Medical school application essays and the Medical Admission College Test or MCAT are two requirements for admission to medical school. MCAT is one of the standard requirements for admission to medical schools and is mandatory among students entering schools affiliated with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in the United States and Canada. An aspiring student would need to pass the test composed of four sections: physical sciences, biological sciences, verbal reasoning, and writing sample. The test covers 144 questions and writing of 2 sample essays, administered in a total of 5 hours and 20 minutes of “seat” time, excluding arrival or check-in time.
Just like the other requirements, passing the MCAT is compulsory – one must have to pass it to be eligible for admission. But medical schools would not just admit anyone just because he/she passed the MCAT. There are a lot of other compulsory requirements, such as the following that AAMC-affiliated schools prescribe:
undergraduate and post-graduate grades (average)
breadth and difficulty of undergraduate coursework
letters of evaluation from undergraduate advisors or others
personal statements or comments on application forms
medical school interview results
Other requirements, which one may not necessarily have, are as follows:
involvement in extracurricular activities
involvement in and quality of health-related work and research
participation in other activities demonstrating motivation, responsibility, maturity, integrity,
resourcefulness, tolerance, perseverance, dedication to service, citizenship, or other relevant
non-cognitive characteristics
compatibility between the candidate’s characteristics and professional goals and the institutional
personal mission
knowledge of healthcare issues and commitment to health care
Now let us deal with the question “Can your personal statement, otherwise called medical school application essays, help you when your MCAT score is low?” The answer is definitely YES, but your “low” score should reach the passing average set for the MCAT. An aspiring student is given a chance to return and take the test again if he/she fails. But if you passed the test and your score is low, you will be evaluated with the other criteria that can offset your low MCAT score. A well-written personal statement would be ideal to present the brighter side of your personality despite the average intellectual prowess that allowed you to at least pass the MCAT.
Taking time to write that well-written personal statement for medical school is definitely an investment. Hopefully, there are sample personal statements for medical schools that you can find online. These can serve as your reference in writing your personal statement.
Photo Credit : Alixana Euphoria
