Writing a Hook for Your Personal Statement for Medical School
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —George Orwell, 1984 (1949) You better not never tell nobody but God. —Alice Walker, The Color Purple (1982) It was a pleasure to burn. —Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953) Some of the best...
What Do Medical Schools Look for in Their Applicants?
So, you are considering applying to medical school and wondering how to get in? Every year, U.S. medical schools evaluate tens of thousands of applications from some of the brightest and most talented college students and recent graduates in the country. The admissions process is highly secretive, yet we know...
How To Get The Most Out of Shadowing
Shadowing is an extracurricular that most premeds participate in to fulfill requirements for medical school. However, it is also an important part of your journey in understanding medicine and connecting with your reasons for pursuing the field. What Is Shadowing? When shadowing, you will be following a...
How to Study for CCS on Step 3
By the time most medical students begin their intern year, they are expert test-takers. Graduating from medical school and matching into their specialties of choice requires them to be attentive learners, good multitaskers, and skilled test-takers. That being said, a few extra tips for how to study for USMLE Step...
Active Learning Study Tips for the MCAT
Preparing for the MCAT requires many hours of consistent studying and a well-defined schedule. Although sticking to a schedule and putting in the hours are necessary, they are not sufficient. So we've put together a list of active learning study tips for your MCAT! Your performance on exam day...
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Your Medical School Personal Statement
Your medical school personal statement is the cornerstone of your medical school application. As such, your personal statement should be polished, contain a good hook, well thought out, and capture why you want to be a doctor and what life experiences have informed your journey to applying to medical school.
What is CASPer – The Ins and Outs of a Not-So-Scary Exam
CASPer – not the friendly ghost, but rather, the Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics – is a situational judgment test graded on a quartile basis, with a goal of measuring ethics, communication, empathy, and professionalism in any number of settings – not just medical ones!
5 MCAT Mental Health and Prep Tips
The MCAT is an enormous exam, consisting of content from all your premedical undergraduate courses and lasting approximately 6-8 hours. It is also extremely important as one of the final steps before you can be considered for admission to medical school. However, it need not feel like an insurmountable obstacle...
Top USMLE Step 3 Resources for Struggling Students
Studying for USMLE Step 3 is a unique challenge for many residents and applicants. Between balancing your clinical responsibilities and your studies, how can anyone expect to study for this beastly exam?
When Should I Start Studying for the MCAT?
As the MCAT is one of the most important metrics of evaluation when applying to medical school, it is imperative to give yourself enough time for studying for the MCAT, taking the MCAT, and getting your score back before submitting your medical school applications. This timeline can look different for...