medical school admission Archives

A Partner’s Guide to Surviging Medical School & Residency

Cartoon of a supportive husband comforting his exhausted wife, a medical school student, at her desk filled with textbooks and an open laptop. He stands behind her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder and offering a cup of coffee, symbolizing encouragement and care in her journey to becoming a doctor. — Be a good partner through the hard times.

Next week, we’ll be releasing our course on putting together your medical school personal statement. Before we began, though, I wanted to provide the additional perspective of somebody married to a doctor. When we first met, my wife was a medical student, so I’ve been with her through the process of medical school, residency, fellowship, and the first stages of her career. I’ve helped her mentees and classmates with their essays and admission / matching processes, and I understand what a partner of a physician and aspiring physician faces.

I won’t offend doctors by claiming it’s as hard as medical school, but being the partner of a doctor is a difficult road, so I wanted to write two brief little snippets on what you should be prepared for, how you can help, and how you can position yourself personal and as a couple for long-term success.

Next week, I’ll go back to providing insights and advice for medical school applications and personal statements, but first: how should a spouse think about medical school?

As the spouse or partner of a future medical student, you are about to embark on a unique and challenging journey. Medical school can be a demanding and stressful time, but with the right support, it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience. Here are some tips to help you survive and thrive during this exciting time.

Understand the demands of medical school: Medical school is a rigorous and demanding program that requires a significant amount of time and effort. It is important to understand the demands of the program and be prepared to support your partner as they navigate the challenges ahead. Be aware of the long hours, intensive studying, and clinical rotations that will be a part of their daily routine.

During medical school, there were long stretches where my wife wasn’t around much, because she was studying or doing rotations. That obviously became much more protracted and intense when her residency began. I was finishing my Ph.D., so I had things to do, but I also knew that the physical, mental, and emotional intensity of medical school was on a whole other level, so I did what I could to empathize and make her life a little easier.

Communicate openly and honestly: Good communication is key to a healthy and supportive relationship, especially during the challenges of medical school. Make sure to have regular, open, and honest conversations with your partner about their experiences and how you can support them. Be an active listener and offer encouragement and support when needed. Understand that many conversations will occur when your partner is exhausted, so don’t choose those times to start arguments. In fact, one of the best things you can do to support your partner through this process is to improve their sleep situation. Blackout windows, a cooling mattress, white noise machine, and keeping a silent house will be immensely appreciated!
Be flexible and understanding: Medical school can be demanding and stressful, and it may require significant changes to your normal routine. Be flexible and understanding of your partner’s needs and try to make changes that will help both of you balance your priorities. This may include adjusting your work schedule, rearranging household responsibilities, or making other modifications to your daily routine.
Get involved in the medical school community: Joining the medical school community can help you stay informed about what’s happening and provide opportunities to meet other partners and spouses. This can include attending events, participating in clubs and organizations, or volunteering for events and initiatives. And, understand that when medical school students, residents, or doctors get together, they basically only talk about medicine. So having some non-doctors around in those social settings will help keep you sane.
Maintain your own interests and hobbies: It is important to maintain your own interests and hobbies. Most weeks, my wife had one (maybe two) day off, and when she was ‘on’ she was basically gone from before sunrise until late into the night. As such, I had to find ways to entertain myself. I went to a ton of Red Sox games, worked out, binged documentaries, and got a dog.

Make time for the activities that bring you joy and fulfillment, and consider taking on new challenges and experiences that will help you grow and develop.

Encourage self-care and stress management: Medical school can be a stressful time for both you and your partner. Encourage your partner to prioritize self-care and stress management, including exercise, healthy eating habits, and time for relaxation and rejuvenation. It can be hard to hit the gym hard after the fifth day of 19-hour shifts, but when you have a chance, find opportunities to do things together that will make you both happy.
Offer support during high-stakes times: Medical school is full of high-stakes moments, such as exams, clinical rotations, and residency interviews. Offer your support and encouragement during these times, and be there to celebrate your partner’s successes and provide comfort during setbacks. These don’t have to be grand gestures. I always made a point of having coffee brewed, keeping leftovers in the fridge for when she came home, and keeping stocked with her favorite snacks: Whole Foods mango slices.

