How Hard Is It To Get Into Medical School Reddit

Deeper experiences also show commitment and perseverance—two qualities that are necessary for any successful medical student.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Medical School? 5 Reasons Premeds Fail

It is more difficult than ever before to get into medical school. Every year, more and more premeds apply to medical school, yet the number of first-year positions stays relatively the same. If your dream is to become a doctor, you will have to avoid the pitfalls that so many premeds fall into—and the first step is understanding what those pitfalls are. So, how hard is it to get into medical school?

According to the AAMC, over 55,000 applicants applied during the 2022-2023 application cycle and only 22,000 matriculated. That’s an acceptance rate of only 40%, which is an increase from the previous cycle but still less than favorable odds. If you’re a premed just starting your future doctor journey, these are worrisome statistics.

There is a silver lining though. Getting into medical school isn’t like winning the lottery. There are steps you can take and mistakes you can avoid that will help ensure acceptance, even when the odds seem stacked against you.

Here are 5 reasons why premeds fail to get into medical school and what you can do to avoid them.

1 | Suboptimal Hard Components (GPA and MCAT)

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room. The number one reason why most premeds fail to get into medical school is suboptimal hard components. This means a low GPA and/or a low MCAT score.

Now I already know what some of you are going to say in the comments. If you browse premed Reddit or Student Doctor Network long enough, you are bound to come across a post that says, “I got into medical school with a 2.0 GPA and a 495 MCAT,” or maybe one that says, “I have a 4.0 GPA and a 528 MCAT and didn’t get into any medical schools.”

After reading a few of these, you might start to think that having a good GPA and MCAT are not that important to your medical school admissions. Not quite.

It’s true that some premeds get into medical school with low GPAs and low MCAT scores. The converse is true too. A killer GPA and MCAT is no guarantee of acceptance either.

These individuals are the exception, not the rule, and there are other factors at play that determine one’s competitiveness as an applicant.

The reality is that if you have a high GPA and a high MCAT, objectively, you are more likely to get into medical school than if you have a low GPA and a low MCAT.

This isn’t just my opinion either.

If you look at the data from the AAMC, higher GPA and MCAT scores are correlated with higher medical school acceptance rates. To convince yourself otherwise is foolish and will only hurt your chances of getting into medical school.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have a low GPA or MCAT score, the good news is there is still hope. You don’t have to give up on your dreams of becoming a doctor. There are students who have been in your exact situation who have still gotten into excellent medical schools and gone on to become wonderful doctors.

You do have to be realistic about your chances though. Realize that if you have low numbers, you are going to have to work hard to compensate. You’ll either have to improve these metrics or shine in other aspects of your application to have a realistic chance of a medical school acceptance.

2 | Having a Checkbox Mentality

The next reason that premeds fail to get into medical school is that they adopt a checkbox mentality. They google medical school application requirements and use the search results as a sort of checklist.

Okay, I need a 3.7 GPA—check. I need a 511 MCAT score—check. I need 200 hours of volunteer work—check. And I need 200 hours of research experience—check.

These premeds believe that if they can just complete every item on the checklist, then they’ll be guaranteed acceptance. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

Although there are certainly worse ways to approach getting into medical school, the problem with the checkbox approach is that you don’t end up pushing yourself beyond the typical medical school applicant. As a result, you become the typical, cookie-cutter applicant who is indistinguishable from the tens of thousands of other premeds whose applications look nearly identical.

If you set your sights on completing the bare minimum, then that’s all you’ll ever achieve.

To truly maximize your chances, you need to push yourself beyond the typical medical school applicant.

Instead of checking boxes, you need to craft a compelling narrative. You do this by pursuing opportunities you are passionate about, which can sometimes mean diving deep into your interests outside of medicine.

If you’re passionate about a hobby like cycling or swimming, for instance, lean into that. If you’re interested in making a meaningful change toward a social cause you care deeply about, lean into that. Medical schools don’t just want applicants that excel academically and clinically; they want well-rounded applicants who can bring a new and interesting perspective to their medical school.

Deeper experiences also show commitment and perseverance—two qualities that are necessary for any successful medical student.

Becoming a doctor is a long, arduous road, and admissions committees need to see that you have the capacity to follow through on longer-term goals.

3 | Not Choosing the Right Schools

Reason three that premeds fail to get into medical school is they either don’t apply to the right schools or they don’t apply to enough schools.

