If you are a premedical student looking to supplement your learning and enhance your medical school application, check out the Student Doctor Network (SDN) activity-finder. The activity-finder allows you to sort through summer or next-term experiences, organized into the following categories: medical/clinical work experiences, volunteer/community service experiences, research experiences, and shadowing experiences. Then it provides a list of organizations and resources for you to consider by location.
Need Clinical Experience? The Must-Knows if You’re Considering EMT Training
Many premedical students consider EMT training and certification because it can provide excellent clinical experience and patient interactions. Could it be the right fit for you?
There are a lot of benefits that medical school admissions committees view favorably.
As an EMT, you will develop your leadership skills and understanding of some of the work and challenges physicians may face.
You will gain foundational medical knowledge and clinical experience that will be useful throughout medical school and may ease the transition between your undergraduate and medical studies. In a recent study at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, which added EMT certification into the first-year curriculum, most students agreed that the certification eased the transition into medical school (82 percent) and “increased awareness of patient’s lives and circumstances” (91 percent).
You will hone your ability to stay calm and clear-headed under duress, which will certainly benefit you as a medical student, resident, fellow, and attending physician.
EMT Certification Process. To become a certified EMT, you must take the equivalent of about six college credits at an accredited school, which includes CPR, controlling blood flow, and patient communication and interactions. You will then take the NREMT exam which is made up of two components: a written, cognitive section that measures your medical knowledge and a psychomotor skills assessment that measures practical skills in patient assessment and emergency response skills. After passing the test, you can apply for EMT certification through your local EMS agency.
After certification, you will want to consider paid versus volunteer opportunities. Paid employment generally takes shift structures. Volunteer work is more flexible. If you consider paid employment, you will want to look for emergency response or ambulatory work, rather than interfacility transfers. Emergency work will provide you with the most opportunities for meaningful clinical experiences. To understand the opportunities available, check with your local EMS agency, fire departments or hospitals.
Is it the right fit?
What types of clinical and/or research experiences have you already had? In what areas might your future medical school application benefit most?
Do you have the time… really? If you want to gain EMT certification, consider it earlier in your undergraduate career or as an activity during a gap year. You won’t want to combine EMT certification with studying for the MCAT, coursework, and medical school applications and interviews.
What volunteer or employment opportunities are available for you locally? Are they a good fit with your schedule and interests? Gaining the certification without the associated patient experiences from working or volunteering will not provide you with any meaningful benefit as an applicant or medical student.
Need Clinical Experience? Consider a Medical Scribe Position.
If you’re a pre-med on the hunt for some high-quality clinical experiences, medical scribing could be an excellent fit. This paid position can help you to develop a strong network of provider relationships, gain an excellent foundation in medical terminology, observe clinical decision-making first-hand, and learn about the daily work and challenges of life as a physician.
The work. Medical scribes serve as assistants to a physician (or multiple physicians) taking notes and charting patient encounters, inputting documentation into the Electronic Health Record (EHR), responding to patient questions and messages as directed by the physician, locating health records, and even researching information as requested by the physician. Scribes play a key role on a medical team as they free up the physician to focus on patient interactions while the scribe takes responsibility for administrative tasks. Scribes work closely under the supervision of a physician and do not have independent decision-making responsibilities. They work across a variety of specialties, including but not limited to: Emergency Medicine, Oncology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Family Practice, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Pain Management.
The training. After obtaining the position, medical scribes receive between a few weeks to a month of training in preparation for the position. This training is typically paired with a period of shadowing a fellow medical scribe. Even with this onboarding, most scribes feel overwhelmed early on in the role due to the steep learning curve. Scribes need to learn the styles and preferences of the physicians that they work alongside, including their preferred charting methods, as well as the EHR system and the new terminology.
The benefits.
Medical school admissions committees view scribing favorably. A scribe’s work demonstrates their commitment to a career in medicine by showing that they have an intimate understanding of the work of a medical provider. They will gain foundational medical knowledge and experience that will be useful throughout medical school and may ease the transition between their undergraduate and medical studies, and inform their future career path.
Scribes can gain experience within a specialty, including a more thorough understanding of the challenges that physicians in those roles face.
Scribes will have the opportunity to develop a wide network of provider relationships, some of whom may be willing, and able to write detailed recommendations based on their work alongside of them.
Scribes will demonstrate their ability to thrive on a team. Scribes must learn to work well with a variety of physicians who will each have a different style. They will also learn to deal with stress and be proactive in asking questions and picking up information quickly, which will benefit them as a medical student, resident, fellow, and attending physician.
