As an incoming OMS-1 at MSUCOM this year, I have learned so much about the application process to medical school. I believe I have a unique take on applying to medical school for several reasons. First, I was in the Osteopathic Medical Scholars Program during my undergraduate years at MSU. This is a preferred admission program that guides students during undergrad and through applying to MSUCOM with a waiver for the MCAT — knowing that I didn’t have to take the MCAT was such a relief during college. I could focus on my classes and doing the best I possibly could in them. Second, I applied a year earlier than most people would apply to medical school. I applied after two years of undergrad, whereas most applicants apply after their third or fourth year. Applying to medical school at 19 was intimidating, but I learned a lot from the experience! Third and most importantly, I applied to medical school during the beginning of the pandemic. Most things I knew or had heard about applying to medical school flew out of the window. It was like starting from ground zero. Nonetheless, I made it through, and if you’re applying this year, so will you!
One of the most frequent questions I get is, “What do you wish you had known a year ago when you were applying?” My immediate response to this question is “Don’t worry so much.” Easier said than done, but I definitely think I would have been a lot more efficient if I had stopped worrying about the outcome each step of the way and focused on putting my best foot forward in the application process. If you’ve gotten this far to the application process, you definitely know you want to go into medicine, and you’ve likely done so many different things to further that interest, as well. If you’re confident in what you’ve done, that will come across in your application, and medical schools will definitely see that.
Another frequent question I get is, “What happens if I don’t have enough experience because of the pandemic?” Medical schools know that the pandemic has changed many things about healthcare, especially student efforts to gain knowledge in the field. Luckily, we are in the age of the internet, which has so many resources for students. While some students may currently have the opportunity to volunteer in person, many others do not, and this is where virtual shadowing comes in. Programs like The Premed Perspectives and My Medical Message (started by some of my mentees!) have brought healthcare professionals from across the country to their internet platforms, providing many resources for students who want to learn about medicine from the comfort and safety of their homes. Another great option would be to contact physicians to ask if you can sit in on their telehealth appointments. With the way technology is going, telehealth is a growing industry that is only going to improve with time. Future medical professionals can get a head start by observing how physicians and patients interact virtually.
My next piece of advice is more specifically for those applying to DO schools, as I was interested in osteopathic medicine from the start of my undergraduate career, but this can be applied to MD applications as well. Be patient with the AACOMAS (and the AMCAS) system! There are thousands of students who apply to medical school each year. Technology isn’t perfect. There are also real humans behind the system who review your application. The good news is that there are also real humans behind the phone helpline for the application system who can help you with your questions. Here’s a quick timeline based on my experience: the AACOMAS opened in May, I submitted mine by the middle of the month. I heard back about the secondary application in late July/early August. I was invited to interview in late September, I interviewed in early October, and I was accepted in late October/early November. Being patient in general is a good way to go. As an applicant from the preferred admission program, I heard back very early on. Some people don’t hear back until March depending on the school, but generally, the earlier you submit an application, the sooner you hear back.
“How do I write my personal statement?” is another great question. This will depend on who you ask, but I personally didn’t focus on having a specific structure for my personal statement. The most common structure, however, is the past-present-future format. You talk about what experiences in the past inspired you to go into medicine, then about what you’ve done in high school or college, and then, about being a physician in the future. Inadvertently, I did write my personal statement this way, but I was more focused on telling a story. I’ve always known that I wanted to be a doctor, but some people don’t have that realization until a lot later in life. All I would recommend is that you focus on telling your story, not anyone else’s. Why do you want to go into this field? What have you done that has really emphasized or proved that reason? I talked about improving communication in medicine — that was my anchor. All of the extracurriculars or activities I talked about in my personal statement centered around this reason. Now, that’s not to say that you should decide on one reason you want to go into medicine and only do things that are going to further that reason for the sake of writing a personal statement, but make sure you have a central point that you can build around when you’re telling your story.
That leads me to my next point. Don’t do things because you think they’re going to strengthen your application. Medical schools will see right through you. The things that you are genuinely passionate about will stand out in your application compared to things you just did to check a box. Having experiences in research or volunteering, for example, is definitely important but it’s not the be-all-end-all. If you try something out and you don’t like it, don’t spend all your time doing it because you’re going to be miserable AND you’re missing out on a different experience that you could become very passionate about. On that same note, though, don’t continually jump around from activity to activity all of college — you want to show some continuity and commitment! On the application, there are limited spots to talk about the things that you have done. Pick the ones that have been the most meaningful to you and help contribute to that anchor of your application. A good thing to keep in mind as well is that you can (and definitely should) include any experiences from high school that were meaningful. As COVID definitely limited my options or shortened some incredible experiences for me (remember that I applied during my sophomore year of college, so I felt like I didn’t have much compared to other applicants), I felt that my volunteering and research experience from high school made up a good chunk of my application. So, don’t stress too much if you’re applying this year and feel like you don’t have enough.
Lastly, my biggest piece of advice is don’t compare yourself to others! Everyone is different and has pursued different things. Just because someone has all these experiences that sound great and meaningful doesn’t invalidate your experiences, or you, for that matter. The pre-medical (and, sometimes, medical) community has a reputation for not supporting each other. We’re all working toward the same goal — we’re also going to be working with each other in the future. Now is a better time than any to bring more positivity into our field and change the future for the better.
Applying to medical school is stressful, but you can do this! A positive attitude and a growth mindset will be your best friends throughout the process. Moreover, there are so many people supporting you through this process, including me. If you have any specific questions, I would be more than happy to answer them. Feel free to email me at varreana@msu.edu if you do! Good luck to the future class of 2026!