When choosing where to apply, there are a variety of factors you need to consider.

There are the obvious ones, like average GPA and MCAT of matriculants, but also things like location, class size, and mission statement you need to consider as well.

Take location, for instance. Many medical schools receive funding from the state government and tend to heavily favor in-state applicants. If you apply mainly to out-of-state schools with low out-of-state acceptance rates, you are setting yourself up for failure. By prioritizing and applying to your in-state schools, you can sometimes improve your odds by orders of magnitude.

Next is class size. A school that has fifty spots available is often going to be a lot more selective than a school that has two hundred and fifty spots available.

Also, consider the mission statement of the schools you’re applying to. If a particular program heavily prioritizes research and you have little to no research experience, it may not be worthwhile to apply to that school. Conversely, if they’re heavily focused on primary care and you’re leaning towards neurosurgery, it might not be the best possible fit.

In addition to applying to the right schools, you also need to make sure you’re applying to the right number of schools.

There is an asymmetric risk associated with the number of schools you apply to.

The main risk of applying to too many schools is losing money, whereas the main risk of not applying to enough schools is not getting into medical school that year.

Even if you look at things strictly from a financial perspective, you’re still likely to come out ahead by applying to more schools. Each application cycle is an expensive ordeal, and you only want to apply once.

Additionally, every year you don’t get into medical school is not just another year spent in training—it’s also another year that you miss out on receiving an attending’s salary. So, spending an extra thousand dollars now can end up saving you hundreds of thousands of dollars in missed salary down the road.

Even if you’re a strong applicant, it’s still in your best interest to apply to a large number of schools because it puts you in a position of optionality and power.

I sent out applications to close to 40 medical schools, had over 20 interview invites, and was able to gain multiple acceptances. This gave me the power to choose between schools, pick the one that was the best fit, and leverage my multiple acceptances to get almost all the cost of medical school covered for free.

4 | Failing to Prepare for Medical School Interviews

The fourth reason that premeds fail to get into medical school is that they don’t prepare enough for their interviews.

It doesn’t matter if you have a 4.0 GPA, a perfect 528 MCAT score, and glowing letters of recommendation. A bad interview can make or break your entire application.

Remember, interviews are one of the last obstacles standing between you and medical school acceptance, so it’s vital that you take the time to adequately prepare.

Start by familiarizing yourself with the most common interview questions. Plan out what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it, but keep in mind you want your responses to be well thought out while still sounding conversational. You don’t want to come off like you’re just reciting a canned response.

Next, know your application inside and out. Everything you put on your application is fair game for an interviewer to ask about. This is especially important if you’re applying to a highly ranked research institution. Trust me, they will ask you about your research extensively, and not being an expert on it will land your application in the rejection pile.

Next, learn about the schools that you are interviewing at. Read about their curriculum, their research interests, their student groups, and what other opportunities they offer. If possible, try to pick out one or two unique aspects about each program, then sell these aspects as reasons why that program is a great fit for you. You want to be able to show that you’ve done your homework and are interested in the unique things their program has to offer.

Now all there is left to do is practice. It’s one thing to plan out what you’re going to say and do during your interviews, but it’s an entirely different thing to do it. Start by reciting answers to common questions to yourself, then move on to practicing with others and participating in mock interviews.

The best mock interviews are done with doctors or instructors who have served on medical school admissions committees. They will know first-hand what interviewers are looking for and what you can do to present the best version of yourself. While your friends or family or premed advisor can help you sound good, they won’t have the nuanced understanding of what medical school admissions committees want to hear.

For your medical school mock interview, be sure to check out our interview preparation services. In a Med School Insiders mock interview, you’ll work with a former admissions committee physician. Together, our team has conducted thousands of interviews, and we know the process inside and out.

5 | Following Bad Advice

The last reason premeds fail to get into medical school is they listen to bad advice.

When trying to figure out how to get into medical school, many premeds use online forums like Reddit or Student Doctor Network as their primary source of information. Although these forums may contain some solid advice from time to time, it’s often buried under a ton of questionable and even harmful advice. As someone lacking expertise in medical school admissions, it’s near impossible to sift through and separate the signal from the noise.

Posts on these forums also tend to focus on individual cases instead of overall trends. What worked for one student may not work for another, so you need to find someone who understands the overall trends but can also make adjustments on an individual level.

