Med School and MCAT Prep: Advice from a Med Student

Will Fawcett is a student at the Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine. Right before he started his undergraduate premed years, he was recruited to play football at SVU but ended up at BYU instead. He still loves our school, though, and reached out to share his words about the process of medical school, resources and timelines to think about, etc. This is a long one – but if you are considering preparing for med school, it’s worth getting comfy and reading through it!

Dear Premed,

What you are going through isn’t easy. If you are aspiring to be the first doctor in your family, you might feel as if no one understands what you are going through. If you are a son or daughter of a physician, it might be nice to have someone who can relate to you, but the process is different than it was for your parents. Even if you have a cousin or sibling that went through this process, it is different for you than it was for them. What I am trying to say is that no matter who you are, your background, or your support system, this journey is unique to you.

There are several companies out there that will try and sell you programs and advice for “guaranteed admissions” or something else outlandish. While I think many of them are well-meaning, they often lose sight of what is most important. You. Realizing your journey to medicine will look different than any other is the first thing I wish I realized when I began this journey four years ago. Far too often I found myself participating in things I didn’t want to do, but because someone’s cousin, brother, sister, roommate, or uncle did it and it seemingly worked for them, I felt pressure to do the same. Just because something worked for them, does not mean it will or should work for you. You aren’t them and never will be. And that is perfect. Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.

The goal of this document is to provide insight into the lessons I have learned throughout my premed journey and things I wish I had known sooner. There is a lot of advice out there, and I don’t think mine will be any better or worse than any others, but that’s not what this is meant to be. It’s just another perspective on things, sprinkled with statistics and other facts that might not be readily available to you. I am in no way saying that there is one way to medical school. In fact, I’m trying to tell you the opposite; there cannot be one way to medical school. Hopefully, you find this document and its opinions helpful in your journey as you navigate this process. You are more than capable. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

*This information is current as of EY 2024 cycle and certain statistics are subject to change.

Post-High School Graduation – Beginning of Freshman Year

If you are a recent high school graduate and interested in applying to medical school, your journey begins now. Of course, there are things you can do in high school to help you prepare for college, but all of the medical school applications will begin wanting activity records from activities Post High School Graduation. So if you performed shadowing or research while in high school related to medicine, that’s a great way to ensure that medical school is right for you, but you will not be asked to keep track or list those hours. So before your freshman year, if you’re interested in going into medicine, go ahead and get a job at a doctor’s office! Whether that’s rooming patients, taking vitals, or pushing patients around for imaging, go ahead and get started the summer before your freshman year. If you are unable to get a job due to vacations planned with your family, not having any connections to a local clinic or other circumstances, start shadowing!! You would be surprised at how willing doctors are to allow you to shadow them, even if you have never met them. Simply call a clinic with a physician you are interested in shadowing, and ask if he/she accepts students to come and shadow. In most cases, they will agree. They understand where you are because they were there once. They know how important early and consistent exposure to medicine is, so most will oblige. That paired with many doctors truly enjoying teaching, as it’s an opportunity to inform and share what they are passionate about. I think another good use of this time post-high school graduation would be to do a certification course of some kind, becoming a certified medical assistant, phlebotomist or certified nursing assistant could prove useful later on. That way, whenever you get to the point where you are ready to begin your clinical experience, you will be certified and have an advantage in the job hunt over those without certification. You will thank yourself when you don’t have to balance taking classes while completing the certification course. Now certification isn’t mandatory for many jobs, as most will offer some kind of on-the-job training, but it would not hurt to already be certified if you know of something specifically you would like to do for clinical use experience. As I previously mentioned, certification could give you more options when searching.

Another great way to take advantage of this gap is to just be involved in something you are passionate about. For me, I opted to begin missionary service for my church. For you, that could look like a service trip, volunteering at a shelter, hosting a sports camp for local kids, or volunteering at a hospital. I don’t say this to try and overwhelm people, after all, we are just kids who want to enjoy the summer before college. And that’s fine, but I do think this is one of the least stressful/busy times in the premed journey and should be taken advantage of. Use this time to find something you are passionate about and interested in, whether that is medical or non-medical. These experiences are the beginning of your narrative on your journey to becoming a physician. But remember, don’t stress yourself beyond repair. Learn your limits and learn to operate within them. This will be a common theme throughout the process.

In conclusion, you can get a simple clinical job for 3 months before starting school, start shadowing a doctor, get a certification for something later on, begin volunteering with something you are passionate about, or discover some of those passions.

Picking a Major

Everyone and their dog will give you an opinion on the best major to pick for medical school but let’s cut to the chase here. Pick anything you want. But most importantly, choose something you are passionate about. Period. That is truly all that matters here. In no way shape or form do you need to pick a major that lines up with all/most of the medical school requirements, but I won’t lie and tell you that it’s not convenient. So my advice here is that if you are not overly passionate about anything specifically, choose whatever will make your life the easiest. If you don’t have a strong preference between Philosophy and Biology, I would lean towards biology. What I have found to be a way to marry both my passion and convenience, is to major in something that lines up with a lot of requirements like Exercise Science, Biology, or Kinesiology, and pick a minor in something I’m passionate about/interested in. You can do a major, minor, MCAT, and medical school applications and graduate in 4 years with no gap year. And you don’t need to declare your minor immediately, most minors are between 15-25 credits and can be completed in two years alongside other classes. Now I wouldn’t take a gap year for a minor, but if something comes up junior or sophomore year, it’s not too late!! Like I said earlier, the key here is finding something you are passionate about. Because there are going to be tough days ahead, and being in classes you find enjoyable and fulfilling, will help tremendously in reducing that stress. It is also worth mentioning that there are things you will need to write about in your application, and it’s much easier to write about something you’re passionate about or be able to give an actual answer to admissions committees when they ask about why you chose your major/minor.

Medical School Requirements

Regardless of what major you choose, certain classes are required by medical schools AND help prepare you for the MCAT. Now these things are not the same, as what is needed for the MCAT and required by medical schools may vary, so don’t make that mistake. Here is what is required by most  Medical Schools:

• General Chemistry w/lab (6 credits)

• General Biology (3 credits)

• Advanced Biology with lab – (Micro or Molecular Bio)- (3-6 credits)

• General Physics with labs (8 credits)

• Biochemistry (3 credits)

• Organic Chemistry with lab (6-8 credits)

• English (6 credits)

• Social Science – Psychology & Sociology (3-6 credits)

Now these are the basic Medical School requirements. Now let me add some of the classes that could be required on a case-by-case basis. I will try and list what is and how frequent I have found them to be. Again, if there is a specific question you have to look at the school’s website to confirm you’re not missing anything.

Math (3-6 credits) – It won’t be unusual to see this requirement for some medical schools, and sometimes it’s specifically just STATISTICS that they are wanting for 3 credits. But I have seen some that can require up to 6 credits, and statistics will count towards 3.

Advanced Biology Courses (3-12 credits) – Why this credit amount varies so much is that some schools will want these additional classes grouped in with the general biology, and micro/molecular mentioned previously, while some will want them separate from those. This can be filled with something like Anatomy, Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Genetics etc. Any upper-level Biology/physiology class will work here. This again is where it pays to be a Biology, Exercise Science, Physiology, Genetics, etc. type of major, as you will fulfill this with no sweat. Again this wasn’t one of the most common requirements, but I did see it a few times. Don’t be caught flat-footed on this.

MCAT Required Classes

So the title isn’t completely accurate, as there are technically no required classes to sign up to take the MCAT, but if you want to do well these classes are certainly required.

• General Chemistry w/lab (6 credits)

• General Biology (3 credits)

• Advanced Biology with lab – Micro or Molecular Bio – (3-6 credits)

• General Physics with labs (8 credits)

• Organic Chemistry with lab (6-8 credits)

Now you might say to yourself, these line up a lot with the medical school required classes, and you’d be correct! So by taking these classes, you are preparing for the MCAT, completingrequirements for medical school, and possibly completing your major. Now we get into some classes that I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking before the MCAT. Why I didn’t include them with the list above is that some people can get away without taking them before the MCAT and can self-study. But in my book, I would take them prior. If you plan your schedule out correctly, you will have plenty of time to take them before your test. Those classes are:

• Biochemistry (3 credits)

• Social Science – Psychology & Sociology (6 credits)

While some Reddit users might try and convince you these aren’t necessary, realize that those people are generally outliers. Save yourself the stress and play the long game. You’ll thank yourself come MCAT preparation time. Now here are some classes that some people might recommend that I would NOT take. They are a waste of time in my eyes and extremely low yield for the test.

• Genetics (3 credits)

• Statistics (3 credits)

While taking these classes might not hurt you, they simply aren’t very important to test preparation or common medical school requirements, so I would avoid them.

A Shameless Plug for Medical Ethics

Okay, now this might seem like out of left field but hear me out. Not only do I have a personal affinity for this topic, but I have found the class extremely helpful in several aspects. For example, the CASPER exam is almost solely testing soft skills based on your response to ethical dilemmas. So having familiarity with several bioethical topics proves to be useful for that exam. This is something that is also not mentioned often, but many of your medical school

interviews will ask ethical dilemma questions as part of your evaluation, whether through situational-based interview questions or in an MMI format. Having experience with several different topics allows you to be confident in your positions and allows you to draw on examples when discussing these difficult topics. This will ensure you stand out to your interviewers. Most importantly, I think hearing about these issues will help prepare you to be a more empathetic, compassionate, and level-headed physician, which is priceless.

* If you are a BYU student, Dr. Angela Wentz-Faulconer teaches Medical Ethics in the Philosophy Department. She is unbelievable and I couldn’t recommend her class enough.

Class Scheduling

Now that we know what classes we need to take, let’s dive into when is the best time to take them.

