When applying to medical school, there is a lot of misleading information that might cause some overconfidence within people who are applying. Thus, I am going to start a series where I explore some common myths within the pre-med community to clear up any misconceptions. I think it is very important for everyone to be aware of the facts and really explore ideas. With the number of applications going up each year with the number of seats remaining relatively the same, knowing the proper information is key.
Myth #1: An average student has good chances of getting into a medical school.
By average student I mean around a 3.5+ GPA and a 500+ MCAT score. To many, this might sound like a good situation to be in but it is important to explore the facts here. Yes, some people might get in but is it really worth applying if you're in this case. Personally, this is a yes and no question because I would recommend applying to 5 schools that match your statistics but not more than that. Additionally, I would applying to post bacc programs and masters programs to really build up the resume. Yes you have a chance of getting into a medical school but those chances are extremely low. I am not trying to be discouraging but I am trying to help you save money and time. It is very important to stay honest to yourself and really examine if you have the grades for medical school. Plus, it is getting harder for everyone to get into medical school so remember you need to separate yourselves from the others. The graph below this displays this perfectly. According to a report done by USA News Today, if you average the averages of each ranked medical school on their list, the average would be a 3.72. According to that report, several admissions officers believe a 3.8+ GPA will make you an excellent and very competitive candidate.
Myth 2: A good MCAT/GPA will cover if you struggle in the other
Although this is somewhat true, you must really look deeply into the facts. First of all, if you have a bad GPA, the chances of you having a very high MCAT score is very rare. If you have a 3.0 - 3.19 GPA, you need a 517+ to have 50% chance of getting into medical school. If you have a 505 MCAT and a 3.79+ GPA, once again. you only have a 50% chance of getting into medical schools. Both of these examples are very extreme but prove the point that this myth is not completely true. I think for most, you should aim for a 3.6 - 3.79 GPA and a 510 - 513 MCAT score which would give you a 64% chance of getting into a medical school. This is the best of both worlds. Having one extremely high and the other extremely low can cancel out to a 50% chance but I do not like those chances. The AAMC lays this out beautifully in their table - I would highly recommend visiting this chart and see where you lie as of now.
Myth #3: Specific undergraduate courses will not be looked at, only GPA
This myth is completely false. Several deans of admissions at different medical schools have said that the last 45 credits students take are very critically analyzed. The types of courses they are taking and the grades they receive in this courses are crucial to whether theses students will get a chance to interview or not. Specifically, medical schools are highly against taking core/important classes at community colleges because they recognize that many do that because it is "easier". Furthermore, when applying to specific schools, on their secondary application, they require you to put in the grade you received for specific classes such as Organic Chemistry, Physics, and certain Biology classes so remember that schools do analyze all your courses. Of course if you mess up freshman year, an upward trend can help but you should try your best to not mess up at all.
Myth #4: Lesser known schools have troubles with residencies
When applying to medical schools, you should always try to find medical schools where you agree with their mission statement and like their environment. You should never chase a school simply because of its name. In a 2018 survey where residency program directors were asked this question, most replied with the prestige of the school you attend does not matter but rather your USMLE step 1 score, letters of recommendation, and Medical Student Performance Evaluation. However, with the recent changes in step 1, no one is sure of the criteria that will be used for residency programs.
Myth #5: Locations of medical schools do not matter
It is true that many medical schools reserve many spots for in-state students. Thus, you have a slight advantage when applying to in-state schools when compared to out-of-state schools in most states. State schools reserve a set amount of seats for in-state students according to government funding requirements. Furthermore, some certain schools, have most of their seats for in-state students with very little seats for out-of-state students. However, you have to remember that the competition for in-state seats is also very high. If you have a 100 seats, they might reserve 50 seats for in-state students. This means that 50 other seats are divided among students in the other 49 states and 50 are divided amongst people in your state. This might sound amazing but usually less out-of-state students will apply to lesser known schools while more in-state students will apply to these schools taking the advantage away.
From the graph above, 59.1% of people who apply do not get into a medical school at all, 24.8% get into an in-state school and 16.1% enroll at an out-of-state school. You can see there's around and 8 - 9% advantage when applying to in-state schools but do not be discouraged if you do not get into the school of your choice because almost 60% of people who apply do not get in anywhere!
With application season coming up, these are all important factors to remember! If you have any questions, contact me!
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