Category Archives: Medical School

5. Write a personal statement that makes you stand out.

When applying for medical school, you will be required to write a personal statement. Although, this essay is often the last part of the application process, you should start preparing for it as early as possible. This is one part of the admissions process in which you can have direct influence and should aim for the best product possible.

While admissions committees often emphasize that they do not advise students about what to write in their personal statement, there are specific themes and topics that can be included. Your personal statement should reflect your goals and the qualities that are unique to you, so that you stand out. As you start your essay, take the time to carefully reflect on the academic foundation you have built and the experiences that have contributed to the development of your character and led to your decision to pursue a career in medicine.

Medical school admission requirements include a personal interview, though the specific processes differ among schools. Interviews may take place on or off campus. Interviews may be conducted by an admissions committee member, by multiple members of the admissions committee, or by off-campus interviewers, such as practicing physicians and/or current students. Generally, the interview assessments are added to the admissions file.

During the interview be prepared to answer questions in the following topical areas:

Medical school admissions committees view involvement in extracurricular activities very favorably. If you can maintain a competitive grade point average in a rigorous curriculum and still actively participate in extracurricular activities, this demonstrates a high aptitude and work ethic. Many successful pre-med students join a variety of organizations, play varsity and intramural sports, participate in theatrical and singing groups, and volunteer. Leadership positions in these areas can also show commitment and personal growth. However, it must be emphasized that no amount of involvement in extracurricular activities can substitute for a good academic record or strong MCAT scores. Successful pre-med students have clear priorities and have learned to manage their time wisely.

Work experience related to the medical field is of particular value when applying to medical school. The primary value of working in a hospital, doctors office, public health clinic, or nursing home is to increase your exposure to the field and also help you decide whether to pursue a career in medicine. Many admissions committees will view this type of medically-related work experience favorably. This is not a medical school prerequisite to admissions, but is becoming increasingly important.

Students who have shadowed health professionals show that they have taken the initiative to investigate their career choice and have spent time and effort learning about the career. It is very important to keep track of physicians you have shadowed and the number of hours you spent in their offices. It is a good idea to shadow different professionals, not just physicians, to give you a broad perspective of the health care system. It is also important to shadow one or two professionals on a regular basis so that they may become familiar with you and your career goals. These individuals are more likely to feel comfortable writing you a letter of recommendation if they have mentored you or allowed you to follow them on an ongoing basis. It would also be a good idea to journal your experiences while shadowing. Journaling provides an opportunity for you to document your experiences for future application materials and experiences that can be written about in your personal statement.

If you want the chance to see medicine through its widest window, try shadowing a family physician. Because family doctors take care of everyone, from infants to older adults, these shadowing experiences are particularly rewarding and will help you get a jump start understanding medicines most popular specialty.

Volunteering not only helps students decide whether medicine is the right field for them, it is a way to provide service to the community. Medical school admissions guides strongly urge their applicants to have engaged in some kind of volunteer activity before applying to medical school. Volunteering is viewed as increasingly important when it comes to admission decisions. It conveys commitment and integrity. You cannot demonstrate those traits in only a few days or a month of volunteer service.

Experience in scientific research is recommended by admissions committees for the academically strong student who has such an interest. This type of experience is essential if you aspire to a career in academic medicine or research. Many undergraduates develop an interest in pursuing research as a career while participating in projects in the laboratory of a faculty member.

Other considerations that may be a factor when applying to medical school include:

Thoroughly review each medical school's application requirements to ensure that you are supplying all of the information requested.

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How to Get into Medical School | Medical School & Residency ...

AMCAS accepts applicants' letters of evaluation via the AMCAS Letter Service and distributes them to participating medical schools electronically. This service enables letter authors to send their letters to AMCAS rather than to each individual school. Letter writers may submit letters through the AMCAS Letter Writer ApplicationorInterfolio.

If a medical school participates in the AMCAS Letter Service, all letters must be sent through AMCAS. Medical schools that participate in AMCAS for admission to their MD program also participate in the AMCAS Letter Service unless noted on this page. Please note, participation is subject to change. Schools that do not participate in the AMCAS Letter Service may still require letters of evaluation from you. To review a medical school's requirements for letters of evaluation, visit their admissions website.

Under no circumstances will AMCAS provide applicants access to letters of evaluation. Read the completedata privacy policy.

Direct your letter authors to visit theAMCAS Letter Service page specifically for them, where they'll find instructions on how to write letters of evaluation and submit them to AMCAS.

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AMCAS Letter Service | Students & Residents

VCUs medical college history found to be intimately connected with slavery, report finds  WRIC ABC 8News

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VCUs medical college history found to be intimately connected with slavery, report finds - WRIC ABC 8News

Vial Announces the Addition of Dr. Michael W. Lawlor of the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Diverge Translational Science Laboratory to their Central Nervous System Scientific Advisory Board  PR Newswire

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Vial Announces the Addition of Dr. Michael W. Lawlor of the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Diverge Translational Science Laboratory to their...

University of Texas senior and U.S. National team member Jake Foster will likely not be using his fifth year of eligibility, which was awarded to all NCAA athletes that competed during the COVID-afflicted 2020-21 season.