The Law School Interview: Apply Point’s Tips for Success
Today concludes our deep-dive into the law school interview. We’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, to help you with your preparation. Be sure to review our posts from throughout the week, if you missed them!
Apply Point’s Tips for Success
Outline the key points and experiences you would like to discuss within the behavioral interview and take responsibility for bringing up these points. It is most helpful to review all of your application materials again, and highlight those stories that will showcase your abilities and strengths in the areas of critical thinking, leadership, problem solving, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your commitment to the study of law.
Nearly every response in a behavioral interview should include a story, even those that don’t ask you to recall a specific situation. This will not only make your interview more compelling and specific, but it will be much more memorable to the interviewer.
Speak about any recent accomplishments or events not included in your application. Continue to improve your candidacy even after you’ve submitted your application.
Be proactive about bringing up red flags or weaknesses in your application. Address these head-on during the interview because they will inevitably come up within the admissions committee’s discussions. Rather than make excuses, talk about what you’ve learned and how you will continue to improve moving forward.
Practice delivering your responses to interview questions aloud, and be sure to limit most responses (to behavioral interview questions) to between 1.5 and three minutes. Ask us for a list of behavioral interview questions so you can practice and prepare.
Prepare two to three school-specific questions for the interviewer that demonstrate your interest in and enthusiasm for the program.
At the end of the interview, thank your interviewer, reiterate to them if their program is your first choice, and send a hand-written thank you note.
The Law School Interview: Share Stories
We’re deep-diving into the law school interview this week. Check back daily as we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, that we will publish to help you with your preparation.
Share stories. Use stories from your life to show your interviewer who you are, how you’ve grown, and what you will bring to the incoming class. Spend some time brainstorming and reviewing anecdotes that can be tailored to different behavioral questions and demonstrate the qualities law school admissions committees are looking for.
Tell me about a time when you challenged the group consensus. Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a problem.
To respond to a situation-based question, use the SAR (Situation, Action, Response) model. Spend about 20 percent of your response on the situation, and the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took and what resulted/what you learned. The SAR model also applies to a question like: What is your greatest weakness? You will want to spend 20 percent of your response on the weakness, and 80 percent discussing the actions you took/are taking to improve, and what the results have been/what you’ve learned since beginning your improvement plan.
What is your greatest strength? How would you sum up your leadership style?
For questions where a simple claim would seem to suffice for a response, always take it a step further. Make a claim, THEN back it up with a specific example to illustrate that claim—in a group project, professional/intern experience, or extracurricular role.
The Law School Interview: Understand Your Fit
We’re deep-diving into the law school interview this week. Check back daily as we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, that we will publish to help you with your preparation.
Understand your fit with the school. You must prove to the interviewer that their law program is the perfect intersection between where you’ve been and where you want to go. Do your homework and be prepared to discuss how your past experiences and future goals have inspired your interest in their offerings.
Why [specific school]?
Look at the mission of the school, student organizations, courses, faculty, research and experiential learning opportunities, and come to the interview prepared to explain how you would engage. Keep in mind also that law schools are integrated in their local communities, so consider your fit here too. Do you have a particular interest in working within the state, or in a rural/urban environment? Did the location of the school impact your decision to apply to this program? Why?
Prepare also for related questions such as: What do you hope to gain from our law school? What hesitations do you have with our program?
The Law School Interview: Know Thyself
We’re deep-diving into the law school interview this week. Check back daily as we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, that we will publish to help you with your preparation.
Know yourself. This interview is about giving the admissions committee a view into who you are. Think about your interests, passions, and underlying motivations. Here are some questions that you might receive.
Tell me about yourself.
You’ll want to prepare an elevator pitch (consider a one-minute version, as well as a three-minute version) that provides an overview of your background and interest in law school. What have been some of your most meaningful experiences, that reinforced your commitment to the study of law? Why? Are there specific experiences that prompted an evolution in your perspective so notable you want to include them here too? What led you to make certain academic and professional decisions?
Why Law School?
Your response to this question should demonstrate your interest in the study of law. You’ll want to highlight key experiences in the areas of critical thinking, ideally in an academic or legal setting, that reinforced your desire to attend law school. Prepare also for related questions such as: Why now? What is your legal dream job? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
What has been your most meaningful academic or professional accomplishment to date? Why?
Prepare to speak confidently on any of the experiences you have listed in your application materials. What did the experience teach you about yourself? How did it challenge you? How did the experience reinforce your interest in pursuing law school? How did it change or reinforce your views of the legal system—and your desired role within it—in the U.S.?
