Premedical Student Guide - WordPress.com...Premedical Student Guide // Page 4 Acknowledgments We created this book with the help of many students from Rice University. We deeply appreciate

Premedical Student G

uide // Page 1Premedical Student GuideHow to Get into Medical School


uide // Page 2

Publishing InformationThis book is published under the Creative Commons Deed Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported

You are free: • to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work

Under the following conditions: • Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specifi ed by the

author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

• Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Under no circumstances may this book be published for profi t.

• For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work.

The views and opinions expressed in this book are strictly those of the contributing authors. The contents of this publication have not been reviewed or approved by Rice University. The Premedical Student Guide is a student-run project and unaffi liated with Rice University.

The Premedical Student Guide was fi rst published in the 2006-2007 academic year in Houston, Texas. Brian Schwab initially created the project, but many other writers (primarily those from the Will Rice class of 2007) were essential contributors. After several updates, the project also owes much of its content to the Rice University Class of 2012. If you would like to request further copies of this text in physical or electronic form, please email [email protected]. Thank you for reading and good luck.

Page design by Josiah DePaoli

Book design by Brian Schwab

Sixth Edition: May 2012


uide // Page 3

To the mentors who give everything they havewithout thoughts of receiving


uide // Page 4

AcknowledgmentsWe created this book with the help of many students from Rice University. We deeply appreciate the generosity of the contributing applicants and medical school students who have by now assuredly become successful residents and doctors. Several nonmedical people were essential, as well, and we are thankful for their invaluable assistance. What follows is a list of contributors and the year they began helping with the project (in chronological order):

2006 2012Brian Schwab Sarah HoMike Mathews Ruchi Srivastava Diane Shao Louise GligaMarina Post Raymond VermSomala Muhammed Ari BerlinJean Bao Mohini DasariAudrey Nath Kareem AyoubMatt Mino Kevin ShenSylvia Szafarczyk Simone ElderSanjay Maniar Kara Calhoun Faroukh Mehkri Harry Han2007 Austin PotterDana McDowelle Eman Bahrani Virginia Dzul-Church Michael TorreTiffany Lin Tina MunjalTyler Coyle Vinita IsraniAndrew WongJulie LintonTed JohnJosiah DePaoliJoe FigueroaZong LawPaul WhitingNatalia Khalaf

2008Mihir ShahBrandon AllportElizabeth Gleeson

2011Layla Abu-Shamat Ted FanNicky MehtaniShumalia Sharfani


uide // Page 5

Table of ContentsForeword .............................................................................................................................7Using This Guide ............................................................................................................... 8Getting Started ................................................................................................................... 9

Websites ...................................................................................................................... 9Books.......................................................................................................................... 9Staying Organized ..................................................................................................... 10

Getting Into Medical School ............................................................................................ 10Becoming a Competitive Applicant ........................................................................... 10GPA .......................................................................................................................... 10The MCAT ................................................................................................................. 11What is Competitive? ................................................................................................. 11The Rest of the Competition ...................................................................................... 12What to Pick as a Major ............................................................................................ 12Double Majors ...........................................................................................................13Required Courses .......................................................................................................13Fulfilling the English Req. ........................................................................................13Using AP Credits for Pre-med Requirements ............................................................. 14Letters of Recommendation ...................................................................................... 14Research ....................................................................................................................15Volunteering .............................................................................................................. 16Clinical Experience ................................................................................................... 16Leadership .................................................................................................................17Other Extracurricular Activities .................................................................................17

Emergency Medical Services Technician................................................................................17The Overall Premed Timeline ........................................................................................... 19

Sample Timeline ........................................................................................................21Applying .......................................................................................................................... 22

MCAT ....................................................................................................................... 24MCAT Sections ......................................................................................................... 24MCAT Scoring System ...............................................................................................25MCAT Registration ....................................................................................................25MCAT Resources. .....................................................................................................26Doing Well on the MCAT .......................................................................................... 26AMCAS/TMDSAS .................................................................................................... 29AMCAS vs. TMDSAS................................................................................................33The Personal Statement ..............................................................................................35Personal Statement Examples .....................................................................................37Primary App...............................................................................................................49Secondary Applications ............................................................................................. 50The Cost of Applying ................................................................................................ 54


uide // Page 6

Research ...........................................................................................................................55How Does Research Support My Application? ...........................................................55What Is Undergraduate Research, Really? ..................................................................55Clinical Research versus Basic Science Research ...................................................... 56Rice Labs versus Medical Center Labs ...................................................................... 56Finding a Lab .............................................................................................................57If You Have Never Done Research Before ..................................................................57If You Have Had Some Research Experience ............................................................ 58How Necessary are Publications/Presentations? ........................................................ 58Summer Internships and Study Abroad ..................................................................... 59Scholarships and Honors ........................................................................................... 60

The MD/Phd Pathway ........................................................................................................61MD/PhD Programs .....................................................................................................61Reasonable Concerns Regarding MD/PhD ................................................................ 62The Journey of a Physician-Scientist (MD/PhD) ....................................................... 62MD/PhD Applicant Credentials ..................................................................................63

Applying as an MD/Phd Candidate ................................................................................... 64Choosing Schools for MD/PhD ................................................................................. 64Recommendation Letters for MD/PhD ...................................................................... 64MD/PhD AMCAS and Secondaries ............................................................................65MD/PhD Interviews .................................................................................................. 66Choosing an MD/PhD Institution ...............................................................................67Resources for MD/PhD Applicants ............................................................................ 68

Interviews ........................................................................................................................ 68Preparing for Your Interview ..................................................................................... 69The Interview Day .................................................................................................... 69Questions Asked on Interviews ................................................................................. 70Questions You Can Ask Your Interviewer .................................................................. 70Attire..........................................................................................................................71Tours ..........................................................................................................................71

After You Get In ............................................................................................................... 72AMCAS Schools ....................................................................................................... 72TMDSAS Schools ..................................................................................................... 72On Taking Time Off ...................................................................................................73Deciding to Take Time Off ........................................................................................ 74

General Advice ................................................................................................................ 76Afterword ..........................................................................................................................83


uide // Page 7

ForewordApplying to medical school is a long, diffi cult process. Some students already knew that they wanted to be doctors even before coming to Orientation Week. Others jump from Chemical Engineering to Asian Studies in a winding path of self-discovery that eventually leads to a passion for medicine. Some students have already been accepted to medical school while they were still in high school (e.g. Rice-Baylor). Whatever your case may be, getting into medical school could at fi rst seem complicated, hard, or even futile. Even if you know what to do, the incredible magnitude of required work might deter some from even trying. Just remember, though, that it’s worth it.

My personal journey towards medical school started when I sat down at a table in Baker College during O-Week and studied a brochure outlining the pre-med timetable for my four years at Rice. Scared, I wondered whether I would ever be able to manage the seemingly busy and strict schedule of things to do. Nevertheless, with joy, I can say that I have persisted, worked my way through the arduous process, and been accepted to medical school. I am quite thankful for the people that have helped me. Upperclassmen, friends, family, advisors, and others have helped me more than I could have ever imagined. I wish to dedicate this book to these amazing people, with a special thanks to Ted John (WRC ’06, University of Michigan). The tremendous help that I received from countless individuals was the impetus for my attempt at assisting other premeds in their paths toward medical school.

I began writing a book for Rice pre-meds in December of 2006. Really, the idea just randomly popped into my head. I was hoping to give back to the community that had helped me so much during my personal path towards medical school, and I believed (and still believe) that the best help available is from your network of older peers. Therefore, I started writing a book, asking friends for help, and contacting medical school students for further input. The purpose of this book is to help Rice pre-medical students get into the best possible medical schools that they can. The main authors are a number of pre-meds in the Will Rice class of 2007, and we have provided contact information if you have further questions. I trust that your medical career, including your application to medical school, will yield great success. Don’t get scared; get prepared.

Best of Luck,

Brian SchwabProject Founder (WRC ’07, Duke Medical School)


uide // Page 8

Using This GuideThis guide has a lot of things to read. Where to start? It is hard to tell, for each of you has a unique set of questions and considerations. If you are hesitant, it might be wise to contact a Health Professions Advisor in the Rice Offi ce of Academic Advising. In general, depending upon what year of school you are in, the following should point you in the right direction:

FreshmenYour biggest questions probably have to do with prerequisite courses, the general timeline of things to do, and extracurricular activities/clinical exposure/research. Try starting with the

“Getting Started,” “Getting into Medical School,” and “The Overall Premed Timeline” sections. Especially helpful might also be the “General Advice” section.

SophomoresThe Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is big for you. By taking the MCAT the summer after your sophomore year, you will have the entire summer to study. Along with fi guring out your MCAT situation, you probably need to think about what to do with your summer. Look at the “MCAT” section and follow with the “Getting Started,” “Getting into Medical School,” and

“The Overall Pre-med Timeline” sections. Also, look at “General Advice.”

JuniorsIt is almost time to apply. Get excited! The MCAT is hopefully over, your prerequisites are done, and now you need to begin the process as outlined in the “Applying” section. Look over the “Overall Pre-med Timeline” section briefl y and then focus on “Applying” and the rest of what the book covers. Huge for you will be the following three sections: “Applying,” “AMCAS/TMDSAS,” and “Personal Statement.”

SeniorsHmmm, you are probably in a unique situation. You should be the one helping write this book, not reading it. If you are confused about the process, you will need to contact the Offi ce of Academic Advising. The only possible sections that might help an average senior pre-med are the “Interviews” and “General Advice” sections.


uide // Page 9

Getting StartedThe best resources to help you understand the application process are the students who have done it before you. Each residential college is equipped with Peer Academic Advisors who have been specially trained to help you through your pre-med experience at Rice as well as the application process. Additional resources follow:

WebsitesMD Applicants (www.mdapplicants.com). This site is useful in terms of seeing what schools people have applied to and understanding the timeline for each. This site is best for rising seniors because it helps you fi gure out where to apply and see how long it takes for the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) to process your application. For example, click the “Search Profi les” button and click Application Status > Received an Interview > Johns Hopkins > Unclick the “Exclude Incomplete Profi les.” This gives you all the profi les of the people on the site who have interviewed at Johns Hopkins. Then you can see that, “Oh, so someone applying to Johns Hopkins might also apply to Columbia” or whatever. It helps you fi gure out what schools might be ones to apply to as well as the strength of the competition.

Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR). Available only online at www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/msar/ . MSAR has the admissions requirements and details for every school in the nation. It is good for just researching individual schools and seeing average MCAT/GPAs, among other things.

Medical Schools in USA (www.medicalschoolsinusa.com). This resource gives an idea of the number of people the school interviews and accepts with breakdown by state and gender, as well as the average GPA and MCAT scores for accepted students. Basically, if you do not want to buy the MSAR, this is a cheap, if slightly outdated, alternative.

Pre-Med Guide (www.premedguide.com). This website is useful to get a general idea of how competitive your MCAT and GPA are compared to the school’s average statistics. However, take it with a grain of salt. Click on the ‘get details’ for schools you’re interested in to get more detailed information. If you are seriously interested in a school, always go to the school’s website and look up the requirements; do not depend solely on this website. Even if your “competitive score” is a large negative number, DO NOT let this deter you from applying to a school that you really want to go to.

Student Doctor (www.studentdoctor.net). The most well-known and frequently visited website for pre-meds, Student Doctor is one of the most valuable tools on the internet. Checkout these especially:

Forums > Pre-medical Forums Great resource, but take it with a grain of salt. These are opinions, not facts. This is most useful for seeing what past questions students have had for the school regarding the admissions process.

Articles & Interviews > Interview Feedback. This is for people who want to know what interviews are like. It gives student


uide // Page 10

opinions and statistics for each school as well as past interview questions.

Staying OrganizedStaying organized throughout the process is critical. There are many ways to do this, but several students choose to create an Excel document with usernames, passwords, application fees, and deadlines to ensure no school accidentally falls through the cracks.

Getting Into Medical School“What are med schools looking for? How can I get into medical school?” Great questions. In a sense, applying to medical school is analogous (or perhaps homologous?) to applying to college. You will be evaluated on your GPA, activities, experiences, test scores, and interviewing ability. In high school, you were judged on your GPA. Same thing applies here. In high school, it was the SAT/ACT. Now, it is the MCAT. Before, you included a mix of extracurricular activities. Same thing for med school. This section describes how to become a competitive applicant for medical school. It is provided by the Student Doctor Network Wiki under the Creative Commons Licensing Agreement, but numerous additions and edits have been made.

Becoming a Competitive Applicant To get into a medical school of your choice, you will naturally have to be a competitive applicant when compared to everyone else. The sections that follow are typically understood to be quite important:

• GPA, cumulative and science GPA (aka BCMP, biology, chemistry, math, physics) • MCAT • Letters of Evaluation • Research • Volunteering • Clinical Experience • Leadership • Other Extracurriculars

GPARealize that your GPA is not directly proportional to the strength of medical school to which you will necessarily be accepted. Obviously, you will need a decently high GPA, but it’s not like a 3.89 has an incredible advantage over a 3.85. MSAR is a good reference to see what the average GPA medians and GPA ranges are for accepted students. Here is a random sampling:

• Baylor’s accepted student GPA is 3.86 • UT Houston is a 3.83 • UTSA is 3.74 • UT Southwestern 3.85 • Johns Hopkins 3.89 • UCSF 3.84 • and Harvard is 3.9 (MSAR 2012-2013)


uide // Page 11Firstly, note that the application procedure separates Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math GPA’s from Overall GPA. It’s kind of interesting what counts as “Science” GPA, and you have some control over which is which. One thing for all Rice students to note: an A+ is not considered a 4.3, but rather a 4.0. See the “AMCAS / TMDSAS” section for more details.

Secondly, note that medical schools would rather see a steady increase in GPA over semesters (i.e., 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, etc.) than a steady decline (i.e., 3.6, 3.4, 3.2, etc.). The former scenario shows that you are serious about your studies. The latter demonstrates that either the upper-division courses are too diffi cult for you, or that you are getting too involved with your extracurricular activities as time goes on.

Thirdly, note that medical schools will see your GPA with A’s as the maximum grade through AMCAS and TMDSAS. Therefore, your AMCAS/TMDSAS GPAs will probably be lower than what you see on your Rice transcript using Esther (because Esther allows A+’s).

The MCATThe MCAT is the exam that may be one of the more signifi cant factors as to whether or not you get a second look from an admissions committee. It is offered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the same organization that controls the application process. To register for the exam, you must use the AAMC’s website: www.aamc.org. For further information, please see the

“MCAT” section later in this book.

What is Competitive?One of the fi rst steps is assuredly seeing how your MCAT and GPA stack up to the competition. One method is called the Competitive Score, which is derived as follows:

Competitive Score = (GPA * 10) + (MCAT Composite)

AMCAS allows for a maximum GPA of 4.0. This formula, while very crude, is a good indication of what statistics the schools are looking for when they initially glance at your application. Using your Competitive Score, the following table gives you an idea of what might be a competitive tier. The competitive tiers give your relative strength in the applicant pool. Competitive Tier 1 indicates that your GPA and MCAT will be strongly competitive, and Competitive Tier 5 indicates that your GPA and MCAT will be less competitive.

Competitive Score

Competitive Tier

70–85 165–70 260–65 3, 4 55–60 5

This table gives a rough idea of your competitive advantage vis-à-vis other applicants. There are certainly many people who get accepted to higher tiered schools than expected every year, just as there are people who get rejected from lower tiered schools than would be expected from their competitive scores. However, this method is by far the quickest indicator available to compare yourself with everyone else.


uide // Page 12

The Rest of the Competition

The GPA mean for medical school matriculants in 2011 was as follows: 3.67 ± 0.26 (Non-science 3.74 ± 0.32, Science 3.61 ± 0.32)

The MCAT means for medical school matriculants in 2010 were as follows: VR = 9.8 ± 1.7, PS = 10.4 ± 1.9, BS = 10.8 ± 1.6, WS = Q OVERALL ≈ 31.1Q

Age of average applicant = 24Applicants overall = 43,919Texan applicants = 3,613Texas matriculants = 1,554Matriculants into medical school = 19,230

* These statistics are from aamc.org for 2011.

What to Pick as a MajorA common source of anxiety for many entering freshmen is picking the right major. While many premeds are in chemistry or biology-related fields, bear in mind that your major really does not matter. Most people go into these areas because the premed requirements make up the required courses for microbiology and biochemistry. However, at Rice the Biochemistry & Cell Biology minor covers the majority of these requirements, leaving you room to major in something non-science related. Also, applicants try to impress admissions committees with diffi cult or medically-oriented majors such as biotechnology or health professions. The AAMC publishes statistics every year about the majors with the highest acceptance rates and highest MCAT scores (visit www.aamc.org). As of this writing, while most medical students did ch emistry and biology as their undergraduate majors, these were not the fi elds with the highest acceptance rates. The take home message is that your major really does not matter. Pick something that you enjoy. Any unique background will give you a different perspective to practicing as a physician. While you should major in whatever interests you, just keep in mind that you should have a backup plan should you not get accepted to medical school.

Do you feel that majoring in a non-science related fi eld has hindered or helped you in medical school?I am very glad to have majored in a non-science. I majored in Anthropology because the social sciences is pretty prominent in my family and it is an area of study that I have always been attracted to. I was also very interested in Medical Anthropology, which combined both of my interests. It is becoming more accepted that anthropology is a very important piece to the medical profession and providing culturally competent care to diverse populations. Majoring in a non-science allowed me to delve into subject matter other than science (although I pushed myself to take many upper level science classes and biochemistry classes/labs in order to get a good science background, which I recommend) and get an interesting perspective on medicine. I am a strong proponent to pursuing any interests one might have, especially in college, because this is the time where you can take classes in subjects that most likely will never be at your fi ngertips again! Take advantage of that. If you are interested in a non-science, please don’t not pursue it because you think you’ll be a weaker applicant! THAT IS NOT THE CASE! In fact, many times it is a big plus because you are unique to the higher proportion of science major applicants. Don’t deny your interests and go full steam ahead. – Virginia Dzul-Church (WRC ’05, UCSF)


uide // Page 13

Double MajorsRemember, your major is unimportant. Therefore, you can well imagine that a double major would be a colossal waste of time if you pursued two degrees only for the sake of impressing an admissions committee. If you are going to double major or add on a minor, you must be genuinely interested and truly passionate in both areas. Keep in mind that you can always take classes within another fi eld that interests you without majoring in that fi eld.

Required CoursesThis section is very hard to write because each and every school is different. For example, Baylor requires GenChem, Orgo, Bio, and English; Johns Hopkins requires GenChem, Orgo, Bio, Biochem, 24 semesters of humanities, social, and behavior sciences, math, and physics; and UPenn has no actual course requirements other than “requisite knowledge.” It is really hard to tell you all the different requirements for all the schools. As a generalization, medical schools require completion of the following subjects, which each should be taken for a letter grade:

General Medical School RequirementsEnglish (One year)Biology (One year, plus lab)Mathematics (One year)General Chemistry (One year, plus lab)Organic Chemistry (One year, plus lab)Physics (One y ear, plus lab)Statistics (One semester)Biochemistry (One semester)

How do I fulf ill the English requirement?You can either use HUMA 101/102, COMM 103, a FWIS course (not including FWIS 100) or two actual English classes for this requirement. All these options will work. The reason why is that AMCAS has you indicate course “designations.” The AMCAS instruction booklet has the following:

“Each course must be assigned a course classifi cation based entirely on the primary content of the course. See the listing of course classifi cation examples below for guidance in selecting Course Classifi cations...You are responsible for selecting the correct Course Classifi cation.

“Course Classifi cations, in addition to describing the courses you enter, are used in the calculation of your AMCAS GPA...The BCPM GPA is comprised of courses, which are considered to be Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics courses. Course Classifi cations that are not followed by “BCPM” indicate that courses for which you choose this Course Classifi cation will be calculated in your AO (All Other) GPA.”

Here is a screenshot of an actual example AMCAS printout where the applicant chose to classify HUMA 101 as English (or “ENGL 101”):

Rice Courses For These RequirementsHUM A 101/102 or ENGL XXX/XXXBIOC 201/202 + 211MATH 1 01/102CHEM 121/122 or CHEM 151/152CHEM 211/212 + 215PHYS 101/102 or 111/112 or 125/126STAT 280 or 305BIOC 301


uide // Page 14

Using AP Credits for Premed RequirementsA note of caution for those of you who took Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school: While AP credits are great for getting requirements out of the way for college, some medical schools do not accept AP classes as a legitimate completion of the pre-med core courses. This is particularly true for California and New York schools. In other words, you might be required to take these classes a second time or supplement them with a year of advanced coursework. This can be challenging to fi gure out and should be done on a case-by-case basis. Be sure to carefully check the admissions requirements at your preferred schools to make sure that your classes meet their stipulations. If you are confused, email the admission offi ce for the school. An example of how crazy this is can be illustrated by the Johns Hopkins’ requirements (these requirements were copied directly from Johns Hopkins’ Medical School Website 2012):

College Biology with Lab, one year (8 semester hours)Credit for advanced placement is not acceptable as a substitute.

General College Chemistry with Lab, one year (8 semester hours)Applicants with acceptable advanced placement credit in general chemistry can receive 4 semester hours of credit toward this requirement. An additional 4 semester hours in advanced chemistry will be necessary.

The take home message is that it is tough to write this AP section because it is ambiguous for many schools. Pay close attention to this issue if you used AP credits for the required pre-med courses, for it might require researching or contacting individual schools.

If you have a burning desire to both use your APs and still apply to these AP-hating schools, feel free to call the offi ce of admissions. Many schools are willing to make exceptions for students - they just want students to show initiative fi rst.

Let ters of RecommendationThe process of letter writing at Rice typically begins when you open a fi le with the Offi ce of Aca-demic Advising during your junior year. There, you will receive waivers to be given to the people who will be writing your letters.

• Number: 3-5; typical breakdown:o 2 Science Teachers;o Non-science Teacher; ando Advisor of some kind (volunteer, research, etc.).

• When? o End of fall semester junior year oro Beginning of spring semester junior year.

• Committee Letter:o Health Professions Advisors (one or two) conducts a brief interview. Then a


uide // Page 15committee will read over your application, your interview and your other letters and write a “committee letter.” This is called the Health Professions Advising Committee Letter.

o For many schools, this “committee” letter satisfi es ALL letter requirements.• Sending the letters to schools:

o First, you have your letter writers send your letters to Rice’s Offi ce of Academic Advising.

o Later, the Health Professions Advising Coordinator sends all your letters in a packet using an electronic system.

• Waiver:o Given to each letter writer.o You should waive your right to see the letters.

Medical schools typically require 3-5 letters. At a minimum, one will be required from a science professor and one will be required from someone who knows you outside of the classroom (usually an advisor of some kind). Because each school has its own nuances of how many letters it wants, you should get one letter from a non-science teacher, two from a science teachers, one from an activity advisor, etc. Make sure you pick someone who not only knows you well, but is a good writer and can make you look good in words.

Assuming you apply to medical school during the summer after your junior year, you should ask your letter writers for their recommendations at the beginning of the spring semester. They will need enough time to begin work on writing those stellar essays—so ask early.

