Soon fall will welcome you with a heap of leaves across your front yard. It will remind you that a very important phase of your life is about to begin. You will be busy preparing for your lifelong journey in medicine. And the first step in that journey is your medical school application. Since your medical school application will determine whether you are eligible for a medical school and ready to spend the next five or so years of your life.
Competition is fierce and medical school hopefuls who are thinking about applying for an MD degree or premedical programs in the upcoming admission cycle are advised to write an impressive application to present themselves in the best possible way.
If you are all set for applying to a medical school and pursue a rewarding career in medicine, here is a medical school application checklist that you should keep in mind to maximize your chances of acceptance to a Caribbean school of medicine.
MCAT Scores
Nearly all medical school in the Caribbean, U.S. and Canada prefer students with impressive MCAT scores. I hope you have taken the MCAT exam and secured good scores. If that is not the case and you are unhappy with the scores, it’s time to speak to your advisor and come up with a plan to improve your weak areas and retake it whenever you are ready.
Letter of Recommendations
Believe it or not, letters of recommendation are a key component of your medical school application that highlights your great accomplishments including academic performance, volunteer experience, research work, professional experience, and extracurriculars. These letters have a great potential to convince admission committees to prefer you over other applicants by showing them your diverse qualities and positive personality. Now is the time to create a list of people who will be writing letters on your behalf. Get your letters from professors, research advisors, employers and volunteering officials who know you well or with whom you worked closely. Provide these individuals with your resume and personal statement so that they can portray a flattering picture of you.
Personal Statement
If you are applying to an allopathic medical school or an osteopathic medical school, you will have to write a personal statement to explain the admissions committees why you want to pursue a career in medicine. It’s daunting and challenging to convince the admissions committees that you are the right candidate and have all the attributes and traits that make you a great fit for the medical school. Therefore, invest time and energy to get your personal essay absolutely right. Add some vivid examples that truly depict that you have a potential to become a physician. This strategy will simply make your application stand out from rest.
Clinical Shadowing Experience
Shadowing physicians will give you the opportunity to understand and observe what physicians do and get a good sense of medical environments and specialties. Without shadowing experience, medical schools would question whether you truly know if a medicine may be the right career path for you. Ask your teachers, advisors, and professors if they are aware of any shadowing opportunities.
Research Experience
While research experience is not mandatory for getting accepted to medical school, it can undoubtedly be helpful for medical school hopefuls. Regularly check your college bulletin board or websites for opportunities to assist with faculty research projects. Gaining some research experience will show your interest, ability as well as willingness to strengthen your academic and clinical knowledge. It also shows that you are well-prepared to handle all the challenges of medical school. Also ask your academic advisors, or premed advisors for any social sciences, clinical and humanities research opportunities.
Volunteer Work
Volunteering is another important ingredient of a great medical school application that shows your commitment to serving the humanity. Today, many medical school admission experts are looking for students who have volunteered somewhere. Getting some volunteer experience in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers or NGOs working in the healthcare setting shows the admission committees that you have a great interest in medicine and know how to work in the field before committing to medical school. So, it’s time to do your research and find a volunteering opportunity that would win over the admission committee.
List of Top Medical Schools
Start thinking about the schools where you are thinking to apply. Do your research, talk to your premedical advisor and medical school admission experts to get information and come up with a list of the best Caribbean medical schools.
Over to You
Your medical school application is your chance to show the admissions committee who you really are. By keeping this medical school application checklist in mind, you can present yourself as the perfect candidate for their school. The admission committee sees you as someone who’s deliberated before opting for medicine as a career choice and not a last-minute decision. Your medical school application must communicate how passionate and excited you are about healing the humanity.
Windsor University School of Medicine is accepting applications for MD and Premedical programs for the September 2018 session. Both local and international applicants are welcome to apply.