At the moment, I will be finishing my degree in the spring, and with some degree of certainty, I can say that I will not be using my 5th year of eligibility, Foster told SwimSwam. I may still be swimming next year as a pro, but that situation is still in flux with whether I will be enrolling in med school next fall.

Foster also confirmed that he would be retiring from competitive swimming if he enrolled in medical school, because it wont be possible for [him] to balance the demand of med school and competitive swimming while doing them at the level that [he] wants to.

Additionally, Fosters retirement was hinted at in his younger brother Carson Fosters recent Instagram post, where he says his 16th and final season swimming on the same team as [Jake] starts today.

In February 2022, Fosters teammates from Texas posted on social media about how he got a score of 519 on his MCAT test, which is an exam required for admission to the majority of medical schools in the United States. The highest possible MCAT score is a 528, so a 519 would put Foster in the 96th percentile of all medical school applicants, according to Association of American Medical Colleges.

Fosters potential retirement comes despite the fact that he has a chance of making long course international teams in the future, including the 2023 U.S. World Championships team and the 2024 U.S. Olympic team. At the 2022 U.S. National Championships, he finished second in the 200 breast with a time of 2:09.00, which is ranked third in the United States and just 0.16 seconds off the 2:08.84 it took to make the 2022 World Championships team.

At the 2022 U.S. International Team Trials, Foster narrowly missed the World Championship team in the 200 breast by placing third to Nic Fink and Charlie Swanson in a time of 2:09.73. He was also fifth in the 400 IM in 4:13.76 and sixth in the 200 IM in 1:58.64.

Collegiately, Foster is a high-impact swimmer, having scored 30 individual points for Texas at the 2022 NCAA Championships. He set personal best times in all three of his primary events, finishing twelfth in the 200 breast (1:51.82), eighth in the 200 IM (1:40.63), and fifth in the 400 IM (3:38.24). His PBs of 1:51.40 and 3:37.33 in the 200 breast and 400 IM respectively both came in prelims.

Foster isnt the only Texas swimmer to retire from competitive swimming due to med school, as 2017 World Championship medalist Madisyn Cox also recently hung up her goggles after not making the 2020 Olympic team to enroll in med school.

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Jake Foster Likely Not Taking Fifth Year, Will Retire If He Gets Into Med School - SwimSwam

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine is going head-to-head with three other medical schools as part of a friendly competition being held in the name of saving lives.

The 2022 Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive is now underway.

OUWB has partnered with Be The Match the National Marrow Donor Programs annual bone marrow registration drive thats aimed at educating and signing up as many potential donors as possible.

Led by medical students from the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), OUWB will compete with other medical schools in Michigan and Indiana to try and be the one that signs up the most people for the national bone marrow registry.

The drive will consist of in-person events this week as well as an option to participate online through Nov. 15.

Tiffany Williams, director, Diversity & Inclusion, credits students from SNMA for leading the effort.

Theyve been very diligent in making this drive a priority every year, she says. Its a testament that theyve been able to continue the drive, especially since it had to be completely virtual for the last two years.

OUWB is big on compassion

The importance of the bone marrow registry cannot be overstated.

Bone marrow donations have the ability to help with more than 70 diseases that can be treated by a blood stem cell transplant, including leukemia and lymphoma, sickle cell disease, inherited immune disorders, and more.

According to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), Be The Match helped facilitate nearly 6,7000 blood stem cell transplants or other cell therapies in 2021.

OUWB has been participating in the bone marrow donor registration drive since 2014, after OUWBs Student National Medical Association (SNMA) proposed the idea.

Williams says it makes sense for the OUWB community to be involved in the drive because it reflects a commitment to giving back and getting involved in the community.

OUWB is big on compassion and serving the community, says Williams. (The bone marrow donor registration drive) falls right in live with that.

How does it work?

The drive is open to those who are 18 to 40 years of age, in general good health, and willing to donate to any searching patient.

The way it works is relatively simple: An individual swabs the inside of the cheek to generate a sample that is used to compare, and ideally match up, specific protein markers with patients who need a bone marrow transplant.

In-person swabs can be done Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to noon; Thursday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon; and Friday, Oct. 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. On those dates and times, medical students from SNMA will be at a registration table in the Oakland Center.

Williams says one of the most exciting aspects of this years drive is that it will have an in-person element for the first time since 2019.

Being in-person gives the drive that personal touch, she says. Were able to explain face-to-face the importance of registering to potentially be a donor, as well as provide access to swab kits.

There are two other ways for people to participate.

One is to text MSOUWB22to61474for a swab kit to be sent in the mail the return the swabs to Be The Match by Nov. 15.

Another is to use this link to register online and request a swab kit.

Williams says the goal is to register as many people as possible. As an extra incentive, OUWB is competing with medical schools from Central Michigan University, Indiana University, and Wayne State University.

The school that secures the most registrations by Nov. 15 will win bragging rights, according to Williams.

OUWB won the competition in 2020, and Williams says she is looking forward to the results from this year.

Were going to bring it home, she says.

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, marketing writer, OUWB, at adietderich@oakland.edu.

To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketingwebpage.

NOTICE: Except where otherwise noted, all articles are published under aCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. You are free to copy, distribute, adapt, transmit, or make commercial use of this work as long as you attribute Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine as the original creator and include a link to this article.

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Competition heats up between OUWB, other med schools in bone marrow drive - News at OU