Make writing a letter as easy as possible for your reviewers. First, schedule an appointment to come in and talk with your teachers about getting a letter. Second, bring a folder with your résumé, unoffi cial transcripts, personal statement or other clarifying information, waiver, and envelope. Put your name on the outside of the folder along with the words “Letter of Recommendation” so that if your professor loses the folder, it will be easy to fi nd later.

Next, the waiting begins. You will need to check in with your recommendation writers about once a month to make sure that they actually fi nish the letter. Once you have confi rmation that the letter is fi nished, you should send a thank-you note. Finally, tell your writer where you were accepted to, rejected from, or if you decide to withdraw from applying altogether. Keep in mind that your writer has a vested interest in seeing you succeed. They deserve to know what happened. Rice uses a committee letter, written by the Health Professions Advising Committee. In the end, the school will receive this committee letter as well as your other letters that you have sent to Rice’s Offi ce of Academic Advising in one big packet.

According to the Education and Family Privacy Act of 1974, you are legally allowed to read anything that a school has in your application folder, including your letters of recommendation. However, you should waive your right to access the information covered by the act. When you open your fi le, the Offi ce of Academic Advising will give you a waiver for each letter where you can check “I waive my right to read this letter” that you give to each letter writer. By waiving your right, the writer is able to write more freely in giving his or her true feelings.

ResearchPlease see the “Research and MD/PhD” section, which was written by Diane Shao (WRC ’07).


uide // Page 16

VolunteeringDoctors hold many titles—researcher, teacher, philosopher—but the most important title is that of humanitarian. Physicians are expected to dedicate their whole lives to working with others. If you want to get accepted to medical school, you must show that you care about others. The only tried and true method of serving others is to take up volunteering.

You do not have to volunteer in a medical fi eld. You could work with Habitat for Humanity, the Boy Scouts, or any other group that has interests similar to yours. You are not expected to save the world or commit to a thousand hours each semester. Simply fi nd something you enjoy doing and spend one afternoon a week doing it and stay committed for a signifi cant period of time.

Many pre-meds volunteer in hospitals thinking that they will gain some kind of clinical work experience. Many hospitals do not support their volunteers well. For example, in some hospitals, your job could consist of handing out lollipops, fi ling paper work, and pushing wheel chairs.

Volunteering can be medically-related or have nothing to do with medicine. Many applicants tend to have done both types. I feel that it has helped me to have put a lot of time and leadership in my non-medical volunteering, principally ESL (English Second Language) tutoring, as well as volunteering in the medical fi eld. My medically-related volunteering has mostly been interpreting (Spanish-English) in the hospital and clinical settings. In interviews I have been asked about other volunteering outside of medicine. In that case, it was nice to be able to talk about the ways I have improved the ESL Tutoring program as a coordinator and director. I believe that volunteering mainly shows that you are compassionate person to prospective schools. There is no magic formula in how to volunteer. Go with your interests; be sure to convey your enthusiasm for helping disadvantaged members of society when you apply, and your volunteering will be a valuable asset.

– Marina Post (WRC ’07, Baylor)

Clinical ExperienceOne thing that will show medical schools that you are interested in becoming a doctor is if you gain some kind of experience working with patients. Most pre-meds are duped into thinking that volunteering in a hospital will give them insight into the diffi culties of becoming a physician. A more effective way to get this kind of knowledge is to shadow a doctor regularly - we suggest a minimum of 40 hours. Shadowing in more than one fi eld if possible may be a good idea. Many physicians are willing to pass the torch by allowing undergraduates to follow them around the offi ce as they conduct physicals and consultations.

If you want to gain genuine clinical experience, you could become licensed as a nursing assistant, medical assistant, or an EMT. Under no circumstances is this necessary for entrance into medical school. This is just another option for exposure to the health profession. However, if you choose to gain clinical experience this way, you should be prepared for the question “Well if you liked being a nursing assistant/medical assistant/EMT so much, why don’t you do that?” during interviews. Whatever you do, clinical experience is generally a straight-forward way of gaining exposure to medicine and showing medical schools your interest.

As far as gaining clinical/medical experiences goes—apply for everything! Everything! Everything! It’s so hard to get any of these internships, so apply for everything! Then you can most likely at least have one or may even be able to pick and choose which ones you can do after you’ve heard back from places. Search medical school websites, go to those Rice biosciences internship fairs, ask professors for


uide // Page 17research opportunities, search hospital websites for their volunteer departments and contact individuals. If you can’t do something medical/clinical with your breaks, that’s totally fi ne—do something else! Study abroad or work in a non-medical fi eld or travel and do humanitarian work, there’s plenty to do, just don’t spend your whole entire summer doing nothing but TV-watching!

– Somala Muhammed (WRC ’07, Harvard Medical School)

LeadershipIn addition to being scientists and humanitarians, doctors are expected to be community leaders. Though not absolutely required, many medical schools would like to see you take some kind of leadership role. You do not have to be president of your college or become a senator of your student government, but you are expected to take some kind of role in organizing and planning events. Given that you are about to be given a lot of power as a physician, schools have an obligation to fi nd out if you know how to use that power wisely. Find something that you have a passion for doing and demonstrate your leadership abilities.

Other Extracurr icular ActivitiesAt the very bottom of the list of “Becoming a Competitive Applicant” are the miscellaneous extracurricular activities that do not fi t in anywhere else. Most jobs, sports and campus organizations do not matter all that much to medical schools unless you specifi cally played a major role and made an impact through the group. Unless you had a large role or title, the med schools do not typically notice or ask—that is unless you put it in your personal statement (see “Personal Statement” section).

What I found out during interviews is that even though I was involved with the College Assistance Peer Program (CAPP) and Campus Crusade (CRU) at Rice for four years, not one of my 18+ interviewers asked me about these in any detail. However, I was almost always asked about the things I wrote about in my personal statement (see “Personal Statement” section for more help on this). I found it interesting that so many interviewers asked me questions regarding College President, a position I have only held for under a year, compared to zero questions about CAPP or CRU, though these have been signifi cant commitments in my life. I think the take-home message is that an admissions committee will be more interested in things you write about in your personal statement more than your AMCAS activities.

– Brian Schwab (WRC ’07, Duke Medical School)

Emergency Medical Services TechniciansFaroukh Mehkri (Martel ‘12, UNTHSC)

EMS. Three letters that have defi ned a grand chunk of my college life. I started my career in EMS during my freshmen year of college, taking the EMT-basic course to be trained as an emergency medical technician my Spring semester, and from there I was hooked. I joined Rice EMS then took an Advanced EMT course, volunteered for a year and applied to become an EMS-In-Charge. From then till now my senior yearI have dedicated upwards of 2,000 volunteer hours to this service and all that it encompasses.


uide // Page 18

EMS has given me opportunities I never dreamed of, like volunteering in a Level 1 Trauma Hospital in the Texas Medical Center next to my boss. Working in the shock rooms of this trauma center to refi ne my skills and improve my abilities. It has given me the opportunity to ride out on ambulances all over Houston helping treat heart attacks, allergic reactions, and gun shot wounds. It has taught me to stomach almost anything and be prepared for the unknown, to be a beacon of reliability in an otherwise chaotic scene. Finally, it has allowed me to be there for my friends when they call EMS on campus for whatever emergency they might have. It truly has shaped my college career by forcing me to walk the line between being a college student and a professional health care provider.

When people ask me why I think I am are right for medical school, I can respond with concrete examples of how I have helped shape the future of the organization, educate a new crop of leaders, manage chaos in an EMS realm, and all while attending college like my peers. This is an experience I truly feel no other organization during your college career can provide. It is an opportunity to be more than you ever thought possible, and to dig deep into your being and pull out everything you have to offer because the situation calls for it.

Now for the fl ipside of the coin. In order to reap the plethora of opportunities you have to be willing to dedicate the better part of your free time to the organization. Rice EMS is what you make of it. Individuals have decided that they don’t want the responsibilities of this or that, and as such elect to give the minimum volunteer amounts each month, which it absolutely fi ne. There are more things in life than just this. However there are those of us who are known to the general public as “that ems guy/girl” and these members are the ones that truly give up almost everything else in order to excel to their full potential with the organization.

EMS is a slippery slope, the deeper you delve into the pit, the harder it is to give up. With every amazing opportunity or story comes countless hours of service and effort put forth by the individual. I cannot count the number of assignments I have turned in late, the nights I haven’t slept, the classes I’ve missed, but I regret none of it. It has made me who I am today, and given me a concrete understanding of what I want to become. This is a fair warning and disclaimer to those reading this, EMS is not easy and it will require you to sacrifi ce.

If there is one thing I would like to convey to those reading, it is that EMS is not something that one does to help them “get into medical school” and it is not something you do to “improve your resume.” It is a service that calls out to a select few, who from the very fi rst steps can say “ I want to be the best.” If you are doing it to improve your resume, you will very soon fi nd out it is not the best way to do that, and you will fail. However, if you join the organization with the intent to better yourself, and it, and the members of the community you serve through excellent health care, education, and camaraderie I sincerely believe there is nothing that will make you stand out more, feel more confi dent, and evolve into a leader you never could have imagined.

Now that you know how to become the best applicant possible, it is time to understand how to apply to medical school.


uide // Page 19

The Overall Premed TimelineFreshman Year

Fall Semester Spring Semester

• Join Rice Pre-Medical Society • Visit the Center for Career Development

• Attend one of the information sessions for freshman.

• Think about a course of study and major.

• Visit CIC/RSVP to identify volunteer programs of interest.

• Identify and contact a physician mentor in your fi eld of interest.

• Look up pre-requisite courses for medical schools you are interested in. Find out AP credit policies.

• Begin (or continue) volunteering.

• Identify summer programs/job opportunities. Apply over Winter Break.

• Make arrangements to conduct research during the next academic year

Sophomore YearFall Semester Spring Semester

• Attend one of the information sessions for sophomores

• Declare a major. Get to know your professors really well. Take classes with the same professor if possible.

• Plan the intellectual focus of your curriculum; narrow choices for a major

• Begin preparation for standardized tests: independent review, Kaplan, Examkrackers, Princeton, etc.

• Visit International Programs offi ce for study abroad opportunities for junior/senior year

•Register for appropriate standardized test(s)

• Get involved in some type of clinical experience! • Continue volunteer work, if applicable

• Attend Rice Career Expo sponsored by the Center for Career Development

• Continue research, if applicable

• Identify summer opportunities that support your career interests and apply.


uide // Page 20

Junior YearFall Semester Spring Semester

• See OAA website for dates of junior information sessions

• Check Medical/Dental/Vet School admission requirements again; research institutions of interest and generate list of schools for application

• Open fi le with Offi ce of Academic Advising before December.

• Make appointment for informational Health Professions Advising interview.

• Request letters of recommendation by mid-December (use your best discretion here; ask when it is most appropriate)

• Begin completion of web-based common applications to professional schools (AMCAS, TMDSAS, AADSAS, VMCAS, SOPHA)

• Submit a draft of your personal statement and CV before January 15 of spring semester

• For specifi c questions, visit a Health Professions Advisor

• Register for standardized test(s) if necessary • Have a back up plan

• Schedule a mock interview for spring semester with the CCD

[EARLY-SUMMER: update CV and fi nal draft of personal statement; submit to Offi ce of Academic Advising]

Senior YearFall Semester Spring Semester

• Finish all premed/dent/vet requirements that remain • Finish degree requirements

• Continue progress toward completion of major requirements

• Complete exit survey for Health Professions Advising

• Finish applications in a timely manner (if not yet submitted)

•Inform OAA of where you are accepted

• Research the programs at individual institutions before your interview! • Graduation!!!

• Inform OAA of interview offers & interview at individual institutions

* Timeline courtesy of the OAA and current through the 2012-2013 school year.


uide // Page 21

Sample TimelineFreshmen – Sophomore Year:

Completed prerequisite courses, research, extracurriculars

Junior Year:

January/February: Asked teachers for letters of recommendation March 10: Health Professions Advising Committee Interview End of May: Requested transcript to be sent to AMCAS June 7: Submitted AMCAS June 14: AMCAS Verifi ed June 28: Secondary invitation from Baylor and Wash U. July 10: Secondary invitation from Dartmouth, UPenn July 11: Secondary invitation UCSD July 12: Secondary invitation from Cornell July 20: Secondary invitation from Brown July 27: Submitted Baylor secondary July 28: Secondary invitation from Harvard July 31: Submitted Cornell secondary July 31: Submitted Michigan secondary August 1: Submitted Harvard secondary August 7: Submitted Brown secondary August 11: Submitted UCSD secondary August 15: Submitted Johns Hopkins secondary (no invite) August 13: Interview invitation Baylor August 21: Submitted Columbia secondary

Senior Year:

August 28: Classes at Rice started September 1: Submitted UNC secondary September 21: Interview invitation UPenn September 22: Interview invitation Columbia September 22: Interviewed with Baylor … January 2: Acceptance to OHSU

Notes:

• You can see other applicants’ timelines on mdapplicants.com.

“You can submit many of your secondary applications before school starts if you apply early enough. This will help more than you can imagine.” – Brian Schwab (WRC ’07, Duke Medical School)


uide // Page 22

ApplyingThe actual application process for medical school includes three main components: AMCAS (and TMDSAS), secondary applications (called “secondaries”), and interviews.

After completing your prerequisite classes, taking the MCAT, and getting your letters of recommendation in, you need to interview with the OAA. This interview is typically done during the spring of your junior year. In the summer after your junior year, you actually start applying. To begin, you fi ll out the AMCAS/TMDSAS applications through their respective websites. You can submit TMDSAS on May 1st and AMCAS on June 1st (if there aren’t any delays), or you can wait as long as you like to submit each respective application through late fall. Realize, however, that your chances of getting into a medical school greatly diminish if you submit past the end of August. It is also always better to emphasize completeness and accuracy over an early submission date.

Submitting AMCAS requires that you pay a fee based on the number of schools you apply to. Your application will then be verifi ed. The “verifi cation” process is where AMCAS checks your offi cial transcript against what you put down in their standardized web form. The earliest the registrar can send your transcript to AMCAS is after your fi nal grades are posted. After you have submitted your application and your transcript has been received, verifi cation can still take weeks while you wait in the queue. After your AMCAS application is verifi ed, it will automatically be sent to the schools you designated beforehand.

Schools, after receiving your AMCAS application, can take however long they want to send a secondary application to you or make the secondary available on a website. This stage begins the possibility for rejection. The secondary application is not common for all schools. Some secondaries have essay questions, some have background information, some want you to reproduce your entire transcript, or anything else under the sun. It really depends on the school. For example, Penn and Harvard do not have essay questions on their secondaries. Duke has six unlimited-length essays required. The average secondary application has a fee and two essays (each requiring a paragraph or two of writing).

Interviews occur thereafter. By this stage, you can tell what your pool of schools looks like. For a given interview, you pay to fl y to the school, stay for a night, and interview during the day. Interview days vary, as well. Some have many information sessions while others have none. Some have multiple mini interviews while others have only one. It depends.

After that, you wait. Then, hopefully, you are accepted. Then, you start your health professions education! For AMCAS schools, you can hold as many acceptances as you want until May 15th. After May 15th, you can only be holding one acceptance, but you can remain on waitlists. For TMDSAS schools and Texas residents, you can hold as many acceptances as you want until January 15th because there is a match process (see “After You Get In” section for more information). Non-Texas residents do not participate in this match process and hear back from the schools as they would from an AMCAS school.


uide // Page 23


uide // Page 24

MCATThe Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) has been a part of the medical school admission process for over 60 years. Today, all US and most Canadian medical schools require applicants to submit recent MCAT scores. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in cooperation with its member U.S. medical schools, develops and administers the MCAT. The MCAT has been a fully computerized exam since January 2007.

The overall length of the test day is approximately fi ve and one-half hours, including breaks; however, because the exam is self-paced, and individual check-in times vary, you may fi nish earlier or later than other examinees.

TEST SECTION TIME

Non-Dislosure 10 minutesTutorial (optional)

Examinee Agreement10 minutes

Physical Sciences70 minutes

52 Questions

Break (optional) 10 minutes

Verbal Reasoning60 minutes

40 Questions


Writing Sample60 minutes

2 Essays


Biological Sciences70 minutes

52 Questions

Void Question 5 minutesSurvey (Optional) 10 minutes

Total Content Time 4 hours, 25 minutes

Total “Seat” Time 5 hours, 25 minutes

* Information in this section directly from www.aamc.org (2012).MCAT Sections

N.B.: The MCAT is set to drastically change in 2015; a Behavioral Sciences Section will be added, and the Writing section will be dropped in 2013.


uide // Page 25

MCAT Scoring SystemFour separate scores are derived from the MCAT exam, one for each of the four test sections: Physical Sciences (0-15), Verbal Reasoning (0-15), Biological Sciences (0-15), and the Writing Sample (J-T). Therefore, the highest possible score is 45T, lowest is a 0J. There is no penalty for guessing. When people talk about their scores, they usually refer to a composite sum total such as “31Q,” which is the national accepted student average MCAT score for 2011.

Writing Sample essays are rated by a group of trained readers. Your raw score on the Writing Sample is the sum of four individual scores. Two readers each score your fi rst essay, and two different readers each score your second essay. Each individual score is on a scale of 1 to 6.

Your total raw score is converted to an alphabetic scale ranging from J (lowest) to T (highest). The same alphabetic score can result from different combinations of individual scores. For example, a candidate whose individual scores are 4 and 5 on the fi rst topic and 4 and 4 on the second—for a raw score of 17—would receive the same alphabetic score as a student who scored 3 and 3 on the fi rst topic and 5 and 6 on the second.

MCAT RegistrationThe best recommendation for choosing a test date is to allow adequate preparation time. It is often recommended that you take the MCAT the summer after your sophomore year so that you can study an entire summer (e.g. May through August). Taking the MCAT the same summer you are applying to AMCAS might be disadvantageous because schools typically require your MCAT scores before proceeding to secondaries and you do not want to stress about delays and because the test material might not be as fresh in your mind. The only way to register for the MCAT is online. You will be able to access the Web registration site approximately 12 weeks prior to each test date. Payment must be in the form of a credit card, and regular registration costs $240.

The Physical Sciences section is designed to assess problem solving in general chemistry and physics. The Biological Sciences section is designed to assess problem solving in biology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. Each of these sections contains 7 to 9 passage-based sets of questions, and approximately 10 independent questions. For passage-based sets, each passage is about 250 words in length, and each set consists of 4 to 7 questions.

Both the passage-based questions and the independent questions assess knowledge of basic physical and biological science concepts and your facility at problem solving at using these concepts.

The Verbal Reasoning section assesses your ability to understand, evaluate, and apply arguments presented in prose texts. The test consists of seven passages. Each passage is about 600 words long, taken from the humanities and social and natural sciences. Each passage-based set consists of 5 to 7 questions. Test questions do not cover a specifi c set of topics. All the information you need to answer each question is in the accompanying passage.

The MCAT Writing Sample consists of two 30-minute essays. Each Writing Sample item provides a specifi c topic that requires an expository response. The Writing Sample assesses skill in the following areas:

• Developing a central idea, • Synthesizing concepts and ideas, • Presenting ideas cohesively and logically, and• Writing clearly, following accepted practices of grammar, syntax, and punctuation consistent with timed, fi rst-draft composition.


uide // Page 26

MCAT Resources

M-Prep Portal: www.mcatquestion.comThis free resource has different MCAT questions available on it each day as a more fun, laid-back way to prepare for the dreaded exam.

mcatalyst prep: http://mcatalystprep.com/This video-conference format class allows you to set your own schedule, topics, and pace as you study for the MCAT. Using this comparatively cheap resource, you can study when and wherever you want for as long as you want.

KaplanThis paid resource offers taught classes, online classes, and individual books. The books are easy to read and fairly comprehensive; the online classes allow you to learn the MCAT material at your own pace and makes it much easier to study during the school year if need be.

Princeton ReviewSimilar to Kaplan, the Princeton review offers online courses, self-study textbooks, and classes for those who wish for help studying for the MCAT. The books are dense, but defi nitely comprehensive, and they will make you confi dent that you have learned all the material.

ExamkrackersExamkrackers has the most condensed MCAT books you’ll fi nd. With some of the other test prep books, they can be as big as a textbook. Not the case with Examkrackers. Their classes are also structured differently - 2 hours of lecture, 1 hour of a practice test, and 1 hour going over the practice test. It’s nice because lectures are really easy to tune out, but not so much with practice tests.

Doing Well on the MCATPart 1 updated by Ari Berlin (Baker ’12, 99.9th percentile MCAT Total Score)

Do not underestimate the importance of this exam and your preparations for it. A high MCAT score opens doors; with one, you will likely get more interviews (and earlier ones), putting you at a signifi cant advantage compared to other applicants. At the same time, a high MCAT score is not an end-all-be-all in the admissions game: it will not save a weak application, and a lower score will not necessarily end a medical career. That said, you should prepare diligently for this exam.


uide // Page 27

Through testing year 2015, the MCAT serves as a sort of comprehensive fi nal exam to all the basic science prerequisites (excluding biochemistry). Thus, it is in your best interest to take it as soon as possible after fi nishing organic, physics, biology, and chemistry. It is also in your best interest to study for the exam when you don’t have other courses requiring your attention (READ: SUMMER). For many Rice students, this means taking the MCAT towards the end of a low-key summer after sophomore year. This is doubly advantageous in that a) Junior year can be focused on strengthening the rest of your application, and b) taking the MCAT this “early” allows you to retake if necessary.

To rock the MCAT, you need to practice (and there’s no way around it). You need to practice A LOT. The exam is less about having an in-depth understanding of the tested material and more about knowing how to take the MCAT itself. This means being familiar with AAMC style questions, optimizing your time management, understanding how content will appear in the test setting, and, most importantly, developing an unshakeable self-confi dence that will carry you through even the roughest of MCAT administrations on test day.

Suffi cient preparation requires ample practice materials. By the end of the summer, I had reviewed the books from the Princeton Review Hyperlearning Course (their workbook and science reviews are golden), the Examcracker Course set (including 101 Verbal Passages), one Kaplan MCAT comprehensive review (the least useful of the bunch), and The Berkeley Review’s books for physics and biology (these have to be purchased through their website).

In retrospect, I would have been fi ne with only the Princeton Review Hyperlearning materials (with, perhaps Examcracker’s 101 Verbal Passages for additional verbal practice) IN COMBINATION with the ten AAMC offi cial full-length practice exams. These were critical in guiding my exam preparation: each week’s test served as a diagnostic of sorts, identifying areas of potential weakness and allowing me to refocus my studying for the coming week.

I studied for 15-20 hours a week for 12 straight weeks, beginning in May and taking the test in August. My general philosophy for studying was to do a passage a day at the very least. I generally studied two to three hours a day Sunday through Friday (incorporating content review with practice questions, verbal passages, etc.), reserving Saturday mornings for full-length practice exams. Realize, however, that everyone has a limit of time each day he or she can realistically devote to studying. Studying beyond this limit for the sake of racking up hours is usually unproductive and can lead to burnout. Stay healthy- mentally, physically, and socially- to maximize your score on this test.

