Year: 2020

Ready, Set, Apply — Before The White Coat Ceremony

By: Alessandra Santiago Congratulations on making it to the end of our Ready, Set, Apply series! We are grateful to have brought you useful content in the lead up to your application cycle, and we wish the pre-med students following this content all the best in preparing their application materials. Given that this cycle has […]

Upstate Upset – Case Study

It is a beautiful late August day and you are mountain biking on a single-track trail in Upstate NY.  Your friend Laura is doing about Mach 7, hits a big root and spectacularly flies over the handlebars to land on her belly.  You find her on her side on the ground.  You are happy she […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Nailing Your Med School Interview

By: Alessandra Santiago For those pre-meds who receive an interview invitation to a medical school, good news! That means you are academically qualified for admission. However, the final decision about whether or not you are offered a place in the upcoming class is contingent upon how well you conduct yourself during the interview. Let’s dive […]

Easy Andes or Soroche or Bust! – Case Study

You have been told that getting altitude experience is quick and easy in the Andes of Ecuador, and being from flatland Ohio, that sounds good, prior to your planned climb of Denali (Mt. McKinley).   However, between you and your 2 climbing buddies, you can only get a 5 day window to get down there and […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Strategizing Your Secondary Prompts

By: Alessandra Santiago In an earlier article of the Ready, Set, Apply series, we introduced how the secondary applications work. Typically, these are a set of essays that pre-med students receive after submitting their primary applications, waiting 4-6 weeks for administrative review by AMCAS, and passing the minimum GPA and MCAT requirements of the medical […]

What is your motivation to work as a medical professional?

In this series we asked undergraduate students what questions they had for physicians and nurses. Check out the answers below!  If you are a pre-health student we suggest that you check out our Ready, Set, Applyseries! This series is to help guide Pre-Med students through the medical school application process. To subscribe to this series […]

What is your favorite Zebra?

In this series we asked undergraduate students what questions they had for physicians and nurses. Check out the answers below!  If you are a pre-health student we suggest that you check out ourReady, Set, Apply series! This series is to help guide Pre-Med students through the medical school application process. To subscribe to this series […]

Terrific Pacific? – Case Study

You are part of a wilderness medicine class staying at a small eco-resort on Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific coast.  Your super nice and cool instructor gives you an afternoon off.  You and three buddies decide to head down to the beach, about a quarter mile down a gravel road from the lodge.   It is about […]

What is your most memorable moment as a healthcare professional?

In this series we asked undergraduate students what questions they had for physicians and nurses. Check out the answers below!  If you are a pre-health student we suggest that you check out our Ready, Set, Apply series! This series is to help guide Pre-Med students through the medical school application process. To subscribe to this […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Who Should Edit My Primary App?

By: Alessandra Santiago At this point in the application cycle, it is likely that most pre-meds have a working version of their Primary App materials, including a Personal Statement draft along with a draft of their three most meaningful Activities essay. Now is an excellent time to start finalizing those drafts before sending them out […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Are Your Application Materials Ready?

By: Alessandra Santiago At this point in the series, we have covered everything from writing your Personal Statement to preparing for the secondary applications to selecting your schools. The Primary Application will open for students to begin compiling their materials on May 4, and students can submit their application materials as early as May 28 to pass the initial verification review. In […]

What was your true motivation through undergrad and medical or nursing school?

In this series we asked undergraduate students what questions they had for physicians and nurses. Check out the answers below!  If you are a pre-health student we suggest that you check out our Ready, Set, Apply series! This series is to help guide Pre-Med students through the medical school application process. To subscribe to this […]

What is your strategy for dealing with unruly patients?

In this series we asked undergraduate students what questions they had for physicians and nurses. Check out the answers below!  If you are a pre-health student we suggest that you check out our Ready, Set, Apply series! This series is to help guide Pre-Med students through the medical school application process. To subscribe to this […]

Stomach Issues – Case Study

Rafting is a Gas – You are camped during a private raft trip on the Colorado, in the heart of the Grand Canyon. You are still pissed at the large party that pulled in late the night before, taking up most of the great campsite you were first at. You vow next time to take […]

Ready, Set, Apply — When Do You Reapply?

By: Alessandra Santiago For many pre-med students awaiting admission determinations from their medical schools, there can come a point where reapplying becomes a reality. But when do you know for certain that you’ll need to reapply? The critical factor for students deciding their reapplication strategy is whether or not they have received any interview invitations […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Let’s Talk Secondaries

By: Alessandra Santiago Let’s talk secondaries. If you’ve followed the Ready, Set, Apply series until this point, you’ll be aware that the primary application opens on May 4, 2020 and you can submit your primary application as early as May 28, 2020.  After you have submitted the primary application, it typically takes 4-6 weeks for […]

Ready, Set, Apply — So, You’re Thinking D.O.?

By: Alessandra Santiago At this point in the Ready, Set, Apply series, we have only covered material relevant to allopathic medical schools. In this article, we will do a brief overview of some of the relevant information for osteopathic applicants, including dates for the AACOMAS application as well as dual applying to allopathic and osteopathic […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Ready to Hit Submit?

By: Alessandra Santiago In our last article, we covered how to approach writing your Personal Statement and Activities Section of the primary application. This week, we will cover how to edit, who to ask to review your application, and other fine-tuning tips and tricks before hitting the submit button. Proof-reading is the name of the […]

Laceration – Case Study

Beam Me Out of Here, Scotty – You are up at one of the 10th Mountain Division Huts on a December ski trip, tired after a great day of shredding some sweet powder.  The hut is pretty full, maybe 20 people.  You are ready to throw out a group of four twenty-something year olds, or […]

Ready, Set, Apply — Writing a Knock-Out Primary App

By: Alessandra Santiago Back in November, we covered the primary application and your personal statement. The written components of your primary application include your 15 extracurricular activities and personal statement, and these two components provide the application committee a full picture of who you are as a candidate. In January of your application cycle, the […]