Medical School Admissions

Trends in Medical School Curricula

Over the years, several alternative models have been introduced for the first one to two years of medical school instruction. Recently, medical schools have continued to develop and implement a variety of more patient-centered and collaborative approaches. Since 2020, urgent political issues including the COVID pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and the ongoing climate crisis have ushered in more changes still. In this post, we’ll walk through some of the latest trends in med school curricula.

The Impact of State Residency on Med School Admissions

Do medical schools—especially public institutions—give preference to in-state applicants? Do private institutions consider state residency in their med school admissions process? If you are applying as an out-of-state applicant, do you need a higher GPA and MCAT? In this post, we’ll walk you through what we’ve gleaned about whether in-state preference plays a role in med school admissions, and how much.

The Value of a DO Degree in Osteopathic Medicine

Find out more about the DO (Doctor of Osteopathic) degree offered by osteopathic medical schools and if this path could be right for you. Examine the differences and similarities between the MD (Doctor of Medicine) program offered by traditional allopathic medical schools and DO programs.

When Is the Best Time to Take the MCAT?

Explore the various factors to consider in planning when to take the MCAT, and how this decision affects when you’ll be able to start med school. We discuss the impact that your MCAT score has on determining your med school list and application timetable. Also, if you retake the MCAT, how do med schools view multiple scores?

Deferring Medical School Matriculation

If you have been accepted to medical school, but you are looking to defer enrollment for a year, find out more about when and why programs might allow you to do this and what your next steps should be. This blog post explores several case studies of medical schools that always allow deferrals, grant deferrals on a case-by-case basis, or rarely allow deferrals.

What Makes a Successful Baccalaureate/MD Candidate? Part I: Overview of Baccalaureate/MD Programs

In this 3-part series, we provide a deep dive into how to succeed in applying to Baccalaureate/MD programs. In our first blog post, we provide an overview of these BA/BS/MD programs. Subsequent posts discuss case studies and characteristics of successful applicants.

What Makes a Successful Baccalaureate/MD Candidate? Part II: A Closer Look at a Selection of Baccalaureate/MD Programs

In Part II of our 3-part series, we provide case studies of several leading baccalaureate/MD programs, regarding admissions requirements and academic features. Watch for Part III, in which we share our knowledge of successful applicants to these combined programs.

What Makes a Successful Baccalaureate/MD Candidate? Part III: Characteristics of a Successful Baccalaureate/MD Candidate

In Part III of our 3-part series, we share our knowledge and experience of characteristics of successful applicants to baccalaureate/MD programs, including coursework, clinical experience, research, shadowing, volunteer experience, and motivation for a career in medicine.

Trends in Osteopathic (DO) Medical School Admissions

As with MD programs, the number of applications to DO programs has soared in recent years, and enrollment has shot up correspondingly. Read our detailed analysis of recent trends in osteopathic medical school admissions, including the growing numbers of practicing osteopathic physicians over the years by age, gender, and specialty fields.

New Features in the 2024 AMCAS Application

The AMCAS 2023-24 application cycle will open on May 2, and will open for submission on Tuesday, May 30. Learn more about the new features for the 2023-24 application cycle, along with their significance.

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