This regimen eventually turned the MCAT material into mere work—it was no longer new, exciting, or challenging. It’s almost as if it turned into busywork. I had seen the passage types so many times that I just did the job and went on my way. That way, on test day, the MCAT became an “Oh, this again” feeling instead of something scary. If you’re doing a practice passage and think to yourself, “Hmmm, haven’t I seen this passage before?” then you’re where you need to be. Also, you need to realize that your hard work will pay off in the end. My fi rst practice test was 10 points below my fi nal score. My highest practice test score was two weeks before the MCAT, and it turned out to be the same as my actual score. The reason I’m saying this is that a 10 point jump in scores was through practice. While part of it was through learning more material, learning how to take the MCAT was just as important.

This sentence is worthy of being its own paragraph: The AAMC sells practice MCATs online, and those are the most accurate and best practice tests on the market.

To take the course or not to take the course?


uide // Page 28

It depends on the person. There are two reasons to take the course: (1) if you are not very self-motivated or (2) if you have not taken Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Organic Chemistry in college. Self-motivation is critical for studying on your own. Knowledge of the material is a little variable because everybody has forgotten some things, but that’s what studying is for. If you feel like you will need to actually learn the material for the fi rst time because you AP’d out of something, then a course may be helpful. The material, though, is very basic and relatively easy to grasp with the right materials (see above). The MCAT does not test much specifi c knowledge—few questions ask you to regurgitate facts or equations. Instead, it is reading passages and using what you know to answer new questions about the passage.

Not taking a course can save you hundreds of dollars, and you might be able to do better without it. I feel like a course would have held me back. This is because programs like Kaplan are designed to teach you all of the material at a certain pace, fi nishing the material shortly before your test date. The motivated learner can fi nish ALL of the material TWICE (or more) in this time. Consequently, the motivated learner who uses a course could be wasting thousands of dollars on classes that hold him/her back. Practicing is what it’s all about, and the big test companies do have tools to help you practice.

In closing, I would say that doing well on the MCAT comes down to practice, and you need to decide for yourself if enrolling in a course is necessary.

Part 2 by Mohini Darasi (McMurtry ‘12, 98th percentile MCAT Total Score)

Arguably the most debated question when people begin preparing to take the MCAT is: should I take a prep course or not? Sadly there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to this decision; it truly depends on the individual, their study habits and comfort with the different subjects.

People can do just fi ne on the MCAT without taking a course. Many of my friends did not take formal prep courses, such as Kaplan or Princeton Review, and still scored well. The key to doing well on the MCAT is simple: having the personal motivation to do so. If you have the drive to study hard and take practice tests regularly, it is possible to score well regardless of whether or not you take a course. Personally, I wanted to take a class because, since MCAT is such a critical and expensive endeavor in the life of a pre-med, I didn’t want the possibility of looking back and wishing that I had taken a course.

For me, the main benefi t from taking the course was that it helped me stick to a timeline for studying and covering all the material. The class time itself was not extremely helpful, because the instructors mainly just go over material that is already outlined in the chapters, and do a few practice questions at the end of each class. Especially for a section like verbal reasoning, there is no better way to study than to just keep doing as many practice sections as possible on your own time and getting used to question types and completing the section under the time limit. But the course is scheduled such that you cover a certain chunk of material for each subject per week, and just having that schedule defi nitely helped because I had to keep myself accountable for sticking to it.

Another important advantage I found from taking the course was having online access to 9 practice Princeton Review MCAT tests and 7 real AAMC MCAT tests from previous years. I took one practice exam each week, starting off with the Princeton Review tests, and then switching to the AAMC old tests as my test date approached. I found that the Princeton Review ones were harder, so it was nice to have taken them fi rst because I got used to the slightly more diffi cult questions (not to say the AAMC ones are easy!) before I switched over to the AAMC ones in the weeks leading up to the test.


uide // Page 29

One thing I will stress about taking the practice exams is that it is very important to simulate the actual test environment as much as possible while taking them: utilize the assigned breaks, eat snacks, stay hydrated, and avoid distractions (listening to music, taking the test on your bed, etc.) or take breaks that are not assigned. The MCAT is an endurance test in many ways, and it’s important to know that you can sit through the whole thing, as your performance will certainly change depending on the distractions you do or do not allow yourself. So, it’s best to simulate the actual test setting as much as possible right from the onset, even during the practice tests.

To sum it up, there are defi nitely benefi ts to taking a prep course (access to practice tests and study materials), but the classes defi nitely aren’t necessary to do well. If I were to do it again, I would still have taken the course because it did make me feel more prepared and it helped me stick to a schedule for studying all the subject material. However, with the right study habits and motivation (doing lots of practice tests), one should be able to get a good score regardless of whether one takes a prep course or not.

AMCAS/TMDSASAMCAS and TMDSAS have few material differences, so only AMCAS is covered in great detail in this section.

AMCAS is the primary application, the “common app,” for schools outside of Texas (and Baylor). The website is www.aamc.org. After creating a username and login, the main screen appears:


uide // Page 30

As you can see from the fi gure, there are eight main sections. A majority of these sections are rather straight-forward and easy to fi gure out; nevertheless, some of the confusing parts are explained here:

1. Section one asks for your legal name, social security number, and other obvious information.

2. The only tricky thing about section two is that there is a “Transcripts” section where you print a form to give to the Rice Registrar so that Rice can send the transcript to the correct place. This form is also available in the main menu under “Print Transcript Request Form.”

3. Section three has two things to note:a. Preferred address is typically your Rice address whereas permanent address is your

home address.b. You can indicate here that you are applying URM (under-represented minority),

which is labeled as “disadvantaged status.”

4. The Course Work section is one of the more complicated sections. If you have AP credits, for example, things could be different because you must designate “First semester” and year, etc. Mostly it is just tedious entering your entire transcript into web form. Just print off your academic transcript from Esther and do your best clicking around on the AMCAS form.

A couple more notes: First, the maximum grade on the AMCAS scale is an “A” (not an “A+”). Second, one of the most confusing things is “Course Classifi cation,” which has you indicate one of the following classifi cations:

ARTS Fine ArtsBESS Behavioral & Social SciencesBIOL BiologyBUSI BusinessCHEM ChemistryCOMM CommunicationsCOMP Computer Science/TechnologyEDUC EducationENGI EngineeringENGL English Language & LiteratureFLAN Foreign Languages & LiteratureGOVT Government/Political Science/LawHEAL Health SciencesHIST HistoryMATH MathNPSC Natural/Physical SciencesOTHR OtherPHIL Philosophy/ReligionPHYS PhysicsSSTU Special Studies


uide // Page 31This is especially important because Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathemeatics (BCPM) grades are calculated separately and shown to medical schools as follows:

Where BCPM is composed only of those courses explicitly designated as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. This matters a little bit because let us say you got an “A” in an engineering physiology class. Well, technically, that can be counted as BIOL and infl ate your BCPM GPA.

The following classifi cation guide is published in the AMCAS instruction booklet:

Behavioral & Social Sciences (BESS)• Anthropology• Economics• Family Studies• Psychology• Sociology

Biology (BIOL) - BCPM• Anatomy• Biology• Biophysics• Biotechnology• Botany• Cell Biology• Ecology• Entomology• Genetics• Histology• Immunology• Microbiology• Molecular Biology• Neuroscience• Physiology

Business (BUSI)• Accounting• Business• Finance• Human Resource Studies• Management• Organizational Studies• Marketing

Chemistry (CHEM) - BCPM• Biochemistry• Chemistry• Physical Chemistry• Thermodynamics

Communications (COMM)• Journalism• Media Production & Studies• TV, Video, & Audio

Computer Science/Technology (COMP)• Computer Science• Computer Engineering• Information Systems• Telecommunications


uide // Page 32

Education (EDUC)• Counseling & Personnel Services• Curriculum & Instruction• Educational Policy• Educational Administration• Health Education• Human Development

Engineering (ENGI)• Aerospace Engineering• Biomedical Engineering• Chemical Engineering• Civil Engineering• Electrical Engineering• Engineering• Environmental Engineering• Mechanical Engineering• Nuclear Engineering

English Language & Literature (ENGL)• English Composition & Rhetoric• English Creative Writing• English Language & Literature

Fine Arts (ARTS)• Art• Art History• Dance• Fine Arts• Music• Photography• Theatre

Foreign Languages/Linguistics/Lit. (FLAN)• American Sign Language• Comparative Literature• Linguistics• Foreign Language(s) & Literature

Government/Political Sci/Law (GOVT)• Criminology & Criminal Justice• Government• International Relations & Studies• Law/Legal Studies• Political Science• Public Affairs & Policy• Urban Policy & Planning

Health Sciences (HEAL)• Allied Health• Chiropractic• Dentistry• Hearing & Speech Sciences• Hospital Administration• Kinesiology• Medical Technology• Medicine• Nursing• Nutrition & Food Sciences• Occupational Therapy• Optometry• Osteopathy• Physical Therapy• Physician Assistant• Public Health• Pharmacology & Pharmacy• Sports Medicine• Veterinary Medicine

History (HIST)• History

Math (MATH) - BCPM• Applied Mathematics• Mathematics• Statistics

Natural/Physical Sciences (NPSC)• Agriculture• Animal and Avian Sciences• Forestry• Geography• Geology• Horticulture• Landscape Architecture• Meteorology• Natural Resources• Oceanography• Environmental Science & Policy


uide // Page 33Other (OTHR)• Architecture• Interdisciplinary courses• Sports (LPAP)

Philosophy/Religion (PHIL)• Ethics• Logic• Philosophy• Religion• Theology

After you submit your entire application, this section will be compared against your offi cial transcript for verifi cation by AAMC personnel, which is why verifi cation takes weeks.

5. Work/Activities is the most diffi cult section. This is your chance to write about 15 of your top activities, work experiences, and awards. There is a character limit for your description of the activity (1325 characters for the 2012 application year). The 15 experiences on your fi nal application are automatically ordered in reverse-chronological order by start date.

6. The Medical Schools section is where you designate which schools receive your AMCAS application. There is a standard fee for each school you add.

7. “Essay(s)” is the personal statement (see “Personal Statement” section for further detail). For the 2012 application year, you are allotted 5,300 characters for your essay.

8. The Standardized Tests section is where you can verify that your MCAT scores were received (should not be a problem since the AAMC runs both AMCAS and the MCAT).

AMCAS vs. TMDSASBy Mike Matthews (WRC ’07, UT Southwestern)

These two applications parallel each other with the exception of several differences which should be noted. First, the TMDSAS application may be submitted as early as at the beginning of May, a full month before the AMCAS application, so it makes sense to get the TMDSAS done fi rst. That being said, if you submit your AMCAS and TMDSAS at about the same time, in early June, you will still have gotten a good head start on the process. In any case, until you have submitted your TMDSAS application and begun working on your secondary applications to the TMDSAS schools, all of your correspondence should be with the staff at TMDSAS, not at the individual schools. Any updates on your coursework (for example, deciding during the fi rst week of classes exactly which courses you will be taking the rest of the semester) or activities should be directed to TMDSAS, which forwards letters/updates to the schools at one- or two-week intervals. Excepting the case of confi rming receipt of your secondary application, communication with the individual schools does not need to take place until after you have been invited to interview. Note also that completing your secondary applications immediately after being notifi ed of receipt of your primary application by the corresponding schools is particularly advantageous in the case of TMDSAS because the Texas schools begin their interviewing processes rather early, in August; the more interviews you attend in that month, the fewer missed classes you will need to incur due to interviews once school starts.

Physics (PHYS) - BCPM• Astronomy• Physics

Special Studies (SSTU)• Afro-American Studies• American Studies• Gender Studies


uide // Page 34

A second difference is that TMDSAS provides two sections in which you present your activities/experiences, instead of just one on the AMCAS application. The fi rst section asks you to group some of them into volunteer work, paid jobs, research, etc. The second section requires that you list all of your activities/experiences on a continuous time line from the summer after your high school graduation to the present. Of course, there may be substantial overlap between the two sections, and there is no problem should this be the case. The AMCAS application will provide more space in which you can elaborate on your activities.

Next, the TMDSAS personal statement is about 5,000 characters, while the AMCAS personal statement is about 5,300 characters—a difference of a little under 100 words. It would be a good idea to write your personal statement with the TMDSAS character limit in mind, then to expand your personal statement—by adding details to your accounts of your experiences—so that it takes up most of the 5,300 characters for AMCAS. Conversely, if you end up writing your AMCAS statement fi rst, then you may produce a TMDSAS draft by cutting out such details. This approach is recommended because, while vivid details of your experiences contribute primarily to the aesthetic appeal of your essay, your commentary on your experiences and personal development directly expresses your personality to the admissions committee; both components are important, but in the position of needing to shorten your essay, you should probably forgo the former. Also, do not add or cut out a disproportionate amount of information to or from one paragraph, leaving all the others in their initial TMDSAS or AMCAS form, respectively; maintain a consistent level of detail throughout all of your paragraphs.

Finally, TMDSAS includes a “Special Experiences” section with two spaces in which you have the option of writing about “unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not previously been presented,” and about “personal characteristics and/or important or challenging experiences you have had that will contribute to the diversity of or provide educational benefi ts to the student body.” Since the primary goal of the application process is to provide as complete a picture of yourself as possible to the admissions committee, if you can think of extra meaningful or relevant information to include in these spaces, then by all means do so. This section might also be a good place to note if you have a sibling and/or parent who is a student or alumnus of one or more of the schools to which you are applying.

Answers to virtually any questions you may have about the TMDSAS process can be found on the TMDSAS website, which, at the time of this writing, is www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas.


uide // Page 35

The Personal StatementA Guide to Writing the Pre-Medical Personal Statement

Louise Gliga, WRC ‘12

Most pre-medical students who hear the phrase “personal statement” want to run away and cry. They know it is coming as part of the medical school application process, but personal writing can be a daunting task. Classes that fulfi ll Rice’s writing requirements for pre-meds—which are based on the requirements of most medical schools—usually do not cover personal writing. Having a book off of which to base an argument is much easier than digging deep and putting the motivation of your whole life into words. Nevertheless, the personal statement, or PS as I will call it from here on out, should not be the bane of your existence. In many ways, it is like the essays you have written throughout high school and college, and you can use many tools you already have to make the process easier.

The PS is your way to express to medical schools why you want to be a doctor. AMCAS allows 5,300 characters for the PS, while TMDSAS (the Texas schools application) allows about 5,000. This gives you about one page, single-spaced in which to present your case. Although this may not seem like enough room, it actually helps you narrow down your reasons and focus on the biggest parts of your life that have infl uenced your career choice. This is one of the fi rst places to start when writing your essay: fi gure out the most signifi cant experience or two in your life that have infl uenced why you want to be a doctor. Do not be alarmed if these experiences or activities do not make it onto your list of 15 activities for AMCAS or fall into any of the activity categories for TMDSAS; most factors affecting your wish to be a doctor will not. For example, you may have been a varsity athlete and practice 20 hours per week, but the injuries you sustained for 3 years may have infl uenced your decision to be a doctor. You will include your sport in your activities list, but the other 10 hours a week you spent doing physical therapy and injury prevention will not be listed on there. You will probably end up wanting to talk about many experiences and aspects about your personality, but it is really important to narrow it down to one or two truly signifi cant experiences.

Once you have an idea of what you want to talk about, you can begin structuring your essay. Here is where your years of writing will benefi t you. A good essay needs a hook—an introduction sentence or two to really grab your reader’s attention. It takes about 30 seconds for admissions readers to read your essay, and you want to make sure they want to continue reading it. After your hook, you can have a brief introduction that narrows down to your main point, just like a scholarly essay makes its way down to is thesis sentence. If you like to write your introductions last, make sure to at least have your main point formulated so you have something to relate your essay to. Your body paragraphs should focus on your experiences and why there are signifi cant. A short conclusion is helpful, and it should tie together the theme present in each body paragraph. There is no set number of paragraphs to include, and your introduction and conclusion do not even need to stand alone as individual paragraphs. However, there should defi nitely be an underlying theme to your essay that appears in every paragraph. As essay space is limited, it is useful to analyze each sentence to determine if it is necessary when reading through your drafts.

When talking about your experiences, make sure to include vivid detail and express the key emotions you felt. Your reader needs to really understand what you were feeling and how that has shaped your decision to be a doctor. Saying you were sad when your best friend died from cancer is not enough; expressing that you felt lost, devastated, confused, and like you wished you could have helped is


uide // Page 36

much better. Add details about your thoughts and feelings leading up to that moment, and what you did afterwards. The PS can get very personal, but do not be afraid to let part of yourself out in the essay. Readers have read enough essays to know when things are genuine; deep, brutal honesty is important. Even honesty about a negative aspect or choice you made is ok because it shows you acknowledge it and are human in making mistakes. You want your reader to go through that experience with you, thus detail is very important. That being said, do not over-dramaticize what does not need to be dramaticized; melodrama and taking oneself too seriously are not good either.

Besides the topics, theme, and organization of your PS, the tone is also very important. Extremely, high, formal language may be too much here, but do not be too colloquial either. Keep your tone informative and constructive, as you do want to construct a picture of yourself for admissions committees. Optimism about your life, moving forward, helping people, etc. is also good, but you must remain realistic. Idealizing anything, especially medicine, is going too far. If you overcame a signifi cant hurdle in your life, it is good to state how you got through it and learned and grew from it, but do not play it off like it was easy and you could totally help anyone and everyone get through the same thing. Any diffi cult experience should be presented as such, and any positive feeling should also be described as it felt to you. Avoid condescending tones, overly optimistic attitudes, and apathetic commentary. Use your honest feelings during an experience to gauge how to write about them. Being candid and blunt is not a bad thing, but make sure you back up your statements with detail and explanation.

With so many things to think about, the PS is not something you start writing when applications open in May. The Offi ce of Academic Advising has a list of things it wants from you by December or January, and a very rough draft of your PS is not a bad idea to have completed at that time. If you cannot get the PS done in time, try to have a very rough draft completed by your Health Professions Advising Committee interview. The CCD can give good preliminary feedback and are good guides for where to take your essay from there. Continue to work on the PS throughout the spring semester before the summer in which you apply. Ask friends, family, other pre-meds, and pre-meds who have already completed the process to read over your essay. You should have some people read through many drafts as you work on them, but it is also important to have some people read it through just once to give you feedback on the overall picture an admissions reader would get. You are not alone in this process; do not be afraid to ask for help or input because it is the best way to improve your PS.

The PS is exactly what its name says: a personal essay about you and your motivations. View it as a regular essay, but about you instead of a book or article. As humble servants of the human population, it is not easy to write about yourselves, but the PS requires you to do so. Once you get started, it gets a lot easier. You will learn a lot about yourself, and this discovery will be useful when you begin interviewing. The PS is also something you can actually work on before applications open. Outside of making a list of activities, keeping up with schoolwork, and looking at schools, you cannot do much else until the applications open. The PS, however, is something you have a lot of time to perfect. It is a great feeling to simply copy and paste your PS in the box on the application and not worry about writing it. Working on the PS ahead of time makes applications less stressful, but also provides you with great insight into your motivations and why you are who you are.


uide // Page 37

Examples of personal statements follow.

DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, COPY THESE STATEMENTS.

IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU DEVELOP YOUR OWN, ORIGINAL IDEAS.

DO NOT COPY THEIR STRUCTURES, THEIR WORDING, THEIR ANYTHING. Before writing your personal statement it is good to read several examples, but your personal statement needs to be your own—it needs to tell your story and use your words. These example statements are here only to show you what sort of things go into a personal statement and what the length should be. That being said, please enjoy the following personal statements that were kindly donated by our contributors.


uide // Page 38

Personal Statement No. 1By Louise Gliga (WRC ’12, UTMB)

At ten years old, I watched my dad operate on a tumor; eight years later, there was nothing I could do for his tumors. With a family background in medicine and a thirst for knowledge, I was rarely left without solutions. Although having answers shapes people signifi cantly, sometimes not having the answers has an even greater impact. Despite all the knowledge available today, many cases arise in which there is no protocol or step-by-step procedure. The science behind many events in nature may be documented, but often it is not enough, especially with injury and disease. My own injuries and experiences with others’ illnesses have been no exception to this. Swimming eleven practices a week in high school and working out at least twenty hours per week in college were bound to catch up to me, and they did in full force. My left shoulder remains a permanent issue and it has led to my right hip facing surgery. I lost my ability to ever fully participate again in a sport that has been a major part of my life since I was six years old. I had to take a year off from competition, and swimming changed from a stress release into an extra stress inducer. After fi ve attempts at physical therapy and with very little hope of returning to swimming, I began to feel lost. From rehab and visits with many doctors, I learned a lot about shoulder and hip anatomy and how my injuries occurred because of overuse. Despite this concrete knowledge, I still found myself asking why they had to happen and how I could have prevented them. After two years, I am competing again and I have fi nally come to terms with these setbacks. Despite joint pain constantly reminding me of that rough time, I can move on with the few answers I have and with knowledge of how to prevent further injury. With life and death situations, however, letting go of the questions is impossible, and there will never be enough science to justify losing someone. In the winter of my senior year of high school, my dad—after a sudden collapse right in front of me and a subsequent weeklong stay in the hospital—sat me down and told me he had end-stage lung cancer. Devastation does not even begin to describe what I was feeling. Before I could even begin to ask the overwhelming questions in my mind, I was thrown into a new routine. I spent many days at home taking care of him and trying to convince him to eat and exercise, but I soon learned that simply talking to him was what he wanted most. Despite his displeasure at my skipping school to care for him, he began to rely on me. The roles were reversed; I became a primary care giver. My dad relied on me to prepare meals, take him in for treatments, and bring in the newspaper that kept him connected with the world. Being the person he relied on and looked to for help was such a great feeling and one of the main reasons I made it through that period. But could I have done more? I knew what cancer meant ultimately, the biology behind it, that harsh treatments were necessary, and that the entire process would not be easy. I did not know how to give my dad his medications, or why I was observing the effects I saw. My parents also forbade from telling anyone about my father’s condition. This only placed it in a more hidden, distant place of things I did not understand. Frustration, confusion, and a sense of powerlessness were constant emotions, and I wished to know more about life and medicine so I could contribute. My mother would only inform me of a recent development in my dad’s condition, such as a new metastasis or a shrinking tumor, days after the fact, which did not help either. If I asked my parents specifi c questions about his prognosis, I never received straight answers. My mom was suffering too much pain to answer me, and my dad no longer had the strength. When I rushed home in February of my freshman year at Rice for my dad’s fi nal days, I did not understand why he was intubated, why getting him to breathe looked so violent, or why he would not wake up. I am a person who likes to have answers, means of obtaining answers, and I enjoy the process of discovery, so these unknowns were unacceptable. After my father died and I experienced my fi rst of many swim seasons from the sidelines, I knew that I did not just want to be a doctor, but that I would be a doctor. I too will have the knowledge others had throughout my dad’s illness, and I will be able to help myself and others care for


uide // Page 39themselves and their loved ones. The process will never be perfect—we cannot hope to understand, and cure all diseases and injuries. But by understanding more fully what is occurring during sickness and injury and how to prevent both, I can directly help patients and families fi nd more of the peace I still struggle to fi nd after watching my father’s illness and in confronting my injuries.