Year	Fall Semester	Winter Semester	Spring Semester
1	– General Chemistry 1 – Biology 1 – Major Courses (3) 12-15 Credits	– General Chemistry 2 – Chem Lab Micro/Molecular Biology – Micro Lab – Major Course (2) 12-15 Credits	– Psychology – Sociology – Adv Biology Course – Major Course (2) 12-15 Credits
2	– Organic Chemistry 1 – Physiology – Major Class (3) 12-15 credits	– Organic Chemistry 2 – Ochem Lab – Major Class (3) 12-15 Credits	– General Physics 1 – Physics 1 lab – General Physics 2 – Physics 2 Lab
3	– Biochemistry – Major Course/ Medical Ethics – Major Course (3) 12-15 Credits	– No classes and study for MCAT 5-6 days a week January-April – Take the test sometime in April – Apply to TMDSAS and ACCOMAS in May – Apply to AMCAS in June Total 0 hours	– Take a light class load of generals – If you plan on applying to 30+ schools, consider only taking classes in the summer and spend the spring term recharging and writing a ton of secondaries Total 6-9 credits
4	– General Classes – Major Classes – Minor classes – Anything extra – Interviews! 12-15 credits	– General Classes – Major Classes – Minor classes – Graduate in April – Hopefully, you have been accepted!! 12-15 Credits	– Finish up anything remaining and take something required by your med school before matriculation. 0-6 Credits

Med school will begin that July or August!!!

The Philosophy Behind the Scheduling

Here is why I outlined it the way I did, and more specifically, why I would push off my generals till post-MCAT. I have found that generals are usually the least interesting of all the classes you will take. Now they might not be the most difficult, but this lack of interest in a subject like Art History or American Heritage makes these classes more difficult than they are. So no point in getting your GPA dinged by one of those classes early on. Reason number two is that generals are usually the easiest classes to schedule, as they are offered at more times and in different formats (online, hybrid, in-person) than your higher-level major courses. This flexibility will be useful as during this time, you will be interviewing at schools and might need to miss a few class periods. That paired with the likelihood you will be working in a clinic at this point, helps you manipulate your school schedule to work better for you and your work schedule. Of course, this isn’t a must-do, but it’s something that has worked for me and I would recommend it when possible. You will also notice that you have to go to school year-round for the first two years. Some may complain and others might tell you this isn’t necessary. I’d tell you they are correct. While it might not be necessary or fun, that’s not what this schedule is about. Going year-round allows you to take a semester off (or two) to study for the MCAT and work on applications which are mission-critical. If you don’t go year-round, you’ll be forced into a gap year, or take close to 18 credits a semester. Which aren’t bad things, gap years provide a lot of benefits including the ability to make and save money. Gap years are increasingly common, but they don’t have to be if you don’t want it to be. Slow and steady wins the race here. Alongside that, going home for the summer doesn’t allow you to maintain consistency with activities like clinical experience or volunteer work. Additionally, April-August is prime time to find a clinical job, as many people have graduated and positions are opening up. You likely need to be there in person to interview for these jobs and you being able to work right away will be a big bonus in your favor. To help balance out the year-round schooling, I would try and take all of my classes online during the Spring and Summer if possible, so that you could still go on a family vacation or travel outside of school. You will be able to make this work and your hard work will be rewarded. Trust me.

Should You Do a PostBacc or Masters Program?

Like everything so far, it depends. Most medical schools would like to see one of two things concerning grades. 1) Consistency across the board, in both science and non-science classes, or 2) An upward trend. An upward trend is the idea that if you started college more interested in dating, or partying, or you were undecided on a career path, this led to an initial GPA drop. But then, at some point, there is a change in your grades. You start getting in the books and in some ways, you look like a new student. This is generally associated with a firm decision to become a doctor and a change in habits. So if you started your first year with a 2.2 GPA, but then every year after that you have a 3.8 GPA, that shows the committee you are capable academically of handling the rigors of medical school and are committed to doing it.

So a PostBacc or Masters programs should be in the cards for you if you didn’t have enough time to show that upward trend in your undergrad classes. So if you decided you wanted to be a doctor towards the end of your degree, and you’ve performed suboptimally up until then, then it’s worth considering these programs to give yourself a longer runway to demonstrate you are capable. And make sure both programs are science-based classes.

In conclusion, if you are unable to remain consistent for any number of reasons, don’t feel sorry for yourself or beat yourself up. There are so many options to help you establish that upward trend. If you catch it soon enough, hopefully, your undergrad will give you the runway you need. If not, go find a program that works best for you and your needs(It’s worth adding here that a lot of medical schools have feeder programs for students who take classes there for their medical school. So if you have a specific medical school you want to be at, maybe that’s worth investigating further.) You’re not the first doctor, nor will you be the last that have bad grades. Mourn what could have been, dust yourself off, and go prove to yourself and to the admissions committee that you can do this. Because you can.

Extracurriculars – Which are Best?

The extracurriculars needed for medicine include Research, Clinical Experience, Volunteer Experience, and leadership. The key to all these activities is longevity. Medical Schools would rather see a year-long commitment to doing 2 things than five 2-3 month activities. Besides, You will have a limited number of activity entries on the AMCAS system, so again quality over quantity. So pick things you want to do, make them sustainable, and stick with them. Let’s break these down and rank them according to what I think is of utmost importance.

1. Clinical Experience

• Clinical Experience is King. Remember, the purpose of the application is to show you want to be a DOCTOR. Not a researcher, not a Nurse, Chiropractor, or Physical Therapist. This makes clinical experience king. The best clinical experience is working directly with a doctor. This will give you exposure to the field of medicine, and help to ensure a strong physician letter writer. The best places to work are in private practice, doing either scribe work, medical assisting, or a procedure technician. I recommend private practices because there are fewer hoops and certifications needed to work, and most will provide on-the-job training. That and you usually will work much closer to a physician as they are not only the doctor but also your boss. Of course, this isn’t possible for everybody, but something I highly recommend if possible.

2. Volunteer Experience (both clinical and non-clinical)

• Volunteer experience comes next as it shows the admissions committee that you want to be involved in the lives of others. As a physician, you are always dealing with other people who need your help, so volunteer experience is exactly that. It shows you know how to talk to and care for people in need. Volunteer experience is huge too because it is also an opportunity to do something you are passionate about. You can volunteer to do anything you want, so make it count! Make it something you want to write about and be a part of. Now while you can participate in clinical volunteer experience, it’s pretty difficult to do unless you have some kind of certification. You likely won’t have any real skills you can contribute, and you are at the mercy of doctors volunteering their time at a free clinic or something similar. This paired with limited opportunities makes it valuable, but difficult to obtain for most. Besides, getting clinical experience is generally enough to demonstrate your understanding of what a doctor does and your desire to become one.

3. Leadership

• Now leadership can come in many different forms, and schools don’t care what form the leadership comes in. It can be church group leadership, leadership at work (Lead medical assistant or scribe), captain of an intramural sports team, president of a club, or pretty much anything else. I put it third because while it’s important because you will be a leader as a physician, these opportunities can come in an abundance of ways. It isn’t necessarily something you have to seek out, but rather with enough participation in activities, will come eventually.

4. Research

• Now for the most overrated thing on the entire application. Pre-meds will lose their minds over research and getting publications, but this experience isn’t that important. Remember, you are going to be a DOCTOR, not necessarily a research scientist. Now of course the caveat is if you want to do an MD/Ph.D., then ignore everything I have said. But for everyone else, don’t stress about this one. You don’t need publications to get into medical school. You will be asked very few if at all about undergraduate research. For this reason, I say to do undergraduate research first, as it doesn’t need to be the most recent thing on your application and it tends to be the easiest to balance with school work early on. If you love research, that’s awesome! Let that be a part of your story, but don’t forget that if you are too heavy on research, they will ask themselves why you want to be a physician and not a Ph.D. Don’t let this get in the way of any of the above categories. Try and find something you’re interested in. Also make sure when meeting with the faculty in charge of the lab you will be working in, it is made as clear as possible what it is you will be doing. For example, if you do not enjoy coding, machine learning, or building algorithms (all increasingly more prevalent and important in scientific research), try to find a lab that won’t require that of you, or will have someone dedicated to that type of work (ie a bioinformatics major). And if you aren’t sure, try everything! You might surprise yourself as to what you find most interesting. All of that said, if you are able to generate publications, posters, or abstracts, it’s a really nice feather in your cap for your application! Not only that, but these publications can be used in your residency application after completion of medical school, which is clutch. So while not the most important thing in your application, it can be a useful tool to boost your application, and perhaps its most useful function: Secures a strong writer for a Letter of Recommendation!

5. Hobbies

• This is a severely underrated portion of the application. I highly recommend including things you love to do in your application. It’s important to show that before anything you’re a human being. You have a life and things you enjoy doing outside of school. Whether that is going to the gym, intramural sports, music, instrument, cooking, or rock climbing. It does not matter what it is, just be sure to include it and write about it for what it is.

A Final Word on Extracurriculars:

The best medicine is the one that the patient takes, likewise, the best extracurriculars are the ones you will do. Find things you are passionate about, that you can craft to become a part of your narrative and story. Don’t check boxes, the admissions committees will see through you.Be yourself and do things you enjoy! If you don’t enjoy the things you are doing, and can’t find anything you enjoy, take a step back and evaluate why you want to be a physician.

Be yourself and do things you enjoy! If you don’t enjoy the things you are doing, and can’t find anything you enjoy, take a step back and evaluate why you want to be a physician.

Extracurriculars – When Should I Do What?

Here is what I think is the best way to approach the aforementioned activities.