Also, doctors likely deal with heavy matters of life and death, and when they break down or want to talk about them, accept that you probably won’t have any answers, and maybe can’t provide any comfort, but they will appreciate your willingness to listen and provide sympathy.

Be a sounding board: Medical school can be a time of intense self-reflection and growth, and it is important for you to be a sounding board for your partner. Listen to their ideas and provide a supportive environment in which they can explore their thoughts and goals.
Build a network of your own: Building a network of friends and colleagues inside and outside of medicine can help you stay connected and informed during medical school. Seek out opportunities to connect with other partners and spouses, and consider joining clubs and organizations that align with your interests.
Plan for the future: Medical school is an investment in your partner’s future, and it is important to plan for the changes and opportunities that may come with a new degree. Consider your long-term goals and aspirations, and have open and honest conversations about how the MD degree will impact your shared future.

If you can make it through medical school and residency, the rest of your life is gravy. Embrace the idea that you’re both undertaking something really hard, but intensely meaningful. I used to joke that being married to a medical resident was like having a flight attendant as a roommate: they’re not around much, but when they come back they have interesting stories.

In a relationship that lasts a lifetime, different partners will need support at different times, and frankly during this phase your med school partner will probably need more from you than they can give back. Share their burden and appreciate the role you can play in the life you’re building together!

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top Masters and Ph.D. programs in STEM, humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

What to Include AND NOT INCLUDE In Your AMCAS Personal Statement

Cartoon of a female medical school applicant surrounded by thought bubbles representing clinical experience, lab work, excellent grades, leadership, and volunteering with the homeless

As the May 2nd AMCAS release date approaches, many applicants have begun planning their applications and personal statements. After nearly 20 years of helping people get into top medical schools, I have seen, over and over, how the best applications feature a focused personal statement complemented by Work/Activities sections that provide breadth and complementarity. This is a tricky task, and in putting together your AMCAS application package, it’s crucial to understand the difference between “box-checking” and “ differentiators.” All applicants will, no doubt, possess the necessary prerequisites, but how you present these alongside your unique experiences can set you apart in the competitive medical school admissions process.

Understanding “Box-Checking”

Box-checking activities are essential components of any medical school application. These are the basic qualifications that admissions committees expect every applicant to possess. Generally, these include:

Clinical Experience/Exposure: Demonstrating hands-on patient interaction and an understanding of the healthcare environment.
Sufficient Scientific Training: Evidence of rigorous scientific education, typically highlighted by coursework and lab experiences.
Service-Mindedness: Engagement in activities that show a commitment to helping others, often through volunteering or community service.
Leadership: Doctors are leaders of healthcare teams, so the ability to lead is crucial. Thus, admissions committees prize situations (academic, athletic, personal, professional) that demonstrate leadership.

While these elements are critical, they do not usually distinguish one candidate from another because almost all applicants will meet these criteria.

The Role of Differentiators

Your application’s most precious “real estate”—particularly your personal statement—should be dedicated to what makes your journey to medicine unique. The easy rule of thumb is that “the personal statement is about depth; everything else is about breadth.” That is, use your personal statement to tell 1-3 compelling stories, but tell them well and with relevant detail. These differentiators are what make your application memorable and can significantly enhance your appeal to an admissions committee.

What kinds of things work well as differentiators?

Identifying Your Unique Elements

First, it’s important to note that every candidate will have different differentiators, depending on their interests, backgrounds, and career goals. For example:

MD/PhD Candidates: If you’re aiming for a dual-degree program, emphasizing your research experience and long-term investigative goals could be your differentiator.
Aspiring Medical Researchers: Highlight any unique research projects, particularly those where you played a pivotal role or contributed to meaningful outcomes.
Leaders in Healthcare: If you’ve held significant leadership roles, either in healthcare settings or in community organizations, these experiences showcase your potential to lead in the medical field. Don’t be afraid to feature something that is ostensibly non-medical. Working on Capitol Hill, doing GOTV, your time as an elite NCAA athlete… these can all be tied into a narrative that supports your medical school aspirations.