Personal Statement No. 2By Michael Torre (Sid ‘12, Northwestern)

When I want to achieve something, I set my mind fi rmly and do whatever it takes. I realized this truth as a seventeen-year-old soccer player when my coach told me I could lead our team to a state championship. After my coach’s blunt lecture, I resolved to earn the state title and we won every game thereafter. I have applied the principles of unwavering follow-through to every goal I set for myself, especially to becoming a physician. My interest in medicine began in my high school science courses. I was fascinated by the chemistry of living organisms; I was amazed that our bodies consist of millions of perfectly coordinated reactions that remarkably sustain life and function. Seeing some of these reactions live in my own heart every year in an echocardiogram during checkups for my congenital defect has been made astonishing with the biological knowledge I acquired in my classes. I was further amazed to learn how when a reaction goes awry, medicine can be used to restore it. While every human being does have similar systems that may be studied, each individual, more importantly, has unique capacities and drives. For example, sincere interest combined with a challenge lead me to achieve at the highest levels in Bioengineering. My brain works like a top fuel dragster, which is fully engaged with 90% nitromethane fl owing through its engine. I realize that my academic success has been inextricably tied to my desire to comprehend complex bioengineering concepts and my goal to become a physician. It is surprising that I avidly enjoy and absorb material from a tissue engineering textbook, while a novel cannot sustain my attention in the same way. What pulls me to medicine most is the understanding that I can use my knowledge and talents to benefi t people. As an academic Fellow at my university, I have tutored my peers in general and organic chemistry - both through one-on-one tutoring and group review sessions. Helping my peers learn about the science that inspires me has been most rewarding. I enjoy reviewing material with underclassmen, sometimes until four in the morning, in order to prepare them for their exams. My experience has lead to my selection as Head Fellow next year. I look forward to having this position because I plan to expand the presence of the Fellows society within the student community, which will allow more students to mutually benefi t through this altruistic program. Although I enjoy sharing my interests indirectly as a Fellow, I have also directly applied my knowledge of science as a Research Assistant. In this role, I use the concepts I have read about and then learn to conduct experiments from the results. Recently, I used my computer programming skills from class to model and design proteins. Each day that I apply what I learn, whether by tutoring about hydrocarbons or investigating viruses and bacteria to test my models, I am making progress toward my goal. I also look forward to becoming a physician so I continuously expand my medical ability by working with people possessing distinctive personalities requiring indiviudal attention, unlike simple test tube organisms. While working as a scribe, for example, I saw fi rsthand the importance for a doctor to maintain composure with others in any situation. During one of my shifts, a patient complained that his heart had not been beating for almost a week. Initially shocked, I wondered how a person could earnestly list this as their chief complaint, but the physician was undaunted and handled the man with compassion and professionalism. I later learned that the man was a schizophrenic patient. Ultimately, I realized this lesson in sensitive doctor-patient interactions could not be found within the pages of a textbook. Furthermore, this summer I am assisting with a clinical research project in which I work directly with participants


uide // Page 40

in cardiology. After reading and understanding the pathways that control blood pressure, I am getting the chance to talk with people and study their habits to learn more about cardiac fi tness in a clinical setting. This extraordinary opportunity will benefi t people and further research, while serving as a vital step toward my ultimate goal. Although I have volunteered and worked alongside emergency department physicians, I have not directly helped others through my interest in human physiology. My goal for this summer is to combine my love of science and the human body with my passionate desire to help people. As I prepare and look forward to medical school, I think often about my soccer coach, who has passed on. Even now, his words continue to urge me to whole-heartedly pursue my goals. I know that when I follow my goal relentlessly, I am already accomplishing it. I have used my passion for science and chemistry to succeed academically and help my peers. Next I will use my desire to apply my knowledge and abilities to become a physician.

Personal Statement No. 3By Harry Han (Martel ‘12, Penn)

When I shadowed Dr. Schulz, a dementia-specializing neurologist, I noticed that most patients walking into the clinic, no matter how different they seemed at fi rst glance, fell into four groups: new patients hoping their fears were untrue, confused patients whose decline had progressed too far, and caretakers who continually asked for the “magic pill.” However, the worst were the patients who recognized their dementia. They carried a defeated look. Regardless of the medications taken, books read, and exercise regimes followed, they recognized that they were slowly declining. They could do nothing more than watch their mind, personality, and independence be ripped away. Refl ecting on their condition, I wondered how I would feel if I had dementia. Fear was the fi rst emotion I registered. I would be scared of losing my autonomy, afraid that today would be the last time I could drive or the last day I would recognize my loved ones. This realization has provided me with a conviction—how can I watch someone else go through this if I too am terrifi ed? Is there something I could actively do to contribute to alleviating that pain or understanding diseases? Perhaps I am naïve, but my parents taught me to use my interests towards contributing to the community. First, I thought about focusing on the mechanisms of disease. Since my freshmen year, I have been fascinated by adult neurogenesis, the innate process by which neural stem cells give rise to functional neurons. The fact that the adult brain could regenerate mesmerized me, and since then, I have worked in two labs studying this cell population in normal and diseased brains. I even spent a year in the U.K. investigating genetic networks that regulate this process. Each project has brought forth new challenges: techniques to master, papers to read, and more questions to consider. My benchwork has taught me diligence, hard work, and perseverance and for a while, I considered a career in scientifi c research. The excitement of discovery, the many gaps in our understanding, and the baby steps I make towards understanding this unique cell population drive me to continue my research. However, I always felt that something was missing from the bench. Although investigating pathogenic mechanisms of neurodegeneration was energizing, my benchwork did not address the human side of medicine. It could not alleviate the emotional consequences of disease on patients and their families. While shadowing Dr. Schulz, I saw that despite having only a few therapies for dementia, he could use unwavering compassion and patience to heal. Though initially hesitant, his patients soon trusted his advice and guidance but also were not afraid to question him and voice concerns. He would kindly answer their questions or would make note and later send a response. That extra mile Dr. Schulz took demonstrated that providing answers and support could also be therapeutic, in a way that conventional prescriptions could not. Overall, he continually showed me that a physician’s job goes beyond the science.


uide // Page 41 Similarly, my experiences as an emergency medical technician also demonstrated the power of compassion and persistence. During my training, I met a 13-year old girl who fell off a bucket hurting her neck. She came into the ER but had little staff contact because her case was deemed “not urgent.” My approved skill set was limited to checking vitals and asking questions, and I could not prescribe medications or provide physical relief. I took interest in her case and checked in with her and her family every hour. Each time, I would make small talk, recheck vitals, and delivered updates on her case. After she was discharged, the family thanked me for checking up on them as it made them less scared knowing that someone was advocating for them. Despite my inability to provide a pill or perform surgery, I was reminded that treatments come in different forms. Sometimes, it is a diagnosis and prescription. Other times, it is holding your patient’s hand in an ambulance or reassuring a family by checking up on them. In spite of seeing pain and uncertainty on a daily basis, physicians are relentlessly committed to their profession. Yes, the fi eld is not without frustration. How does medicine handle the “regulars” who come in each week? What do you do when a child has a life-threatening disorder, but has no health insurance? While a doctor cannot always “cure” illness or provide defi nitive answers to ethically gray areas, my experiences have taught me that regardless of having “a magic pill,” a physician’s compassion and spirit, which are crucial in establishing relationships with patients, are also transformative. I have found that the human side of medicine can sometimes be the most effective treatment. Rather than pure science or mere emotion, it is the doctor’s role at the intersection of both science and humanity, attempting to heal the entire person, which inspires me to pursue a career in medicine. I hope to continue developing my love for biomedical science and learn the subtle art of compassion and sensitivity that makes being a doctor so challenging. While the human condition pushes my benchwork, humanity and human connection pull me towards medicine.

Personal Statement No. 4By Jessica Steinberg (Brown ‘10, Stanford)

My desire to become a doctor did not stem from a single experience. Rather, I can trace the development of this decision as if connecting a constellation, with each experience contributing to an outline that guides my course and shapes my ambitions. This celestial composition began as a fl ickering curiosity while working in a biochemistry lab and on an ambulance. At fi rst, it was medicine’s scholarly aspects that provoked my intellectual enthusiasm. While working in the lab, I loved combing through the literature to fi nd alternative approaches and the best way to refi ne a procedure. Reading others’ reports provided a deeper understanding of biochemistry and fostered an appreciation for previous investigations. I often found myself staying late to discuss fi ndings and interests with my mentor. What did he think was the most important contribution of the PCR? How might mass spectrometry change clinical diagnostics? A career in medicine presents the same fascinating challenges of applying ever-changing technology and information to complex problems. Apart from the scholarly allure, I enjoy the craft of clinical work. My time as an EMT exposed me to the gratifi cation of assisting others and of working with a team towards a common goal. On the truck, theory met instinct in the actions of my hands. Applying pressure to a stab wound and comforting a child with a broken arm both tested my abilities and buoyed my spirit. When these efforts synchronized with those of my partners, our movements harmonized like a well-rehearsed quartet, each playing their part to stabilize a heartbeat or establish an airway. Our shared confi dence and responsibility united our team. Leaving the hospital after an exhausting trauma, a pat on the shoulder from a coworker fi lled me with a profound sense of achievement. My satisfaction following each shift resonated with a future in medicine. In addition to individual patient interactions, one ambulance call to an elderly woman


uide // Page 42

revealed the potential impact of health care on broader societal issues. Noticing small fi nger-shaped bruises on the patient’s neck, I asked in Spanish for her history. Hearing her native tongue, the patient’s eyes widened and she began sputtering out her story. She was an abuse victim, but her insuffi cient command of English prevented her from receiving appropriate medical attention. When I helped her fi le a domestic abuse report, my concept of a physician’s role expanded to include patient advocacy. The elderly woman’s case inspired me to explore the social obstacles to receiving health care while studying in Mexico. During my internship with Las Libres, I visited the state prison twice each week to interview six women. One woman, Ofelia, awakened me to the pleasure of lasting relationships with those I assist. When Ofelia miscarried her abusive father’s child, the Public Prosecution Offi ce accused her of abortion and charged her with homicide. Eight years in prison without visitors manifested in her evasive eyes and three-word responses to my inquiries. These stunted interactions continued for weeks until a coworker and I brought bracelets to celebrate Mexico’s World Cup victory. The red and green strings and our persistence lifted her emotional guard. Thereafter, she began to speak of her trauma and met us with kisses and hand-squeezes. The trust we built exemplifi es the relationship I aspire to foster with patients - a dynamic one that follows an intimate connection and moves me to be a better person. Ofelia’s 26-year prison term demonstrated the consequences of a machista culture and legal system. As I worked with Las Libres to treat the symptoms of this asymmetry of power, I grappled internally with the sources of the societal ills. Insuffi cient access to quality health care and education represents one component of the complex social matrix that led to Ofelia’s miscarriage and subsequent imprisonment. And it is that component that I would like to address with the passion I discovered in the lab and on the ambulance. Las Libres had an obstetrician who often lamented the extent of the need and the lack of resources. There were never enough physicians, supplies, or funds to reach and treat her patients, especially in a community that devalued women. Her words fi lled me with an urgency that confi rmed my career path. After encountering the elderly woman on the ambulance, Ofelia, and the obstetrician, I felt summoned to devote my career to diminishing the gap between those who lack adequate health care and their doctors. The nature of my ambitions continues to develop - my experiences and capabilities intertwining and stabilizing my ascent towards medicine. This path began when I discovered the dual joys of working with my hands in the ambulance and of interacting with colleagues and patients. Laboratory research complemented these pleasures and satiated my bookish appetite. Intellectual challenges, a stimulating profession, and meaningful relationships all align with the fi eld of medicine. But it is the opportunity to serve others and contribute to society that illuminates this path and reaffi rms my aspiration to becomea physician.

Personal Statement No. 5By Ruchi Srivastava (Baker ‘12, Hopkins)

When I was young, my grandfather told me that the most important factor in a person’s life was his education. With his words in mind, I applied myself to school with my heart and soul, convinced that if I was academically successful, I would be successful in life. During my junior year of high school, however, I became constantly fatigued. Focusing on school work became nearly impossible, and many days, much to my consternation, I was unable to stay awake in class. It took me months to go to a doctor and be diagnosed with and treated for acute anemia, which was causing the exhaustion. Weeks later, I realized that while ill, my mind was constantly preoccupied with my health and recovery instead of academics. Without good health, I could not take proper advantage of my education. Three years later I tore my ACL due to an unfortunate trampoline incident. Over the next month, my life was spent re-learning how to walk and attending multiple doctors’ appointments.


uide // Page 43During the hours in my room that I had to refl ect on my priorities and goals, I again found that my injury was at the forefront of my mind rather than my academics. For me, this confi rmed that while education is important for achieving most dreams, good health is essential. After my encounter with anemia, I had gained an interest in medicine. This had led me to volunteer and shadow in an emergency room. While there, I realized that medicine was not always the idealistic vocation that my previous experiences had led me to believe. Some patients often argued with doctors about the possible treatment, while others did not trust doctors, and not all patients recovered. Yet I found that patients who came in agitated and ill most often left soothed and usually healthier. The combination of seeing patients leave comforted by a doctor and with a solution to their health problems struck a chord that resonated deep within me. My interest and passion for medicine grew and I was soon inspired to pursue it as a future career. Although I wanted to become a doctor, I was initially naïve as to many of the barriers people faced in procuring health care. Between my freshman and sophomore years of college, while driving through rural California, I overheard a conversation in which a man was telling his friends that he was sure he was getting ill, but did not have the money to see a doctor. This incident followed almost directly after my reading “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” a book about the international work of Dr. Paul Farmer and his free medical clinics. I was troubled by the rural scenario - I could not believe that there were places in my own home state where people could neither access nor afford a simple examination, let alone treatment. Inspired both by Dr. Farmer’s work and the man’s story, I began to consider starting a free clinic in the rural US as a long-term goal. My interest in rural medicine led me to spend this past summer shadowing doctors who catered to the rural population in India. I discovered that the isolated incident I had seen two years ago paled in comparison to the majority of medical problems that there are. The fi rst week I shadowed, I was constantly shocked and saddened at how late in a disease’s progression people came to a doctor, due to ignorance, inaccessibility, or cost. I saw numerous advanced diseases, all easily treatable if the patients had gone to a doctor earlier but now almost impossible to cure. I met many patients with cancer who completed only a few weeks of chemotherapy before leaving because they thought that the cancer was cured and that the therapy was doing more harm than good. I discovered patients who vanished from their bed when they discovered they could not afford the medical care. At fi rst, I came home each day disheartened and depressed. Several patients came in too sick to cure and just as many were ignorant about their medical history. Most did not understand their medications, making it risky to prescribe the hazardous but life-saving drugs. But through it all, I learned that the results were worth the effort and I was inspired. Many people were treated successfully, including several tuberculosis and cancer victims. Seeing patients recover, I realized that the personal satisfaction of helping people regain their health was well worth the long hours and hard work. Ultimately, I want to donate some of my time to setting up a free clinic in rural areas, helping people regain and maintain their health and educating them about their diseases. There will be set backs: funding will be diffi cult to fi nd, several people in rural areas dislike or do not trust doctors, and I may face many of the poverty and lack of education issues I have seen in India. But with hard work and perseverance, I can help a part of the underserved population access and afford treatment that they would not get otherwise. Medical school is the fi rst step in this process.

Personal Statement No. 6By Austin Potter (Jones ‘12, UT Houston)

Three numbers: 1.15, 49, and 178, made me who I was, and now it was time to fi nd out the


uide // Page 44

last number to determine my potential. The fi rst three numbers referred to my femur to tibia ratio, blood hematocrit level, and heart rate at lactic threshold. On the stationary cycle, my heart rate peaked at 209 BPM and I was done. As I pulled off the suffocating face mask that measured my oxygen intake and output, all of my training to appear unruffl ed during exertion failed miserably as I coughed and gasped for oxygen. That day, June 16th, 2006, the number 76.3 fl ashed on the screen; this was my VO2 max, what is widely considered the genetic based limiter for how high in the ranks a cyclist can go. One day I could be a top professional and maybe even win a few cycling classics overseas! In cycling we like to think of ourselves as engines; our legs are the pistons, our heart and lungs deliver the fuel, and my engine was noticed by sponsors. The idea of human limits fascinates me. From a young age, books piled up high on my desk about human physiology and biology. I was merely a machine; a system of levers and pulleys, gradients and coupled reactions, and a supercomputer with chemical emotions. This is why I melded so well with cycling; a sport controlled by wattages, grams, and centimeters. In high school, interest in the human body prompted me to jump at the chance to shadow Dr. George Noon when my cousin, an anesthesiologist, offered it. The last patient of the day for the cardiothoracic surgeon was a man named David who I was able to get to know before his surgery began. This was his fi nal open heart surgery to replace a series of artifi cial hearts, which had severely compromised his life, with a donor organ. Starting me in the corner of the room -- discovering that I would neither become ill nor faint-- Dr. Noon slowly allowed me nearer to the table and eventually stood me next to him. As I leaned my head over the body cavity I watched as Dr. Noon gave David back the life that the bad heart took from him. Watching this operation transform David’s future taught me that the person behind the machine was more important than the machine itself. This excursion planted the seed of what would become the pursuit of a lifetime. As I was tracked into a blossoming cycling career by my team and sponsors, a confl ict of interest arose as college application time loomed menacingly. In high school my focus was on my cycling career, but the prospect of become a doctor was something I couldn’t ignore. This created a problem rarely faced by high school seniors; accept a new sponsorship contract and travel the world with a solid salary and a sure lifestyle or go to college and risk failure to compete in the new and unexplored arena of academics and hyper-competitive premeds. While college was a much riskier venture than professional athletics, I knew that a career in cycling was motivated by fame and fortune while medicine was motivated by passion and morals. I decided to take the risk and attend college but also to renew my license with the International Cycling Union to help pay my way.My two dreams instantly clashed as I attempted to tackle the pre-med requirements while training and traveling around the US. It was a stressful fi rst year of college as I realized I must give up one dream for the other. My performance in school went up as my national ranking on the bike went down. When the choice to renew my license came about my sophomore year, I decided that my complete dedication must lie with medicine and my cycling career was sacrifi ced. I began searching for new opportunities to both gain experience in the medical fi eld and to verify that my long deliberated decision to focus on becoming a doctor was right. I found the St. Joseph Hospital and met the people who would solidify my resolve. “Wow, do all nurses walk this fast?” I thought as I followed Nurse Shelley through the ER and critical care unit corridors of St. Joseph. Here was a meeting place for people in their most desperate hours and darkest moments. The doctors and nurses were a shining light of care and certainty in a chaotic world. Every hour I spent volunteering, every procedure I was guided through, and every gruesome cleanup I was subjected to showed me that I had made the right decision by giving me a moral charge and purpose in the lives of these patients. I saw fi rsthand how the performance of the doctors and nurses is directly responsible for the future of the patients and how much sacrifi ce the medical staff has to make to carry this burden. To bear a minuscule part of this weight gave me contentment that I could never gain elsewhere. Last semester I completed two marathons in order to train for my lifelong goal of fi nishing


uide // Page 45an Ironman this summer. I have learned that just because my focus lies with medicine that I do not have to give up athletic pursuits. As a doctor I want to make sure that my patients are given the chance to live wholly just as I do not have to limit my life to academics and just as David can live without the constant dread of another operation. I discovered who I am and yearn for the responsibility to give my patients the best possible chance at realizing their full potential and remaining on a track to pursue their dreams. Personal Statement No. 7By Raymond Verm (Hanszen ‘12, Baylor)

As I lay on an examining table with my ankle swollen to the size of a softball, I could not help but despair for my future as an ultimate frisbee player. Four breaks and torn ligaments was a disheartening diagnosis, but the surgeon who operated on me restored complete functionality to my ankle. I realized then how much a good surgeon can impact a life, and this moment was one step on my path to becoming devoted to medicine. My journey on this road to medicine began when I discovered at a young age that my hands are tools that can build anything, from model rockets to houses. In the summer of 2008, I designed and built a working trebuchet out of lumber, an iron pipe, and one hundred pounds of gym weights; it was the perfect combination of my love of building, medieval history, and siege weaponry. Watching my creation launch a lacrosse ball one hundred fi fty feet through the air gave me a great feeling of accomplishment and cemented my passion for working with my hands, which served as an impetus to consider a career in medicine, particularly surgery. The love I have for creating something with my own two hands led me to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. One summer during high school, my father and I worked on a specifi c house, raising it from a concrete slab to a fi nished product. One volunteer, Mr. Lopez, was always there and worked constantly to a standard of near perfection. After a few Saturdays, I realized that he was not just a very dedicated volunteer but the soon-to-be owner of the house we were building. His pregnant wife came to the worksite as well with pitchers of freshly made lemonade. She walked around to everyone, offering the cool drink for our parched throats. In the skin-blistering summer sun, working alongside Mr. Lopez, I realized that using my hands and skill to aid the Lopez family was the most worthwhile action I had done with my life to that point. My deep-rooted sense of social responsibility was born that summer; the Lopez’s good nature fastened it into me with moral nails just as I fastened plywood sheets to their house with iron nails. I acted on this feeling with my visualization of a mentoring program for children of Habitat homeowners, which took root during a meeting with the Houston Habitat volunteer coordinator in the Habitat neighborhood Umland Park. As I watched the neighborhood children running around and playing on a sunny Saturday morning, I realized that Habitat does more than provide decent housing: the organization raises families up to have a higher standard of living, which translates to more opportunities for the children. As this thought washed over me, a feeling in my chest - a sense of duty - welled up in me, and I knew I had to make this vision a reality. I canvassed the neighborhood that summer, handing out surveys and talking to parents about the program. One family invited me into their home, and I sat and conversed with them in Spanish about the program, my Mexican family, and the terrible situation in Mexico. Their hospitality warmed my heart and made me even more determined to implement the program. I obtained permission to use the local community center, generated a steady stream of volunteers and students, and will reach more kids next year through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Houston. From my work with Habitat, I realized that I could not be content if I do not give myself to positively impact the lives of those in need, and this is the crux of why I want to pursue a career in medicine. I have anchored this desire to serve within myself through a Leadership Rice internship, working at Deenanath Mangeshkar Charity Hospital (DMH) in India. Dr. Kelkar, the


uide // Page 46

medical director of the hospital and my mentor, gave up his prosperous oncology surgery practice to take out a risky 25 million dollar loan that established DMH. The destitute that fi ll the charity wards demonstrate to me the fundamental and sometimes desperate need for healthcare, and I am humbled by Dr. Kelkar’s commitment to service. For the rest of my days, I will not forget the poverty I witnessed in India and the universal need to step up and fi ght to fi ll the healthcare gap. This experience will be a constant reminder of why I chose a medical career; it will not allow me to become complacent or neglect my responsibility to care for the underserved after I receive my MD. My surgeon gave me back a piece of myself when he fi xed my ankle, and only medicine allows such an opportunity to serve others. There is something deeply personal about using my mental and physical strength and dexterity to give someone the ability to live again, combining all that I am passionate about into one calling. I could build someone a house or teach them organic chemistry, but that would only provide them with shelter and knowledge. Using my skill to heal gives someone a second chance at living, a chance to do whatever they desire with their life. This is what drives me to enter medicine.