Freshman Year:

• I would not do much other than hobbies or school in my first semester. Take time to adjust to your new classes, and find your routine. Discover what study habits work best for you. Take time to make new friends and enjoy yourself. Use this first semester as an adjusting phase. Because research is the most overrated portion of the application, I think it’s better to do it sooner rather than later. 1) I found it to be easiest to balance with school as the professors are more accommodating to a school schedule than an employer (generally) and 2) because it’s least important, it doesn’t need to be the most recent thing on your medical school application. Now I would begin looking for research opportunities with the people teaching you in class! Most of these teachers will have a lab, and you can create some kind of connection with them by being their student and asking questions about their lab during their office hours. Professors often will find their research far more interesting than the class they are teaching so they will be very willing to discuss it with you. If none of the research projects or topics interest you with your current teachers, then begin the search outside of them and look at the professors in your major! Information about what they are researching is generally found on the bio page on your school’s website. So do some homework, look through the professors, and see if you find a topic that interests you. I would suggest ranking 3-5 professors you’d be happy working with and stopping by their office. Just simply show up and knock on the door, shake their hand, and express your interest in working in their lab. Now come prepared, read up on some of their most recent publications or studies, and be able to explain why you are interested in their lab. They could have many students who are interested in their lab, so coming prepared, in person, and with good reason to be there, will help set you apart. Let them know of your end goals, and be willing to give them a time commitment. Let them decide, if you don’t get picked, repeat and do it with the next professor on your list (etc.), and if you do get selected, great job! I would begin this in the second semester of my freshman year. If after doing some research, you realize it doesn’t float your boat, do it for 6 months (2 semesters) or up to a year and be done. Regardless if you like it or not, medical schools want to see commitment and that you have given it a fair shot. The scientific process is important, and research is essential to progress in every field, so getting that exposure is important. It’s also helpful because you will get to know a science faculty that will be able to write you a recommendation letter later on.

Sophomore Year:

• This next year I would begin looking for clubs and volunteer opportunities. Now that you have adjusted to school and got your research done, it’s time to get involved with the community. Look through your school’s service organizations and find something that is powerful and meaningful to you. Get involved and find what you are passionate about. This is also a great time to TA! Helping mentor young students like yourself in those entry-level classes is a great way to stay fresh on the material, get to know a professor, and serve your peers. Being a TA was one of the most rewarding experiences of college for me, and I am so grateful for those lessons. It’s also leadership experience! I highly recommend it. You could start clinical experience here if you are only able to work a light load (6-8 hours a week). Just make sure you find time to do service as well.

Junior Year:

• Time for some clinical experience. Apply for the jobs that I mentioned above and be patient. It took me 92 job applications and 3 months before I landed the right one. It will be worth it, but start applying early! This will give you plenty of hours for your application as you should get a full year of working by the time you apply, and plan on staying there until you leave for medical school. On the application, they will ask for projected hours and completed hours, so you will be able to have both here. This will also be your most recent experience, which I think is important. Getting 15-18 hours a week is ideal, as it won’t kill you during school, but will help you rack up a good amount of hours. Continue any service that you’ve loved and built good connections with if you would like. But clinical experience should be prioritized here.

Senior Year:

• Apply and finish your generals/degree!! Hopefully be interviewing places, continuing your clinical experience, and preparing for your next journey in becoming a doctor!

The MCAT

As you read in the schedule, I believe in taking the MCAT after completing the required courses, and doing so while you are not in classes. You will sign up for the MCAT test date usually in October of the year before your test. Ex. I signed up in October 2022 to take my test in April 2023. These test dates and locations are announced on the AMCAS website, and to sign up you need to enter into a queue the day of sign-ups (usually in September the year before your test) to ensure you get the location and date you want. Start checking every so often in August on the AMCAS website to find out when the signup date and time will be and plan accordingly. It is also worth mentioning that the sign-ups are regionalized, with one day of sign-ups being for the East Coast and the second for everyone else. This first sign-up date is generally for testing dates Jan-July and then there will be a second sign-up date (generally in February) for July-Sep testing dates. The test dates do not vary much from year to year, so look at the past year’s exam dates to get a good ballpark of what will be offered. Your score will take one month from post testing date to be released to you and the schools, so make sure you plan accordingly.

As for a study schedule, I recommend dedicated studying for 3 months (4 max) before the test. You will hear some people study for 9 months and some for 3 weeks, remember these people are outliers. If you have followed the schedule up to this point, you are fresh off all the material in the last 2 years and don’t need more time than 3-4 months to prepare. Anything longer than 4 months will subject you to serious burnout, likely leading to your worst performance on test day and several months wasted. I’m sure you will find some people on YouTube and Reddit who will claim all you need is a few weeks to prepare, and that just isn’t true for the general premed. My philosophy here is if you would benefit from 3 weeks of studying, you will also benefit from 3 months. Play the long game here, as the testing is expensive and it’s not ideal to retake. As for how to prepare, I’m actually going to advise that you prepare differently than what I did. That’s right, the person that wrote 30+ pages of advice on getting into medical school studied poorly for the MCAT? You are absolutely right, and it’s part of why I wrote this document. I want you to do so much better than I did. I got led down a decent path, and everything worked out in the end, but I could’ve done much better had I done a few things differently. Let’s talk about it.

First, let me explain what I did (so you don’t fall for this yourself), and then I will tell you what you should do. My study schedule/plan was the following: 3 month block January – April of (1) Practice Exam baseline, (2) 2 months of pure content review through Kaplan books and Anki, and (3) one month of practice exams every 2-3 days leading up to the exam. Why this method sounds appealing: It feels safe, you get to cover all the content, and it’s easy to follow. You read your pages, do your anki cards, and life goes on. Seems like there shouldn’t be any problems right? Wrong. Now I’m not saying you can’t get a good MCAT score doing this, but you severely limit your ceiling, not to mention it’s highly inefficient, leading to wasted time that could be spent not studying for the MCAT. That got your attention? Let me tell you a better way.

What you should do: Still stick to your 3-4 month block, but instead of following a schedule of kaplan book chapters, start practice questions: immediately. Take your baseline exam on day 1, and then everyday, start doing practice questions (Not-sponsored: UWorld is one of the best Q banks for the MCAT). Set a number of practice questions that you want to get done that week (~250 is a good goal), and break it up according to your study schedule. Now this is the most important part so wake up if you’re sleep-reading!!! Set aside time to then go through those practice questions (same day, every 3 days, end of week whatever works) and make note of what you are getting wrong, or get right via guessing. Because you have seen all the material on the MCAT through your classes, all of this should be reviewing/deepening connections that you haven’t made before. The whole point of studying is not to rehash what you already know, but to learn what you don’t know. This isn’t just for the MCAT, but applies to all schools (maybe life?) exams. The most effective use of your time then is identifying your areas of weakness via the practice questions, then using third party resources (Kaplan Books, Khan Academy, Sketchy etc) to Learn, not simply memorize the concept, then unsuspend the associated anki card (from whatever deck you like Anking, MilesDown etc). Now you are not only improving your test taking strategies by doing more practice questions, getting faster at doing practice questions, learning pattern recognition, and getting repeatedly questioned on high yield topics, but you are identifying where you are weak. That is the key. You must, and I repeat you MUST find your weaknesses, and address them if you want to score the best you can on this exam. After doing some investigation, I learned this is how all the best MCAT scorers seemed to prepare. I spent way too much time reading things, and doing anki cards about concepts I already knew. Did it feel great? You better believe it did. Was it efficient, or effective? Nope, a huge waste of time. Do better than me, after all, that’s the whole point of this document. I want to lift you up to the highest of heights so you can accomplish your dream. Summary: Get a baseline score. Startdoing practice questions (40-60) a day from a Qbank. Review these questions, note what you are missing, and immediately go and learn why you missed it and fill the associated knowledge gap with 3rd party resources. You might spend 2 hours doing questions, but you should spend the next 3-6 reviewing, learning, and solidifying the missed concepts. Now that you learned it, search through the anki deck tags and find what you just learned, unsuspend those cards, and do them to solidify the concept, and keep it fresh moving forward as it comes up in your reviews. Schedule your practice exams (depending on how many you have access to) and treat them the same way. Take the exam, then review it, find out what you missed, 3rd party to learn, unsuspend cards and you’re off and running. Then continue to do your review cards every day. Rinse this cycle and repeat for 3-4 months and you will be golden. Pro Tip: Self scout early on and be really honest with yourself: acknowledge where you are weak. Own it. Then decide to get better. Don’t avoid your weaknesses like I did. I paid the price, now you don’t have to.

Now addressing the question of whether you should use test preparation courses like Altius, Blueprint, or any other company. It depends. I think a lot of those companies are good and can do students a lot of good, but some of their services are unnecessary and overpriced. If you are a traditional student who has taken these classes within the last 2-3 years, I would recommend self-study. Many people say they purchased these programs for a schedule and to tell you what you are weak on or to be that 3rd party resource, all of which can be done for free or much cheaper. If you’re a non-trad applicant who is several years removed from these courses, maybe a study program is the better choice. But I think the same or better results can be achieved for ⅓ the cost by simply buying the Kaplan test prep books on Amazon/Facebook Marketplace, finding an Excel study schedule, Anki deck of your choice, AAMC study bundle, and Uworld. Many of these test prep courses range from $500- 2000 dollars. If you have the cash lying around for that, go ahead and knock yourself out. But I have found my money isbetter spent elsewhere (see application section).

As for the previously mentioned MCAT materials, here is what I recommend and why:

Kaplan Prep Books

• You can buy these on Amazon or used for 45-150 dollars on Facebook marketplace. I bought the new ones, but looking back on it, I think used books (within 3 years of the test date) would suffice. Use these books as your source for content review. They are expertly written and worth every penny. Supplement your review with the free Khan Academy MCAT videos and you’ll be covered. This isn’t a non-negotiable, but I think they can be great, especially since most MCAT anki decks are tagged to correlate the chapter and topics of these books.

