There are various requirements in applying for college. One of these is your letters of recommendation. Through the letters of recommendation, the admissions committee will be able to know you through the eyes of other people. The letters of recommendation are also beneficial in case you forgot to mention something very important in your resume, application form or medical school application essay. Because of these, it is very important that you select the people to write your letters of recommendation. You can go to the following persons for your recommendation letters:
* Professors
You have to make familiarity the primary factor in choosing for the professors who will write your letters of recommendation. You have to make sure that the professors personally know you to ensure that they can give information about your personality and study habits. It is also an advantage if the professors have impressive backgrounds.
* Leaders of organizations
If you are a member of an organization or if you are a community volunteer, you may request letters of recommendation from the high-ranking officials in your organization. Through the letters of recommendation from these individuals, the admissions committee will know that you are active in various community projects. This will establish your reputation as a motivated, goal-oriented, and good-hearted individual. These factors will broaden your chances of gaining admssions to the college of your choice.
* Professionals (licensed medical doctors)
Professionals are great persons where you can get impressive letters of recommendation. Professionals have relevant experience, so they will know if you have the skills and motivations that would be necessary to succeed in the field you choose. If you want for example to study in a medical school, letters from practicing physicians can impress the admissions committee. You just have to ensure that the physicians know you so that they can answer honestly when asked about your talent, skills, and personality.
Aside from your letters of recommendation, you should also make excellent medical school application essays. Through your medical school application essays, you can reveal your personality and potential to the admissions committee.
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There are a variety of movies you can choose from. There are fantasy movies and there are many movies that depict reality. If you want to watch realistic movies, you can also choose from many different genres. There are movies that depict war, teenage life, and romance. If you are interested in entering a medical school, you might take interest in movies that portray the everyday affairs and once-in-a-lifetime experiences of med students. The following are some of these movies:
Bad Medicine (1985)
The movie is about Jeffrey Marx who gets himself into a medical school somewhere in Central America after he was rejected by various medical schools in the US. Marx and his fellow medical students established an underground clinic in a certain village to provide medical assistance to the needy.
Gross Anatomy (1989)
The movie centers on a troublesome yet smart Joe Slovak. Slovak is studying in a medical school with students above his own social strata. Part of his struggles is his dealings with his demanding teacher Dr. Woodruff. Another interesting aspect of the movie is about the love interest of Slovak, which is his lab partner.
Of Human Bondage (1934)
The movie is about Paul Carey, who pursued a medical career in London after he realized that he doesn’t have enough artistic talent to excel in painting. In London, he met and fell madly in love with a slutty and illiterate waitress.
Vital Signs (1990)
The story is about competitions and love affairs among third year medical students from LA Central. Each of the medical students is vying for the internship, but they later realized that the essential thing in life is not just about surviving their medical career.
Anatomy (2000)
This is a thrilling movie where the main character, Paula Henning, has to fight for her life. Henning’s dream is to attend a special summer course in the University of Heidelberg Med School. But this dream turns into a nightmare when she found out where the school gets the cadavers for the anatomy class.
Medical school application essays package your goals and whole personality together. In one essay, your target medical school gets a glimpse of who you are and what you can contribute to the medical profession. This may make the medical school accept you immediately. On the other hand, it can also lead them to put your whole application in the rejection pile, at once. This is how medical school application essays matter in your application status. So, you need to turn in a well-written paper. Some tips in this article may help you write effective medical school application essays.
Required bits
Before proceeding to write your application essay, find out what is expected by the medical school of your choice. Read actual or online bulletins posted by the medical school for special reminders on writing the medical school application essays.
Doing some research
Of course, you must get an idea of how your application essay must be presented. Browse through examples of medical school application essays for ideas on how to structure your essay. You can find these examples from the Internet or from books.
What you must include
Because you are presenting the best of yourself in your application essay, you must include your special achievements and learnings. Make sure not to sound like a prose version of your resume to avoid being redundant and boring. Instead, find a creative way to express all the important things that must be included, like your reasons for applying to medical school and your future goals. Illustrate yourself as a competent person who can both benefit from and contribute to medical school. Incorporate in your medical school application essays the positive traits that are not directly or immediately attributed to your resume.
Writing, editing, and refining
Sloppy work can result in immediate rejection. So, take time when you do the actual writing. Who would want to accept a a careless candidate to medical school, one who cannot even avoid simple errors in grammar and spelling? You will be later involved in very rigorous studying and sensitive procedures if accepted to medical school. So, when you present work that shows you have not even bothered editing it, you make yourself look incompetent. Before submitting your essay, you must take time to make sure that all your thoughts connect and that your essay is free of technical errors. Disconnected thoughts, poor grammar and spelling, and talking in circles may just doom your application. With so many applications to see to, admissions committees will not have the patience for poorly constructed essays.