Personal Statement No. 8By Kareem Ayoub (Lovett‘12, Wash U MSTP)

Through these years of exposure to clinical medicine, I learned that the medical students, residents, and physicians are there on a mission that is renewed daily and sees no prize other than the satisfaction of serving man to their best capacity. Those residents with whom I worked did not wake up at four in the morning to work 30 hour on-call shifts on a weak whim. I now understand that medicine is a life-long commitment. Once sworn in, it is my duty, no matter where I am or what I am doing, to respond to my role as a doctor. Furthermore, I know medicine is a commitment that reaches into every compartment of life. Currently, my commitments to life have manifested when I spent months planning and putting on School Dialogues for thousands of underserved K-12 students around Texas in hopes of inspiring the next generation of physicians, scientists, and engineers. It comes when I mentor small groups of students who would normally not have the chance to go on to higher learning. My commitment burned bright when I went to China as an ambassador from the US in hopes of understanding how we as a country can grow closer to our Eastern neighbors to increase scientifi c collaborations. As a global citizen, my commitment to society has also come across as I work in helping to build the world’s largest online science lecture database that has increased accessibility to education for children and adults all over the world. And my love for science and medicine was strong when I went to Capitol Hill to lobby for better policies to prevent ill consequences of childhood traumatic brain injury that has resulted in greater media attention of the disease.

Although my future is not yet written, I am a determined man who celebrates the human ability to engage in dilemmas that transcend intellectual boundaries. I will serve mankind and pursue the great challenges that lie before me in medicine to stand out as a leader and role model for others. Becoming a physician is the intersection between my passions for service, neuroscience, and bioengineering. To know that my work will make another person breathe easier is to me the most accurate measure of success.

When the smell of death saturates the air and your life hangs in the hands of a few men with guns, you develop a deep connection with those who you are still with. Having moved to the United States as refugees from Palestine, my parents wanted their children to be born in a place removed from war and violence. However, shortly into my adolescent years, we found ourselves back in the midst of the very war my parents had escaped. We lost family members weekly and I learned to


uide // Page 47

grow close to those immediately round me. I was left helpless in the face of this destruction and felt extreme frustration at not being able to help my family. These and other experiences in my life led me to develop a passion for improving the lives of othesr through the practice of medicine.

On a summer research program the summer of my junior year of high school, my mentor taught me to extract lessons from failure. He insisted that failures are everywhere in life, but our interpretation of those experiences defi nes our future. This mantra guided me throughout my fi rst year of studies as a bioengineer at Rice University and led me to want to fi nd more answers by taking action. That same summer, I had one of the most important experiences during my volunteering at Memorial Hermann Hospital, where I interacted with patients much like my loved ones from long ago. What I had thought was a failure to help my family provided me the framework for my interest in helping people.

I have worked at the Cognitive Neuroscience and Diagnostic Imaging Lab at the Baylor College of Medicine throughout my undergraduate years. Although initially I saw my work as purely scientifi c, I discovered that medicine was the cornerstone for the research I was doing. On a day to day basis, I was involved with examining permanently brain-injured patients and witnessing children to come out of epilepsy surgeries half paralyzed and unable to talk. Perhaps because the early stench of death still lingered, I realized again that I had a deep connection with people, and I wanted to help these patients to the fullest of my ability. I sought out opportunities to observe and work with doctors and further understand the medical profession. As I interacted with physicians and scientist by participating in clinical internships in neurology and neurosurgery, I learned that although we have explanations of the pathogenesis of many diseases, most pathologies are too complex to begin to understand with our current research. I took several on-call shifts with the residents and rotated through several clinics to get a holistic view of what I claimed to want as my future career. Alongside this clinical infl ux, I was able to apply my research directly to the medical fi eld through different groups in the Texas Medical Center to assist anything from a radiologic diagnosis to guiding a neurosurgeon’s knife during epilepsy surgery using diffusion tensor imaging. Ultimately, medicine epitomizes the phenomenon my mentor had explained in my high school years since it is an institution that strives for perfection from an imperfect science.

Personal Statement (MD/PhD) No. 9By Kareem Ayoub (Lovett‘12, Wash U MSTP)

At the Texas Children’s Epilepsy Surgery Program, I have seen signifi cant improvements in surgical outcome for children with epilepsy whose neurosurgeons have incorporated information extracted from my network analyses. At the University of Oxford’s Functional MRI of the Brain Center, I pioneered applications of social network analysis to model patterns of the epileptic brain’s neural networks. Ultimately, I hope that my research will be used in effi cient pre-surgical planning to reduce co-morbidities associated with resections of epileptogenic regions.

My works has drawn on my training as a bioengineer, developing my skills as an investigator to advance science in the name of better patient care. After working with both physicians and scientists in analysis and implementation, it has become obvious to me how crucial communication between scientists and physicians is for the development of the fi eld of medicine. Becoming a physician scientist is the only way for me to effectively apply a scientist’s research to clinical practice, streamlining the development of appropriate and improved treatments. Medicine works in harmony with my scientifi c aims by offering a unique chance to serve people in an intellectually rigorous environment. Only by being a physician scientist can I truly understand the need for, and work on the implementation of, advanced biomedical techniques and principles to improve people’s standard of living. As a physician scientist, I will strive to become an academic leader


uide // Page 48

in neural engineering by applying patient-oriented care that fosters a higher standard of treatment, helping shape the future of healing.

The physician scientist combines the scientifi c method that I have internalized as an engineer with my deep connection with others and my passion for translating ideas into concrete catalysts for progress. Working at the Baylor College of Medicine has allowed me not only to draw on all the tools at my reach to fi nd the solution to a question but to also derive solutions that will benefi t society. My projects have focused on pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and epilepsy, and culminated in the development of analyses that are being applied to the ways these pathologies are managed. I have discovered through my work as an engineer and researcher that through the intellectual challenge of a scientifi c question sparks curiosity in me, the opportunity of benefi tting patients through my fi ndings is what drives my work.

I have published several papers with my mentors suggesting novel understanding of TBI in children as well as strategies for management of the disease. Working closely with neurologists and neurosurgeons we noticed that children with TBI have been under treated, allowing their disease to develop. I have propagated this information at various conferences around the nation and world, lectures I have given to professional audiences, and by pushing forward understanding of TBI globally with the GEOSET initiative.


uide // Page 49

Primary ApplicationsRaymond Verm, Hanszen ‘12, Baylor College of Medicine

When I applied to medical school, I really had no idea what mattered to me in a school. I am going to be perfectly honest; I chose my schools based upon where they were located and their ranking. This method (though it fortuitously worked out for me) is essentially akin to writing down the names of schools on sticky notes, putting them on a wall, throwing darts at them, and applying to the schools with the most holes. I really did not understand what mattered to me in a medical school until I was halfway through my interview season. This will vary from person to person, and what matters to me may not necessarily make any difference to you, but here are a few aspects to help you start critically thinking about the characteristics you want to have in the medical school you attend.

Curriculum: Integrated versus StandardWhat an integrated as opposed to a standard curriculum means in medical school makes a difference in how the information is presented to you. A standard curriculum means that the information is separated into classes. You will have a biochemistry class, and physiology class, an anatomy class, etc. An integrated curriculum is organized around organ systems in the body. That means you will learn the biochemistry, physiology, anatomy and all other relevant informa-tion about the cardiovascular system, then the respiratory system, etc. The information you learn at any medical school will be the same; the method of presentation is what varies from school to school.

Another aspect of the curriculum is the length of the basic science years. The standard length for basic science curriculum is two years. Some schools, such as Baylor, UPenn, and Columbia fi nish basic sciences in a year and a half. This accelerated curriculum allows for an extra semester in clinicals, which means that you get to do elective rotations in areas of interest to you before you have to apply to residency. This allows you to get a much better feel for what specialization you want to have as a resident, whereas the standard two years with basic sciences generally does not afford that opportunity.

Grading system: Pass/Fail or GradesSurprisingly, not all medical schools give you grades during your basic science curriculum. Many just give you a rating of a simple pass or a fail. My personal opinion is that I would not want to go to a school that gave grades. A pass/fail system takes the stress from studying. The urge to study just a few more hours because you are worried about the difference between an A and a B is removed. Some schools have tiered pass/fail systems, meaning they have honors, high pass, and pass or similar variations on the theme.

Patient population of teaching hospitalsFor those of you interested in working with underserved populations, the teaching hospitals each medical schools has their students rotate through will make a big difference in your clinical years. Researching what hospitals (county, private, VA) your rotations will be in at each medical school will impact your clinical experience greatly.


uide // Page 50

Secondary ApplicationsListed below are a number of example secondary application prompts. The purpose of this section is to get you familiar with the types of questions secondaries ask. This publication makes no claim regarding the accuracy of this section. The question prompts contained herein may not be up to date or even correct in any way. The questions that follow were not reviewed or approved by the respective medical schools; rather, the list was generated by students. Under no circumstances should you begin to write responses to secondary application questions until instructed to do so by the respective institutions.

Texas A&M1. Describe any circumstances indicative of some hardship, such as, but not limited to, fi nancial

diffi culties, personal or family illness, a medical condition, a death in the immediate family, educational disadvantage, or disability. (Do not leave blank. If not applicable, please so indicate. The character limit on this essay is 3,500).

2. The honor code for the Texas A&M College of Medicine is: “A Texas A&M medical student is a professional who exhibits leadership, honesty, integrity, compassion, respect and self-discipline.” Please briefl y discuss what activities or personal attributes demonstrate best that you would be a good custodian of our honor code (3,500 character maximum).

3. Describe experiences or skills that made you more sensitive or appreciative of other cultures or the human condition.

4. OPTIONAL QUESTION: List the area (or areas) of medicine that appeals to you and briefl y explain. (Limit your explanation to 50 words or 250 characters for each area of interest you list.) Do not leave blank. If not applicable, please so indicate.

Texas Tech1. As a medical school that is focused on primary care with some emphasis on rural health, we

are interested in the areas our applicants are considering of practicing. Please indicate the area(s) of medicine you are interested in and briefl y describe your signifi cant activities for each respective interest. If you are interested in something other than primary care, please indicate your interest in the OTHER category: Interested in practicing in an underserved area, Interested in rural health, Interested in medical research, Interested in medical academics, Interested in primary care, Interested in border health, or Other.

2. List your activities (completed, current or planned) related to the selections made in question #1.

3. Have you had to repeat, withdraw from or drop a course?4. If you answered yes to question #3 above, please list and explain why these courses had to

be dropped/repeated/withdrawn.5. What do you like or dislike most about the area you are from; your hometown (500 words

or less)?6. In 500 words or less please describe what you would see as the “ideal” practice for you.

(where, type of practice --- clinic, hospital, both, specialty, who would be your patients, etc.)7. (Optional) If you are a dual degree applicant (MD/MBA, MD/PhD, JD/MD); please

describe your motivation (in 500 words or less) to obtain a dual degree and any other pertinent information. (e.g. research interests, steps taken to prepare yourself)

8. Please tell us about your favorite recreational/leisure activities (500 words or less)?


uide // Page 51

University of Texas at Southwestern1. If you think that one or more of the following interests apply to you, check the appropriate

box(es) and list specifi c experiences (academic, co-curricular, employment, personal, etc.) related to and supportive of this interest in the text box provided below. Do not use a paragraph format; list in bulleted format: Interested in establishing a medical practice in an underserved area, Interested in a career in research, Interested in a career in teaching, or Interested in a career in primary care medicine.

2. Describe the setting in which you envision conducting your medical career. Also include how and why you think this setting would help fulfi ll your interests related to the practice of medicine.

University of Texas Houston, Galveston, and San Antonio No secondary application essays.

Stanford1. The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity of an entering class as an important

factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, or life or work experiences. Please discuss how such factors have infl uenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces.

2. What do you see as the most likely practice scenario for your future medical career? Choose the single answer that best describes your career goals: Private Practice, Health Policy, Academic Medicine, Public Health, or Health Care Administration.

3. Why do you feel you are particularly suited for this practice scenario? What knowledge, skills and attitudes have you developed that have prepared you for this career path? 1,000 characters

4. How will the Stanford curriculum, and specifi cally the requirement for a scholarly concentration, help your personal career goals? 1,000 characters

Baylor1. Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would

be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat AMCAS application information. 2,000 characters

Northwestern1. Describe your personality and personal characteristics and how you expect that they will

lead to success in the specifi c curriculum and learning environment of FSM. (400 words)2. Describe the coping skills and/or strategies you have employed to overcome a challenge

that was not school related. If you believe you have not had such an experience, feel free to tell us anything more you’d like the Committee on Admissions to know about how you deal with personal challenges (e.g. fi nancial, relationship, family, employment). 400 words

3. Describe any experiences away from traditional educational pursuits (such as travel, or time in the workplace other than summer jobs). Specify the timeframe and the impact that the activity has had upon you. If you have been in school continuously, then describe a non-academic activity which as been formative.

4. Based on your experience to date, describe the medical career that you envision.


uide // Page 52

Columbia1. What aspects of P and S are most interesting to you?2. For MD: Columbia-Bassett candidates, there is an additional essay: What aspect of the

Columbia-Bassett Program has the most appeal for you?

Dartmouth1. Please indicate your plans for the 2012-13 academic year. If in school, please list your

courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job.2. Please share with us something about yourself that is not addressed elsewhere in your

application and which could be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your fi le.

Georgetown1. Why have you chosen to apply to Georgetown University School of Medicine, and how

do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? 5,000 characters

2. What is your specifi c interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Please restrict your answer to ten lines.

Temple1. What is the nature of your special interest in Temple University School of Medicine? No

character limit.2. If you indicated St. Luke’s Regional Campus or one of our clinical campuses (Geisinger

Health System or West Penn Allegheny Health System) as your fi rst choice, please describe the nature of your special interest. Otherwise, please type N/A to continue. (Use the following space. There is no character limit.)

University of North Carolina1. Among other qualities, we seek candidates who bring commitment, initiative, and

independence to their volunteer activities, research projects, and/or health-related employment. Please describe an activity in which you have participated that exemplifi es these qualities, as they relate to medicine.

2. Please list fi ve qualities that you possess that are important for an interviewer to know about you.

University of Michigan1. Tell us something you are passionate about and why.2. At the University of Michigan Medical School, we are committed to building a superb

educational community with students of diverse, talents, experiences, opinions and backgrounds. What would you as an individual bring to our medical school community? 1,500 characters.

University of Pennsylvania1. Please explain your reasons for applying to the Perelman School of Medicine, limit your

response to 1,000 characters.

Johns Hopkins1. If Applicable, describe a situation where you were not in the majority. 1,100 characters.2. Briefl y describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned


uide // Page 53and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. 900 characters.

3. Briefl y describe your most rewarding experience or some achievement of which you are particularly proud. 900 characters

4. Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? 1,100 characters

University of Pittsburgh1. Describe a personal experience, which resulted in a substantial moral or ethical dilemma.

What was the outcome? 250 words2. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine welcomes applicants with a variety of

view points, backgrounds, and experiences. Describe some aspect(s) of your life that would contribute to our diverse community. (250 words)

Harvard and UCSF No secondary application essays.

Duke1. What is the most signifi cant moral or ethical dilemma that you have faced in your life

(excluding academic dishonesty)? Describe how you dealt with and potentially resolved it, including beliefs, resources, individuals, etc. How did this dilemma and its resolution change your life and what, if any, impact will this have on your future as a healthcare provider? All Duke essays are without character limits.

2. From among the activities and experiences listed in your AMCAS application, please select one activity or experience that has most impacted your decision to undertake a career in healthcare. Please describe your role in the activity/experience and how this activity helped you make the decision to apply to medical school.

3. How will you add a unique dimension to our medical school community? In answering this question, please also describe your greatest strength. What is your most signifi cant vulnerability? Please understand that the “strength/vulnerability” questions are two different questions. They are both important but not necessarily related.

4. In addition to academic and intellectual achievement, what do you believe are the three most important qualities that a physician or physician/scientist must have to be successful in the current healthcare environment and why.

5. What has been your most humbling experience and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?

6. What relationship in your life has best prepared you for a life as a physician?

Cornell1. Please write a brief statement giving your reasons for applying to Weill Cornell Medical

College. 200 words

Brown1. Please indicate your activities for the current year. If you are in school, list your courses.2. How do your personal characteristics coincide with the values and mission of The Warren

Alpert Medical School of Brown University? Provide some examples of achievements in any aspect of your life - personal or professional - which make you a “good fi t” for Brown. (6,500 character max)

Tufts1. Is there any compelling personal reason or circumstance/history that motivates you to

attend TUSM in particular or to study in Boston, as opposed to attending another school or studying in another city?


uide // Page 54

The Cost of ApplyingApplying to medical school will probably cost you a large sum of money. The overall price of your application process will largely be determined by the number of schools you apply to. Here is an example list of expenditures:

MCAT• Study Material (no course)= $350• Test fee = $240

AMCAS• Processing fee = $160• 20 schools at $33 per school = $660• The TMDSAS pricing is eight schools at $145 total; otherwise +/- $10 per school

Secondary Applications• Secondaries = $1,363• Itemized as follows: Harvard $85, Johns Hopkins $80, Penn $80, UCSF $60, OHSU $75,

Stanford $85, Yale $85, Baylor $100, UC San Diego $80, Columbia $85, Cornell $75, Michigan $85, Duke $85, Wash U. $65, Brown $100, UNC $68, and UCLA $70.

• Secondaries estimator: $73 per secondary application with a standard deviation of $11.

Interviews• Suit, shoes, and periodic dry cleaning = $650• Flights, food, and transportation = $2,539 (low estimate)• Itemized as follows (fl ight cost estimator): Harvard $620, Penn $215, OHSU $355,

Columbia $555, Wash U. $300, Duke $244, and Michigan $250.

Therefore, we haveMCAT = $590

AMCAS = $820Secondaries = $1,363Interviews = $3,189

Total = $5,962

You should understand a couple things about this itemized expenditure list. Firstly, 20 schools is an abnormally high number. Applying to fewer schools can save you money. I chose to continue with a very high number of secondaries because I completed the majority of my secondaries during the summer (i.e. applying early) when I had ample time. The Harvard and Columbia interviews were incredibly costly because the schools only gave two week notices (the fl ights were higher priced).

While the cost may seem prohibitive, realize that it is worth it. There are programs to help those with demonstrated need (e.g. AMCAS/MCAT have a Fee Assistance Program). I truly believe that you should shoot for the schools of your dreams. Aim high, hit high. Choosing to apply to a large number of medical schools requires a large deal of time, energy, and money, but I would not ever want to look back on the application process with regrets. For this reason, until you can eliminate a school off of your list for a good reason, not applying to a school is essentially closing the door on a potential opportunity.


uide // Page 55

ResearchBy Diane Shao (WRC ’07, Harvard-MIT MSTP)

How Does Research Suppor t My Application?Research is an opportunity to learn critical thinking skills that apply to real-world problems. It is one of the few ways you can make an impact on the professional world as an undergraduate and will serve you well as you network with people like your PI (principal investigator, or professor that you work for), professionals at conferences, and the variety of people that work in your lab.

An investment in research shows an interest in the molecular foundations of medicine, and a sustained endeavor in a lab exhibits your dedication of time, patience, and motivation. You may attend conferences and win research awards, which all look great on a resume. Perhaps most importantly, your mentor should have gotten to know you well and will be able to write a knowledgeable recommendation letter commenting on your critical thinking skills, hard work, and pursuit of real-world problems.

The highly ranked medical schools are identifi ed largely due to their performance as biomedical research institutions; therefore, they also look for a student body that supports their interest in advancing medicine. Medical schools look favorably upon applicants who have at least tried research. Then, even if you realize that you cannot stand scientifi c thought, you can at least justify the sentiment. This is perfectly acceptable, since all types of doctors are needed. At the extremes, there are medical schools that select their student population for the goal of academic research (Stanford comes to mind), and also schools that have rejected applicants for having too much research (but likely, other factors come into play). The point is, research is not for everyone, and all institutions do not value undergraduate research equally, but you should fi nd out if research is right for you.

What Is Undergraduate Research, Really?The goal of undergraduate research is to fi nd out whether you love science and research (or whether you hate it). It is not to complete projects and churn out papers. We are not under pressure to fund grants, pass qualifi ers, or publish papers. Undergraduate research means investing yourself in an interesting question and exploring all that you can.

Sure it might involve much pipetting, plate swabbing, and counting, but repetitive tasks form the foundation of certainty in results and all contribute to a worthwhile endeavor. Be realistic in the amount time and experience you need in order to think on par with experts in your fi eld. With time, you will gradually take on more responsibility and begin to think independently about your research. Always keep in mind the overarching scientifi c problem that you are working on and your steps toward that goal. When asked about your role in the lab, you are approaching research incorrectly if your answer is “I do PCR.” You should be responding with “I am trying to understand how gene X controls cell growth.” Here are a few guidelines to follow for a worthwhile experience:

1. Be inquisitive. Ask questions about everything you do, and about what everyone else does. It is entirely your own fault if you do not learn anything.

2. Work hard. The harder you work, the more chance you have for success. You may only be required to do a PCR that takes a few hours, but then stick around and analyze what the data means and perhaps start the next step in the experiment. Your mentor will


uide // Page 56

notice your eagerness and it will be refl ected in the responsibilities that they give you and in your letter. Again, it is up to you to learn.

3. Raise suggestions. “Can we use this other technique? Would it not be easier if…?” It does not matter if your ideas suck. They will get better.

4. Do as you are told. If your suggestions are not taken, do not rebel in a spurt of independence. Keep suggesting, but remember that there are others with much more experience. Also, there may be issues you are not aware of or even personal reasons.

5. Careful and slow. Do not try to do too much at once—careful planning and execution for a specifi c aim is generally more effective than mass data collection. No one expects you to do everything. Better to do a good job than a cursory and inconclusive one.

6. Bring some cheer. One reason labs like to have undergraduates is for our energy and excitement. You are still young. Help your lab members feel that way.

Clinical Research versus Basic Science ResearchFor clinical research (research dealing with patients), you will need to go to Baylor, UT Houston, or MD Anderson Cancer Research Center. This type of research offers the possibility of patient interaction and networking with doctors working on the project. It is also attractive to pre-meds due to the direct application of results to healthcare. On the other hand, there is less chance for independent experimental design (the protocols were probably designed and approved months beforehand and cannot be easily changed). Watch out for getting stuck in a study where you are restricted to data-sifting others’ data and no patient contact (if it is what you were looking for).

The greatest drawing point of basic science research is the great possibility of independent contribution to the study. Basic science research will interest you if you like thinking critically about a problem and thinking about ways to solve it. For those that like rigorous proof, laboratory experiments offer a controlled environment to test hypotheses (as opposed to patient studies, where results are at the whim of each patient’s lifestyle and personal differences). It can also hold clinical relevance, depending on the lab or how you look at it (i.e. mouse models of cancer; or even studying cells in culture). I recommend cells (cheaper than mice), because as an undergrad, cheap materials equal more independence. On the downside of basic science research, many endeavors simply fail to get any worthy results at all even if everything was done well. This is not a really a problem as long as you have a recommendation letter supporting your efforts, but you may feel personal disappointment.

Rice Labs versus Medical Center LabsThe greatest advantage of working for a lab at Rice is that it is a safe undergraduate research environment. By ‘safe’, I mean that you will not turn into the dishwasher, your PI will push for your success, and you won’t be denied of rightful authorship on publications. Our professors are awesome. Just set up an appointment to chat with them at any time. You should consider how well you relate to the individual PI, and the style of the lab. In a lab with more postdoctoral students, you may have more knowledgeable people to ask; with more undergraduates, you will have buddies. However, there is little chance of getting paid at Rice simply because there are many undergraduates that work here. Take class credit for research, and maybe ask again once you are no longer expendable.