AAMC MCAT Bundle

• This right here is non-negotiable. Pound for pound it is the most useful test prep item on this list, as it is written by the test makers themselves. Their test prep bundle will include a Q bank for several sections of the test, Practice Exams (6), and a diagnostic CARS section guide. The name of their bundle might vary but you want the one that offers the most practice exams. In 2023, it was called the “MCAT Official Prep Online-OnlyBundle”. I wouldn’t worry about getting it in print, as it’s a waste of paper and your test will be online anyway. When you purchase it I believe you get one year access to the resources, and you can retake the tests and redo the problems as many times as you’d like. Like I said, this is a must-have.

Q-Bank

• I think this is a two horse race, and you should do both: UWorld and AAMC. In that practice, bundle, there are practice questions and those things are gold. Cant get any more accurate than the ones made by the test makers, so please, do those. But there aren’t a ton of those, so Uworld is where you can get volume. You can do your questions by subject matter, random or anywhere in between. Just find what works for you, do your questions, review them, learn the topic, anki cards get unsuspended, and repeat (you tired of me repeating this yet? Good, because you need to do this).

ANKI

• Now this might be your first exposure to Anki. Get ready because it will become your best friend as you prepare for the test and eventually as a Medical Student. Go on YouTube and watch some Anki tutorials (I’ll link some down below) to help you get this setup. You will want to download the “MileDown’s MCAT Deck” or the “Anking MCAT Deck” or any other deck you think is the best (these two seem to be the consensus favorites). Anki uses spatial repetition to help you stay refreshed on past material and learn new material. You will do these flashcards on Anki every single day and they are what will keep you afloat on your content during practice exams and while looking over other material. Did I mention it is completely free? Another huge plus. Now the Anking deck might be a few bucks a month, but this is easily the best money you’ll spend. It might take a while to get used to, but trust me, it is 1000% worth it. It’s important you do your review cards every single day. The FSRS algorithm feeds off of your input, and by doing reviews appropriately, you will ensure you have the best experience. Don’t let cards pile up, you’re only cheating yourself.

Anki Setup and User Settings

Anki Settings Walkthrough

These four things right here will be the bulk of your studying. I think that with just these four things, you can do well on the test. Of course, everyone is different and will require some adjustments to meet their needs, but I think these three things are one size fits all.

MCAT Breakdown by Section

The MCAT itself is broken into 4 sections(in order): General Chemistry & Physics (95 mins), 10 min optional break, CARS (90 minutes), 30 min optional break, Biology & Biochemistry (95 mins), 10 min optional break and finally Psychology & Sociology (95 mins). These 4 sections are timed and the test itself has 230 total questions. The breakdown of that is 59 questions in the GenChem/Phys, 53 questions in CARS, 59 in Bio/Biochem, and 59 in Psych/Soc. Each section is worth 25% of your total grade, and has a maximum score of 132 in each section, making a perfect score of 528. As I mentioned, those breaks are optional, but you should takethem. Now you don’t need to use all of the breaks, but using a portion to stand up, walk around, use the restroom, get a drink of water, or eat a snack is imperative to your success. That’s why drilling the practice tests before test day is very helpful, as you will find your routine and what works best for you. Use those practice test days to figure out your nutrition (finding what sits well with you and what doesn’t), potty schedule, and build that testing stamina. When taking those practice exams, do your best to simulate test conditions, but also don’t lose your mind over it. Some people get really in the weeds when simulating test day like wearing the same clothes, driving the same distance, sitting in the same spot, etc. While some of that can certainly be helpful, don’t stress and just find what works best for you.

Try and schedule your exam to the closest testing center to you as possible, so you can go check it out once or twice before test day. Get the feel of what traffic may look like and know where you can park. These things will help calm you down on test day, and give you confidence that you have the right plan. What will be offered to you could vary by testing center, but my testing center offered noise-canceling overhead headphones, earplugs, and a small pad of paper with a pencil. Look up on the AAMC website also to be sure you bring the proper form of identification to test day and make sure that Is up to date as well.

CASPER(Duet) and AAMC Preview

Okay, so these two exams are pretty dumb and I won’t elaborate much on them. The thing to know from these exams is that they are meant to assess soft skills, not readily tested by the MCAT. With the number of applications schools are receiving in 2023, they are looking for every way they can screen through applications using objective measures like scores and numbers. CASPER and Preview are just another of those numbers. The issue is that schools aren’t telling students how they are using these exams, rather they just tell you if it’s required for your application to be reviewed. So make sure when looking into schools (MSAR or their admissions website), you look and see if these exams are required for admission. Then decide if you want to take them. Every year, more and more schools are requiring these types of exams so be aware.

I did not take the Preview Exam but I did take Casper, so I will only speak on that. It’s taken online through a website with the parent company titled Acuity Insights. You will want to take this exam in May, the month after you take the MCAT. That’s usually the first month it’s offered. It’s all online and requires no studying. Feel free to look up videos on how the test is formatted so that you are aware of what you’re getting yourself into before test day. Other than that, just be authentic and do your best. Again we don’t know how the test is being used by admissions committees, so if you score poorly it’s okay. These tests are trying to objectively measure subjective things. If you thought that was impossible, then you are 100% correct, making these tests rather inaccurate and a waste of money. But again, several schools require it and your application will not be considered complete until they receive that score, so you have to do what you have to do. Check out the cost section below to see what the Casper exam will cost you.

Also, be sure to complete not only the Casper Exam but what is called Duet as well. It’s a valuealignment test that comes with your purchase of the Casper exam. It comes free with the Casper exam and some schools also require both.

Transcripts

Okay, this is one of the most overlooked things when going into the application and can be a source of stress. But it doesn’t have to be, and here is how. Once you finish your Winter (BYU) or Spring (Most Universities) semester and grades are officially recorded, go ahead and request your transcripts. So this should be around April-May depending on when your classes ended and grades are finalized. TMDSAS does NOT require your transcripts until after you are admitted to a school!! For the application itself though you want to be using an official transcript to ensure you input accurate information. So that means you need to get an official transcript from every institution you have attended (this includes dual credit High school enrollment). Just get a digital version if possible. So far then, you will just have one single official transcript, and this will be your copy that you will use to input your coursework into all of the application systems. This is mission critical as mistakes in inputting classes are the number one cause of verification delays.

Okay now AACOMAS and AMCAS each REQUIRE an OFFICIAL transcript to be sent to their office. You can get the official address on each of their websites respectively for both digital and paper. Again, e-send a digital copy if possible as it is the quickest and most secure way to send it. And again, they want an official transcript from every college you have attended and completed coursework at. Even if it was just one dual credit class in high school through your community college, they need the official transcript. You can send these transcripts as soon as you open an application with these websites. Once you create a profile, and begin an application on either of these websites, you will be given a unique ID. They ask that these ID numbers be attached to your transcripts to ensure your transcript is attached to your application. You cannot send transcripts before opening your application. So as soon as you open your AACOMAS and/or AMCAS applications, go ahead and send over those transcripts to the addresses listed on their websites.

To summarize, you will:

1) Request a transcript from every institution you have completed college coursework at as soon as your Winter (BYU) or Spring (Every other college) grades are finalized. This will be your copy that you will use to input your coursework information into the application service of your choosing.

2) You will NOT submit an official transcript to TMDSAS, because as of 2023, they do not require it until after your acceptance.

3) You WILL submit an official transcript to AACOMAS and AMCAS once you have begun an application at each service respectively. Please attach your unique ID number to that transcript to ensure it is attached correctly. (This is in MAY!!)

4) If you are a BYU student, use this document to help you fill in your applications correctly.

• applyingtomedicalschool.pdf

5) Meet with your school’s premed advisor or an upperclassman who has already applied for help on any unanswered questions.

6) Input the coursework EXACTLY how it appears. If a word is capitalized, capitalize it! If there are no spaces, don’t put spaces! Just input it as it appears on your official transcript.

Your MCAT is all done and you are now awaiting your results! This is a blissful time in the process when you are completely ignorant of your score, and you can celebrate having that beast of a test behind you. The day after the test will feel like Christmas morning, as the reality of not having to do another Anki card, practice question, or practice exam will set in. Enjoy yourself and take a few weeks off before application season begins. If you plan on using all three applications to apply, you will want to complete them in this order: TMDSAS, AACOMAS, AMCAS. I will explain why below.

Applications – TMDSAS

Hopefully, by this point, you have an idea of what you want your personal statement to be about. You might even have a draft or two. This is perfect, as on May 1st or 2nd, the TMDSAS application will open. It is the first application to open, hence why it should be done first. This application is unique as it is strictly for medical schools in Texas! It has a flat fee of $215 and has 14 schools (12 MD and 2 DO) in the application. You can submit to as many or as few of these as you’d like and it will cost you the same. Medical schools in Texas are infamous for their friendly tuition (22,000 on average for In-state students) . And while it might be 35,000+ for out of state, most (if not all) schools will allow you in-state tuition after your first year. The cheap tuition, low cost of living, and easy application make Texas schools pretty desirable for medical students.