Strategic Placement of Information

It’s essential to strategically place information about box-checking and differentiators across different parts of your application:

Personal Statement: This should be primarily reserved for telling your unique story. How have your experiences and ambitions shaped your desire to pursue medicine? Focus on moments that highlight your unique insights, challenges overcome, and personal growth. Don’t weigh your essay down with box-checking. Remember, you’ll have additional chances to show your full range of accomplishments, BUT the best way to ensure that the reader doesn’t give your W/A, reccos, etc. a full reading is to write a boring and rote personal statement. On the other hand, if your reader’s interest is piqued, then they’ll really dig into all parts of your application.

Work & Activities Section (AMCAS): Utilize this section to detail your box-checking activities. Use the “Most Significant” activity descriptions to expand on experiences that have prepared you for medical school but are more common among applicants.
Secondary Essays: These can also be a valuable space to discuss aspects of your candidacy that you didn’t explore fully in your personal statement, including additional differentiators or significant box-checking activities. That said, beware: don’t leave important / featured parts of your life / application for your secondaries for two reasons: (1) not every school will ask you a question that allows you to bring up this important accomplishment, and (2) if something is a needle-mover, don’t put it in a part of your application that might not come (because you don’t a secondary) or that will be so late in your package that your reader is already sort of made up their mind.

Why Differentiators Matter More Than Ever

Medical schools increasingly value well-rounded candidates who bring diverse perspectives and skills to their programs. Indeed, it’s such a point of emphasis that the Work/Activities section has a new Social Justice and Advocacy experience type. This shift means that admissions committees are looking for more than just academic and clinical excellence; they want individuals who can contribute uniquely to the medical community through:

Policy Work and Public Health: Experience in these areas can demonstrate an understanding of the broader factors that impact healthcare systems and patient care.
Innovative Research or Unique Clinical Experiences: Especially those that break new ground or address significant challenges in medicine.
Personal Stories: Compelling personal narratives that connect your life experiences to your medical aspirations can be powerful differentiators.

Crafting Your Narrative

When writing your personal statement, consider where your narrative fits best. If your experience is common, such as working in a lab doing routine tasks, it might be better placed in the AMCAS section, unless there is a compelling story or unique challenge associated with it. Always aim to tell a story that only you can tell, focusing on what sets you apart from the crowd.

While box-checking is necessary, it’s not sufficient for standing out in a pool of highly qualified applicants. Consider your application as a holistic, complementary package and that each section does something different for you. Your differentiators are what imbue your application with color and personality, making you memorable to the admissions committee, so make sure to feature them prominently. As you prepare your application, carefully consider how to balance these elements to present a compelling picture of who you are and what you will bring to the field of medicine. Remember, in the competitive arena of medical school admissions, it’s not just about checking the boxes—it’s about drawing outside of them.

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top medical schools. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Ten Tips for Your “Why Medicine?” AMCAS Personal Statement

Cartoon of a young Asian female medical school applicant seated at a desk, pondering her AMCAS personal statement. Above her, thought bubbles depict her various experiences: conducting research in a lab, assisting in a clinical environment, and experiencing personal growth while reading under a tree. The scene conveys her contemplation on how these experiences answer the 'why medicine?' question for her application — How do you write the most important essay of your life?

As spring is upon us, a new crop of aspiring doctors begins their medical school application process! At the heart of your application is your AMCAS Personal Statement, which asks you a simple question: why medicine? During our 15 years of helping hundreds of medical school applicants earn admission to their dream schools, we have worked with clients to help them craft unique responses to this question that resonate with their experiences and come across as genuine, compelling, and personal. Here are some tips for you on how you should think about -and respond to- this question.