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Though many people perceive that applying to a US medical school is especially difficult for foreign students due to the extra requirements, many medical schools are actually looking forward to welcome non-Americans. This is because some US medical schools, like many US colleges, want to be recognized as culturally diverse institutions. Foreign students desiring to study medicine in the US should have the following things in mind.
Choosing a US medical school
Because you will be studying away from home, you need to choose a medical school that will at least be near someone you know in the United States. A little emotional support is always welcome, especially when you are going through two difficult changes at one time: moving to a new country and starting medical school. Another thing that you must consider is financial aid. Apply to schools that offer aid to foreign students like you. This will be a big help to a financially demanding course.
Submitting the usual requirements
There are application requirements that all applicants, American or foreign, must submit. Your resume and transcript of records will give the medical school info about your grades and achievements. You must of course have taken the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), so you have to present your official results.
To get a peek at your personality, medical schools will also require you to submit recommendation letters and medical school application essays. Recommendation letters must be written by those who know your academic and extra-curricular capabilities and experiences. Personal statements, or your medical school application essays, will reveal your values and goals in your own words. Medical school application essays are very important factors in your applications because the admissions committees find out through them if you are capable of becoming not just a medical student but also the potential of becoming a fully fledged doctor.
Special requirements
As a foreign student, you will be asked to submit some extra requirements. You first have to settle all of your affairs at immigration and must have all documentation ready at all times. Then, if you are from a non-English speaking country, you must present your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) result. Some medical schools may even require you to study for at least one year in the United States or Canada before accepting your application. So, if you still lack some required courses, you can opt take them in the United States. Take note also that you will be paying a higher tuition than American students. So, US medical schools require you to submit proof that you are, or your family is, financially capable.
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Even with unique requirements from some institutions, the medical school application process is a generally common one. Knowing the basic steps will prepare you for applying into any medical school. You will have the varying deadlines left to worry about.
Step 1: Narrowing down your choice
Because each application will require you to pay a fee ranging from $35 to $100, it is best to select a few medical schools to apply to. Know the medical schools better by checking out their official websites and reading reviews about the institutions. You may also include your own criteria, including proximity of the medical school, fees, and opportunities for scholarships and financial aid. Once you have selected the medical schools you will apply to, take note of their requirements and deadlines.
Step 2: Going through the requirement checklist
Next, you need to tackle down your requirement list. Here are the things you need to do:
- Request your college transcript if you have not yet done so.
- Ask respected people who know you well to write recommendations.
- Have your MCAT score ready.
- Prepare your resume.
- Write your medical school personal statement.
To know what to include in your personal statement, study examples of medical school application essays. These medical school application essays will also give you ideas on what angle you will write your own personal statement.
Step 3: Meeting deadlines
Being able to submit on or before the prescribed deadlines is a must. If done so, you will be creating a positive image of yourself. If the institutions are quite accessible, you can always hand over your requirements in person. You can also mail each application to its destination. However, there is a more convenient way to submit your application requirements. Make use of the American Medical Application Service (AMCAS). It can send your application requirements to about 90% of medical schools in the US.
Step 4: It’s time to wait…and follow-up
Once you have submitted all your requirements, you must be on the alert for responses from any of the institutions you applied to. The response may be in the form of scheduling for an interview. Make sure that you can make it on the agreed date and time of your interview. While waiting for the interview to take place, get some additional research and advice from people who have experienced the whole medical school application process. A few days after your interview, follow up by phone or email about your application status.
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When about to face a new challenge in life, it is important to be prepared. Medical school is a hurdle one must get through to achieve the desired medical degree. It can be an intimidating experience but having the best preparation, and not mere anticipation, can make you handle the new pressures better. Keeping a few things in mind, you will be in a much better position to face medical school.
Getting your mind geared up for medical school
Motivation is an important factor that will make your medical school experience an exciting goal to achieve. You must not wait for classes to start to get to know the profession and the professionals behind it. So, conduct some interviews with hospital directors and family physicians to find out about the medical school experience. Preparing for medical school also requires some self-discipline. You know that you will be entering a world full of hours spent in studying.