Would you change anything about your undergraduate education? Why?
If there is a red flag pertaining to your undergraduate education (for example, a semester with a low GPA or a transfer between schools), this may present a good opportunity to address it. Without making excuses, emphasize what you learned from the experience and/or point to other areas of your academic record that are much more indicative of your ability to compete in a rigorous academic environment.
If you do not have a red flag to address, you may want to talk about that missed opportunity to study abroad or take a class in philosophy. Did an early disappointment ultimately inspire you to change your path to pursue law school after graduation? Be sure to link your chosen topic to qualities related to your law school candidacy.
Prepare also for related questions such as: Why did you choose your undergraduate institution? What did you enjoy most about your undergraduate education?
The Law School Interview: An Overview
Most law schools don’t interview their applicants. But among those who do, an admissions director or alum will typically conduct a 20 to 30-minute behavioral interview where they will assess your interpersonal traits, commitment to and aptitude for the study of law, and your interest in and potential to contribute to the school/community. They will also want to ensure that your interview is consistent with your application.
Here’s what you’ll want to demonstrate:
Overall:
Consistency between application and interview
Interpersonal:
Professional manner/maturity
Clear communication style
Leadership/influence
Confidence
Intellectual curiosity
Collaborative
Commitment and Aptitude:
Clear understanding of what a legal career entails
Goal orientation/motivation
Time management
Perseverance
Integrity/ethics
Community
Interest in school/excitement about offerings
Willingness/ability to contribute to the school community
Fit with student body/diverse elements you will add to the community
Begin preparing for your interview by thinking through your most meaningful experiences that will help demonstrate your skills and abilities in the areas of critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork, as well as those that reinforced your commitment to the study of law. As with your personal statement, you’ll want to show the interviewer your strengths and potential through specific examples, rather than limiting your content to claims.
Check back throughout the week, we’ll share a list of common interview questions, by type, to help you with your preparation.
Top Ten Tips. MBA Behavioral Interviews
If you’ve been invited to interview at any or all of the schools on your list, congratulations! Now, it is time to begin preparing. See below for a list of our top ten interview tips:
1. Upon receiving the invitation, schedule the interview as soon as possible. This will enable you to avoid scheduling conflicts and select the time of day when you have the most energy and the fewest distractions.
2. Read all you can about the program, and follow them on social media to stay abreast of their latest announcements, research findings, and other content. If possible, schedule an in-person visit prior to the interview, which often will include a tour, class observation, and lunch with current students. Talk to current or former students already in your network to gain insight on the interview process and other aspects of their MBA experience.
3. Review your application and think through how you will succinctly, yet cohesively, explain your path to this point. What have been some of your most meaningful experiences that reinforced your interest in the study of business? You will likely receive some introductory question(s), which will require a three-minute elevator-pitch response, as well as several others that will require you to back up claims you make about your abilities in the areas of innovation, leadership, and teamwork with specific examples from your professional life.
4. Convince them that their program is at the perfect intersection of where you’ve been and where you want to go. Be sure you can speak about specific courses, professors, case competitions, experiential learning opportunities, etc. that interest you most. And explain why, citing some of your past experiences and/or future goals. Remember, depth is better than breadth. We would rather you explain at length one or two specifics that really set the program apart for you, than briefly mention seven to ten.
5. Prepare to weave into your responses what you will be able to offer the school. Make it clear how your experiences and interests, personal and professional, will benefit the school and create a stronger, more diverse MBA class and alumni base.
6. Think through your biggest career successes and failures, and consider what you learned from both. When answering a question about one of your failures, spend only 20 percent of the response on the situation and mistake. The rest of your response should be devoted to the actions you took to gain a better understanding and improve, and what you learned as a result.
7. Determine if there are any red flags in your application and, if so, craft a response that addresses the issue without making excuses. For example, if asked about the ‘C’ you received in Calculus your sophomore year, discuss what you have done to improve your quantitative ability since then, and make mention of those specific areas in your transcript and post-baccalaureate experience that are more indicative of your ability to compete in a rigorous academic environment.
8. Stay current on domestic and international news. The Economist is wonderful, one of our favorite publications. You will also want to be aware of any news related to your current company, industry, and desired career path as these are great areas from which your interviewer may draw questions. Setting up Google alerts for key phrases related to your company and industry will also help ensure you’re up to date.
9. Prepare three questions, which demonstrate your knowledge of and enthusiasm for the program, to ask the interviewer at the end of your session.