The application is also unique in the fact that it has different character limits for your activities than the other two applications. It has very few characters for activity descriptions, usually 300-500 characters (including spaces) depending on the section you are working on. This is both a blessing and curse, as it doesn’t take long to write, but it is extremely difficult condensing down your experiences to that small of a description. Do your best to tell a story that has a good reflection and takeaway. Use the TMDSAS website (link below) to answer any questions you may have. The website is extremely detailed and helpful in answering 95% of questions. If you can’t seem to fit any stories into those small character limits, just give basic descriptions and some interesting details that might not be apparent in the activity title. The TMDSAS application has a section for your personal statement, 5000 characters, and provides two more essays, 2500 characters each. They claim one is optional, but news flash, it is not. Write all three essays, and have someone you trust who has plenty of writing experience read over them. Don’t get lost in telling stories that don’t address the questions that are being asked! Also, make sure the stories tell the reader something about you. At the end of the day, you are trying to tell your story, so make sure personal statements and accompanying essays do just that. You can pay for someone to help you, but I think that’s a bit much. Reach out to a family friend (I found a lawyer was the most helpful in my reviews as they have more thanenough experience in clear and articulate information in writing) or your university writing center to help. I wouldn’t let just anyone read this though. You don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen, nor do you want people to tear you down intentionally or unintentionally. Your personal statement is extremely important, and I found that being authentic is key. I personally like Dr. Gray (Med School HQ on Youtube) extremely insightful when it comes to writing personal statements and activities descriptions.

It is worth mentioning that all schools participating in the TMDSAS are required to have at least 90% of their incoming class be made up of Texas residents. So if you are not a Texas resident, you might wonder if it is worth applying at all. My opinion is absolutely yes. It’s a cost-effective application, and the chance of getting that discounted tuition is worth it. But again, that’s a personal opinion and you should make the best decision for your circumstances. You can submit the application usually the 3rd week of May (2023 it was May 16th for example) at 8 am CST. Two weeks of dedicated work on this application is sufficient to get everything done, but it will take more time than you initially thought. It’s several hours of painstakingly combing through transcripts, inputting personal information, and revising activity descriptions and essays. Try and submit as early as possible, because admissions are rolling. As an example, interviews can begin in July for some schools! Don’t sacrifice quality, but do your best to be here as soon as possible. And that will be true for all three applications.

TMDSAS Website

Application – AACOMAS

Both AACOMAS and AMCAS are very similar in character limits and process, so once you complete one, you have practically completed the other. AACOMAS opens for submission first, so take advantage and apply early. Use your TMDSAS experiences and simply expand upon them in these two applications. As previously mentioned, it is very difficult to tell stories in TMDSAS, but can be done in the other two applications so take advantage!! AACOMAS specifically will have you select the schools you wish to apply to and each school will almost have a miniature application. Some will require you to list your coursework to ensure you meet their requirements for admission (extremely helpful), some will have their secondary essays already included in the initial application, and some will have just a few background questions! It will vary from school to school, but the AACOMAS interface is extremely user-friendly.

Application – AMCAS

This application is probably the most infamous and again, fairly easy to navigate. Don’t underestimate how long it will take to complete any of these applications. You can submit this application beginning June 1st, and it’s important to get this in within the first 5 days of the application opening to ensure your application gets verified before it gets too crazy. The verification process occurs after you click submit and your transcript is reviewed, making sure everything lines up with what you input. You can imagine that this will take them a little bit of time to go through the 62,000+ applications they get, so it’s important to get it in early. Ofcourse, don’t put out a bad product, but prioritize early submission for peace of mind. Ultimately, the goal is to be verified before July 1st, as long as you reach that goal, you are golden.

Application – Personal Statements, Essays, and Activity Descriptions

I am not an expert in these fields, nor will I claim to be. But I will give my opinion on them nonetheless so take it for what it is worth.

Tell Your Story! Don’t just give job descriptions and resume outlines for these activities. Take the time to share your experiences with the admissions committee. Act as if you are speaking directly. Be yourself, because everyone is already taken. Be authentic and truthful. Don’t just try and checkboxes or write what someone else told you to write. At the end of the day, the admissions committee wants YOU. So please be YOU. Don’t overcomplicate things that don’t need to be complicated. Have some fire in your belly! Show some passion!! This path is not easy, convey that this is the only thing you could ever do with your life through your passion for the field. When writing these descriptions and essays, make sure you are telling the committee about yourself. Telling stories is a great way to use the descriptions, but be sure to not get lost in them. Make sure they connect with who you are. It does no good to tell a story about your mom and how great she was without telling us how that has impacted YOU. Don’t get lost in trying to tell stories that you forgot the overall purpose of it all.

Another piece of advice is don’t make things what they are not. For example, If you put down a hobby as playing video games, don’t take it to “..and that’s why my extensive experience playing video games has prepared me to be a doctor. The manual dexterity required to play XBOX willmake me a great surgeon.” Please. Your application will be laughed off the screen at every school if they read that. Of course, the admissions committees want to know if you are a good fit to practice medicine at their school, but they have brains! They can put two and two together.

There is no need to spell everything out and tie everything into how it will make you a good doctor. It’s exhausting to write and read. Instead, just be truthful.

“I played video games because it was a great way for me to destress and keep in contact with my friends that live far away.” If that’s what it was, that’s what you write. Period.

Writing your personal statement is huge. Be sure it answers the question of “Why Medicine”, and more specifically, “Why a doctor?” Don’t lose sight of the question as you write. It is easy to get sidetracked as you tell stories, but make sure it all comes back to that thesis. And again, be true to yourself. Own your path and story. Reflect on what experiences you want to include and that speak to you.

Earlier in this document I recommended taking courses and studying things you are passionate about, and this is where those experiences will pay off. Writing these essays, Personal statements, secondary essays, and impactful experiences is your chance to write about those things you love. You’ll find it so much easier to write, often being limited by the character limitwhen you write about something you love. Not only will it be easy to write, but the reader will be able to feel your passion, regardless of what that is.

For more specific advice on how to write these things, I would listen to Dr. Ryan Gray. This is just my opinion on what I think is the best way to write, but that will be up to you. His channel is called Med School HQ, and he has a TON of videos talking about the application, activities, personal statements, and more. Go check out his page and start listening to some of his playlists of advice and reviewing other students’ applications that were and were not accepted. The sooner you start watching the better.

How to answer “Why do you want to be a Doctor?”

Letters of Recommendation

TMDSAS will only allow you to submit 4 LOR on their application, with 3 being required and the 4th being optional. I would recommend using all 4 slots. AACOMAS only allows 6 LORs to be uploaded to their application, and AMCAS allows up to 10 LORs. All of these letters will be uploaded from Interfolio directly to these three application websites, and from there can be applied to the schools. Let’s dive into who should write your letters, when to ask, where to keep them, and how many you should get.

TMDSAS will have the same LOR requirements for all schools that participate in the program, so they are the easy ones. AACOMAS and AMCAS will vary from school to school in the number of letters they accept and who they want to write them. What I have seen most commonly that will guarantee you reach almost every school’s requirement is getting (2) LOR from the Science faculty that taught you in class. (1) LOR from a non-science professor. (1-3) LOR from Physicians (MD or DO work but DO especially if applying DO heavy). (1) LOR from an extracurricular leader. So at the minimum, have (2) science faculty, (1) non-science professor, 2 Physicians (preferably worked with and if worked with none then shadowed, and (1) Extracurricular. Getting 1-2 more is a great idea because you never know if one will bail, or if you have that many people who can write quality things about you, that won’t hurt! But the main theme here is to prioritize quality over quantity. If you are only able to get 3 quality letters, then get and submit 3.

Unless your school has a letter service, you’ll likely need to purchase a letter service. One of the most popular is Interfolio, and it’s a great service. You’ll have to pay for it, but it keeps your letters confidential and has a useful interface that makes it easy to use with your applications.

You will send an email to your letter writers from Interfolio that will provide them a link that they can use to upload their letter confidentially to Interfolio directly. From the interfolio website, you will be able to upload your letters directly into your applications. Look up tutorials, use the application’s website, and inter-folios website and support team to answer any questions.

You should ask your letter writers in April (right after the MCAT) for letters. Out of courtesy, give your letter writers at least a month to write them. Also, go ask for these in person. Go shake their hand and meet face to face. They are doing you a great service so make the extra effort toshow this matters to you. Also write them handwritten thank you notes afterward, thanking them for their help. You can submit your applications without the letters, but having them in early May is ideal. Remember that these letters are confidential, so you will only be able to read them if they give you a personal copy. So make sure you always choose to keep them confidential in Interfolio.

Some of the best ways to get letters from professors is to TA for them, or do research with them. That will ensure an actual relationship with them. It’s really hard to get a good letter from a teacher who simply taught you unless you make a lot of effort or it’s a small class. Don’t annoy professors at every office hour, they are trying to build a relationship so you can get a LOR, just be a good human being and let them know your intentions ahead of time.

Where to Apply?

This is going to be dependent on a few factors, including grades, undergraduate institution, and goals. For that reason, I won’t comment much on this. Use the MSAR tool to help you gauge where statistically you should be applying. Perhaps the most valuable thing to look at using MSAR is the out-of-state / In-state acceptance/interview rates. Premeds so commonly overlooks this. They simply look for wherever their median MCAT lines up and apply a little above and a little below there. Your grades and MCAT score are just a small portion. If you are applying to schools out of your state, be sure to apply to mostly private schools! Most public medical schools receive state funding and are therefore required to accept a majority of state residents. Don’t throw money at those schools. MSAR will be able to tell you what percentage are from out of state. Purchase the MSAR application (through the AAMC website) in April of the year you apply. (After you finish the MCAT) Also, look up and talk to some upperclassmen about where they received interviews and acceptances. Likely, many of those institutions are a good choice for you. See if your school has a list of schools that accept many students. This can be on a website or through a pre-medical advisor.

MD vs. DO and Choosing the Right School for You

A lot has changed in the past 10-15 years regarding the stigma surrounding DOs and their reputation continues to improve with every passing year. The choice to apply to MD or DO or some combination of the two is 100% personal and at the end of the day, you’ll be a doctor either way. Here is how I view it.

