Med schools nationwide saw yet another
round of exceptional applicants this past admissions
season. Given the highly competitive nature of medical
school admissions, that means that many well-qualified
applicants will have been left considering their chances
of approaching med schools as re-applicants this
admissions season.
These applicants should not feel discouraged. Many med
schools accept re-applicants – in fact, applicants who
have already been through the admissions process once
may have some advantages over those who are going
through it for the first time. However, re-applicants
need to be realistic about the reasons they did not
succeed the first time they applied and make sure they
rectify those weaknesses.
One problem that many re-applicants face is a weak
undergraduate GPA. In that case, building an alternative
transcript may be necessary.
"Applicants can overcome the problem of
a low undergraduate GPA, but it takes a lot of work and
dedication," says Senior Consultant Wayne Shelton, Ph.D.
"Many of these applicants may find that their best bet
for increasing their chances at medical school admission
is to consider some of the excellent master's or
post-baccalaureate programs in medical science," says
Wayne. "These programs give applicants an additional
opportunity to demonstrate that they are academically
ready for medical school. Also, doing more advanced work
in science assists in better preparing applicants for
the MCAT as well."
Other re-applicants have outstanding academic profiles
but lack the clinical experience that admissions
committees like to see. Admissions committees prefer
applicants with some first-hand experience related to
health care because they are looking for candidates
whose decision to attend medical school seems carefully
thought out. Applicants who have had a sufficient amount
of clinical experience can give concrete examples of
their interest in the medical profession. That's why
there are various internships and clinical opportunities
that are designed strictly for premedical students.
An additional step that is essential for re-applicants
is to reassess their list of target schools. Review each
of the schools you applied to and make sure that you
actually meet their minimum qualifications for
admission. Don't forget that schools vary widely in this
regard. Also, remember to keep your options open. With
further research, you will most likely find additional
medical schools to apply to that you may not have
considered the first time around.
Finally, make sure you tie all of your strengths and
story themes into a cohesive and well-thought-out
application. You should submit your applications only
when you feel confident that your new application
strategy is sound.
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consultants can help you understand why your applications failed the first time
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