The advantage of working in the medical center is the variety and number of faculty and directly applicable medical research. Just next door, Baylor College of Medicine is ranked 21st best medical research institution, and MD Anderson Cancer Research Center is ranked 2nd in the nation for cancer research. To encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities, you are now even


uide // Page 57able to register for BIOC 310 and BIOC 401/402 with a PI in the medical center. In looking for a lab, gauge the interest of the PI in truly being a mentor and fi gure out if you will at least see them weekly (probably not likely if their lab has 20+ people or if they were an hour late to your appointment). Remember that you are looking for a mentor and someone who will eventually know you well enough to write your recommendation letter. Here, you may want to ask about payment, or at least the potential for payment after you gain some skills. There should be plenty of labs in the medical center that do not mind paying for a smart, motivated Rice student. However, be wary of payment as well, in case it means you are now obligated to become the dishwasher.

Finding a LabThe greatest factor in your decision about the lab should be your interaction with the PI. Consider whether they will be a good mentor and supporter, whether they will micromanage you or never see you at all, and whether you get along in general. Depending on your level of independence, you might consider the amount of funding available to pay for you, which may be indicative of the resources available for your project. In terms of projects, you should certainly choose research that you are interested in, but do not let your interests make the fi nal decision about the lab. There are plenty of investigators that do exciting research and are also good mentors with enjoyable labs. The good thing about being an undergraduate is that we are still free to explore—so do not stick with a lab that you do not enjoy!

An even greater (yes, greater than the greatest) factor is that you should NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER (even if you have never done a day of research in your life and you think no one in the world will want you to work for them in a billion years) take a research position where your duties include washing materials for general lab use or prepping samples for everyone else. In most labs, you may be helping one or two people on a specifi c question and doing some necessary grunt work, but think fi shy when you are told to do the same task repeatedly that is not for the specifi c project or people that you have been assigned.

If You Have Never Done Research BeforeThe easiest way to get started is to ask Rice professors to work in their lab for free or for class credit. Read the section below for a brief introduction to looking for a lab in the medical center. Wherever you look, you should talk to several faculty members to fi gure out what projects catch your interest. Make sure you ask them exactly what you will be doing in their lab. Likely, you will be helping a postdoctoral student or graduate student and learning techniques as you go.

There is a consensus that smaller laboratories are more conducive to a good introduction to science. You will receive individual attention and be infused with the excitement of a lab that is just starting to take off. The smallest lab I have worked for (perhaps too small) consisted of the PI, one technician, and myself. As the PI’s fi rst and only student, you can imagine the amount of individual attention I received. Years later, I still keep in touch with her, and more revealingly, I plan to pursue graduate studies in that research fi eld. A small lab (say, about 5 people) may be a good option, but if you continue research, you may choose to try other laboratory styles as well.

After you think you have gotten the hang of what you are doing, you might want to take on more responsibility. Be honest with yourself in asking for responsibility—do you have the time? Passion? Motivation? Some professors will notice how hard you are working, and put you on a project where you can take a more leading role. Usually, though, it is up to you to set up an appointment with your professor (not just passing by in the halls) and discuss the potential for an independent project, either one that you suggest or that they come up with for you. If they agree to let you have


uide // Page 58

more responsibility, then you are certainly in a good position to work hard and look for results! If they do not agree, you should decide if you want to stay in your current lab, or fi nd a new mentor as below, now that you have had some experience.

If You Have Had Some Research ExperienceBoth at Rice and at the medical center make sure you talk to several faculty members that you may be interested in working for. Do not stop looking after the fi rst person you meet lets you join their lab. Think about whether they seem to be genuinely interested in being your mentor as well as boss. Think about each project they offer in terms of what you might be able to contribute and what you might learn: Are you just chugging someone else’s data? Does the project have 0.01% chance of success (i.e. forming a protein crystal is your only task)? Be bold and ask questions that are important to you. For example, ask whether will you be working on an independent project or under other lab members, and do they allow undergraduates to be authors on papers if they have made a decent contribution. As always, you may have to spend some time learning the techniques in this lab before taking a bigger role; however, since this is at least your second research experience, you probably enjoy research, and ensuring yourself the opportunity to work independently in the future is important.

As mentioned above, Rice professors will all welcome you to discuss research in their lab, but you may have to do a bit of work to fi nd a mentor in the medical center. Find professors that you are interested in by reading faculty research interests at Baylor and MD Anderson. E-mail a lot of them with brief, individual emails (mass emailing will likely get you zero replies) stating your interest in their lab specifi cally, and attach your resume. Ask to set up a time to meet with them to discuss their work.

To give you, an idea, when I had no prior research experience, I emailed 30 professors at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. 18 responded with immediate ‘no’; 1 said to visit; and 11 didn’t reply. I visited the last 11 at their offi ce anyway, bringing my resume in case they hadn’t bothered to look at the email. In the end I received 3 paid job offers on the spot and was able to work in a lab where my name eventually ended up on a publication. If you have prior research experience, you can probably look more narrowly. If you say that you are willing to work for free, you will get more positive responses. If you bring in your own scholarship money that also pays for some lab supplies, you will be the one choosing them, not the other way around.

How Necessary are Publications/Presentations?Presentations, and especially publications, are not necessary in any way for a successful application, but as with any sustained investment in an activity, you should exhibit aptitude in your endeavors should the opportunity arise. With that said, some opportunities always arise, especially to bright, talented Rice students such as yourself. Present at the Rice Undergraduate Research Symposium, held annually in the spring. If your PI is attending a conference that has an undergraduate section, ask to join. If a research conference is being held in Houston that you think would be benefi cial, ask to attend.

Publications are much trickier, as there are many other complicating issues. Your likelihood of publishing also depends on the fi eld of research that you work in, the length of time of your endeavors, and also your PI’s personal goals for the publication. Very few medical school applicants are co-authors on publications, and even fewer are fi rst authors. So do not worry yourself with such delicate, boring matters, work hard for your own gain, and celebrate if your name does indeed appear in PubMed.


uide // Page 59Summer Internships and Study AbroadIf you are a biochemistry major, join the BCB Opportunities site available on Owlspace. Dr. Dereth Phillips sends out a lot of research opportunities both in the Texas Medical Center and at Rice.

Rice offers a Health Professions Fair every fall. During this you can meet with representatives from medical schools, colleges of pharmacy, optometry programs, and more. The fair is open to all interested students.

During summers, many universities around the nation offer paid summer internships for undergraduates. You can fi nd pretty comprehensive lists by clicking on the fi rst search results from Googling “undergraduate summer research.” There are additional programs sponsored by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (search “HHMI undergraduate summer research”) which carry some prestige because of the premier name of HHMI. Deadlines for all summer internships are generally in February, and most require recommendation letters, so get started early - ask for the letters before Thanksgiving or winter break so as to give professors time to write them. Competitiveness varies depending on the program and probably how comprehensively costs are covered. Generally, the program matches you with a mentor for the summer depending on your stated research interests. I strongly recommend that you fi nd a faculty member beforehand that would be willing to have you work for them should you be admitted to their program; then, ask that mentor to email the director of that summer program while you submit your application, stating an intent to work with that specifi c faculty member. This will greatly increase your chance of admission to the program, and guarantee a better mentorship experience. I have never applied through a blanket summer internship program without seeking out a specifi c faculty member fi rst because I have never wished to be paired randomly for an entire summer.

If you would like to spend the summer doing research, you may wish to join the program at a medical school that you would like to attend in the future. I never did this, and my application does not suffer; however, there is a defi nite advantage if, in the future, you can tell a school that you wish to attend because you greatly enjoyed your personal summer experience, and you also gain an advantage if one of your recommendation letters comes directly from a faculty at that institution. For the Baylor SMART program, for example, once you attend their summer program, they will tell you that you are guaranteed an interview at their medical school.

It is understandable to want to spend your summer at home or with friends in Houston. If you do not wish to attend an established summer program but would like to do research, simply look for a lab (a described in the “Finding a lab” section) at an institution near your home. All universities have research faculty, and their work and contact information would be posted on the university website.

If you wish to be far away from home, international research opportunities are also available. This is a bit trickier. Ask the biochemistry department about connections abroad (I know there is some program at least set up with Germany). Also, other Rice organizations like IASTE will connect students with faculty abroad. Finally, ask your professors about possible contacts, since many of them have done parts of their education in a foreign country.

Also keep in mind Rice offers several summer service trips and fellowships. Humed does a couple of international trips each summer. Wiess College (yes, the residential college) offers the John E. Parish summer fellowship. This prize supports approximately two months of travel and refl ection during the summer of 2012 for the purpose of enhancing the education of a Rice undergraduate. All full-time, returning undergraduates are eligible to apply. You can join the OFUR site on Owlspace


uide // Page 60

or browse through ofur.rice.edu to look at these kinds of opportunities and more!

Scholarships and HonorsRice has several programs that encourage research. In addition to the standard BIOC 310 for independent research, you may apply for the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP, HONS 470/480) and Undergraduate Honors Research (senior research thesis, BIOC 401/402). RUSP is a selective program for Rice undergraduates that provides grant funding and lectures about careers in research. It includes students from all disciplines and ample opportunity for presentations and information exchange with students and professionals. For biosciences majors, you must apply to BIOC 401/402 to do the senior research thesis. There should be an equivalent honors research program in many of the other natural sciences or engineering majors at Rice (ask your advisor). The senior thesis is a laudable accomplishment, and you can put it on your resume and identify with your work even after you graduate.

Summer research internships may be considered a form of scholarship, and RUSP helps students to fi nd grant funding. Other scholarships are scanty for the premedical student. The Barry Goldwater scholarship is offered to sophomores or juniors that plan to pursue PhD or MD/PhD joint degree. Beckman Scholars Program also offers scholarships under specifi c research faculty at Rice. You may wish to set up an appointment with the Director of Scholarships and Fellowships at Rice University to discuss other opportunities; however, keep in mind that most scholarships for research are awarded to undergraduates going to PhD programs and some to aiming to pursue the joint MD/PhD degree.

In addition to the summer research scholarships, other scholarship opportunities through the Offi ce of Fellowships and Undergraduate Research offer outstanding experiences beyond the traditional reserach programs that also distinguish you from other candidates. For example, the Wagner Scholarship allows you to work abroad for the summer in an area of interest.


uide // Page 61

The MD/Phd PathwayBy Diane Shao (WRC ’07, Harvard-MIT MSTP)

Though all applicants should consider research, some students have a strong enough research background to consider MD/PhD:

A strong MD/PhD applicant should have both strong science coursework background as well as substantial research (2+ years). It does not all have to be in one lab, but progressing well on a project shows what you are capable of. Publications are not necessary at all, but they do help. Interviewing for MD/PhD is *way* more fun! Many programs will pay for your hotel, and most will wine and dine you while you are there. It is generally a 2-day process, with one day focused on your research. It is a long [fully-funded] road, so think long and hard before applying. But if you honestly could not see yourself in a career without both patient care *and* research which could bring about new cures, this could work for you.

– Audrey Nath (WRC ’05, UT Houston MD/PhD)

MD/PhD ProgramsMD/PhD programs aim to develop physician-scientists through an integrated graduate school and medical school training experience. The hope is that physician-scientists with training in both the clinical and research areas will integrate scientifi c knowledge with medical practice, advancing medicine while bringing new insights to the laboratory. While most programs offer the PhD only in basic science fi elds, some offer the degree in social sciences fi elds as well. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Medical Scientists Training Program (MSTP) in response to the widening gap between basic science and medicine. MD/PhD programs that meet the goals of the NIH are granted the prestigious MSTP status.

As of 2012, there are 44 MSTP programs, with an average of 8 students per program, and many more MD/PhD programs. MSTP students have their medical school tuition waived and are provided a stipend for the entire duration of the program, no strings attached. MD/PhD program benefi ts vary according to institution. Overall there are perhaps 600 slots for dual degree programs, with 350 or so for MSTP. For MSTP, especially, the pool of applicants is highly self-selected; however, it is thought that the overall number of joint degree programs does accommodate everyone that is truly committed to enter such a program. The application process becomes largely a matter of fi nding a good match between the applicant and the school. Program structures and philosophies vary greatly, even though all programs share the goal of cultivating physician-scientists.

Reasons for students to apply to MD/PhD programs vary widely as well. Some apply because they love research, yet would like to ensure that their work is useful beyond the scientifi c community alone. Others are motivated by the possibility of getting to the root of medical complications that they see as a doctor. Some people may love basic science, but are concerned about their competitiveness for funding and success with a PhD alone. Others enter these programs knowing that they will become future clinicians, hoping only to gain a certain perspective from their PhD training.

What successful applicants do have in common is a sincere commitment and love for research. Without this commitment, you will be wasting your time and happiness during the PhD years. Admissions committees screen rigorously against those who are not committed, and they especially

programfun! Mu are there. It is gena long [fully-funded]

d not see yoursering about new cur

MD/PhD applicanubstantial research

n a project showsy do help. Interview

r your hotel, and mosy process, with one d


uide // Page 62

select against applicants who may be entering a program for the free ride through medical school.

Reasonable Concerns Regarding MD/PhD“I attribute each one of my research breakthroughs to a clinical observation. Do not ever let anyone tell you that you cannot combine research and medicine,” said one interviewer, an acclaimed geneticist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. This positive response came after a grilling session on my reasons for pursuing a combined degree. While choosing this track, you will hear dissenters of all sorts, ranging from relatives urging you to think about starting a family, to professors who think there is nothing greater than basic science. You should talk to MD/PhD-holders about their views on the dual degree; but most importantly, you will need to decide for yourself that you must have both research and medicine in your future.

The greatest professional concern is that, by splitting duties between medicine and research, it is diffi cult to excel at either. The best answer I have heard is that we are not trying to be a doctor nor are we trying to be a basic scientist--we aim to be physician-scientists who fi t into a unique niche that integrates science and medicine. The other solution is to have a career in either medicine or research even though you are trained in both areas (if this is your response, defi nitely have a solid reason for needing the dual training).

A common concern is, why not just get one degree or the other? PhD-holders may argue that you do not need an MD degree to obtain clinically useful results, and that you can fi nd collaborators easily; but for those of us who want to interact with the patient, who want to see with our own eyes that our results have value, is collaboration really enough? As for the PhD, even MD-only PI’s that do research in basic science agree that the PhD is necessary for research in today’s setting. The medical school curriculum is changing from the basic science-intensive curriculums of their time into cram sessions to know some of all the knowledge available today. You could potentially do a research fellowship for training with an MD, but this would still be taking additional time from your career; not to mention, a fast-track in this manner means a sink-or-swim approach, without the structured guidance and mentorship offered to a graduate student.

Practically, what about a family or a… life? Perhaps, because of your value for the excitement and potential of research, you will not mind so much that your life may somewhat revolve around your career. There is also a great effort within the program to promote camaraderie among students, and excursions to relax. As for other friends, all current students talk about a depressing slump in their 5th year after their medical school comrades graduate, but also they mention how fl exibility in work hours for the PhD allows them to see their medical school friends more often than if they were also in clinical training. Speaking to current students, a family seems possible as well. Most people do get married by the time they graduate (not shocking, considering you will be at least 27 years old), and many married couples have children during the PhD years.

The Journey of a Physician-Scientist (MD/PhD)MD/PhD program students take an average of 7-8 years before receiving both degrees. The curriculum generally plans for 2 years of medical school, followed by the PhD years, and fi nally fi nishing the last 2 clinical years of medical school. Depending on the program, laboratory rotations and graduate school coursework may be integrated into the early medical school years, and research may count towards medical school elective credit. The length of graduation time depends largely on these factors, as well as the mentorship and focus of the PhD thesis project. MST program length is a criterion for future funding, so competitive programs are pressured to ensure a smooth training track.


uide // Page 63

The only consensus on the career path of a physician-scientist is that the path depends on the individual. During the program, a number of students become swayed toward either medicine or research, although many still maintain their motivation for both. After graduation, the majority of MD/PhD graduates do residency, with lengths that vary depending on the specialization chosen, then followed by a postdoctoral fellowship for research. Fortunately, post-graduate programs have begun to integrate research and residency in order to expedite the process. A few graduates decide that their interests are mainly in science, and go straight to postdoctoral research training, and a rare number even land faculty positions. Another option may be to take a job in industry.

A large proportion of MSTP graduates (schools have told us around 80%) do research in addition to clinical work at some point in their careers. This statistic has led to the continued funding and expansion of the program. Of the number of governmental grant-receiving physician-scientists, a disproportionately large number are MD/PhD program graduates (Ley & Rosenberg, JAMA 294(11): 1343-1350). Of course, this may be attributed to success of the programs or perhaps simply the quality of the students that enter these programs.

MD/PhD Applicant CredentialsResearch experience is a crucial component in addition to the common elements of a successful medical school application. Refer to the undergraduate research section of this book for guidelines on fi nding an independent project and supportive research mentor. Almost all applicants have had at least a solid 1.5 years of research, and many have been working full time in a lab since graduating college. If you do not have solid research experience, consider taking a year to do post-baccalaureate research, which would greatly strengthen your application. Arguably, the most important part of an MD/PhD application is the quality of the recommendation letters from research mentors. Publications are not required at all (and most applicants do not have any), but you should show a substantial intellectual contribution to a research project.

Your fellow applicants will be self-selected for academic success. The most competitive MST programs boast an average of 36 MCAT, >3.8 GPA; however, the range of scores of accepted applicants (29-41 MCAT; 3.2-4.0 GPA) underscores the importance of other factors in admissions.

You will need to express a compelling reason for desiring both MD and PhD degrees. Clinical and volunteer experiences are necessary to support an informed decision about the MD degree, although MD/PhD applicants generally have less clinical experiences than medical school applicants (likely due to research commitments). Programs are more concerned about your commitment to research rather than your commitment to a free ride through medical school. As always, unique activities or experiences can help to distinguish you from other similar applicants.

Do not let superfi cial factors such as scores, extracurricular activities, or even years of research make your decision for whether to apply to MD/PhD programs. If you are truly committed to this fi eld, you will be considered fairly for your determination, insight, and potential for success in research. You are in no way expected to know everything about medical research upon applying—that is what graduate school is for. So I urge you, make the decision based on your commitment to a career that combines research and medicine, and do not be daunted by statistics, hearsay, or dissenters.


uide // Page 64

Applying as an MD/Phd CandidateBy Kareem Ayoub (Lovett ’12, Wash-U MSTP)

General InformationThe MD/PhD route is for those students who wish to become physician scientists. The road to completing this combined degree program is not easy and there is great attrition within pro-grams, post-completion of program, during residency, and on into professional careers. The difference between completing the combined degree program and completing just the MD program with a focus in research is that physician scientist trainees receive full investigative training through research done in their PhDs. Generally, the national average for completion of MD/PhD programs around the nation is ~8.2 years. The fi rst two years are the same, preclinical years of medical school, the next block of time (3-5 years) is set aside to complete your PhD, and trainees then head back into the lab for 2 years to complete clinical rotations. As one can imag-ine, the 8 year track is accelerated and optimized for physician scientist trainees and requires a lot of coordination between graduate departments, the medical school, and the MD/PhD adminis-tration. MD/PhD programs that receive funding from the NIH, designated as Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTP), are considered among the best programs in the country and are all completely funded for students. In applying to MD/PhD programs, make sure to apply broadly and thoroughly depending on how strong you believe you are and other factors (e.g. fi nancial). Many of these programs are among the most diffi cult to be accepted to for post-graduate stud-ies, so you should keep this in mind. These programs are often very fl exible as well! The NIH can interface with many of their MSTP programs (see resources below) and should you want to pursue graduate studies at another school or at the NIH, there is often the opportunity for that. My MD/PhD program is a tri-institutional collaboration with two academic institutions and the NIH over two countries.

Recommendation Let ters for MD/PhDLetters of recommendation for MD/PhD applicants are signifi cantly different than those for regular MD applicants. The biggest difference is the number that you can, and should, submit. As an example, I had eight letters of recommendation and one committee letter from Rice. That does not mean you should pile on the letters (more does not equal better), but if you have a real reason for submitting more letters (e.g. many research mentors or professors in your fi eld of research) then you can submit those. The letter from your most signifi cant research experience carries great weight, so make sure that your PI knows of your intentions to apply for MD/PhD programs and the competitiveness of the program. Many programs will ask you to report every PI that you have ever worked for, and several ask for recommendation letters for all of them (or explain why you cannot obtain certain letters). Be sure to check which programs require separate sets of letters (sent to both the MD/PhD program as well as the medical school), and confi rm with Rice Academic Advising accordingly. Also, do not hesitate to call programs to check on the status of your application and stay in touch with them over email to update them of your status if anything signifi cant changes.

Most programs waive their recommender requirements (i.e. 2 science, 1 non-science, etc) as long as you have a committee letter, as Rice does. You can submit as many letters as you wish to be included in the packet from Rice University. Obtain letters only from those people whom you know will write you a strong recommendation. In asking for letters of recommendation from your mentors and professors, be sure to explain what MD/PhD programs are and what they look for in applicants. Do not be shy to invite your letter writers out for a cup of coffee to talk about


uide // Page 65this, as they are one of the most important factors of an MD/PhD applicant’s application! An ambivalent recommendation will detract from the strengths of your other letters. Make sure your letters cover all aspects of your candidacy as you would like but be sure to really have letters that can speak to your ability as a scientist and the specifi c research that you have done. I had two research mentors from my undergraduate research, one research mentor from before undergradu-ate, two professors in my department, and the others all spoke to my ability as a scientist and character outside of science. MD/PhD AMCAS and SecondariesThe biggest question applicants ask is, “Should I approach everything as a physician scientist?”. The answer is no. When writing the different essays (and there will be a lot!) make sure to be honest and understand your audience. Keep in mind things such as the fact that often times to get accepted to MD/PhD programs, you fi rst have to be accepted by the medical school and therefore your personal statement will really be read by the medical school fi rst. It will not benefi t you to try to fi gure out what admissions committees want to hear. It is fi ne to be unsure of your future fi eld of research or medicine, although some applicants do pick specifi cs (e.g. neurology with PhD in neuroscience) for the purposes of the application. For any response you give, show that you have given the matter some thought. No one will hold you to your professed fi elds of interest, but they will be examining your level of understanding of your career options. Do not in any way falsely present your contributions to your research, as any fabrications will be easily de-tected during interviews with research faculty. Admissions committees are not looking for people who know everything about research; they seek creative, dedicated students that will learn from their program.

On the primary AMCAS application, you should select the option to apply to MD/PhD pro-grams. In addition to the usual personal statement for application to medical school, you will also be asked to provide an MD/PhD essay (limit 3,000 characters) in which you state your reasons for pursuing a combined degree. Also, you will be asked to provide a research essay (limit 10,000 characters) in which you highlight your signifi cant research experiences. When you choose schools to submit AMCAS, you will be able to check your areas of research interest. Feel free to check multiple boxes if you fi nd more than one fi eld interesting and keep in mind that this selection by no way bars you from changing departments when you are actually in the programs.