Accredited Osteopathic Medical Schools are not all created equal (more on that below). You can do almost anything you want as a DO, but it will be entirely dependent on you. There are very few DO schools where the name will give you any type of advantage. At an osteopathic school, you are in many ways your own school, completely dependent on yourself to get where you want to go. If you want a competitive residency position, you will likely have to do it on your own, working a bit harder than an MD student. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people running these residency programs holding onto the stigma stronger than others. So to combat this, you need to work harder and score better than an MD might have to. You might also need to think about the fact that you will be required to take COMLEX 1 and 2 instead of the STEP exams. While similar, they are not the same tests and again, if you want a competitive residency, many DO students will take both COMLEX and STEP exams while in medical school to prove themselves. This is an added layer of stress, but it is definitely possible. Like I said, you become your own entity at that point. Every year these schools are getting better and more competitive. You are not any less of a doctor going to osteopathic school than Allopathic, just simply a different route.

Now while I think most DO schools are similar, there certainly is a difference, and it lies in whether they are state-sponsored or privately funded. Michigan State University has a DO school, and its state sponsorship allows it access to a better and bigger hospital network, enables in-state tuition, and better research opportunities than its private counterparts. These factors generally lead to it having better match outcomes than strictly private DO schools (especially within the state of Michigan). Michigan State and Oklahoma State fit that bill off my head. They each have teaching hospitals, satellite clinics, residency programs, and large state-funded universities backing them that also add many more scholarship opportunities than private schools. Most private DO schools revenue (60% on average) is from tuition. So you can see how these private schools cannot afford to give scholarships due to the business model currently in place. Now these state-funded DO schools will favor in-state applicants as a condition of its funding, but there is food for thought. Now some schools are somewhere in between, like VCOM. VCOM has affiliations with large public institutions but is privately owned and operated. This allows for some benefits of the public institution (college town, access to campus facilities, possible research collaborations, discounted sports tickets, etc) while not getting access to things like in-state or discounted tuition, and limited scholarship opportunities. Then finally you have your completely private osteopathic schools, with no university affiliations. These pose some challenges like poor rotation sites, steep tuition, and poor name recognition. So all DO schools are not created equally, and be sure you are aware of these important distinctions.

Something to consider when choosing between MD and DO is the potential diminishing value of the DO degree. DO schools are being created every single year, with new schools popping up all over the country. There is no law prohibiting anyone from opening a DO school anywhere in the country. As long as they meet accreditation requirements, they will be accredited. This relative ease of opening up schools has made these schools popular investments by people in venture capital and private equity, with them seeing the financial opportunities with a school like this. For this reason, few things are stopping these school’s creation, and with that comes an ever-increasing influx of DO students. While this is not inherently a bad thing, this almost exponential growth could lead to a diminished value of the degree over time and/or increased stratification of the schools. Now this is from someone who chose to attend an osteopathic medical school. I am particularly interested in OMM for its benefits in treating low back pain and my future specialty of choice. That being said, I acknowledge that there is a potential devaluing of the degree that likely won’t affect us, but I have a responsibility to be completely transparent. This influx of schools will likely allow for more and more people to become physicians that normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to do so, which again, isn’t almost always a good thing. But, if the quality of physicians being produced is diminished by the lowering of standards to get accepted into medical school, and these students have a poor showing in residency, it’s likely all DO’s will get stigmatized, not just the bad actors. This degree distinction makes DO’s susceptible to this type of stereotyping and categorization. On the flip side, when a DO is awesome, that stands out too. Many patients know when they are treated by a DO, and if they have a positive experience, some only choose to see DOs for all their medical care. Being a DO has a slightly different meaning/significance to it, and that can be in your favor or against it, and a lot of it is up to you. So much progress has been made as of recently, and I don’t think that will change. DOs are great, and absolutely have a place in healthcare, right alongside their MD colleagues. I would also add, be your own person. If osteopathic training is something that interests you, that’s awesome! Own that. Have some self-confidence, you’ve earned it. If you don’t find it interesting or helpful, that’s okay too! It is okay to acknowledge and lean into what you like and find interesting, even if it is not super popular.

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting a school to attend is 3rd and 4th-year rotations. Most DO schools are in smaller more rural communities and have an emphasis on primary care. Therefore, in order for you to do your rotations in the 3rd and 4th year, you sometimes have to move (even across states) to complete your rotations. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but something worth considering. The advantage most MD schools have is well-established rotations near the school for their students, but even that isn’t always the case. But it’s certainly more common for DO students to have to move than an MD student. The advantage for the DO student is that in these rural rotations, you get SIGNIFICANTLY more hands on, personalized training. You may be on rotations by yourself, with a country doctor that does it all, and you’re their right hand guy/gal for a month. This experience can be enriching and perhaps shape how and where you want to practice. Regardless, I hope you’re seeing the theme: One isn’t better or worse than the other, they are just simply different. Of course they have a ton of overlap as well, but I hope I’m encouraging you to view it through the lens of different, not good or bad.

When evaluating MD schools, outside of the Ivy leagues, most are pretty similar and prestige should matter little in your decision making. Rather, I think it’s more important finding a curriculum you like, the best tuition rates, a supportive faculty and peer group, and an area you would be happy living in. Now money isn’t everything, but adding a few hundred thousand dollars to your student loan burden to attend a school that will provide you no substantial advantage when compared to another MD school, doesn’t seem like a wise decision unless some exceptional personal circumstances. After you graduate from medical school and residency, you will be eager to buy a house, start a family (if you haven’t already), buy a new car, or just enjoy the fruits of your labor. Not being in crippling debt will certainly facilitate those things and you’ll be grateful you made that decision. At the end of the day, you make the decision and own it. We won’t always make the right decision, but you can make any decision the right one if you want. And after you make the decision, don’t live in this state of fear and anxiety that you made the wrong decision, constantly wondering what could have been. Trust yourself, own your choices, and make the most of your opportunity. There is nothing helpful about living in hypothetical situations that you will never know the answer to. You are more capable than you think.

Pro Tip: When trying to evaluate schools (MD or DO), look at their match lists. Find out where people are being placed and at what rate they are being placed. The ultimate goal of medical school is to get you into a residency program. This is far more important than any World News and Report or BeMo rank list you can find. Look over the last few years to find trends, and look not only at what specialties were matched but where they went. And just because someone from that particular school has never done exactly what you want to do or gone where you want to go, doesn’t mean you can’t. There is always a first for everything. Now it will be more difficult being the first, but this was never going to be easy. Use this only to give you an idea of the relationship some of these schools might have with programs and set healthy expectations for yourself.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider when picking a school is not just MD or DO, but picking a place that you will thrive at. It does you no good to attend the best-sounding school in the world if you fall apart while at school. Being miserable and hating your life is not a requirement as a medical student, so choosing a place you are happy with and enjoy is essential to becoming the best version of yourself and ultimately, the best physician you can be.

If you hate where you live, your classmates, the curriculum, and the school, this will not make you a good doctor. So really ponder what makes you happy, what makes you tick. If you need family nearby, only apply to schools near your family. If you hate California, don’t apply there!! I know this might sound intuitive, but trust me, when you start looking at MSAR and see stats lining up somewhere, you might just talk yourself into it and you will regret it later. If you are married, consider and involve your spouse. You won’t be home most of the day, so don’t drag him/her to some place she/he won’t be happy as you pursue your dream. They are likely helping support you in this journey, and their opinion 100% matters. If they are unhappy, you will be too. No matter how pretty or prestigious the school is.

One of the most underrated factors to be considered when applying to a medical school is their curriculum. If you are someone who does not enjoy in-person lectures, make sure you ask about the school’s attendance policy!! There are still many schools that require mandatory lecture attendance from 8-12, every day M-F. Most schools have a dress code, some being stricter than others. Some schools have no lectures required, but just labs are required. And some schools have completely removed lectures altogether. Some schools are also only Pass/Fail. Now some schools say they are pass-fail, but they have Pass, Fail, High Pass, and Honors. This is stupid and basically a letter grading system so don’t give that too much weight. But there are a few schools that are TRUE Pass/Fail. This will discourage people from being cutthroat, and encourage collaboration. Some schools are letter-graded and don’t rank their students. Some schools are percentage-based and have rankings. Some schools have internal ranking systems, others external, and some none at all!! Some have their exams on Fridays, and others on Mondays. Some only have exams every 2-3 weeks, and some schools have 1-3 exams weekly. Are the exams at their medical school In-House exams created by the faculty or are they NBME exams? In-house exams tend to be far more in-depth than NBME. NBME is the organization that writes the STEP 1 and STEP 2 exams (the two big exams that are used to match into a residency that all Allopathic medical students are required to take) and their exams will be more indicative of how your STEP exams will be. In premed terms, compare the NBME to the AAMC. Imagine taking Physics and your exams being written by the AAMC. How helpful would that be? Those exams would give you insight into what you need to know for the MCAT, and not get lost in details that won’t matter. These in-house exams often are far more in-depth than what you need to know to (1) Do well on STEP and (2) be a good doctor. Remember, most of your teachers are probably Ph.D. and they will have particular interests and far more knowledge than what you need because you are not a Ph.D. student in microbiology or whatever.

I bet you never thought about that. Don’t worry, neither did 99% of anyone else. But do you see how much of a difference that could make in your stress levels and overall medical school experience? Attending a school with no internal ranking system, no mandatory lectures, all classes a true pass-fail, and tests only on Fridays (so you could enjoy your weekends) would look very different than a school with Monday tests (you lose your whole weekend to studying/stressing), external ranking, mandatory lectures, and letter grading system. Not everyone will thrive in every type of environment. Some people are used to being graded and need to have frequent exams to hold themselves accountable. That’s okay! I am not saying that you should not apply to a school whose curriculum isn’t your favorite, because at the end of the day, you will survive and become a doctor, but if you are lucky enough to have multiple acceptances and try to decide where to go, that is certainly something to think about. As a side note, many MD schools are transitioning to pass-fail curriculums, while most DO schools are graded still whether percentage or letter-graded.

