known as hospital rotations which lasts about 2 years.)
4. The 4th route is if you're not accepted find something meaningful to do that will strengthen you as a medical school candidate.  Drexel and Columbia university are schools in which have programs tailored to this, they are shorter than most masters programs usually a year, give you a chance to take a class or 2 with medical students and really are directed at getting higher MCAT score.  It isn't necessary to get a masters if that not something you want you don't even need to go to school (although it might be helpful for keeping you conditioned to the learning environment for when you get in).  Jobs in which you are paid to administer health care or conduct research are helpful and you may find something more suited to you doing this.  There are places you can get your EMT certification in as little as 3 months.  
   

Now if you're lucky enough to get accepted to multiple schools there are several factors to take into consideration.  You should find answers to the following questions: Am I a good fit here (family environment, church, feel of campus, climate,etc)?, Will my spouse survive here?, What is the USMLE pass rate?, What residencies are graduates entering into?, What do the graduates have to say about their Alma mater, etc.

When applying to medical school its important to do some research as to whether or not you have a legitimate chance of getting in.  These schools charge you to apply and they charge even more to send in a secondary application, so if you're applying outside your state of residence and they only accept 3 out of state students maybe its a waste of time and money into the application process.  If you're set on getting into a limited number of schools have a back up plan in case you don't get accepted.  If getting in is all that matters to you apply to schools you would want to get into, as well as some that you think you will get into (putting more lines in the water increases the chances of getting a bite). Don't get overly intimidated about the averages (some people get in with higher and lower scores),  make sure you have something to offer you might be surprised but sometimes you don't have to be the best just the best fit and good enough everywhere else to get accepted.  Some schools such as the University of Utah consider every applicant with a 3.0 and above as a possible student and the MCAT and GPA only play 20% into what they're looking at, in fact when you land your interview the interviewers don't see your scores instead they look at personal statements and make sure you're well rounded.  You may be asked questions totally unrelated to medicine such as: why are poor people poor?  or What do you think about the crisis in Darfur? Getting into Medical school doesn't only depend on your GPA, MCAT, extra curriculars, and service hours Medicine is looking for well rounded physicians who are not only competent but posses the social skills, compassion, and understanding to truly help others.

Q&A with a 3rd year Med Student

Casey Lythgoe is a third year Medical Student at Medical College of Wisconsin, which was formally associated with Marquette, it is a private Allopathic (MD) school with a good reputation (ranked #52 top medical school by U.S. News and World Report). Casey (soon to be Dr. Lythgoe) graduated from BYUH in 2004 and sympathizes with us seeing how we don't currently have a pre-med adviser.

Q-How did you decide which schools to apply to?

A- I applied broadly: to my state school and every other private school out there who accepts a significant number of students from out of state. My MCAT wasn't the best (28) so I hoped to get lucky by applying everywhere.

Q-Besides the obvious GPA and MCAT what other things can improve yourodds of getting into med school?
A-Go get some experience in health care. I know this is easier said than done: I volunteered at the hospital in my hometown of Ogden UT. I tried anything to get to speak with and hang out with surgeons. I got lucky a couple of times and saw some operative procedures. Try to get as much of this type of experience as possible. Sure you may be able to get paid as a CNA, but wiping people's butts doesn't really tell you what being a doctor is like, you need to hang with the docs to get a feel for what they do.

Q-Is it possible to mitigate a low GPA or MCAT and still get into school? have you heard of anybody getting in despite one of these strikes against them? and what did they do to draw attention away from the negative aspects of their application? (basically is it possible to redeem yourself? and How?)
A-I believe so, and many of my classmates with sub-30 MCATs would agree. I had a relatively high GPA at 3.85 or so, and I think that counterbalanced my relatively low MCAT of 28. Get some research experience to help out your application. If you live near a major university during the summer, many scientists will have projects that you can do if you are willing to volunteer your time, who knows you might even get published! Again volunteer in health care related activities, and this will offset some of the more negative aspects of your application. Recently, we had a guy come through interviews with great grades and a 36 on the MCAT with no research, no health care experience. It was easy to reject this candidate. Being well rounded can make up for other faults in your application.