For a more tailored approach, many students will turn to premed advisors at their university for assistance. Although this may seem to be a step up from online forums, these advisors usually still lack the knowledge and expertise to maximize your chances of getting into medical school.

Remember, premed advisors never went to medical school. As such, they are not the best people to be giving out advice on how to maximize your chances of medical school acceptance.

When applying to medical school, you want help from trusted experts who can elevate your application, help you get into your dream school, and make you so compelling as an applicant that schools fight over you and try to win you over by covering your tuition and living expenses.

As you look at resources and companies to work with, seek out those who are actual M.D. physicians, not Ph.D. or others who didn’t go to medical school. Look for those who have achieved stellar results themselves, have a track record of success with glowing reviews from customers, and a systematic approach so that you know you’ll always receive high-quality service.

If you decide on Med School Insiders, we’d love to be a part of your journey in becoming a future physician.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out my piece on How to Get Into Medical School or our Complete Guide to Medical School Interviews.

Premed Reddit and the Most Common Premed Myths Found in Online Forums

Learn how to navigate online forums during your medical school admissions process

Introduction

If you’re like most premed students, you’ve probably spent some time reading online message boards that discuss stressful aspects of the medical school admissions process. While communities like the premed Reddit forum or Student Doctor Network can provide support for applicants seeking guidance, they’re also chock-full of content that can leave even the most confident applicant running for the hills.

A message thread might tell you—in no uncertain terms—that only certain types of applicants get accepted into your dream MD program or that there’s only one way to write your personal statement. You might’ve even posted in the “What are my chances?” threads asking other premed hopefuls to assess your med school admissions odds.

There are also more general posts, which remind you of the competition you’re facing—for example, it’s not uncommon for student with a 3.8+ GPA and 520+ MCAT score to express uncertainty about their admissions odds. Posts like these might make it seem like only candidates with top-tier credentials should even consider applying to medical school. These threads can be disheartening and discouraging, to say the least.

So, when it comes to information you find on websites that aren’t professionally curated, what should you believe?

Our goal is to debunk common medical school admissions myths perpetuated by well-meaning but misinformed users on online forums like premed Reddit. We’re here to provide you with guidance based on nearly 20 years of helping students get into their dream programs so that as an applicant you can feel confident on your journey toward medical school.

Premed Reddit Myth #1: Medical school admissions is super competitive and, therefore, only students with exceptional stats should apply.

For many prospective students, one approximation is a constant source of anxiety: roughly 60% of applicants don’t get accepted into any medical school the first time they apply. This percentage is often referenced alongside other statistics that speak to the competitive nature of medical school admissions, which can leave you feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or out of control of your future.

But what’s important to keep in mind is that about 40% of applicants do get into somewhere by focusing on the things they can control: their academic credentials, written materials, application timeline, and their overall outlook on the process.

Think about it this way: spending too much time worrying about your odds of getting in is energy spent away from researching and employing strategies to improve your chances. And believe us, the folks getting in are not just the ones with incredible stats. We routinely help students with sub-3.6 GPAs and sub-508 MCAT scores get into medical school, even MD programs.

Premed Reddit Myth #2: A good MCAT score is one that’s above a 520.

All students dream of getting a good score on the MCAT, but it’s important to keep in mind what a good score really is. There’s a great deal of back and forth about what’s a good score versus a bad score on the internet, so let’s put some facts on the table. Here are general statistics on how students score on the test:

• Mean MCAT score: 500
• Mean MCAT for applicants over the last 4 years: 506
• Mean MCAT for matriculants over the last 4 years: 511.5

The average score for matriculants typically rises from year to year (in 2021–2022 it was 511.9), so you’re right to assume the MCAT carries more weight in medical school admissions now more than ever.

However, when thinking about how your score will factor into the admissions process, there’s no need to piece together various bits of information. The Association of American Medical College’s MSAR Database is the preeminent resource to see how your MCAT score measures up against those of other applicants and matriculants at select schools.

Once you have an MCAT score, make sure you reflect on what it means for your overall profile. Remember, admissions officers will be weighing it beside other key factors, particularly your GPA and extracurriculars, when developing their initial impression of your application.

Using MSAR and additional resources can help ensure that schools on your list are the right fit for you.

Premed Reddit Myth #3: Premeds with a low GPA are doomed.