What about Early Decision Programs?

Some Allopathic medical schools participate in what’s called an early decision program. This program has students apply to just that single school, and the school in turn promises an answer on admission by a certain date (usually in September). The catch here is that you can only apply to that one school during early admission, and you cannot submit your application to other schools until you receive a decision from your early decision school. This makes early decision programs not a good decision for 99.9% of medical school applicants. Perhaps there are some extenuating circumstances, but these will be few and far between. You are far better off applying early to many different schools than doing an early decision program. You get no special treatment or preference for applying early, so just don’t bother with it. Here is a video from Medschool HQ’s Dr. Ryan Gray discussing this in more detail if you’d like to hear more.

Should you Apply Early to Med School? Video

How Many Schools Should I Apply to? And How Much Does it Cost?

Of the many problems with the application process, the cost of applications is the biggest issue in my opinion. Many of these schools scream for equity in healthcare, but then charge almost 200$ to apply to their school. It’s completely hypocritical and an unfortunate reality of the system. Here is a cost breakdown of what it costs for me to apply to medical school.(Disclaimer: I applied to a lot of schools, much more than the average student because I only wanted to go through this process once, and found a good number of schools that I would be happy with and thought I had a somewhat realistic chance at.)

• I applied to 42 Schools Total
• TMDSAS applies to 14 Schools for a flat $215 (~$15 per school)
• I applied to 9 schools through AACOMAS, which cost $640 (~$70 per school)
• I applied to 19 schools through AMCAS, which cost $940 (~$45 per school)

Now remember, this is just the initial fee charged to send your initial application. Every school (except Indiana, UT San Antonio, and UT Tyler) has a secondary application with an associated fee (these are the only three I know of). These nonrefundable secondary fees will range anywhere between $25 – 150 dollars a school, with the average being about $75. It’s worth noting that Osteopathic schools’ secondary fees are generally much cheaper than Allopathic schools. The more prestigious the school, the more it generally costs.

Another cost to consider is the cost of exams required to apply. The MCAT is the main one. The exam itself costs 320 dollars. That doesn’t include study materials, which will vary depending on how you choose to study (self or through a course). I self-studied, and my MCAT study materials cost me another ~$300. So for simplicity’s sake, let’s say the MCAT cost us $620.

Another cost is the CASPER exam. The exam is not only useless but also expensive. And every year, more and more schools are requiring it. That exam cost me $85 and with that cost, you can send your score to 8 schools. After those 8, it cost $15 (that’s what their website says but when I purchased them it was about $17) a school after those 8. To give you an idea, of my 42 schools, 18 required the CASPER exam. So that cost me a nice ~$260 total to take the CASPER and send my scores.

Another cost of this process is the return of the in-person interview. Due to COVID, most schools have switched to online interviews. But this year, some schools have returned to mandatory in-person interviews, and some give you an option. From what I have noticed, it is mostly DO schools that have required in-person interviews. I think they are using this as a way to weed out applicants, so that is something to keep in mind. Purchasing flights and hotels is expensive and something to consider when budgeting the cost. So be sure to look at schools’ websites to see what their interview format will be.

So in total, I applied to 42 schools and returned 40 secondary applications. In total (with Casper), the applications cost me ~$4600. With MCAT and the study material included, it’s ~$5200. That’s not including the in-person interview costs of flights and accommodations. I have yet to hear of a school that covers those costs. I will not include those because they will vary per location. That is a lot of money. Again, something I don’t think enough people talk about enough and should be considered by students applying.The number of schools you apply to is dependent on your financial situation, time, and preferences. I went into the process wanting to cast the net wide because you never know who will say yes. I think you should also consider your MCAT score. I say this because of the unfortunate reality that many schools will reject your application if your score is too low, or too high. Yes. If your score is too high, they will reject you almost automatically. This mostly applies to DO schools. So if you scored a 515+, I would consider not applying to DO schools. They know that it’s unlikely you will attend their school with that score, and rather you are using them as a safety school. Same for some MD schools. Make sure you use the MSAR to help you gauge where you fit in. There is no such thing as safety schools or dream schools, only schools that you will or will not get accepted to. Find your range and stick to it. This process is way too expensive to waste money on schools that will screen you out before reading your application.

With that information given, I think there is some advantage to scoring between 509 and 512 on the MCAT. You might think it’s crazy, but that score will make you an extremely competitive DO applicant, while still qualifying you for almost all MD schools. Of course, you want to do the best that you can on the MCAT, but if you walk away with a score in this range, don’t lose hope. As I said, there is a case to be made that it might be one of the best scores for applying as you put yourself in the range of both types of schools. This isn’t fact, just an observation.

Something to also consider is that many schools tend to interview about 10% of their applications. So when you apply (as long as you are applying to the correct schools as previously mentioned) think about how many interviews you would like. I know you might think you are special, (and trust me, you are in your own way), but play the averages. I would much rather apply to 30 schools and get 5 interviews and be overjoyed than apply to 12 and get none. So aim for a 10% interview rate out of your school list. If you are nervous about interviewing, maybe that leads you to apply to more schools so you have more chances to interview. If you are confident in your interview skills, maybe you’re willing to play the game with less. Again, this won’t be true for everyone, but just a good rule of thumb to think about.

Secondary Applications

Secondaries are a pretty exciting time, as you finally get to hear back from schools that you’ve probably been thinking about forever. Secondaries can be stressful though, so here is what I would do to minimize the stress.

First, if you applied to 40+ schools, I might consider not taking a spring/summer term (May-June 30). These secondary essays will come in fast and furious, with most schools not even sniffing your application before they send you a secondary application. Why you might ask? Money. For these schools, it is like taking candy from a baby. They know we need them, and will pay almost whatever price they ask. Think about this. Georgetown School of Medicine received 14,000+ applications last year. What initial fee did you pay for the AMCAS application? The schools aren’t getting much/any of that. That’s for AMCAS to keep and operate their whole ordeal there. So for schools to make money, they will charge you for the secondary application. So if Georgetown gets 14,000 applications, and charges $130 bucks a piece for their secondaries, how much money does Georgetown make? The answer is A LOT. And they don’t have to lift a finger for it. Another problem with the system but I digress. Many of your secondaries will be sent to you right after they receive your initial application. For the first 3-4 weeks after May 16, I was getting close to 1 secondary application a day. And with a good turnaround time being 2 weeks for each one, and each secondary having 2-7 essays of varying lengths and questions, it can add up quickly. So having classes on top of this can be stressful. It’s doable, but you need to make sure you make the right decision for you.

Another thing to do is just keep a running Google doc of all of your secondary essays. Copy and Paste every question from every secondary you complete and answer it in the document. Then when you are ready, copy and paste it back into that school’s text box. This will ensure your hard work will be saved and you can reuse your essays from some schools to answer the questions of others. You’ll notice there are 3-4 main secondary questions and each school will then word those 3-4 questions in their wording as it pertains to their mission. They will also vary drastically in length requirements from school to school. So keep a running document of all of your essays so you can massage your essays and stories to fit the needs of each essay. But remember, the most important thing when it comes to secondaries is to just answer the question. Always always always make sure that you answer the question they are asking. You can ensure this by having a roommate or friend read it before you submit it and ask them from their unbiased perspective if it answers the prompt.

Interviews

If you can apply early, some schools will begin sending interview invitations in JULY! This isn’t the norm, but can happen. DO schools will generally be the first to reach out for interview invitations because they will begin requiring seat deposits in December if you receive an acceptance. Whereas MD schools don’t need a commitment until March-April, or even May. Of course, they would like it sooner, but there is no rush or commitment needed like for DO schools. The interview format will vary from school to school, ranging from scenario-based, MMI, and traditional Open and Closed field interviews. Look into the school to find out what style they use. Each person will have their preference as to which they prefer. Most interviews will be granted until Christmas, with few coming in February-April. April is the tail end of interview season so if you haven’t heard back from a school by then, it’s highly unlikely you will. September- January is primetime for interviews, with some schools beginning a little earlier and some going a little later. Be patient and stay off Reddit during this time, as it will do you no good to read about everyone else receiving interview invitations. Your time will come, so stay patient. You never know when you will get that email.

I loved that many DO schools were 1) in person 2) open file and 3) long form 1on1 or 2on1. I love having conversations, especially when I can shake someone’s hand, look them in the eye, and can feel the vibes of the interviewers. I want them to feel my passion for medicine, excitement about school and gratitude for the opportunity. Now I am not a spazz, but I noticed that this is significantly harder to do over Zoom. It’s also extra difficult over Zoom, where you switch through 8 or 9 stations for 3 minutes each with interviewers that don’t know who you are, nor you they. Now some people do great in this, and the ability to do it over Zoom helps reduce costs, which is great. But I would be remiss if I said the two are equal for all applicants. Thereare trade-offs to both, so keep that in mind. At this point in writing this, I have gotten accepted to every school that I interviewed at in person, and the two that I have not gotten into were both Zoom MMI. I obviously excelled at one type, and wasn’t so great at the other lol. And that’s totally okay, I own that.

Acceptances

Most MD schools will abide by AMCAS policy, which states that acceptances will be given beginning OCT 15. So even if you interview in August, you will wait until Oct 15 at the earliest to receive your decision. And you never know what timeline that school will have for you. They will usually give you an idea of when you can expect to hear from them on interview day. For AMCAS, if you are holding multiple acceptances, you will have to decide by May 15, accepting one offer, and dropping the rest.