Q-What information did you find most useful in getting accepted into medical school?
A-Unfortunately, I had no advisor either and turned to websites like studentdoctor.net for advice. If you have been to the website, you'll find that the advice is poor and the company is worse. Each person's experience will be different, but I can offer mine as an example in context for anyone who wants to pick my brain. See some of my comments below.

Q-What would you have done differently knowing what you know now about the admissions process?
A-I would have studied harder for the MCAT and taken practice tests that are RECENT and UP TO DATE. As many tests as possible, is the advice I can give you. Also, I wouldn't try to be a superstar when it comes to admissions essays: you're likely not a Pulitzer prize winning author so don't try to be. Just be yourself. Explain why you want to be a doc, usually without saying "I want to help people" EVERYBODY says that and no one in admissions believes it unless you have a really credible story. I wanted to be a doc because I love how surgeons can open a person, remove something that has gone wrong, sew the person up, and the patient is better off for it, THAT is AMAZING! It less to do with helping people as it does my fascination with the science of medicine. It is OKAY to love medicine. Yes, you will help people, but that doesn't have to be your main concern. Social workers help people all day, so why do you want to be a doc and help people. Oh, yes, and apply early! Enough said.

Q-What does MCW look for in the application/interview process?
A-See my post above. Be well rounded. Know what you're getting into. Study hard and do well in all your courses.

Q-What was the best way to study for the MCAT? (group study, Kaplan,flashcards,etc)
A-I'm probably not the best person to ask about this considering my MCAT score. I studied alone and used some out of date practice tests. I set up a study schedule according to the list of topics to be covered by the MCAT. I believe this list is somewhere on the AAMCAS or AAMC website. I gave myself a month to do practice tests, and would time myself with the same watch I used in the test. Go back and review the ones you got wrong and take another test. I didn't find it necessary to do a full practice test: the day of the MCAT you'll be so hopped up on adrenaline, that the time will fly. Don't worry about preparing yourself for the "marathon" like aspects of the MCAT. Some guys used kaplan: one scored better than I did, two scored worse. I was good at setting apart time to study every day and sticking to it. Ultimately, each person studies differently and each must decide which approach will work best for them. Remember that understanding a concept is different from knowing it cold!

Q-Does your major(and minor if you have one) count in choosing who gets into med school? (There is a sacrifice of GPA to take harder more challenging courses relevant to medicine rather than taking the bare minimum requirements and filling your schedule with fluff)
A-Again, most schools take into account the whole picture. I was a biochem major. I have a buddy who was an English major. Whatever you do, do it well. Taking courses that are relevant to medicine is irrelevant ironically. You'll find that in your first year of med school, you will breeze through everything you learned in 1 year of biochem in 4 months, less depth in some areas, more depth in others, and a completely different emphasis: you may have studied DNA but do you have any idea what a patient with xeroderma pigmentosa looks like? You may have taken a course in anatomy, but again the focus is different in med school: I had NEVER taken an anatomy course in my life and felt very comfortable in anatomy and received very high scores on all my tests. Once again, take courses you are interested in and courses that will prepare you for the MCAT, and enjoy both of them. Don't worry about whether they are fluff if you enjoy it and can talk about it in an interview, it's worth its weight in gold.

Q-Is there any other advice you would give to an undergrad student interested in becoming a doctor?
A-Now that's a broad question...I love what I do every day. Sometimes it is meaning less scut work. I like that a lot less. Sometimes I get to be first assist on an inguinal hernia and do all the dissection down to the inguinal ligament, or use the bovie during a lumpectomy. If you are excited about medicine now, just wait until you have a part in actually doing it. If you're married prepare your spouse now for the rigors of medical school. Some days I come home after 12 hours of work and spend the rest of the night studying. Some rotations I hardly study at all, but largely it is a lot of time put in to do well. I might also advise you to live your life to the fullest while you have the time. Not only for the fun you'll have, but so that you can tell your attendings in school about the different life experiences you've had. I was surprised to meet so many people that had not stopped going to school since they started high school. Never been out of the country, never did anything different etc. Of course, they still got accepted to med school, but again I believe in being well rounded.