Planning for the long term
Preparing for medical school must be traced further back to college. During your college years, you must have already prioritized related subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics. Your activities should have already been related to the field of medicine. Having some extra-curricular activities or community work related to the health sciences may help you in writing medical school application essays, which is one of the requirements of medical schools. Admissions committees are poring over submissions of the personal statement medical school for that unique and related experience. Aside from honing your knowledge in the sciences, you must already be exposing yourself to different kinds of people.
Tackling requirements
Before applying to medical school, make sure that you will have all requirements ready. You must take the MCAT prior to your application. However, the MCAT itself requires careful preparation because the test can cost as much as $500. So, better study hard in order to make the result worth the money you paid for the exam. Study for the MCAT in advance; in your junior year, for example, it may be a good idea to take review classes to supplement your personal review. Browse bookstores and the Internet for extra review materials.
When you finally visit the medical school of your choice, get a list of all the other requirements to know how much work is still left to do. You will need to submit transcripts, recommendation letters and your medical school application essays.
Prepping for the interview
If you get to the interview section, make sure you come to your appointment armed with information about the institution and the medical profession itself. You must also be already clear about your goals and must be confident that you can put them into words.
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To become a doctor, you will need to go through several years of study and training. So, if you do decide to pursue a career in medicine, it is best if you do it for the right reasons. However, there are still some reasons that may be considered less noble or, curiously enough, too noble in the wrong way. This article will discuss the five worst reasons for wanting a medical degree.
Fame and fortune
Two of the worst reasons for aiming to become a doctor are all about the prestige attached to the career. One wrong reason for wanting a medical degree is for the prospect of making huge earnings.If you are striving to become a doctor just for the money, you may not be able to last through the long hours exposed to disease and suffering. Without love for the profession, you may just burn out quickly. Another wrong reason is the desire to be admired by other people. You can be still be admired in other fields as long as you do your job well. Imagine medical school application essays with getting fame and fortune as the reasons for wantig to become a doctor. These medical school application essays will not be taken seriously by the admissions committee.
Doing it all for love
Becoming a doctor out of love may seem noble, but maybe it is plain unnecessary martyrdom. If you are doing it to please your parents, remember that you will be the one taking your rounds at the hospital – not them. Love for medical subjects won’t do as a reason either. Remember that theory is different from practice. Even if you are stocked with plentiful knowledge but if you cannot lend comfort to your patients, you know that you are considering the wrong path. Being a doctor requires sensitivity and an ability to connect with people. The top medical student does not necessarily translate to the best doctor in the future.
Unexplainable reasons beyond the call of vocation
Good medical school application essays will not quote a vague reason for wanting a medical degree. If you are not going to medical school for the vocation’s sake, you are doing it for the wrong reason.
Doing it the right way
It may sound cliché but people who truly love the profession and believe in caring for others are really compatible to become doctors. Being a doctor is about being able to heal and care for others. So, a certain measure of love for the profession and for the patients will be needed in order to be a real doctor.
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It is my firm belief that most problems have a solution, and for those that do not, there is a way of coming to terms with it. Human’s perseverance would be anchored on resiliency in the face of odds, whether small or big. It is my assertion that the gravest matters in the field of medicine runs the same way. When the time comes that I am already a doctor, it is my vision to work with individuals so that their lives would be more easy and the problems more bearable.
This mindset towards difficulties is something I imbibed from my parents. I am an only daughter, and I was the principal reason why they left Vietnam for the United States. Their sacrifices and perseverance would always be in my consciousness, and this is the biggest inspiration for my decision to go to medical school.
All throughout college, I worked odd jobs for a cousin- a car mechanic. All those years made me acquire an interest in the way of fixing things, and looking for creative solutions, no matter how impossible it seems. My undergrad years were hectic, and I was a Dean’s lister for about half of my college life. I joined the activities of the American Medical Association and parallel entities. When I finished my college course, I had a research-technical job at the _______________ College of Medicine. In the course of my stay there, I volunteered in different research tasks at a couple of major research centers.
Among the greatest difficulties I experienced was the learning of the English language. In the beginning of my medical learning, I was intimidated with all the books we had to go over. So many times, reading twice (a whole book) was not enough, due to my lack of proficiency in the language. I hit the simple solution: read months before we were supposed to tackle a subject matter. It has become a most useful habit, and this is a habit I intend to keep for the rest of my life.
Yes, I have come to acknowledge that an excellent physician should be able to augment scientific know-how with interpersonal skills/positive mindset. If you would be kind enough to allow me residency in your institution, then I will find it a concrete avenue to practice the attitudes and lessons I have learned over the years.
