Do Comparative Research on Med School Backgrounds Comments Off

Filed under Interview Situation, Medical Schools
Written by Fred on 20th Jun -10

Researching on the background of the med school you are scheduled to be interviewed is not enough. Of course, it is a must but do not stop after learning about its history, thrust, research and academic programs, etc. To make sure you are fully equipped, do research on the med school’s top competitions, especially if you have submitted an application to those as well.

Doing comparative research on the different med schools background is very important because it will help you decide in the end which one you will want to go with, in case you get accepted to several (lucky you!). But before that it will help you fend questions and give more detailed answers for questions like “What attracted you to this med school?” or “What do you think we have to offer that other med schools do not?”. By knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the med school in comparison with others it will show that you did your homework and the amount of interest you have in really pursuing a career in medicine.

Early Medical School Acceptance Programs Gaining Popularity Comments Off

Filed under Growth Opportunities, Medical Schools
Written by Fred on 26th Apr -10

It seems that with the need for more med schools students, one of the tactics that med schools are coming up with is an alternative pre-med programs for interested and eligible students. Usually called early medical school acceptance program (or some variant of that), the programs are designed to guarantee the student’s acceptance to med school, granted that they keep their grades up during the undergraduate years. Students under these programs are also allowed to major in fields that do not fall under hard sciences such as humanities as long as they are able to take core pre-med courses.

Some of the universities that we have already reported on offering such programs include the University of Alabama in Birmingham and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Other universities that also offer similar programs are the Lake Superior State University, The University of Michigan-Flint, and Michigan State University. Surely we will see more of this trend in the near future, especially with the brewing debate on whether a more holistic education will make for doctors that are more compassionate and caring.

Harvard and Washington University Top Med Schools in the Country for Research and Primary Care Comments Off

Filed under Medical Schools
Written by Fred on 25th Apr -10

According to the U.S.News & World Report, Harvard still holds the number one spot in the US for “Best Medical School”.

Note though that Harvard has the top spot primarily because of their research programs with John Hopkins University coming in second, the University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis tied for third, and the University of California-San Francisco coming in fifth.

Harvard’s overall rank for their primary care programs is just 17 with the number one spot (tied Indiana University–Indianapolis) for that claimed by the Washington University in St. Louis and the 2nd to 5th spots going to the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, Oregon Health and Science University, University of Vermont, and the University of California–San Francisco.

Expect to see intense competition for slots to these universities as always. Hopefully though these institutions will also go with the trend of increased acceptance in keeping with the immediate and future need for more physicians.

No MCAT for Mount Sinai’s Med Students Comments Off

Filed under Medical Schools
Written by Fred on 10th Jan -10

Do you know that you don’t have to take the MCAT to get into med school? Well, at least into Mount Sinai Medical School.

Just like University of Alabama at Birmingham, Mount Sinai has a special undergraduate program that allows select students to take an alternate pre-med route to med school. Mount Sinai accepts 35 undergraduates each year in their Humanities and Medicine Early Acceptance Program, which obligates the students to major in humanities or social sciences, maintain a high GPA, make sure they do not incur any disciplinary action, and complete the 8-week summer program at Mount Sinai, in order to automatically get in their med school WITHOUT taking the MCAT.

The program has shown that those from alternate pre-med programs do as well as student from traditional pre-med programs in terms of grades and class rankings. However, they do tend to specialize in fields like psychiatry and veer away from primary care fields and surgical sub-specialties.

Alternate Route to Med School: University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Special Program Comments Off

Filed under Medical Schools
Written by Fred on 12th Aug -09

Applicants looking for a guaranteed way into med school without even having to file an application will surely be attracted by the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

EMSAP guarantees its pre-med students acceptance to its med school after graduation as long as the student:

  • maintains a GPA of 3.6 and above; and
  • gets a score of 28 on the MCAT.

Note that applicants from traditional pre-med schools are required to have a minimum GPA of 3.85 to get in to Alabama’s med school.

Another advantage of the EMSAP is that the student’s can take any major as long as they take the required pre-med courses. This gives students a chance to explore their horizons in case they decide not to continue with medicine, while giving those that will a more rounded education.

As can be expected, admissions to the program is highly selective. Once in it is important to note that about 15% of students drop out from the program.

More Med Schools Means More Choices for Applicants Comments Off

Filed under Medical Schools
Written by Fred on 15th Mar -09

In response to the numerous warnings on the shortage of physicians for the past few years, not only are medical schools expanding their programs and accepting more applicants but entirely new med schools are cropping up all over the United States.

Obviously, what this means to med school applicants is that they will have more choices. This year some new schools are already opening, like the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Michigan, which will start classes this fall (Oakland University will be working with Beaumont Hospitals). Other universities and colleges are
still just in the planning stage but we can expect to feel the boom in med schools in the next several years.

As a med school applicant though, note that while there will be more choices, the quality of education of some new med schools will still be in question. Should you choose to enter a newly opened med school it is best to research on the background of its parent college/university to find out their history and reputation.

Interview Magic Word in NC Med Schools – Primary Care Comments Off

Filed under Interviewers, Medical Schools, Professions
Written by Fred on 10th Dec -08

If you want in in medical schools nowadays, especially in North Carolina med schools, you’d better say that you are interested in becoming a primary care doctor.

As we have mentioned earlier this year, there is a shortage of doctors in rural America, and that their greatest need right now is general practitioners. Because of this North Carolina has been trying to address the issue since 2006 when they aimed for 60% of medical schools graduates to enter primary care fields. Sadly, reality is still far from the goal with just 50% of the graduate going initially intro primary care fields and just 38% of that sticking with it by the end of 2007.

The figures are not surprising considering the discrepancy between the incomes of specialists ($320k – $450K annually) and primary doctors ($160K – $175k). With the mounting medical student debt and plain ambition there is no real reason why we should see the trend reversing anytime soon.

In the meantime, medical schools are trying to address the problem in the their own way by selecting more students who appear to have real interest in becoming primary care doctors.

Shortage in Physicians Means Higher Acceptance Rates in Med Schools Comments Off

Filed under Medical Industry, Medical Schools
Written by Fred on 25th Jan -08

Good news for applicants to medical schools. Due to the shortage of healthcare, especially in rural America, medical schools have started accepting more applicants as of last year.

The reason for the shortage in medical practitioners can be traced back to the 1970s when medical advisory groups predicted a lower demand for physicians by the 1990s. The lower demand was attributed to a better healthcare system. However, as recent years have shown the disparity between the population growth and the improvements in healthcare has led to an increasing problem in terms of number of health practitioners.

What this means for those aiming to pursue a career in the medical industry is that this is a time where chances to get accepted will significantly increase. However, it is also important to note that there is a lopsided number of doctors now deciding to become specialists instead of family doctors or general surgeons due to the pay difference. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, the demand is actually for general practitioners, which is something important to think about.