10. Compose a hand-written thank you note and snail mail it to your interviewer. In the note, thank them for their time, reiterate your interest in the school with specifics, make note of something memorable you spoke about during the interview, and, if applicable, make the yield protection statement (If admitted, I will attend.).
Post-Interview Questions: What to Ask Your Student Interviewer
As your interview wraps up, your interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You must have them. Being interested and thoughtful demonstrates your commitment to the program.
With student interviewers, your questions can be more personal, but you still want to show that you know something about the school. It's also a good idea to ask a question that relates to something you've just discussed or about a commonality that you two share, or that you share with the school:
You mentioned that you're involved in researching X. I, too, have a background in researching X. Or, if you’re into completely different areas of research: I’m very interested in pursuing research at Specific Lab. Can you tell me more about your work at Specific Lab?
My grandfather was in the Army, and I value our veterans. I know that the medical school has partnered with the local VA center to address both chronic pain and mental health issues. Have you worked there? What is it like?
I’ve read about X, Y, and Z organizations here. What clubs and student organizations do you belong to? Have they proven valuable to you?
Post-Interview Questions: What to Ask Your Faculty or Admissions Committee Interviewer
As your interview wraps up, your interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You must have them. Being interested and thoughtful demonstrates your commitment to the program.
Some questions you might ask a faculty or admissions committee member include:
I read about X clinical opportunity currently offered to medical students in their second year. Is that going to be available in the future? Can you tell me more about that opportunity?
I worked on a Y study as a research coordinator, and I'm very interested in the Y research happening here. Are there plans to expand that?
How diverse is the student body? Are there support services for minority students?
I have not lived in an urban setting, but I have worked with underserved patients in a small town. About how many patients does the student-run clinic see a year?
The Medical School Interview: Don’t Forget, You’re Interviewing Them Too.
As your interview wraps up, your interviewers will ask if you have any questions. You must have them. Being interested and thoughtful demonstrates your commitment to the program. Perhaps you've visited this school before your interview day or spoken to current or past students. Terrific. But if everything you know about a program came from their website, this is your chance to find out more. You should be open to every school you're applying to—so this is about engaging, not interrogating. This Q&A flip is also a chance to show that you've done your due diligence. Be precise instead of broad. A weak question such as "What research opportunities are currently available?" will require your interviewer to launch into 1,000 things, most of which won't apply to you—oh, and that you could have read about on their website.
You should also keep your focus on the program. Asking an interviewing physician: "What made you choose your field?" is something you do at a lunch mixer. The questions you ask during an interview session should relate to how you and the school will fit together. If you're going to ask three questions, ask at least two meaty ones. You want to include details in your questions that show that you've done your homework on the school. After your third program-related question, close out by asking if you can contact them with other questions in the future. And if the school is your top choice, tell them right now. As we cover elsewhere in this guide, schools want to accept students who will definitely attend.
Check back throughout the week, we’ll provide sample interview questions that you can use to engage your faculty and student interviewers.
How to Use Community Service Experiences to Enhance Your MBA Application: Answering Your FAQs
Your MBA application should showcase the full range of your interests, abilities, and experiences. In addition to your academic and professional life, how you spend your free time can be telling. Today, we’re addressing our most frequently asked questions about how to incorporate community service into your MBA application.
I volunteered a lot in college, but I haven’t had much time to do so since I started working. Should I include those older experiences in my MBA application?
Your MBA application can include any experiences from the start of college onwards. Do keep in mind that the significance of your contribution matters. Participating in one “walk against hunger” your sophomore year will not carry the same weight as spearheading an initiative or raising a significant amount of money. Again, emphasize depth over breadth.
I am working constantly and don’t have time to volunteer right now. Should I try to fit something into my schedule?
Community service can enhance your application, but it is not a deal-breaker if you don’t have it. That being said, don’t forget to consider any volunteering you’ve done as a part of your company. Many firms include community service as a component of the performance framework. So, if you routinely help organize your company’s “dress for success” program, make note of that.
I don’t volunteer for a nonprofit organization, but I do serve on committees at my workplace. Should I include this in my application?
Yes. Think about all that you do within your workplace that falls beyond the scope of your professional responsibilities. Are you a member of the holiday party steering committee? Or a participant on a DEI initiative? Those activities that go beyond your role are opportunities to demonstrate leadership, innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to giving back to and bettering your workplace.