DO schools don’t have that timeline, so they can begin giving acceptances whenever they’d like. This is another reason I like including DO schools in your application, as you can hear back 3-4 months before any MD schools and be sure you will be a doctor no matter what. It’s the peace of mind that counts. The difference here is that when you are given an acceptance, most DO schools will act on a first-come, first-serve basis. Let’s say the school has 150 seats available. That school will continue accepting students until they receive 150 deposits. So if the first 150 people accepted make the deposit, then it’s full. Now some people will end up abandoning that deposit for another offer, and if that’s the case then they will pull someone off the waitlist. This deposit can vary, and it’s non-refundable. I would prepare for it to be about $1000-$2000. If you use it, it will go toward your first-year expenses, if not, the school keeps it. If you receive an acceptance before Jan 1, they will likely place a deposit deadline around Dec 1-14. Again, this may vary by school, but generally, that is the case, so be prepared. If you receive an acceptance after January 1, they may give you 2-4 weeks to make a decision. If you choose not to make a deposit, you are forfeiting your seat. Again, this will vary from school to school, some may give you longer, and some may give you 2-4 weeks in October, so it’s tough to say. But hopefully, this gives you an idea of what to expect.

TMDSAS – The Match

If you are not a Texas Resident and applied to Texas schools through TMDSAS, you will be treated just like every other AMCAS application. Decisions won’t begin until around Oct 15, and you can get an acceptance, rejection, or waitlist. There is no Match for non-Texas residents. If you are a Texas resident (given residency status on your TMDSAS application), you will be forced to participate in the TMDSAS Match program. They use a very similar, if not the same algorithm used when medical students apply to residency programs. Here is basically how it works. After you apply, the TMDSAS schools can invite you for interviews. After you complete an interview, you will be able to have a match list. If you interview at 3 schools, you will be able to rank those three schools in your order of preference. You can only rank and match into schools that you Interview at! So in early February, you will submit your rankings on your TMDSAS application, and the schools will list their ranking of all the students they interviewed.The algorithm will then match the schools and the applicant to the best fit. Generally, they will release what school you matched into about 2 weeks later on your application website. You can receive what’s called a pre-match acceptance, but they aren’t common and vary from school to school. Some schools will extend quite a few, while others almost none. It’s not commonly used as there is no need for it with the match system. What a prematch offer means is the school is telling you that if you rank them high enough in your match list, you will match into their school. Now if you are not a Texas resident, these schools will act like all other AMCAS schools, with acceptances being given beginning Oct 15. So this match is just for Texas residents and is done to ensure Texas residents get accepted to Texas schools. This is how they can reach their 90% resident quota.

I will link a helpful video below that outlines the different match scenarios. As always, check their website for more information on this process. Texas just plays by its own rules.

How the TMDSAS Match Works

Things I Wish I Knew

I guess this would be a proper title for this entire document, but if I had to pick out just a few more things, this would be it.

1.) There is a Fee Assistance Program (FAP) through the AAMC.

• This program will reduce the cost of the MCAT ($320→$125), cover the cost for 20 schools in your application, a Free MSAR subscription, and a discounted AAMC MCAT study bundle. Team. Listen to me. This is GOLDEN. Do not miss this like I did. You need to apply before registering for MCAT. Google the program, go to the website, read what they have, and call their number if you have questions. It is going to be income-restricted and I believe parents’ finances will play a part in this so not everyone will qualify. But look to be sure, and if you do, that is awesome!! They make the whole process rather ambiguous because they don’t want you to know about it or use it. Of course. They are trying to make money and this prevents them from making as much. Get them on the phone and make them answer your questions. As I said, do this BEFORE signing up for the MCAT because the benefits are not retroactive and there is a Submission deadline.

2.) Do things you are passionate about, don’t just check boxes

• I mentioned this previously but I want to emphasize it here. Life is too short to do things you don’t love. Of course, you’re not going to love everything you do. The path to medicine is not an easy one. But by choosing to do things you aren’t passionate about, you make that path that much more difficult on yourself. You will see when you begin writing your personal statements, activity description, and secondary essays, the importance of doing things that you love. College issuch a fun time, don’t waste it doing things you hate. There are ways to marryyour passions with medicine, and this is something I wish I had done sooner. The schools will be able to tell who checkboxes and who did things they loved.

3.) Prioritize health and wellness

• When life gets stressful, the first thing out the window is generally your health and wellness. When we get stressed, we stop waking up early to get to the gym, and we eat things that are convenient instead of healthy. You’ll see yourself come and go in phases throughout college, but do your best to make this uncompromisable. The literature is unwavering in the fact that daily exercise is pound for pound, the single most beneficial thing you can do for your health and longevity. Better than any diet or supplement. Your days will go better, you will love yourself, reduce stress, improve memory, and set yourself up for a life of longevity when you choose to exercise. Make this a priority early until it becomes a habit. As far as nutrition, meal prepping 5 meals a week was something I found extremely helpful and something I still do today. That way I didn’t settle forsomething unhealthy for the sake of time.

4.) Collaboration >>>>>> Competition

• The stigma of the Premed tryhard is real and more annoying than you can imagine. You will see far too many of your classmates fall into this vicious cycle of competition with each other, with every test an opportunity to establish dominance over another. Let’s be better than that. The change starts with you. Stop asking each other what you made on tests. Stop sharing unnecessary information about yourself and all the activities you are doing when nobody asks. Stop constantly sizing yourself up against other students to see where you stand. Life is not a race against others, and neither is medicine. The race is against you. You against old you. Every day you’re just trying to be better than the last. Not in an unrealistic way, but just 1% better every day. Each test you take you want to try and improve. The only way to build a perfect wall is to lay perfect bricks. And that’s best done one at a time. Cheer for, encourage, and celebrate others. Lift each other. I promise that as you do this you will begin to find joy in the success of others. And when that is the case, you will be the happiest person in every room.

How to Pay for Medical School

The most common way to pay for medical school is through Federal Loans. You can apply for loans through Fannie May or private companies. Generally, you will want to max out federal student loans before going to private companies, as the interest rates are much lower and are generally deferrable through federal entities rather than private. Also, once you are accepted, almost every school has a financial advisor that you can work with before matriculation to help you get your ducks in a row. So I would advise doing that as soon as you commit to where you will be attending.

The United States military and its adjacent agencies also have viable opportunities to help you pay for medical school both completely or partially.

The first of these options is the Health Professions Scholarship Program or HPSP. This scholarship pays for the entirety of medical school, and school fees, and also provides a monthly stipend of about $2,728 (changes with inflation). All accredited MD and DO programs within the 50 states of the U.S. are eligible for this assistance. The minimum requirements for individual applicant requirements include a GPA of 3.2 or higher, an MCAT score of 500 or more, and proof of U.S. citizenship. Comprehensive information regarding these requirements and other information can be found at www.militaryandmedicine.com and on military branch-specific websites for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Prospective medical school applicants who are interested in this scholarship should plan on contacting and working with a Medical Services Recruitment Officer around the time that they begin their application, preferably after completing the MCAT. Acceptance into this scholarship program commits the applicant to four years of active duty service following completion of residency and optional fellowship. Active duty service includes being assigned to a military installation, normally at least one deployment, and working as a physician either in the United States or abroad for service members and their families. It should also be noted that, while you still have the option to work in civilian residency, the military will 100% match you with a residency program, though it may not always be the specialty one may be hoping for. This certainly occurs, especially for competitive specialties, but is relatively uncommon. Military residencies also provide double the salary to junior physicians compared to civilian programs.

A second option that can be considered is applying to, and attending, the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland. This is a medical school operated by the Department of Defense and is an MD program. Eligibility requirements are the same as those for the HPSP. Applicants who commit to this school attend at no cost, are exposed to zero fees, and receive active-duty pay and a monthly living stipend which in 2023 totaled $76,420 (with dependents) and $71,388 (without dependents). Commitment to this institution incurs a seven-year active-duty service commitment. The residencies open to USUHS students are the same for HPSP scholars.

It should be mentioned that both of the above options also give prospective physicians access to a 401K in residency (HPSP) and during medical school (USUHS) and free to low-cost health insurance through Tricare. When considering these options, it is recommended that prospective medical school students seriously consider the commitments of these programs. If military medicine is not a calling you feel drawn to for at least part of your career as a doctor, this path may not be the best for you and there is nothing wrong with using loans and debt to pay for your education as so many before you have. In my experience, the most satisfied ex-military physicians I have encountered expressed feeling that the military was a calling while the most dissatisfied used the military as only a way to avoid debt.

Conclusion

I know this might seem like a lot, and that’s because it is. There is a lot of nuance in this process and so much to do. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, and that is perfectly okay. The purpose of this document was not to overwhelm you, but to try and centralize a lot of the information out there about this process, along with what I thought was the best advice I have received, married with what I have learned along the way. I don’t claim to be an expert on any of this, nor can I guarantee acceptance if you do everything I outlined here. Rather, just take what you want from this, use what you think is good, and ignore what you think is bad. At the end of the day, this is your story, and you should write it however you want. I love and believe in you. If this is your dream, it is mine too. I am cheering you on every step of the way. When times get tough, don’t forget your purpose. Don’t forget why you started this journey in the first place. Surround yourself with people who love you and want what’s best for you. Lean on them when you need strength and look to lift and support others around you. Most of all, the joy is truly in the journey. Take in the views, and enjoy every step of the way.

If you would like to ask more questions about anything mentioned or unmentioned, feel free to contact me and I would love to talk with you about it. I would be honored to be a part of your journey.

Email: wfawcett6@gmail.com