For the medical school personal statement, remember your audience is primarily the medical school. Be sure to illustrate your interest in medicine. You should, however, be honest in ad-dressing your interest in research, as it is probably an important component of your motivation to become a doctor. There is a fi ne balance to keep in completing these essays but remember that AMCAS gives you the three different essays for a reason, as each covers different aspects of ap-plying to be a physician, a physician scientist, and a scientist. Remember your audience!

The MD/PhD essay should be a similar statement, but focusing on your motivations for the dual degree. Construct this essay equally carefully, as it is as important to the dual degree program as the personal statement is to medical school. Use relevant details from specifi c research experi-ences to illustrate your motivation.

Finally, the research statement should demonstrate an ability to convey scientifi c material effec-tively. As for any application, the best essays are easily understandable and concise. Do not feel like you must utilize the 10,000 character limit. The structure of this essay varies widely from person to person – some write it as a scientifi c article for publication, others make lists of experi-ences, and others are somewhere in between. The structure does not appear to matter much, as


uide // Page 66

long as your depth of understanding and experience with research is conveyed.

Many schools require additional MD/PhD-specifi c secondary essays in addition to those for the medical school. Use these to paint a more thorough picture of yourself. Construct your respons-es carefully, but do not obsess over them as with your MD and MD/PhD statements. Secondary applications really allow you to really develop and mature your interests in becoming a physician scientist to the committees.

MD/PhD InterviewsDo not be concerned if you are still waiting for interview invitations long after medical school applicants have started. MD/PhD programs begin the interview season a little later than regular MD applicants and some can even wait until December. Once you get an interview, you have about 30-60% chance of acceptance. Schools have selected heavily for interviews (interview only 50-70 candidates selected from 300-600 applicants), so you have a good chance at this point. The majority of programs will provide hotel accommodation (or rooming with current students), meals, and sometimes even airfare. Read instructions carefully, though, because for a few schools (especially on the west coast), you must make your own contacts for a student host.

My greatest impression of the interviews is that they are extremely FUN. You will meet and hold conversations with some of the greatest researchers in your fi eld, not to mention the other cream-of-the crop, like-minded applicants also selected to interview. I highly recommend sub-mitting lists of faculty with whom you are interested in speaking to any school that allows re-quests (most of them do). Look through the school’s research faculty listings and fi nd the most impressive people you can—when else will you get the opportunity to talk to so many great investigators? You will also have a chance to interact with the MSTP students at each school. I highly recommend attending the meet-and-greet dinners, as you will receive invaluable informa-tion to construct your interview answer for why you want to attend their institution, as well as a sense for the student body to gauge your own compatibility. Try to talk to students in their fi nal clinical years, since they can offer the most insight to the program. These gatherings are extreme-ly stimulating as you discuss research with peers (think, future colleagues and leaders in academic medicine) over free food and wine.

Some programs (the number is decreasing) also make you go through the medical school inter-view process. Generally, this means that your acceptance to the MSTP program is contingent upon acceptance to the medical school; however, if the program regards you very highly, they generally have some sway over the medical school decision. Regardless, you should switch gears for your medical school interview. Present your humanistic side and interest in becoming a doc-tor. Instead of talking about how you did such-and-such an assay, talk about how such-and-such an assay is your hope for understanding the foundations of disease processes X and Y.

MD/PhD program interviews are long, lasting from 1-3 days, and include half-hour or hour-long interviews with 4+ faculty at each program on top of the regular ~2 interviews for MD ap-plicants. Expect the usual questions such as why pursue both degrees and general questions like “tell me about yourself” and “tell me about your research.” If the program provides you with a list of your interviewers, make good use of this knowledge and search for them on PubMed. Your interviewers will be impressed if you can hold a thoughtful discussion about their work. More usefully, in my opinion, is to fi nd a way to link your research to theirs. Generally the interviewer becomes very excited when they get to talk about their own research. Do not in any way act disinterested, but if you do have more to say, try to steer the conversation back to yourself so that they will have something to write for your evaluation (this is when relating your work to theirs


uide // Page 67helps as well). I like to spend half the time talking about myself and the other half asking about the interviewer. The best you can do for yourself is to be honest in your responses. Practice your responses beforehand, but the best answers are generally those that come spontaneously. Your earnestness and dedication will be recognized as such.

The point of interviews is to hold intelligent scientifi c discussions with fellow investigators, not do have drilling sessions about your research. Thinking about the interview as a discussion will help you relax and enjoy the process. You are in no way responsible for having an answer to every question. If your researcher is not in your fi eld, likely the questions are out of curiosity and are not carefully constructed. Show your eagerness to think about different questions, as well as what you do actually know. Countless times during a single interview, my response goes something like “Hm, I am not sure about point X exactly, but I have read an article/talked to faculty/done an experiment that says this other related thing Y happens, so I really hope to do an experiment Z to test the question you just asked!” To construct intelligent responses, though, you do actually need to know your research extremely well. If you have mainly been following others’ instructions up to this point, it is time to start reading research articles in your fi eld and holding discussions with your mentor. Also, be sure you know about every project on your application at least well enough to give a coherent explanation. I have been asked in detail about projects from 5 years previous.

Remember your audience—are they an investigator in your fi eld? A researcher in a completely different fi eld? A clinician? Tailor your responses accordingly. If you are unsure, explain your re-search in the simplest terms possible, and they will probe you for greater detail if they wish. You should have a response that an average high school student can understand. Also, I fi nd myself tailoring the focus of my answer. To a basic science researcher, I may confi de that I do what I do because I love the science and the power of knowledge. To someone doing translational research, I will explain that my project is appealing because of the potential therapeutic use if we could do a few key translational experiments. To a clinician, I discuss how there exists a treatment X, but I hope that my results will infl uence the effects of this treatment on patients.

Finally, the key to establishing rapport with people is to be interested in them! Your interview-ers are extremely intelligent, successful people, and they have limitless insight and ideas to offer. They will give you astounding suggestions to improve your work, and ideas that you can then bring up to impress your next interviewer. Ask questions and make suggestions when they talk about their work as well. Research is all about the quality of questions. Choosing an MD/PhD InstitutionHere are some basic criteria that current combined-degree students deem important:

1. Research. This is by far one of the most important (if not the most important) factors in choosing an MD/PhD program. The research training and how it integrates into your medi-cal training is vital to becoming a successful physician scientist. Make sure you can identify at least 2-3 faculty members that you may be interested in working for. Do not make your decision because of a single faculty member, because many problems could arise. Look at the research atmosphere, as well. Is it collaborative or cutthroat? Is there interdisciplinary work going on? Are the professors young or coming to the end of their careers?2. Philosophy and structure of the program. It is important that the program you choose is a well-oiled machine. There is a lot of attrition in MD/PhD programs and the more support you can get for completing your goals, the better. Listen carefully to administrators and students to evaluate the goals of their program. At one institution, the director of the program told us that we were confused and that we would have to choose either medicine or research; they hoped for


uide // Page 68

research. At another, everyone supported the idea that research and medicine could be combined, but more than a natural portion of students seemed to do clinical research.3.Lifestyle. You will be spending a large part of the most productive time of your life here. Think about the city, the people, and quality of life on your stipend. Is there housing with medical stu-dents, or will you be living by yourself? What do students do on the weekends? At one program, a female MSTP student warned that most students had been mugged at least once; I will not be attending.4. Medical School Curriculum. Find out how conducive the medical school curriculum is to research. Some schools with half-day curriculums will allow time for taking graduate course requirements or doing laboratory rotations. Schools that schedule at least one clinical rotation before the PhD years also seem appealing, so that you can understand what medicine is all about before beginning research, and so you may continue clinical learning during your PhD years if you wish.5. Compatibility. How well do you feel like you fi t in with peers at this institution? How suitable is the program overall? Resort to instinct.

Resouces for MD/PhD Applicants • NIH-OxCam MD/PhD program: http://oxcam.gpp.nih.gov/prospectiveStudents/ MD_PhD_ProgDesc.asp • You can fi nd a student-composed comprehensive introduction to MD/PhD programs and student feedback individual programs at www.mdphds.org. • Offi cial opinions on the physician-scientist career and published statistics from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) can be found at www.aamc.org/ research/dbr/mdphd/. Keep in mind, however, that many statistics are tabulated from all physician-scientists, not only those that trained through a combined degree program. • Listing of all MD/PhD programs in the United States and Canada: www.aamc.org/re search/dbr/mdphd/programs.htm • Listing of all NIH-funded MST programs: www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/Mechanisms/ NRSA/InstPredoc/PredocInst-MSTP.htm • Residency Match Lists for many MSTP and MD/PhD programs for current year: www.dpo.uab.edu/~paik/match.html. • The Student Doctor Network site (http://forums.studentdoctor.net) has a forum for current and future physician-scientists.

InterviewsThe last step in the admissions process is the interview. An invitation to interview is very exciting because so few people get to this stage. At most schools, one third of interviewees get accepted. While this fi nal part is important, do not be deluded into thinking that the interview is the be all and end all. In fact, many schools already have their minds made up whether to accept you or waitlist you. As one interviewer said, “We just want to make sure you speak in complete sentences and do not drool.” If anything, the interview is a good chance to help people who are borderline and can do a phenomenal enough job to get onto the acceptance list. Also remember - the school isn’t just intervewing you. You’re interviewing the school as well. Take note about how you feel about the school, med students, and other applicants that you meet during the interview day.

Almost all medical schools require interviews on their respective campuses. Visiting the campus is benefi cial in that you can see exactly what to look forward to over the next four years. The best way


uide // Page 69to get a feel for the university is by taking a tour and seeing fi rsthand what is available. The school does not typically pay for your fl ight, ground transportation, food, or housing.

Preparing for Your InterviewYou can do as much or little preparation as you want. Here are some suggestions for what to do before each interview (or at least before you go on your fi rst interview):

• Buy a suit or proper attire. See “Attire” section below. (We really strongly suggest this.)• Read the interview feedback postings on the Student Doctor Network. At this website,

applicants who have already visited the school give their impressions of the campus, how to travel there, and example questions that they were asked during the interview.

• Read the school’s website and MSAR listing.• Write out several (more than fi ve) questions to ask your interviewer. At the end of each

interview session, your interviewer will ask if you have any questions. Be ready.• Read over your AMCAS application and your secondary essays. Since interviews

are typically held many months after you apply, you may be asked a question about something that you do not remember very well.

• Conduct a mock interview with CCD • Sign up for a frequent flyer program. You will have to do a lot of traveling over the

next few months. You might as well get some rewards for all of the money that you are about to spend on plane tickets and hotels.

Usually students are left on their own to make travel arrangements to get to campus. The majority of universities hold interviews early in the morning. Therefore, you will be required to fl y in the day before and spend the night in the city. For Texas schools, you can obviously use ground transportation.

Although many applicants stay in hotel rooms, staying with a medical student host is typically the best option. In addition to the room being free, these hosts are a great resource for learning more about the school. A few will even take you out to see the city and meet with other current students. Many also offer advice on the interview that you are about to undergo. Even if you are not staying the night with a medical student, many school offer pre-interview meet-ups as a chance for you to meet some of the MS1s and fellow applicants. Take advantage of this time to get acclimated, relax, and make some friends.

The Interview DaySince every school has a different setup, there is no telling what to expect everywhere (the best way to fi nd out about a particular school is to browse Student Doctor Network Interview Feedback). Some universities have one or two interviews scheduled with faculty members; others give additional interviews with current students. Sometimes the interviewer sits on the admissions committee and gives you a specifi c numerical score. Other times the interviewer is a volunteer who writes another letter of recommendation. At some schools, you will be interviewed with a group of two other students; you may even face a panel of interviewers. Whatever happens, you should use proper interviewing technique: shake hands fi rmly, sit up straight in your chair, make eye contact the whole time, and match the mood and speaking rate of your interviewer. Use the fi rst few minutes of the interview to get a sense of what the interviewer is looking for; some interviewers are more interested in a relaxed conversation, while others may have a more serious, goal-oriented mindset.

Some schools are open-fi le, meaning that the interviewer has access to your application and perhaps


uide // Page 70

your letters of recommendation. Open-fi le interviews typically focus on clarifying questions about your AMCAS activities or questions regarding the things that you have written about in your personal statement. Closed-fi le interviews—where the interviewer knows nothing but your name—can be frustrating because many of the questions are already answered in the AMCAS and secondary. During a closed-fi le interview, students usually repeat the material that they have already supplied to the university. You may be asked in a closed-fi le interview, “So, tell me about your activities,” for example. Take advantage of these interviews to go beyond what you said in your fi le; use these interviews to add something new and fresh, something you may have done since you applied.

The timing of interviews is not standard: some are 30 minutes long—barely enough time to scratch the surface—while others are a full hour, giving the interviewer ample time to learn enough about you to make an informed decision about your personality.

Questions Asked on InterviewsThough interview questions cover a wide range of topics, do not stress. Contrary to popular belief, few interviewers ask any “diffi cult” questions; rather, they ask normal, conversational questions. The interviewers are generally very cordial and want to know who you are. You may get some odd questions, such as, “Is the world getting better?” or “Can you type?” or “How can you solve the issue of overpriced healthcare?” But, most interviews are very straight-forward. Keep in mind that it is practically a guarantee that you will get asked the following two questions:

• Why do you want to become a doctor? / Why medicine?• What type of medicine do you envision yourself practicing?

To answer these and all other questions, you must evaluate why you want to go to medical school and what impact you think you can make on others. In general, though, the best preparation for answering these questions is to not stress out—just be yourself. Yes, think about the answers, but do not obsess. Some other typical questions involve hobbies, research, volunteering, ethical situations, mentors who have been inspirational, etc. For those of you who feel comfortable speaking about personal matters with strangers, you’re golden. For the others who are less comfortable doing so, feel free to practice on your friends and family; they’ll give you feedback, let you know what they think you said, and give you a chance to refl ect more on your life and refi ne your answers.

Questions You Can Ask Your InterviewerThe interview is not just the school’s chance to evaluate you; it is also your best shot at determining if you want to spend the next four years there. If you can, take a look at the match list to see what specialties are common amongst graduates. Look at the crime statistics. Think about the area of the country the school is in. Can you cope with the region’s weather? Talk to current students about their opinions of the university. Ask your interviewers about the advantages and disadvantages of attending this particular institute. At the end of the interview, you be given time to ask the interviewer questions. Some starter questions are:

• How much fl exibility is there in the coursework and in the timing of the courses?• What are some advantages / disadvantages of your school?• What kind of representation do students have on school committees?• What kinds of clinical opportunities are available during the fi rst two years?• How can students evaluate the faculty?• Can you describe the patient population that I will have exposure to?• What do you wish you had known prior to coming to this school?


uide // Page 71

Don’t be scared to ask a question. Do your research on the school (website, MS1s, friends who have interviewed), but if there is something that concerns you or you are curious about, voice it. Questions show interest.

AttireYou should dress conservatively. Period. You want to be remembered for what you say, not what you wear. Honestly, everyone looks the same on interview days: suits, suits, suits.

Men should wear a navy blue, charcoal grey, or black suit. All clothes should be pressed. Your tie should be either a solid color or have stripes—no cartoon characters here. You should be clean-shaven or make sure that everything is neatly trimmed if you have a beard.

Women should wear a business suit: a skirt suit or pants suit. If you wear a skirt, it should be long enough to hang down to (or extend past) your knees. Also, avoid fl ashy jewelry, heavy makeup, and heavy perfume. Realizing that you will have to do a lot of walking, so wear comfortable pumps with a low heel; do not wear open-toe or open-back shoes.

For everyone, turn off your cell phones. As much as you would like to believe that this rule is a no-brainer, several people have had phones ring during an interview. The situation is embarrassing and shows the interviewer that you are careless. Also, you can buy a black portfolio folder with the Rice logo at the bookstore to keep papers (everyone on interviews has something of this nature that holds their notes, pamphlets, and other papers).

ToursA campus tour is generally given by a current medical student. You will not see the main campus or undergraduate area, however. You will only see the medical school’s classrooms, research labs, affi liated hospitals, gym and sometimes the anatomy lab.

The good news is that although you have probably spent hundreds of dollars just to get to this stage of the application process, the interview day is free. Those secondary application fees go towards providing interviewees with free lunches and often free parking.

Keep this last bit of advice in mind: from the moment you arrive in your host town, you should consider yourself on the interview. Everything from the hotel room, host stay, campus tour, dean’s message—everything and every minute—should be considered an interview. Be nice to the secretaries—they have the admissions committee’s ears. Brush up on your manners and treat everyone as though they have the power to accept or reject you; you never know, they just might!

The “Interviews” section is provided by the Student Doctor Network Wiki under the Creative Commons Licensing Agreement.


uide // Page 72

After You Get InFirstly, congratulations! You did it! Getting into medical school is no easy task, and you should feel proud of such a wonderful accomplishment. Once you are accepted, you typically need to secure your spot by sending a signed, non-binding agreement to the school (the school will typically send you that form with your acceptance packet and there might be a small deposit required).

AMCAS SchoolsThe fi rst thing you should know about being accepted is that you can hold as many acceptances as you like until May 15th. By May 15th, you must choose one school where you want to hold an acceptance and withdraw your application from all other schools where you have received offers. At any time during the process, out of consideration for other applicants, if you have been accepted to a school that you know for certain you do not wish to attend, it is polite to withdraw from that school as quickly as possible to open up spots for other applicants. For example, if you are accepted to both Baylor and Wash. U. by April but know you would rather go to Wash. U. over Baylor, you should notify Baylor that you wish to withdraw because other students might be waiting for Baylor acceptances, and your removal would expedite their acceptances. If you are later accepted to Columbia in April, however, you could accept Columbia’s offer and hold BOTH the Columbia and Wash. U. offers until May 15th if you so choose to do so.

On May 15th, you can only be holding one acceptance offer, but you can still be on any number of waiting lists. For example, on May 20th, you might be holding your Columbia acceptance but still waiting on the Penn waiting list. If Penn notifi es you in June that you are accepted off of their waiting list, you could withdraw from Columbia and accept Penn’s offer. But, you cannot hold onto both the Penn and Columbia acceptances at that time because it would be after the May 15th deadline. Theoretically, you can be waiting on a school’s waiting list even into their school year, but the chances of getting off of a waiting list begin to diminish after May 15th.

TMDSAS SchoolsPrior to the match, medical schools will extend offers of acceptance to Texas residents from November 15 through December 31. During this period, you may receive offers of acceptance from more than one Texas medical school. If you are holding multiple offers on December 15, you must decline all but one offer by January 15. Declining offers must be done online through TMDSAS. The regular match will be conducted on February 15 to fi ll the remaining slots as follows:

• Applicants not holding an offer will submit a preference list ranking all schools where they interviewed

• Applicants holding the one offer will also submit a preference list ranking that school and any other school(s) where they interviewed, if desired.

• An applicant holding a pre-match offer who matches to a school he/she ranked higher than the pre-match offer school will automatically be withdrawn from the pre-match offer school and all other lower ranked schools. The applicant continues to remain open to be selected by schools he/she ranked higher.

• The deadline for applicants to submit their preferences online is February 1.


uide // Page 73Following the match, the standard rolling admissions will continue through the beginning of orientation at each medical school.

On Taking Time Off (Overview)The typical ways to take time off are (1) applying later than the summer following junior year or (2) deferring admission after being accepted. There are many scenarios for when someone might apply later than the summer after his or her junior year of college. Some students fi nd applications while in school a bit stressful and would enjoy some time off and an application period where they are freer to fl y for interviews. Other students make the decision to apply to medical school only after they have spent some time working. Other students would like a year off to strengthen their applications and chances for getting accepted. Other students do apply the summer after their junior year but are not accepted the fi rst time around, so they re-apply the following year.

Do not lose hope if you are not accepted the fi rst time applying. The application process is incredibly arbitrary. Here is a good illustration of this principle: a Rice student applied to 12 schools the summer following his junior year and did not receive a single interview the fi rst time around. It was especially disheartening because he had his mind set on a particular dream school. He re-applied the following year to eight schools (four fewer schools) and was accepted to his dream school! In fact, he received two interview offers the second time around. The fi rst time, his dream school declined to interview him. The second time, his interviewer said he was a “must have.” He will be attending his dream school in the fall after not having a single interview the fi rst time around!

The second way to take time off is to defer your acceptance for one year. Every medical school student and doctor I have ever met has either (1) not taken time off before starting medical school but would recommend it or (2) taken time off and would highly recommend it.

Taking a year off is a great opportunity to pursue an interest, whether related to medicine or not. Since it becomes progressively harder to be granted such opportunities (like as you start medical school, as you start working as a resident, etc.), it’s almost like one of your last chances. I don’t see anything wrong with going straight from undergrad to medical school, especially because the medical training journey is so long and it’s reasonable to want to fi nish as early as possible, but, then again, you can get a year of deferral before medical school only once in your life.

– Ted John (WRC ’06, University of Michigan)

To defer your admission for a year, you have to be accepted normally (not from off of the waiting list). Schools use their waiting lists to fi ll spots for a given matriculation year, and it would not make much sense for a school to admit a waiting list student who will not matriculate that year (therefore, do not tell a school you want to defer if you’re on their waiting list). If you have been accepted in the normal admissions pool and would like to defer, it is best to ask the admissions director for the deferral policies. Some schools do not grant deferrals. Most schools, though, do grant deferrals for up to one year. It is actually mutually benefi cial for the school to grant you a deferral if you have a legitimate reason. This is because taking time off theoretically allows you to pursue things that will make you a happier, more well-rounded individual, and what medical school would not want that for their students? Another reason schools will allow you to defer is because deferring admission requires that you withdraw your application from all other schools and withhold applying anywhere else in the future. In essence, you must fully commit to going to a school if you wish to defer. A typical requirement for deferring admission is that you must send

ities (likelike one ograd to m

easonf deferra

such oppc.), it’s almght from u

long n get a

at opps progrs you staee anythiause the as possib

ear offnce it b

dical schnces. I doespeciallyfinish as


uide // Page 74

a letter explaining the reason(s) you wish to defer and your plan for the year off.

There are many potential reasons why you might consider deferring. In a year, you can do a lot of really cool things. Here are example one-year plans from people who deferred their admissions:

Ted John (WRC ’06, University of Michigan)• Taught MCAT for Kaplan (Summer ’06)• Worked with NGO in Sudan for 8 months (Aug ’06-Apr ’07)• Taught geometry/ algebra II to middle schoolers (May ’07-Jul ’07)• Taught SAT in Tianjin, China, for 2 weeks (Jul ’07)• Shadowed pediatric orthopedic surgeon (May ’07-Jul ’07)• Joined church praise band team (Apr ’07-Aug ’07)• Other peers of his that took time off before medical school worked for the Clinton Foundation in Liberia, taught at a boarding school in England, participated in Teach for America, and received a Fulbright scholarship teaching English in Taiwan.

