Medical School Admissions

Do you still remember your childhood career dream? Many of us dreamt of becoming an astronaut or a lawyer or a fireman or a police officer or a doctor. These were some of the common dreams. But most of us grow up to forget these dreams and go on in our lives. But for some of us, those dreams become our lives. On such dreams, which many people choose to make their life is becoming a doctor and helping people. These children grow up and pass out of high school and start gathering information like which medical college will be most suitable for them and other general information regarding medical school admissions.  

We all know how tough it is to get a place in several medical school admissions. Poor students are given a lot of advices and tips to get selected in their dream college. But the question is that are all these tips and tricks accurate? There are several myths also which need to be busted to provide proper guidance to students.

The first myth is that people seeking medical school admissions should have clinical experience or a lot of extracurricular activities to make it there. It is so not true. See, this is just a result of the trait which admission officers are looking for, but it is not that trait. What admission officers really look for is that does the would-be-doctor has any idea what the life of a doctor really is. This is usually well proved if the student has clinical experience, hence the belief. Another quality which admission officers look for is how long you remain committed or associated. Therefore, the numbers of activities do not matter. What matters is that how long you have been associated with them and have you actively participated in it?

The second myth is that grades have a greater importance than the essays if you want to get medical school admissions. But it is so not true. Of course good grades are important but they are only the proof that you are sincere and hard working and smart enough. But it doesn’t prove that you have an aptitude and attitude to become a doctor. For that, there are essays. Because in your essays, you describe who you really are, what are your dreams and what are you passionate about. All these things are very important, may I say more important than grades, because a doctor is not a person with skills and a degree to prove it. A doctor is a person who genuinely wants to heal and help people in getting rid of whatever type of suffering they are going through, physical or emotional.

Third myth is that if you don’t know an answer in the interview, it will affect your medical school admissions. This is also not true. Relax, nobody is an encyclopedia. Sometimes, the interviewers ask tough questions from you, only to see whether you have the ability to handle the pressure. Because pressure becomes an integral part of a doctor’s life, right from the sophomore year.

So go easy and simple and remember to be yourself.