Reapplying To Medical School

In most cases, unsuccessful applicants need to improve in one of the following three areas: GPA, MCAT scores or communication skills.

Reapplying to Medical School? Tips from Admissions Officers

It goes without saying that the medical school application process is competitive. If you weren’t accepted on your first try, don’t be discouraged! We asked three medical school admissions officers to give their best advice for how to approach reapplying and ways to strengthen your application.

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It goes without saying that applying to medical school is a competitive process. In the 2017 AMCAS® application cycle, of those students who applied, about 40% were accepted [See Applying to Medical School: 2017 AMCAS® Medical School Applications by the Numbers ]. If you applied and didn’t get accepted on your first try, don’t be discouraged! Many students before you have applied more than once before they were accepted to medical school. So what can you do to strengthen your application? Before you dive headfirst into a new application cycle, we asked three medical school admissions officers to share their best advice for students who are reapplying. In summary, self-reflection is key.

“Applying to medical school can be a very stressful process, and this stress can be magnified if you don’t get accepted. If this happens to you, first, take a deep breath and put it in context. The average acceptance rate to U.S. MD-granting medical schools has ranged from 40% – 42% for the past few years. Give yourself some time to work through whatever feelings you may have, and then take a good, hard look at your application and at yourself.

There are many reasons why an applicant may not be accepted, including low academic credentials, poor interview performance, the timing of application submission, weak exploration and understanding of medicine, or poorly written essays. The first impulse for some candidates who have not been accepted to medical school is to reapply immediately in the next cycle. In reality, it is very important to slow down and to consider whether any changes you need to implement will take more time, such as retaking the MCAT exam, bolstering a suboptimal GPA, or increasing medical exploration. It is also important to seek advice from pre-health advisors and/or medical school admissions representatives to help you better understand your application weaknesses and to more fully understand how and which improvements may need to be made.”

–Lina Mehta, MD, Associate Dean for Admissions, Associate Professor of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

“The first step to being a successful medical school re-applicant is reflection and self-assessment. Take some time to thoroughly review your application. What are your strengths? What are your areas for further growth? In addition to assessing your application on your own, consider reaching out for help. Has your pre-health advisor reviewed your application and given you advice? Have you asked the schools where you were not accepted if they offer feedback? Have you reviewed the medical school’s websites to really understand what they are seeking in their applicants? Note that some medical schools even publish self-assessment guides for applicants.

Once you have identified areas of growth, take the time to grow! Rushing into another application cycle when you have more work to do may not be the best route. Attack the gaps in your application with excitement and energy. How can you learn from further studies or experiences to help you become an exceptional future health care provider? Journal about your experiences. What stories can you tell about your journey? Reflect on the opportunities you’ve had, the people you’ve learned from, and the kind of physician you want to be. Remember, the end game is not to get into medical school, but to provide much-needed care to patients. How will you become the type of physician you would want to care for your loved ones?”

–Christina Grabowski, PhD, Associate Dean for Admissions and Enrollment Management, The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine

“Every year, many more students apply to medical school than are accepted. What can you do if you are one of the students who needs to reapply? Take a deep breath and remind yourself why you are doing this!

There are four things to consider before you resubmit your application. First, the Holistic Review paradigm developed by the AAMC can be your guide on how to improve your application. Carefully look at your Experiences (E), Attributes (A), and Metrics (M). Where in these three areas are you not the best you can be? Where in the three areas are you not in the range of students that were successful the previous year? Second, how well did you articulate your commitment to medicine in your application? Is your commitment well supported by your various activities? Third, timing is important. If your application has not changed significantly from the previous submission, the likelihood of a different outcome is small. Admissions committees want to see noticeable changes in a re-applicant. Finally, reach out to the medical schools you previously applied to for advice on how you can enhance your application. Many schools may not have the resources to provide you with this information, but it does not hurt to try. Lastly, consider sitting down with your pre-health advisor who will have the most comprehensive understanding of what successful applicants from your school look like and can offer suggestions for improving your application.”

–Leila Amiri, MA, Director of Admissions, University of Illinois College of Medicine

As you prepare to reapply, it can also be helpful to see how other applicants overcame not being accepted on the first try and then ultimately matriculated to medical school. The AAMC’s Inspiring Stories is a collection of interviews with medical students about their path to medical school where you’ll find that many involve multiple application attempts. It can also be helpful to know what medical schools are looking for in their future students. The AAMC’s Anatomy of an Applicant breaks down applications of current medical students and shares what led these applicants to acceptance.

5 Things You Must Do Before Reapplying to Medical School

If you didn’t get into medical school on your first try, it doesn’t mean you never will.

In fact, second-time applicants have roughly the same acceptance rate as pre-meds applying for the first time. So don’t despair. Instead, focus on improving yourself as a candidate.

1. Assess Your Original Application

If you are planning to apply to medical school for the second (or third) time, begin by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your previous med school application.

The best resource is your school’s pre-med advisor. Not only does your pre-med advisor have years of experience in the field, they’ll be acquainted with all the successful applicants from your college for the preceding year. They can tell you how your application stacked up against the rest of the pool; they can also recommend programs that seemed to favor applicants with a similar background to your own. Tell the original writers of your med school letters of recommendation that you are reapplying so that you can benefit from their guidance as well!
Admissions committees are also often willing to give advice to rejected applicants (particularly polite ones). You should get in touch with schools at which you interviewed but were not accepted. Since medical schools only interview candidates that they are seriously considering for admission, these schools can give you a specific sense of how you can improve your chances in the next season.

2. Commit to a Plan for Self–Improvement

In most cases, unsuccessful applicants need to improve in one of the following three areas: GPA, MCAT scores or communication skills.

GPA

If your grades need a boost, consider enrolling in some classes through your undergraduate college or through an extension program at a local university. Most med schools (though not all) will average all undergraduate coursework as part of your GPA. There are also post-baccalaureate programs specifically designed for medical school hopefuls whose undergraduate grades fell below average admissions criteria.

MCAT Scores

In order to improve your MCAT scores, the cardinal rule is practice, practice, practice. Load up on materials and set aside a time every week that you will devote solely to MCAT prep. For maximum results, consider enrolling in an MCAT prep course. Remember to ask about a school’s attitude towards multiple MCAT scores before applying. Some will only consider the highest score, some will average all scores and some will only consider your last score.

Communication Skills

If you were granted a medical school interview but didn’t get a spot in the incoming class, you might need need to improve your verbal communication. Like any skill, the more you practice communicating, the better you’ll become. Sign up for a practice interview at your school’s career center. Remember that your skills as a writer can also affect how admissions committees view you. Find a friend with good writing skills to make sure your personal statement is clear and effective.

3. Pursue Further Clinical Experience

Medical schools seek students who demonstrate a desire to help others. Volunteering or working in a patient-based position will make you a stronger applicant. If your extracurricular activities do not include a position in health care with direct patient contact, consider a volunteer job at a local hospital. If you already graduated from college, look for a professional position working with patients in a healthcare facility. Another idea is to earn an EMT license, which will allow you to work as a paramedic or in an emergency room.

4. Revisit the List

Now that you’ve been through an application season, re-evaluate the list of schools to which you applied. Definitely re-apply anywhere that invited you to interview last year. But this is also your chance to seek out new schools that favor students with your background and strengths. Our online med school profiles will help you browse and compare schools.

5. Be the Early Bird

Since most medical students accept students on a rolling basis, it is crucial that you submit an application as early as possible. Don’t let procrastination or disorganization ruin all your years of hard work.

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The Staff of The Princeton Review

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