Brian Schwab (WRC ’07, Duke Medical School)• Taught English in Calama, Chile, and traveled throughout Chile (May ’07-Nov ’07)• Traveled to Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay (Nov ’07-Dec ’07)• Worked in a warehouse, call center, McDonalds, others (Jan ’08-Jun ’08)• Volunteered with church (Jan ’08-May ’08)• Revised this book! (Feb ’08-May ’08)• Backpacked in Northern California (Mar ’08)• Whole person care preceptorship in California/Mexico (Jun ’08-Jul ’08)• Visited friends in South Korea (Jul ’08)

Elizabeth Gleeson (WRC ’07, Tulane Medical School)• Taught English in Taiwan (Jun ’07-Jun ’08)• Studied Chinese at the National Taiwan Normal University (Sep ’07)• Traveled to Malaysia, Philippines, China, and beyond (Jul ’07-Jun ’08)

Deciding to Take Time OffBy Kara Calhoun ( Martel ‘11, UT Houston)

Should I take a year off? Probably during some point in either the medical school application process, or during your undergrad career, you have asked yourself that very question. Taking a year off, also called taking a gap year, has become much more popular than in years past, and I am personally very grateful that I decided to take some time away from school before attending medical school. Before you make any decisions, here are some things to consider.

Why should I take time off?A person may decide to take time off for a myriad of reasons. Some want to pursue an interest, or to experience something new. The years after college can be the best time to explore and grow–away from a classroom. Many options are available to recent college grads, and I think every person should explore these once in a lifetime opportunities while they still can. If nothing else, taking a year off can give you real world experience, and a context to what you will be learning in medical school. Have you ever wished to never come home from a spring break trip? Or maybe wish you could work with an organization you love full-time? Then you should consider taking a gap year! Why put off what you can do now?!


uide // Page 75

When do I apply if I want to take time off?When it comes to deciding when to apply you have two options. The fi rst option is that you can apply during your junior year, get accepted into medical school, and then defer for a year. If you do this option you’ll know where you will be attending school after your gap year, which is a plus. However, not all schools allow this option and some make you justify why and how you will spend this time.

The second option is to defer applying to medical school entirely for a year (or more!). This option means that you will be applying the summer after you graduate and interviewing later that year. This option is good for people who are looking to strengthen their application using their gap year experience. It is also good for people who wish to take time off and want the freedom to do whatever they like. However, you need to be sure that you have everything done for the Offi ce of Academic Advising on time since you will be a graduate during the application cycle and not necessarily on campus. Furthermore, if you are considering travelling abroad, be sure you have a plan for how you will attend your medical school interviews.

What should I do during my time off?You should do just about anything! In all seriousness, you should do something that makes you happy. The years after college are the perfect time to travel the world, see a new culture or work for a non-profi t. Others decide to give back to communities through Teach for America, or AmeriCorps. If you are considering a career in research, think about working in a lab full-time. It really doesn’t matter what you do during your year off, as most experiences will contribute to your ability to be a better doctor.

What if my parents are against me taking time off?Undoubtedly, your parents will want to know why you are putting off becoming a doctor for a year or more. If you fi nd yourself in that situation, relax and don’t stress! Most parents just want to know that you have a plan, and won’t be couch surfi ng around Europe for the next year (an excellent idea though!). If you are struggling to get parental support, have a conversation with them that includes why you want to take time off, what you plan to do with that time, and how it will ultimately make you a better and more well-rounded physician. Having a structured plan and acknowledging how the experience will help you down the road often is enough to convince parents that you are no longer a child, and can make important decisions like this one on your own.

If I take time off won’t I forget everything? Won’t I struggle because I not used to studying?Don’t worry too much about forgetting material and/or getting out of the rhythm of studying. One of the best reasons to take time off is to give your brain a break! You will be bombarded with so much material in medical school, so in the long run forgetting a few reactions and the like will not make that much of a difference. If you are really concerned about keeping your science knowledge fresh, consider doing something like research, or teaching. There are plenty of gap year opportunities that will keep your mind actively engaged. Most students who take time off enjoy the fact that they can read for leisure, or learn something new without the pressure of being in school.

Why I took a year off:So what about me? I decided to take a year off mainly because I was burnt out. I had been taking more than 20 hours for consecutive semesters in order to graduate on time, and I grew to the point that hated studying. The thought of going straight into medical school after college was depressing. I made the decision that I wanted to take time off, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed doing research for my senior thesis, but I wasn’t sure how much I would like lab work


uide // Page 76

full-time. I then realized it would be a great idea to work in a lab during my gap year, to see what it was really like. I applied and was accepted to a post-baccalaureate research program at the National Institutes of Health in the National Cancer Institute. While at the NIH I was able to develop more skills in basic cancer research, while also seeing what working in a lab is like on a daily basis. Additionally, taking the year off gave me the opportunity to take a break from school, hone my research interests, contribute to publications, and have meaningful experiences to discuss at my interviews. When I was making the decision to take a year off, I asked every doctor I knew what they thought about it and I heard the same answer again and again, “I wish I had done that”. At the end of the day, I couldn’t imagine spending the year after college in any other way and I hope you decide to do the same!

General AdviceTake the time to think about what drives you into medicine and what you want to accomplish as a doctor. Conduct a little introspection and trace how your desire to become a doctor has evolved over the years. Write down any thoughts that came to mind as you are pondering upon these questions. They will help a lot with the personal statement and the interview. – Jean Bao (WRC ’06, University of Chicago)

When I was applying to medical school, I asked a physician who had left medicine to work in health care management if he had any advice for me during this process. His response was, perhaps, the most important piece of advice I have ever received on life, especially a life in medicine: “Just remember, that you are going to change; that your interests are going to change; that what you want out of life is going to change; and that this is ok and part of living.” For my friends and me, a life in medicine was the culmination of a long road of hard academic work, summer research, community service and leadership. After college, however, I realized that I was confused about what exactly it was I wanted from medicine. I knew that I had wanted to be here, but now that I was there, what should I do with my life? And I am not talking about specialties.

Fortunately or unfortunately, medicine has plenty answers to that essential question: what should I do with my time? And if one is not careful, the tracts of medicine will propel one along through residency, fellowship, practice, and come in at retirement. Perhaps this is why so many physicians are unhappy with their career choice. Medicine has work for you to do, and so, you have to be very careful on what you chose to take on.

A transplant surgeon once told me, “You worked so hard on becoming an interesting person just to get here, and so, be careful not to lose that.” Otherwise, when I graduated I would have nothing left of what I used to be. Questions of what you are and what you want out of life change over time, but make sure that you begin asking these questions now, while you are still thinking about where you want to go to school and what you are looking for in your career. If you are applying to medical school, then you are smart enough to do almost anything in life: be smart enough to do want you want to do, and not what others might expect of you.

And if you are uncertain about starting this process, then I would encourage you to take some time to fi nd out. The road is long and expensive: not just in money, but also in time and emotion. I often wish I had taken a year or two to travel and explore before I began. Not only


uide // Page 77because such things would have been fun, but also because I think I would have an easier time answering the questions I mentioned above.

I have often thought of medicine as a marathon, but a mentor of mine commented with what I think is a wonderful way to view this journey: “Many very bright minds actually decide that the goal is not to fi nish, but rather to take on another new path - perhaps even one less explored. While there might not be large crowds along the roadside to cheer those folks on, the passing landmarks and challenges are often celebration enough.” – Mathew Mino (WRC ’05, UT Southwestern)

Check med school course requirements early and often. We’re in a time of fl ux, and requirements are changing like crazy. As a senior, I found out I was required to take a statistics course…and the requirement had just been added for the year I applied. Keep looking at medical school required courses, and make sure that you take them. If you don’t manage to take them and you really want to go to a school, apply to the school anyway. Schools magically have a way of making some requirements (I’m not suggesting you try and skip the year of Bio, Chem, Physics, and English) disappear if you’ve been accepted. - Ruchi Srivastava (Baker ‘12, Johns Hopkins)

Do not try to fi gure out what kind of person admissions would like you to be. There are many facets of medicine, and taking the time in undergrad to do what you personally enjoy will show yourself (and the school) the type of doctor you will become. – Diane Shao (WRC ’07, Harvard Medical School)

Do not fall into the trap of thinking there is one prototypical road to getting into to medical school and becoming a successful applicant. Sure, you want to do well in your classes and get experience in the medical profession, but more than that be true to who you are and follow your passions, whether it be performing or visual arts, social policy or even research. The truth is, you do not need to fi t into a mold in order to be a successful applicant, you just have to be passionate and be willing to work hard. Do not let being pre-med mean that you cannot be well- rounded and pursue other important interests. At Rice it is easy to put the blinders on and think that the only option is to go straight through to medical school...if you need time off after graduation...Do it! Take 1 year off, 2 years, etc... but do something that is worthwhile and makes you grow, this might give you a perspective and appreciation for the medical profession that you would not have otherwise. I go to a school where the majority of people have taken at least 1 year off, some as much as 10years and it gives the class a level of maturity and cohesiveness that is wonderful. The point is, there are several routes one can take to get to medical school, and it only matters if the passion is there and apparent. – Virginia Dzul-Church (WRC ’05, UCSF)

I would say “Not comparing yourself to another person” was the best advice that I have ever received and it took me a LONGGGG time to realize the importance of that advice. You are no longer in high school, so get used to people making better grades than you and there are always going to be people that are better than you in (all) aspects of life. You need to start thinking about YOU and what makes you… you. What are your interests? What subjects are interesting? Do you like research? Do you like Public Health topics? Do you think that there is an interesting connection between music and healing? I promise that it’s easy: All you have to do is ask yourself a simple question, like “Do I REALLY like my Organic Chemistry class?” or “Is there outside pressure to infl uence my future goals?” If you have no idea what the answers to your questions are, fi nd them! Volunteer, do research


uide // Page 78

for a summer, go abroad, watch a documentary, read health policy laws, shadow a doctor, reach out to a patient that is going through a disease…. There is so much you can do. And, if you realize that you don’t like something, then leave it behind, and move on to your next question. - Simone Elder (Sid ‘12)

If I could go back in time and give the freshman-me some tips, here is what I would say:

1. Really think about what the benefi t is of each of your commitments. Time is a precious commodity, and four years will fl y by before you know it. Therefore, ask yourself these questions: Is spending 10 hours a week on X really worth it? Will it make me a better person in some way or build my knowledge of some fi eld, or would I just be doing unmemorable busy work? How does this activity fi t in with my interests, and if it doesn’t, why am I doing it?

2. There is a difference between basic science research and clinical research and the opportunities that each provides. Look into this early on, and fi gure out what you’re truly passionate about and are good at before jumping into things.

3. If you have an “artsy” talent, don’t give it up--pursue it! It will make you a better physician and a better person.

4. Don’t put off your hardest classes till senior year. You want to give yourself enough buffer, because applying and interviewing is a time-consuming process. You’ll have to miss classes, and missing biochemistry, genetics, protein lab, etc. can really suck. With that said, also...

5. Apply earlier. Don’t wait until August to submit AMCAS. It can *potentially* affect your chances, and regardless, you’ll end up still interviewing while everyone else is done, and the wait can get nerve-wracking. Plus, you’ll end up having to fl y more than others during the winter/fl u season. As a result of this (along with the stress of my hard classes--see number 4), I was sick at just about every single interview. So, along those lines, and most importantly...

6. Take care of your own health. Sure, you may feel invincible with those all-nighters at fi rst, but you can’t be a great doctor and take care of other people if you don’t take care of yourself fi rst. Eat well, sleep well, work out--all of those great things that you’d want your own patients to do! -Tina Munjal (Wiess ‘12, Johns Hopkins)

Everyone has something they aren’t exactly proud of in their medical school application, whether it is a C in a class or a perceived defi ciency in research or shadowing – something in which they feel they could have done better. There was a reason for that grade, for taking that summer off from research. Think about said reason, and be prepared to write about it and/or discuss it...these hiccups (and their explanations) are often the most interesting and personal parts of an application, anyway.- Ruchi Srivastava (Baker ‘12, Johns Hopkins)

Applying to med school is a really stressful time for some people. Are my grades high enough? Are my extra-curricular activities what they’re looking for? Will I get into a med school? Why haven’t I heard from this school yet? These are some of the many questions that have lingered in my head (and maybe will in yours) throughout the application process, both before and after interviewing, and while waiting for any acceptance letters. You may even have the tendency to check your mail and/or email every hour. So, in order that you might not stress yourself to death, what


uide // Page 79I recommend you doing is to change your perspective (as much as you can) on the situation. Let the application process be an exciting time! Let senior year be the culmination and peak of all your commitments and activities, your time to shine. You’ve put in countless hours for bio, chem, orgo, and physics (not to forget the marathon MCAT) and you’ve grown a whole lot in character too, taking time to explore the motivation for your choice to go into medicine. Now, it is your turn to share with the various admission committees what you’ve learned about yourself over the past years and why you’ll be the next great Ben Carson or Paul Farmer. And remember, think about what is important to you in a med school. Factors important to me (considering my long term interests of international health) included student diversity, dual degree opportunities (MD/MPH), curriculum and academic environment, patient populations, quality of local teaching hospitals, location, and cost. Each person will have different priorities, so consider what combination of these would suit you best. You’re applying to med school, but they’re also recruiting you! – Ted John (WRC ’06, University of Michigan)

Over my time at Rice, I constantly heard people introduce themselves as pre-med. My sole biggest piece of advice is to not use “pre-med” as a self-defi ning term. Yes, medicine is interesting and it may indeed be your future career, and yes, being pre-med can sometimes be hard and feel all-consuming. Still, keep in mind you have other interests and hobbies besides research, hospital shadowing, volunteering, and studying – some of you love to cycle, some of you fi nd politics really fascinating, and some of you are really into working with the homeless community. Pursue those interests as well as your requirements; don’t let them fall to the wayside. In the end, when you’re fi lling out that application, those are the things that will make you unique and interesting; you’re going to stand out a lot more if you passionately write about your interest in German culture and how it has helped you grow as an individual than if all you talk about is how many physicians you shadowed and how cool being in the hospital was.

On that note, everything you do is something that you can successfully and powerfully use in your application. Just take the time to think about how those activities you love could help you become a better physician. Did it teach your new interpersonal skills? Leadership skills? Major life lessons? Did you learn about a new language? Culture? Did you gain an understanding that you think may be unique? Every experience you have is a growing experience; you benefi tted from it, so frame it so that medical schools know that they would benefi t from it – and therefore from you – as well. - Ruchi Srivastava (Baker ‘12, Johns Hopkins)

In all four of my interviews at Johns Hopkins, BCM, UT Houston, and UT Southwestern, at least one of my interviewers commented on the strength and passion of my recommendation letters. Before the whole interview process, I had concentrated intently, almost robotically, on my MCAT scores, my GPA, and my personal statement. I worked so hard to fi gure out the best way for me to show medical schools why I was so passionate about becoming a doctor – I never fully comprehended just how important it is for my professors and mentors, those who watched me grow and work for four years, to show medical schools why I would make an excellent physician. While MCAT scores, GPA, and personal essays most certainly carry their own weight in the medical school application process, I underestimated the positive impact of the connections and impressions I made with my professors and advisors…individuals who helped me reach one of my life’s major goals…individuals who found joy in my acceptances and sincerely wished me success in my future endeavors. I am beyond grateful for their help and support.

If there’s one piece of advice I can give to pre-med students at Rice, it’s get to know your professors


uide // Page 80

and advisors, and major in something you are passionate about. When you are passionate about something, you are more likely to make meaningful interpersonal connections and to take time out of the typical lecture hall to learn about it, or physically take part in it.

The way you request your recommendation letters can tell professors, research mentors, employers, and advisors a lot about yourself. Show them that you respect their time; show them that you take the process seriously; show them that you are a professional, organized student. Get to know the ones you really like, invest in their classes and meetings, and they will invest their time in you, even if it’s a few semesters or years later.

There are many ways to go about requesting recommendation letters. The information I typed below describes a process that worked for me. There’s no need to follow it verbatim, and you may come up with your own way, but I hope it can help make your life easier one way or another.

How I requested recommendation letters:

I sent the professor or mentor a preliminary email asking if they would be willing to write me a strong medical school recommendation letter (several months before the deadline). I had one sentence that explained why I was asking them. If they agreed, I would bring to their offi ce an envelope with the documents described in the following paragraph (which I also emailed to them later) and tried to meet with them at a convenient time. While email is much easier, always try to thank them and speak with them in person early in the process. That way, they won’t forget about you in the pile of other requests and duties they may have. I also said that if they would prefer not to write the letter, I understood, and thanked them for their time.

I labeled the envelope with my name, their name, the due date for the letters, and my contact information. I included in the envelope a cover letter briefl y explaining why I am requesting a medical school recommendation letter from them with a big thank you, a signed waiver and instructions form from the Offi ce of Academic Advising, a draft of my personal statement (even if early in the process, it helps them), a resume, and an unoffi cial transcript from ESTHER. I would email them any major updates – like a fi nalized personal statement or more recent personal achievements.

The Offi ce of Academic Advising sends automated emails whenever a professor or mentor submits a recommendation letter. When there were two days left before the deadline and one of my letter writers had not submitted a letter, I sent an email simply stating this was a quick reminder about the letter deadline. They turned it in within fi ve days, and all went well.

In conclusion, make connections with the professors/mentors/advisors you really like, ask for your letters early, and make the process easier for them by giving them easily accessible information about yourself and explaining why you think they would write you a great letter. Some of them may have been your professors over a year ago – so giving them those documents and explaining your side of the story can go a long way toward getting you an excellent letter.

I wish you all the best of luck! I hope this advice proves as useful for you as it was for me.

Sincerely,Eman Bahrani (McMurtry ‘12, Baylor)


uide // Page 81Don’t let the MCAT dominate your life. Ultimately, it’s just one test. Some people do need the full summer to study, but, honestly, your courses at Rice have prepared you well. Take a practice test to gauge where you are and space the studying out over a few months…but continue to live your life. Get a summer job or internship and use your spare time to study for the MCAT. Your resume will look a little fuller and you won’t resent giving up three months for a number that, ultimately, you’ll not fi nd as meaningful as the life experiences you missed out on. - Ruchi Srivastava (Baker ‘12, Johns Hopkins)

My best advice is to make sure you know you want to be a physician (whether it is by shadowing, working in a clinic, working in a medical lab, talking with medical students/residents/professionals, etc.) and pick a major you enjoy and can do well in. Other than that, enjoy college to the fullest and follow your passions. Don’t pick a major you think will make you more appealing – the committee reading your application can see through that. If you enjoy what you do, you will be able to communicate that and do well in it; obviously, you want to do well in your pre-med requirements too. However, don’t freak out about grades – just work hard and be proud of whatever you make because odds are you earned it. Give yourself time to invest yourself in things that are truly meaningful to you, this includes just spending time with friends and having a good time. If you can do that, admissions committees will see that you really care about what you do and that you want to be a physician – that’s what is important. It is going to require hard work, but do not let that take away from enjoying some of the greatest years of your life. - Michael Torre (Sid ‘12, Northwestern)

In terms of MCAT preparation, taking a course is defi nitely the safest option. MCAT courses give you the structure of a college course, and serve as a guide through what can be a long and tedious process. That being said, there are some major advantages to studying on your own. The most obvious benefi t is the money you save by forgoing a course, which for me came out to about ~$1,500 after considering the cost of my books. I would urge you, however, not to make cost a major factor in your decision. After all, the MCAT is arguably the most important test you will ever take. Just see the money as a nice bonus.

The greatest advantage of self studying is the fl exibility it offers. For example, I was already very comfortable with the organic chemistry on the MCAT, having just taken two semesters of it at Rice. So, instead of wasting time studying a subject I already knew, I focused on other areas of the test. Or, let’s say you are great at verbal reasoning and biological sciences but terrible at physical sciences. You could then theoretically spend most of your study time just working on that one weak section. You can try books from different companies to work specifi cally on physi-cal sciences, and then maybe just get one good book for the other two sections. There’s also the fl exibility that you get with your overall schedule. MCAT classes can be hard to schedule around and are often take place at inconvenient times. Without a scheduled course, you are free to com-mit to whatever, whenever you want, as long as you leave enough time for studying.

I would recommend self studying to anyone who is generally disciplined, feels motivated, and has a good 2-3 month chunk of time where they can dedicate a couple hours a day to studying (aka summer). Do beware if you have a tendency to procrastinate, as fl exibility can be a double edged sword. Preparing for the MCAT is a long term process that cannot be crammed into a week or two. Good luck! -Kevin Shen (Hanszen ‘13)


uide // Page 82

The biggest advice we can give is to fi nd something you’re being passionate about and pursue it. It’s better to have one or two things you are committed to than multiple things that are you lukewarm about.

Don’t be afraid to do the quirky and non-traditional pre-med things in college. It broadens your perspective and makes you a more interesting person. Plus, you will have great stories to tell your friends and family.

If you are looking for volunteer experiences, you do not have to travel around the world to fi nd them. There are people in need right outside the hedges.

Don’t hesitate to talk to your professor, especially if you are doing well in their class. Ask questions about the material and don’t be afraid to go beyond what is presented in class. They have great insight and excit-ing stories that are often entertaining. Plus, it is a good way to get to know your mentors better and to fi nd out opportunities that you may not have heard of before.

Don’t feel rushed about going to medical school. This is a large commitment and you need to fi gure out if this is the path YOU want. Don’t be afraid to take time off or get a real job before considering and applying to medical school. - Emily Larimer, Martel ‘11 and Harry Han, Martel ‘12


uide // Page 83

AfterwordThis book has been an absolute pleasure to write. I would like to thank the contributors for their continued, invaluable support. Without the support of my peers, I would not be where I am today and this book would certainly not have ever been published. If you ever have a free moment, it would be great to hear any comments/feedback that you have on this project and its usefulness to you in the application process (Email: [email protected]). To the reader I would like to say one fi nal note: Go, make us proud. – Brian Schwab (WRC ’07, Duke Medical School)

How well did your Rice education prepare you for medical school?

In contrast to math problem sets, my exams so far in my fi rst year of medical school have hardly required well-developed logical-reasoning or problem-solving skills, but rather ex-tensive memorization. This observation is far from being vituperative, since the goal of the pre-clinical years is to provide students with the preparatory knowledge for the clinical rotations, not to produce mathematicians. Instead, this observation implies that the most important way in which college should prepare pre-medical students is by fostering effec-tive studying techniques and time-management skills. Rice succeeds in this function very well.

I was a Biochemistry and English double-major, and the demands of the Biochemistry courses—particularly the second part of the Biochemistry (BIOS 301/302) sequence—require any student aiming for high (above average) marks in those courses to develop learning skills and study habits nearly suffi cient for success in medical school. Several of my medical-school classmates who are also Rice alums agree that the depth and intensity of science courses at Rice rendered them more able to understand and assimilate the large amount of material in medical-school courses.

I cannot think of any shortcomings of the Rice experience relevant to preparation for medi-cal school. Other attributes necessary for succeeding in medical school, such as learning to cooperate with peers and to function under high pressure, depend less on the collegiate experience and more on the individual student. I will remark, however, that since Rice has a large proportion of highly motivated and successful students, Rice pre-meds will be better prepared for maintaining their confi dence and performing well around the many students in their medical-school classes who are at least as accomplished as they are.

– Mike Matthews (WRC ’07, UT Southwestern)

my examd logical-rea

bservationide studathematicians. ege should pre

d time-managem

t to mathrequired we

ve memorclinical tions, not to prortant way in wstudying techn

l.

ssimilate the lar

paration for me such as learni

collegince Rice h

eds will be he many

ble to understa

perience relevaeding in medic

sure, deremark, h

ful studentserformin

Documents

Premedical Student Guide - WordPress.com...Premedical Student Guide // Page 4 Acknowledgments We created this book with the help of many students from Rice University. We deeply appreciate