How to Use Community Service Experiences to Enhance Your MBA Application
Your MBA application should showcase the full range of your interests, abilities, and experiences. In addition to your academic and professional life, how you spend your free time can be telling. But before you run out and sign up for various volunteering gigs, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Show commitment and continuity. If you had experiences in college with a particular organization, say supporting the environment or working with the homeless population, you may want to pick up a role with a similar organization locally. Spend time on a cause you really care about.
Prioritize depth over breadth. A years-long involvement or considerable weekly time commitment with one organization is preferable to brief interactions working on a large number of causes. You will have more opportunity to make an impact.
Flex different skills. Volunteer organizations are an excellent place to apply skills you may not yet demonstrate professionally. If you think your resume (or current position) is lacking in experiences that demonstrate leadership, innovation and/or teamwork, see if you can gain that experience in a volunteer setting. Entry-level professional roles typically don’t involve much people management, however, leading a non-profit initiative or committee often does!
Check back tomorrow as we address FAQs related to community service and the MBA application.
Your Law School Application Resume: Don’t Forget the Basics
Yesterday we posted about the importance of focusing on results in your resume. Here are a few more important elements to keep top of mind while you’re crafting your resume.
Don’t forget to…
Keep it relevant. Your resume should only include experiences from the start of college onward, and should showcase your abilities in critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and/or teamwork.
Review the Guidance. Some law schools instruct you to “submit a resume,” while others such as Yale Law School, provide unique specifications for your “activities section” submission. Review the school’s admissions page to confirm any instructions including format and/or page limits. If the school does not provide formatting guidance, you should keep it simple. Opt for left-justified text in an easy-to-read font—we prefer Garamond—sized between 10 and 12.
Use proper grammar. Even the best writers can get worked up about creating resume text. Don’t overthink it. Make use of active verbs to showcase your contributions. Use proper punctuation and the appropriate tense (present for current activities, past for past activities). And do not lean on corporate jargon, rather you will want to ensure that you explain what you did and your results in a way that a classmate would understand.
Your Law School Application Resume: Focus on the Results
In contrast to your personal statement, which should be a deep-dive into a few pivotal stories from your life, your resume should showcase the breadth of your experiences and accomplishments. But remember, it should not merely communicate what you did in each role and extracurricular endeavor; each entry should explore WHY what you did and accomplished was so significant to you and/or your team and/or the organization as a whole. What results did you achieve? What impact did you have? What did you learn?
Law school resumes should include the following components and be no longer than one page:
Education. List all the universities you attended (including study abroad experiences) and the degrees you obtained. Include a bulleted list in the Education section of internships and extracurricular involvements you participated in while in college. And be sure to note any scholarships, awards, or honors you received. If you published a thesis, you can include that here too.
Work Experience. If you’re applying to law school directly out of your undergraduate studies, you may not have a lot of work experience and this is to be expected. Your work experiences should include summer jobs, internships, fellowships, and/or TA positions that you held during college, as well as any post-graduate employment. Use results-oriented bullets to describe your responsibilities and outcomes, and highlight any progression in responsibility. Elaborate on the impact you’ve had and/or the lessons you’ve learned. Also note any awards and/or honors you received.
Additional Information. This section can include significant extracurricular and charitable involvements, languages you speak, as well as any noteworthy skills, certifications, and/or memberships.
Check back tomorrow for additional guidance on crafting your resume.
Writing your MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essay Submission
Those invited to interview at MIT Sloan will be asked to answer the following questions and submit their responses 24 hours prior to the interview:
The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.
We are interested in learning more about how you use data to make decisions and analyze results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:
Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research.
In 250 words or less, please describe a recent data driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.
The interview process is about getting to know applicants more thoroughly. The first question provides you with an opportunity to not only demonstrate that your values match those of MIT Sloan, but that you are willing to proactively work to put those values into action during your business school tenure. The second question allows you to submit proof of your analytical skills and showcase your comfort working with data and using it to drive decision-making.
Your Strategy: Your response to the first question should examine how you will demonstrate leadership in creating a diverse environment and promoting wellbeing among your peers. Focus on a specific example from your past professional experience to demonstrate your ability to cultivate a positive culture. Use the SAR (Situation, Action, Response) model. Spend about 20 percent of your response on the situation, and the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took and what resulted/what you learned. And be sure to clearly link the perspective you gained from this experience to what you hope to accomplish at Sloan.
