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Over the last decade, medical school admissions have gotten hard and difficult. There are various reasons for this including how the number of applicants and those who apply to medical school has consistently increased over the years while the medical schools are limited and the medical school acceptance rates have lowered.
Getting into med school is very competitive and challenging as pupils with high GPA and MCAT scores compete to get in. Even though there is a growing shortage of physicians in the country, the acceptance rates for med colleges are getting lower with each passing year.
Early exposure to STEM education
There are various reasons for this. One of the main reasons is the sheer competitiveness of this field. The med school applications have increased, over the years, significantly. This change has come about from the grass root levels.
The educational landscape is not the same anymore – from universities and colleges to high schools and middle schools, there is a growing trend regarding STEM education. When people fill out their medical school application, this thing matters.
With exposure to STEM fields and medical activities pretty early, even in preschool, more pupils are attracted towards the idea of becoming physicians. This trend has paved the way for a snowball effect and getting into medical college has become harder.
MCAT Preparation
With the advent of technology, the world of MCAT preparation has evolved and expanded. The preparatory programs have become very effective as they have started training the students in an improved way – this has led to better scores for a majority of students.
Fixed Seats
Therefore, even though pupils score quite well, they can’t get into medical colleges for the seats the schools have. Even though a few schools have increased the size of their classes, there is only so much that they can do. This has led to getting into medical college harder.
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Previously, pupils usually applied to various medical colleges in their junior year at college. However, recently, the average age of med school applicants is around 24 years. This means that the pupils are taking a few years off before they apply to med school.
In those years, they not only prepare for medical college, but they also gain personal experience in their respective fields by doing practice at clinical internships, etc. This has resulted in an increase in the competition and it has become hard to get into medical college.
Tips to Get into Medical College
- Don’t Rush Your MCAT Exam
When candidates apply for admission, there are a few things that they end up doing wrong. It is true that the admission panel at a med school takes on a holistic approach when it comes to accepting pupils, there are few things that are irrefutable. MCAT scores are one of those. Many students don’t take the MCAT exam seriously and rush into giving it so that they apply for med school early.
This is where they go wrong – MCAT is a pretty important exam and it takes months to prepare for it. Students want to send in their med school applications as early as possible and they end up rushing the exam. However, you should not do that – take your time, prepare to your fullest, and only then apply for the exam.
- Volunteer Hours
Over the last years, the admission procedure to nursing schools has become exceptionally competitive. With dozens of applications for one seat, nursing programs now accept students with high GPA and MCAT scores. What is commonly recommended by the practicing nurses who already got admitted is to focus more on volunteering opportunities. While your GPA and MCAT scores could be impressive, volunteer hours are often required by medical colleges.
In case you still have some time left, consider searching for such options. Once you find some, start working in healthcare, even as a volunteer. This way, you’d ensure enough volunteer hours, alongside getting much-needed experience. Even though this recommendation might be a bit problematic to execute, it would considerably increase your admission odds. After all, if you’re up for starting your education in medical college on a nursing program, volunteer hours would be handy.
- Keep Your GPA High
People who are going for medical college are well-organized, smart, and strategic. They start preparing for med schools very early in their educational career and keep on maximizing their effects so that their application looks good.
This means that their medical school application timeline is streamlined. CGPA is a very important factor when it comes to getting into a quality med school and you only get a good CGPA if you keep those grades high.
With a lot of competition, people are getting high GPAs that look good on the application. One small slip, a single bad grade can make your CGPA fall behind the required score. Don’t lag – keep pushing forward and strive to achieve your goal.
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Final Word
When it comes to getting into a good med-school, there are various things that are going to count aside from your GPA and MCAT scores. The applicant pool is vast and smart – you need to stand out and make your mark so that the admissions committee would know that you are the best choice. In order to do so, you should spend your time volunteering and gaining clinical experience.
Moreover, find an activity that you are not only passionate about but which sets you apart from the rest of the applicants. It is a very stupid move to apply before you are ready as bad MCAT scores will ruin your application. If you think that you need to take a gap year, go for it instead of applying without being fully prepared before submitting your application.
Here’s to hoping that you get into the college of your dreams, folks!
Author’s Bio
This article was written by Lilian Dun, a professional writing tutor and career counselor from papersowl.com. She has been working as a student career counselor for over a decade and has taken nursing courses at a city hospital. Now, she offers top-notch tutoring on the subjects of writing, editing, and career counseling.