Start with your personal story: The best way to make your response original is to use moments, challenges, successes, and failures from your life. Your personal story is a unique and powerful tool for communicating why you are drawn to medicine. This can include experiences you’ve had with healthcare providers, exposure to medical challenges faced by loved ones or your community, or a moment when you first realized your passion for medicine.
Highlight your experiences: Discuss any relevant experiences you’ve had in the medical field, such as volunteering at a hospital, shadowing a healthcare provider, or participating in a healthcare-related research project. Discuss what you learned from these experiences and how they have shaped your perspective on medicine.
To avoid your essay being a cliché, strive from depth in your personal statement, not breadth. What this means is getting very specific about a particular experience -an EXACT moment or conversation- and how it shaped you. An exercise that I like to do with clients is to say, “if you have to take me to a precise moment in a time machine, where would you set the dial?” This forces you to have a specific entry point to a story that would help me understand it so that you might say, “on my third day at the clinic, I met Fred, whose leg infection had gone septic…” instead of saying, “my time volunteering at Detroit Mercy opened my eyes.” Specificity is the difference between a well-told story and a boring one.

Emphasize your understanding of the field: Show that you have a deep understanding of the field of medicine and the challenges that healthcare providers face. This can include discussing current issues in the healthcare system, such as access to care, the opioid epidemic, or the impact of social determinants of health. BUT, only do this if you in fact have the insight and experience to do so. Faking it will be easily detected, if not by the reader then certainly by a future interviewer who asks you about it!

Express your passion: Share your passion for medicine and what motivates you to pursue a career in this field. Explain why you believe that medicine is more than just a job, but a calling to help others and make a difference in the world. If there is a single idea that you want to convey, it is positive excitement. People are attracted to optimism and energy, so find a way to convey that.

Demonstrate your commitment: Show that you are committed to the field of medicine and that you understand the sacrifices and dedication required to succeed. Discuss your long-term goals and how they align with your passion for medicine. For every goal you seek to identify, first ask yourself, “what experiences have I had that prepared for pursuing this goal?” and “what about my past explains this goal?” and “what about my past justifies my belief that I can attain this goal?” Answering these three questions will help your aspirations come across as more believable and, importantly, allow you to SHOW your commitment to medicine by reference to things you’ve done.

Be specific: Instead of simply stating that you want to become a doctor, be specific about why you are interested in a particular specialty or aspect of medicine. Discuss what attracts you to this area of medicine and what you hope to achieve in this field.

Be honest: Be honest about your motivations for pursuing a career in medicine. Don’t try to sound like someone you’re not or exaggerate your experiences or achievements. Admissions committees can usually tell when someone is being insincere. This goes beyond lying, of course. Essays that are built purely around the idea of “tell the reader what they want to hear” usually feel hollow and insincere and, perhaps worst of all, come across as cliché.

Edit and revise: Make sure your response is well-written, free of typos and grammatical errors, and that it clearly communicates your passion for medicine. Ask someone you trust to review your response and provide feedback.

Address any weaknesses: If there are any red flags in your application, such as a low GPA or MCAT score, take the opportunity in your response to the “why medicine?” question to address these weaknesses and explain how you have overcome them. Remember, you can’t just avoid talking about bad moments and hope that the AdCom somehow misses it. They won’t. Thus, if it comes up in the meeting about your application, you’ll want to be sure that you frame it.
Here is a video that I did to help MBA applicants, and though the examples I use are business-related, the core ideas are the same. Or, if you want the “TLDR” version without the specifics, check this out!

Be yourself: Finally, be yourself in your response. Admissions committees are looking for applicants who are passionate, knowledgeable, and well-suited to the field of medicine. Your unique perspective and experiences are what make you a strong candidate, so be sure to let your personality shine through in your response.

All told, the “why medicine?” question is an opportunity to demonstrate your passion for the field, your understanding of the challenges and rewards of a career in medicine, and your commitment to pursuing a career in this field. By following these tips, you can craft a compelling response that will help you stand out in the medical school application process.

For more help with your personal statement, check us out at Gurufi.com. Our personal statement editors and consultants have decades of experience helping clients get into top medical schools. Our specialty is helping you craft compelling personal statements, Work & Activities sections, secondaries, and residency letters that move the needle in your admissions process! For questions, shoot us an email at service@gurufi.com. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.