In the second question, you will want to demonstrate your comfort with using data to tell a story, draw conclusions, and make decisions. If you opt to share a data visualization, clearly state the reasoning for the data visualization, the story or hypothesis you are looking to understand via the data, and why it is meaningful to you. You may want to visit the MIT Data Visualization project page to see current research projects, and gather inspiration. If you opt to submit a professional power point slide showing a data-based decision, ensure that your slide is simple, easy to read, and clearly describes your analysis, assumptions, and conclusions. Then, use your supplemental essay to expand upon each of these areas including the sources of the data, why you analyzed it in the way that you did (and, if applicable, why you did not use other analysis methods), the basis for your assumptions, and how you came to the conclusion that you did (including additional data that would help you to confirm your decision).
Writing Your HBS Post-Interview Reflection
If you have been invited to interview at Harvard Business School, you will want to start thinking about your post-interview reflection, which should be submitted within 24 hours of your interview. The submission is not a formal essay. Harvard’s Admissions Blog describes the exercise as a chance to both get students’ opinions regarding their interviews, as well as provide them with a real-world practicum. Professionals routinely need to send emails summarizing meetings and offering assessments, and their ability to do this well is critical for workplace success.
Here is our advice:
Immediately after your interview, take down some notes about the topics you covered, including some specific details and points of connection. You’ll want to ensure that your content reflects back details from the day.
Take time to reflect before you begin drafting. Think critically about the interview. This submission is an opportunity for you to demonstrate real-world strategic thinking and writing skills, as well as offer any information that you feel you did not adequately explain. Some points to consider:
What were the highlights?
What could have gone better?
Did anything about the interview, or your time on campus, surprise or excite you?
Were there any remaining “gaps” after your interview, and if so, how would you have addressed these?
Did you make it clear to your interviewer(s) what unique experiences, skills, or perspectives you would offer to your MBA class?
Strike a tone similar to that of a post-meeting summary you would write to a colleague or supervisor at work.
After you’ve drafted the piece, walk away. Come back later to review content, style, grammar, and flow with fresh eyes. Keep in mind that Harvard is looking for both a well-written and thoughtful assessment of your interview.
This piece should not be crafted prior to the interview, adapted from another essay, or used as additional resume space. You’ll want to make the most of this final opportunity to show the admissions committee who you are and how you think.
After Your Med School Interview: FAQs on Follow-Up Strategy
Check out our earlier posts on writing Update Letters and Letters of Intent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send more than one Letter of Intent?
You can send a couple of quasi-Letters of Intent. You can tell up to two schools: "I will likely attend" or "X school is one of my top choices." But only send an "I will attend" letter to your top choice school.
What should I do when I get notified I’ve been put on the waitlist?
Send a Letter of Intent ASAP. If you want to turn your waitlist slot into an acceptance, sending a Letter of Intent to your top choice school is extremely important. We already highlighted what such a letter should generally entail, but waitlistees may also want to do a little more. When you update a school on a major accomplishment, a new Letter of Recommendation based on it by a professor or supervisor adds a little oomph. (Adding a random recommendation that isn't about something that has happened since your application is less likely to have an impact on a school's view of you.)
How do I decide where to send my Letter of Intent?
Be strategic about your note: You only get one, so shoot your letter of intent at a likely target, a safe bet. Of course, you should love the school, but choose a school you have a reasonable chance of getting into.
After Your Med School Interview: Send a Letter of Intent
How to Send a Letter of Intent
If a school is a top contender for you, go a step beyond an Update Letter, and send a Letter of Intent. Send a Letter of Intent one or two weeks after your interview or the instant you have been waitlisted. Your letter should include relevant updates since you submitted your application (what you'd put in an Update Letter). Plus, a reiteration of your interest in the program with shoutouts to favorite offerings. Be specific about why you are interested in the medical school and try to relate those interests to your background, accomplishments, and goals. Have you worked on a study that relates to something happening in one of their labs? Do you want to be a pediatric surgeon and they are affiliated with one of the best children's hospitals in the country? Tell ‘em.
And finally—and this is what makes a Letter of Intent different from an Update Letter—include the yield protection statement: "If admitted I will attend." Keep it tight. No more than one page. Three paragraphs, max.
Medical schools have several reasons for wanting to accept people whom they know will attend. First, they want enthusiastic students who will add to the morale of the student body. They also like to know, especially as the date of matriculation nears, that the applicant they accept will attend because no medical school wants an open seat on the first day of classes. Finally, medical schools like the percentage of accepted applicants who matriculate to be as high as possible since this reflects the desirability of the medical school. (That's their "yield percentage" stat.)
Check back tomorrow for our final post on how to follow-up after your Med School Interview.