What Medical Schools Are Looking For In Applicants

Basically, medical schools want everything: empathy,summer science courses to lighten your science
compassion, achievement, dedication to service,load—this does not impress them. You can still
altruism, lifelong learning, intellectual curiosity, goodtake summer courses, but you want to make sure
judgment, ability to balance priorities, and a passionyou have science-heavy semesters as well.
for science. They have, however, no magic formula.MCAT scores: To be most competitive you want a
They evaluate each student's credentials and weigh10 in each of the 3 sections for MD programs (a 30
the student's background and judge the fit betweenoverall) or an 8-9 in each section for DO programs (a
the student and the medical school. They want24-25 overall). A lot of students ask me if a formal
well-rounded students with broad academic intereststest prep course is necessary, my answer is that it
and backgrounds. They need students who aredepends.  Personally, if I get involved with a student
interested in learning and who will be life-long learners.early enough I recommend by a good MCAT prep
You should have good communication andbook and using it as a supplemental study guide while
interpersonal skills, a record of community service andyou are taking the prerequisite courses in Biology,
leadership, a variety of extracurricular activities, andChemistry and Physics – this way, you can learn
experience with shadowing a physician.the format of the MCAT exam while you are
One thing to keep in mind is that you need toworking hard to learn the material.  That, in my
establish a record of interest in healthcare. When youopinion, is the best option of all. 
write your application essay, you will likely be tryingHealth care experience: If you want to show a
to tell them how much you want to be a doctor.medical school that you are interested in being a
This should be clear in your record of work anddoctor, you need to have provided yourself with
activities as well. You must backup your claims ofopportunities to see doctors in action. If you haven't
interest in medicine with clear action that shows youralready done so, you need to observe (shadow) a
interest.physician. This assures medical schools that you are
Two information sources you should be aware of tokeenly interested and that you have a more realistic
make sure you fit the requirements for varioussense of what it means to be a doctor. Osteopathic
schools:schools generally require that you have shadowed an
For information on requirements at MD programs:osteopathic physician and ask for a letter verifying
Medical School Admission Requirements (fondlythis.
known as the MSAR—pronounced em-sar).Service/Volunteerism: Medical Schools see health care
Published by the AAMC (Association of Americanas a service field so doing volunteer work is
Medical College), this book comes out annually, butimportant. They do not care what it is, only that you
does not change much from year to year.  Ithave been doing it on a regular basis and show a
contains a description of each school, informationcommitment to it. Showing up to work at a blood
about the median* test scores and grades ofdrive during the spring of your junior year will not cut
matriculated students (remember this is differentit. It just isn't enough evidence that you are
from what the numbers would look like for all thosecommitted to helping others. A number of
who apply), and statistics on in-state andosteopathic medical schools emphasize volunteer
out-of-state applicants. You can order a copy throughwork and use it as a major factor in their decision
the AAMC, but it is probably easier to order it at amaking. Remember schools are looking for problem
more user friendly website like Amazon (if you typesolvers, critical thinkers, active listeners, teaching
in MSAR there this book pops up). Generally the priceability, motivators, and those who appreciate the
is about $25.importance of touch in communication and treatment.
*a median is the middle value in a distribution So seek out service opportunities where you can
For information on requirements at DO programs:develop and hone these skills. Consider nursing
The DO materials similar to those found in the MSARhomes, hospice, crisis centers, programs assisting
are available free on the AACOM (Americanpersons living with HIV/AIDS, tutoring/mentoring at
Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine)risk kids, coaching, etc.
website. Go toLeadership: Take charge of a program or student
 organization event. Work toward a leadership position
Some of the Experiences/Credentials Sought byin your fraternity/sorority/sports team, etc. Medical
Medical Schoolsschools need you to be a leader and a solid team
Prerequisite courses/grades: Some schools do haveplayer. 
specific requirements beyond the basic 1 yearResearch: Though research is not required more and
biology, 1 year general chemistry, 1 year organicmore applicants have some research experience so it
chemistry, 1 year physics, and 1 year English. Typicallyis a great thing if you have the opportunity and the
by 1 year, schools mean 8 semester hours. Most alsoinclination. The medical schools don't care what kind
look for several social science and humanities courses.of research it was—it is really about what it
One program even requires 24 credit hours inshows them about your academic development. If
behavioral science (medical schools define thisyou participated in research, you generally were able
differently). They may define the number of creditto balance this with other responsibilities, to work
hours necessary in each subject. To see if you havewithout supervision, and to see both your portion of
everything you need for the schools to which youa project and the bigger picture. The elite schools
want to apply, check the schools website and/or the(Harvard, Stanford, etc) will have a higher percentage
MSAR.of students with published research and/or
GPA: MD schools will look at your science GPA (thepresentations at conferences. 
BCPM=Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math) and yourHands-On Patient Care: Again, not a requirement, but
non-science GPA, as well as the overall GPA. DOis seen very favorably. This is often difficult
programs do the same but do not consider mathexperience to get as it generally requires additional
grades in your science GPA. Ideally, they don't wanttraining. Some students get their experience through
to see a huge difference between your science andworking as a phlebotomist (doing blood draws),
non-science course performance. The mostworking as a certified nurse assistant or as an EMT.
competitive range to be in is a 3.6 or better. IndianaExtracurricular activities: Medical schools like to have
University is competitive enough that a 3.8 makesinteresting people as part of their classes. They are
you more competitive there. Osteopathic programslooking for people with interesting backgrounds and
will take somewhat lower GPAs. Nationally, theirexperiences. They also need to know that you can
overall GPA average is a 3.45 with a non-sciencebalance your life. Taking part in extracurricular
average of 3.55 and a science average of 3.37.activities helps to show them this.
Course load: Medical schools will expect to see aFollow the steps, include each factor in the same
couple of semesters in which you have taken 2-3 labmanner you include macronutrients and vitamins into
courses at the same time. They need to know thatyour diet – covering the bases every day
you can handle a heavy load and still manage goodconsistently will produce the best long term results.
grades. You should also be careful about taking