Wendy Loughlin, assistant dean and director of the Health Professions Advising Office at the University of Maryland, sat down with the Association of American Medical Colleges to answer questions collected from applicants at events throughout the year.
- How can someone find a postbaccalaureate or master’s program with the goal of improving their academic record when most programs require a 3.0 GPA or higher for admission? What strategies can I use to stand out among other applicants despite having a lower GPA?
Carefully research post-baccalaureate programs and you will find a wide range of available options, including undergraduate and graduate-level programs, full-time and part-time options, and certificate and non-certificate tracks. You will find structured programs as well as those that offer courses a la carte. While some programs require minimum GPAs, many others do not. Some also offer linkages to medical schools or guaranteed interviews to students who meet certain academic benchmarks.
Records are evaluated based on many different things including trends and patterns. If you apply and are not admitted to any enhancer post-bac programs but your heart is set on working toward a more competitive academic record, you may need to find a program where you can repeat some of the foundational sciences and build a stronger record first, before applying to a more formal enhancer program. Your starting point will determine the type of program that you need and how much time you will need to allot to rebuilding. Most medical schools look for full-time post-bac work and at least a 3.5 or better GPA in 20-30 credits of basic sciences. You may need more or less, again depending on your starting point.
The truth is that even the most impressive experiences cannot erase an academic record that fails to give a medical school confidence in your ability to complete their curriculum. However, once you have addressed your academics, schools may be impressed by your persistence and commitment. Students who successfully complete enhancer programs are often more mature and possess relevant life experiences that distinguish their applications.
Finally, completing a post-bac program does not guarantee that you’ll be admitted to medical school. The investment is time-consuming and can be expensive. As you consider what post-bac options you have, also think about whether other fields could offer you the professional quality of life that you envision with medicine. Also think about whether the program you choose may have other utility in your professional advancement if medical school does not work out.
- From the perspective of medical school admissions committees, what are the most valuable ways for an applicant to spend their gap year(s)?
Students choose to take time between college and medical school for various reasons. It’s perfectly acceptable to take time off for personal needs, improve your academic record, to save money, or to support your family. Medical school will always be an option, and admissions committees don’t spend time questioning why you didn’t apply sooner. While they will be curious about how you spent your time, they’re not judging your timeline.
Students should spend that time doing things that are productive and relevant to their professional and personal development in the field. That is broad language and it’s intended to be. A student can learn transferable skills from nearly anything they do. Schools generally like to see continued investment in the profession and to people-centered commitments. The gap year is an opportunity to live as an adult, develop professional relationships and habits of a full-time employee, and pursue experiences that are meaningful to you as a future physician. Don’t spend the year checking boxes you think a medical school would like to see.
However, if you are taking time off to fill a perceived gap in your application, you should focus on that specific area, even if it’s the more difficult path. For example, conducting additional research will not be useful if the primary issue is your academic record.
One area with clear direction is for students pursuing an MD/PhD. These applicants should find work in a lab, training as a scientist rather than simply as a technician. An MD/PhD applicant who takes a year to explore employment outside of research may have trouble convincing a committee of their commitment to the path.
Finally, it is not necessary to take a gap year if you are already prepared. Some students need a gap year while others do not; discuss your specific timing, goals, and needs with an advisor.
- What are some common things applicants miss during the application process that you wish they knew?
There are general pitfalls that students can avoid with planning, patience and guidance. At UMD, we have noticed four key characteristics of unsuccessful applicants:
- Applying with low metrics: Rely on the MSAR and assemble a school list of 17-20 programs, the majority of which place you in the middle 50% of accepted applicants for that school (62% of our students who did not receive an offer in the previous cycle had metrics that did not match available school-specific applicant data);
- Poor timing and management of the application: If possible, the best practice is submitting your common application by the middle of June and returning secondaries within 1-2 weeks of receiving them (48%);
- Rushing an application before gaining experience: Schools expect applicants to have thoroughly investigated the field (clinical), developed a capacity for empathy and an understanding of others (service), and exhibited intellectual curiosity (research and rigorous and thoughtful course selection) (31%) and;
- Poor school list creation and or misalignment with a school’s mission or competitiveness (10%).
Sometimes, an applicant is deficient in more than one of these areas.
Much of this can be avoided by working closely with your school's health professions advising office and being willing to incorporate and act on advice, even when it is difficult to hear. There’s a wealth of free or low-cost information available that has been vetted by experts, including the AAMC website and the MSAR, which contain nearly all the information needed for success. Reviewing the pre-health websites of schools with large applicant pools can also provide more specific guidance.
Applying to medical school is not an arms race; it is a process of developing readiness for a lifelong career caring for others with compassion, skill, and curiosity. One thing students often only appreciate at the end of the process is that the best applications are direct, personal, and reflective. Ultimately, the advice to "just be yourself"—though obvious—is truly the best.
