Selecting Medical Schools for Application
It is wise to consider carefully the schools to which you will apply early in the application
process. The following information will be helpful for you to consider before finalizing
your list.
- MU students apply to an average of 8 schools. Applying to too many
schools is EXPENSIVE and results in a writing task that most persons find
impossible to complete at all, much less in a timely fashion. To give yourself the best possible
chance of acceptance, do your homework in advance and know the schools to which you want to
apply and the reasons you find them attractive.
- Make a reasonable list. Initial determinants of your competitiveness at a particular school are
GPA and MCAT scores. It is reasonable to add a long shot or two. It is not reasonable to begin
your list with the top 10 research schools in the country if you are not competitive by their
admissions standards.
- The Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) which can be found at
www.aamc.org/msar contains an overview of each school in the US and Canada and is a good
place to start. Here you can usually find the average MCAT scores and GPA of a specific
school’s matriculates. Copies of the MSAR can be found at the MU Honors College and at the
Health Sciences Library. Almost every medical school has a web site as well.
- Your state residency (permanent address) is an important determinant for your schools of
application. MSAR indicates the success of in-state versus out-of-state applications for each
school. You should consult this information to be certain to apply to the schools within your
state. A school that fills a class of 88 students with 87 residents and 1 out-of state student is not a
particularly good choice if you are not a resident. Private schools generally will accept a larger
percentage of out-of-state applicants and should be considered to complete your list of schools.
In addition to the above, you should consider these features:
- Special programs
- Size of student body
- Student population (diversity, colleges attended, etc.)
- Geographic location
- Tuition and Costs (transportation, living expenses)
- Sources of financial aid
- Clinical facilities (number of beds)
- Research facilities, NIH funding
- Curriculum (structure, innovative, flexible)
- Grades and tests
- Number of class hours
- Faculty/student ratio
- Students’ performance on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination
- Length of education
- Summer classes
- “Atmosphere” of school
- Faculty make-up (full-time, research interests, publications)
|