I consider myself as a tenacious worker, with a great deal of resiliency. One insight I gained from all the time I worked in the clinical/research settings is: the capability to get data and analyze data from patients and fellow physicians separates the best doctors from the merely competent ones. Studying medicine is a never-ending road, and as early as now, I am excited to meet the various challenges.
Thank you very much and Godspeed.
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The appreciation for treatments of body and mind comes from actual life experiences, happenings that made me appreaciate what the human spirit could do in the healing phases. This is what I would consider my credo, and it is this that made me decide that Osteopathic Medicine is my destiny.
About a couple of years ago, I underwent a tragic lesson. My aunt (a very close one) died from cancer. She embodied the phrase “inner strength” or the word “fortitude”. All the time from the hour she learned of the diagnosis up to the moment of her death, she was serene, almost cheerful in fact. If you did not know her, you would think she was just suffering from colds. In so many ways, she gave me invaluable lessons regarding the emotional strength needed to -if not defeat- at least make it tolerable- illnesses.
If I were asked what single experience in life triggered my interest in the field of Family practice, I would have to say that there is none. It is more of a congealment of different, tiny pieces (experiences and lessons). However, from among these many tiny pieces, I can name one experience that could come closest. Years back, I had a major car accident (I was driving). My right foot’s leg got fractured in at least three places. I spent at least two months just lying down on the hospital bed, and it was the family doctor who gave the strongest moral support (along with family). Clearly, her number one concern was my frame of mind, how I was taking in the accident and the anticipated painful months of therapy. Her genuine concern made me realize that I could do the same, and this is a very significant reason for my quest to be part of Family Practice programs.
It is my strong belief that working in a Family Practice setting allows the physician the liberty to adjust his/her practice to the patient’s needs. This allows the practitioner to help with all kinds of people.
The most self-fulfilling moments in my life are those I spent working within the community setups. Being a pupil of Osteopathic Medicine, I learned the invaluable lesson that most-if not all- diseases could not be treated with a fast-cure pill or surgical maneuvers. I feel blessed that I got opportunities to work as a volunteer for aid entities, giving medical care to the locals of the Philippines. Up to now, I still make time for helping out at homeless facilities.
It is my strongest hope that these volunteer experiences plus my academic background would convince your good office/committee that I could be a good addition to your ranks of students- and later on- as a doctor.
Thank you for all the time and God bless.
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I am an admirer of peace-advocating personalities (it is not just Gandhi I am referring to), and I strongly believe in the varying definitions of peace. Peace in the most popular definition is simply the absence of war or military conflicts. However, I think that one more subtle manifestation of peace is if a great majority in the world is able to benefit from medical attention. Thus, I have come to the conclusion that pursuing a course in medicine would be my own contribution to this kind of “peace”.
I was raised in a middle class family at Connecticut, and I cannot say I was spared from seeing the socio-economic difficulties. It is a good thing that my parents were educated, but it is a better thing that they instilled in me the need to excel in my studies and to be openminded in many things.
For quite a long time, I did some travelling to a couple of Third World countries. I was exposed to poverty in all of its myriad forms. In these travels, I came to realize how fortunate and blessed I have been. A question then burned into my consciousness and has stayed there ever since: “If I have these extra advantages, why shouldn’t I help the less-fortunate? What harm could it do to me?”
At the age of 15, I did a set of volunteer jobs. First of them was a clerical position at a local nursing center. I will no longer mention all of them, but I also worked at a community clinic offering dermatological treatments.
For the past seven months, I’ve been interning at the ___________________ College of Medicine. I helped conduct research in pediatrics. These particular studies included some cutting-edge developments in this field, and gave the helpful opportunities to work under the tutelage of some of the movers and shakers in this particular sphere of medicine. Under the tutelage of these respected doctors, I learned one crucial lesson: that political/financial backing for projects could not be earned just from expertise per se. Intrigued by foreign cultures, I grabbed every opportunity to further understand health care mindsets and standards from other parts of the world. Indeed, to be able to do a certain (foreign) medical contribution, I have to be cognizant of the varying solutions/demands of other countries.
The sports awards (chess in the main) and my test scores speak volumes yes, but I refuse to see them as the representation of my entire being. Still, I take pride on the fact that I’ve been able to put into action the virtues of hard work, commitment and perserverance, among others. I firmly believe that if I maintain these attributes, my aspirations will get actualized in the distant future- and I could solidify my “Peace Offering” to the world.
Thank you very much for your time and Godspeed.
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