Year: 2019

Ski Accident – Cast Study

First Tracks and Cracks – You and four college friends who flew in to help celebrate your birthday are doing an early season (Dec.) backcountry ski near Leadville.  Everyone is doing fine and though you are tired and it’s getting a bit late (3:00 pm) you decide to do one last run.  You slap the […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Year-End Check-In

By: Alessandra Santiago Congratulations on making it through finals season and another Fall Semester! You’ve made it one step closer towards application time. We hope you’re feeling the excitement that goal progression can give. Before you embark on a well-deserved Winter Break, here’s a little check-in from us on a few key aspects of your […]

Ready, Set, Apply – Financing Your Applications

By: Alessandra Santiago A very important—but infrequently discussed—component of applying to medical schools is how much that process costs. With so many purchases both large and small on the way to applying, it’s a good idea to have an estimate of what you might expect to spend. As you go along, you may find that […]

Fall – Case Study

Narrow Miss? – You are on a three-day southern Utah canyoneering trip in late October with 3 friends.  You are all in your mid-twenties.  It is the afternoon of day two, in a very narrow side canyon when come up to a “pour off” where your side canyon joins a bigger flow.  It’s about a […]

Ready, Set, Apply – Getting to Know the Personal Statement

By: Alessandra Santiago It’s heavy-hitter time: drafting your Personal Statement. This is the chance for you to provide a committee of strangers a full ‘picture’ of who you are as a candidate for medical school. By demonstrating your individual, unique qualifications for pursuing medicine, you can paint a picture as to why you would be […]

Ready, Set, Apply – Preparing for the Primary

By: Alessandra Santiago While the open date for the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) primary application is still many months away (think: late May), let’s dive into what materials you will be asked to compile in this first round of applications to medical school. On top of completing your prerequisite and recommended coursework by the time […]

Running Injury – Case Study

Run Amok – It is early October and you are on a trail run up above Golden (CO), about 3 miles from the trailhead when it starts to rain.   It is 2 pm with temps in the high 40s (F), with a moderate (10-15 mph) wind.  The trail takes a steep drop and at the […]

Ready, Set, Apply – What Schools Should You Choose?

By: Alessandra Santiago Where you will apply for medical school? Do you know where you fall within the matriculation metrics of your target schools? Want to figure out what your target schools should be, but unsure of where to start? Compiling your list of target schools is a key component in the admissions process, and it is […]

Ready, Set, Apply – Selecting Your MCAT Test Date

By: Alessandra Santiago While it is still too early to sign up for the 2020 MCAT dates according to the AAMC, now is the time to consider when you will take the MCAT,  in addition to taking a look at the budgetary obligations associated with taking the exam. Your first step is to head over […]

Heat – Case Study – August Newsletter 2019

Race to the Finish – You are working the medical tent at the finish of the Cascade Mountains Ultra Marathon.  It is Washington and around 5000 feet (1500 meters) so not hideously hot, but it is August so it’s definitely still hot with afternoon temps in the 90s.  The race started at 5 am to […]

Ready, Set, Apply – How to Study for the MCAT

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By: Alessandra Santiago The MCAT. The Great Academic Equalizer. No matter how well you perform in your undergraduate or post-bacc program, there is no replacing a poor MCAT score. As you embark upon the testing odyssey, bring along your finest time management and retention skills on the journey. You’ll need them. So, when is the best time […]

Ready, Set, Apply – Letters of Recommendation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By: Alessandra Santiago This fall semester begins the year-long countdown to submitting medical school applications. For many students, this is an academic year of unique stressors, both academic and personal. Now more than ever, time management is crucial to stay on top of the growing list of to-do items for submitting applications. At the start […]

Boat Flip – Case Study

‘Dacks Dips – It is a beautiful, but hot and muggy July afternoon and you and five buddies are canoeing the Adirondacks in three boats, on day two of a three-day paddle.  You are in the middle of one of the larger lakes when a thunderstorm rolls through.  The thunder you barely heard five or […]

Ready, Set, Apply – Welcome & Orientation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By: Alessandra Santiago Welcome to the inaugural article for our 2021 Med School Application Guide! Over the next ten months, we will walk you through the timelines, deadlines, and requirements on the American Medical College Application System (AMCAS). We will offer insight into each component of the AMCAS application, from when to sign up for the MCAT to when (and […]

Case Study – June Newsletter 2019

Sweet View – It is 5 pm on a late June day up in the Central Rockies.  You and your BFF are on a hiking trail at about 8500 feet when you come across a gentleman sitting alone, right in the middle of the trail.  As you approach you say hello, but he doesn’t respond.  […]

Case Study – May Newsletter 2019

First Descent – You are doing an alpine ascent of a remote 13’er in Colorado’s Collegiate Range.  You summit just as clouds and mist drop down to engulf you.  After a quick handshake with your three buddies you hurriedly begin your descent.  Somehow, in the thick clouds—like being inside a ping pong ball—you get off […]

Boulder Tumble – Case Study

Rock Jock Doc – You and a friend are climbing at a local crag.  As you take a break to eat some lunch another friend who was climbing a couple of routes over, and who knows you took this cool WFR class, comes running up and, out of breath, manages to spit out that a […]

Before You Hit Submit: 4 Last-Minute Tips for the AMCAS Application

Over the next eight days, many pre-meds will find themselves in one last push of proofreading in a dash to May 30th. Why? May 30th is the date that the AMCAS application is finally open for submission. This date marks the culmination of years of academic, clinical, research, and volunteer experiences for many pre-meds. Since the […]

The Top 4 Pre-Med Clinical Experiences

Along the path to medical school, many students choose to pursue clinical experiences to complement their pre-medical schoolwork. From scribing to becoming a volunteer EMT, clinical experiences can come in all shapes and sizes, and finding the right experience can be as challenging as it is personally enriching.  In this article, we will explore the […]

Does Pre-Med Research Experience Really Matter?

This is one of the most frequently-asked questions we hear from prospective applicants. Much emphasis is placed on this component of the med school application, so we think it is worthwhile to dispel some of the myths around obtaining ‘mandatory’ research experience before applying. So, does research experience really matter to Admissions Officers reading your […]