Similar to your MCAT score, your undergraduate GPA matters significantly in the admissions process. Schools that review your application want to know you’re academically prepared for medical school.

Although it’s difficult to get into medical with a low GPA, here are some basic strategies that can increase your chances:

• Have a high MCAT score. Statistics have shown that performing well on the MCAT will increase your chances of getting into medical school.
• Consider enrolling in a post-baccalaureate program or a special master’s program. These one- to two-year programs offer an opportunity to retake undergraduate premed courses and/or take courses alongside first-year medical school students. An added bonus is that many of these programs offer linkage with medical schools.

Premed Reddit Myth #4: Undergrad prestige is more important than stats.

Medical schools are looking for the most qualified applicants, plain and simple. However, if you’re an applicant who didn’t go to an Ivy League-caliber school for undergrad, you may be concerned about how your GPA will stack up against your competitors from more prestigious institutions.

Unlike the MCAT, your GPA is representative of your academic credentials at a particular institution. In medical school admissions, an undergraduate GPA of 3.8 obtained at Stanford is viewed differently than an undergraduate GPA of 3.8 obtained at a lower-ranked university. There’s no universal metric to measure how admissions officers perceive or rank different undergraduate institutions.

Here are some strategies to counter potential anxieties you may have about your undergraduate institution:

• Remember, a strong GPA such as a 3.8 or above is impressive regardless of the reputation of your undergrad.
• Make sure you develop strong relationships with your undergraduate professors so they can write you stellar letters of recommendations that speak to your intellectual curiosity, work ethic, etc.
• Make sure you score high on your MCAT

Premed Reddit Myth #5: When it comes to extracurriculars, quantity is king.

We all have a vision of that perfect medical school applicant. In addition to having a high MCAT score and GPA, their resumé is full of clinical and shadowing experiences and research opportunities, which can leave you, their competitor, feeling like you’re doomed to fail in the admissions process.

But when it comes to highlighting extracurriculars in your AMCAS Work and Activities section and school-specific secondary essays, remember that quality is just as important as quantity. For instance, let’s say you have two applicants: one who has completed a dozen activities with no significant accomplishments in any of them, and one who is a rockstar researcher with several first-author publications. Who is more prepared for medical school? Which candidate has developed a rapport with supervisors who’ll write them better letters of recommendation?

Ultimately, you’ll need to develop your own narrative around how these experiences helped shape you for medical school applications. You can always enhance any weak spots on your resume if you edit your written materials with this goal in mind. Even though this work can sometimes be frustrating, there’s always an opportunity to amplify impressive parts of your application.

Premed Reddit Myth #6: There are specific topics you should include/avoid in your personal statement.

The medical school personal statement is one of the most important components of your application. It’s your chance to speak directly to admissions officers, share aspects of your character and personality, and make a case for why becoming a doctor is the right path for you. For these reasons your statement should, in fact, be personal.

There’s a lot of discussion about what content makes for an impressive personal statement, and what content should or shouldn’t be included. This advice can make you feel self-conscious about your initial essay topics or latter drafts that don’t seem to align with examples you see published online.

We’ve distilled proven strategies for writing these statements in our comprehensive guide to medical school personal statements. Here, you’ll learn about what every successful personal statement requires without sacrificing an applicant’s individuality and personal voice, plus numerous examples.

Premed Reddit Myth #7: Submit AMCAS primary and secondary applications ASAP (regardless of quality).

The medical school admissions timeline can be a tricky thing to manage, especially if you have other responsibilities like work, internships, or school.

To take advantage of rolling admissions, you’ll want to submit your primary application as soon as the AMCAS application opens in May (the same goes for TMDSAS and AACOMAS). This means working on your personal statement and Work and Activities section well in advance.

However, if you find that your materials need some work, quality should take priority over a speedy submission. In other words, it’s okay to submit your materials a few days later if it means there will be substantial improvements in quality. Conversely, don’t delay your application for an extended period because of perfectionism.

Our guide to the ideal medical school admissions timeline outlines important dates and times of year for the process.

Final thoughts

As a premed, you may feel like you’re overloaded with information, which can make you question your commitment to becoming a doctor. But remember, there is no such thing as a “perfect applicant.” Your journey toward medical school will be unique no matter the circumstances surrounding the process. By following the strategies outlined in this post, you can approach your admissions process with peace of mind.