As more students apply for medical school, differentiating amongst a crowd has become increasingly essential.
Along with the increase in applications, students are beginning to seek assistance from medical school admissions counseling to increase their chances of getting accepted. Although there are numerous medical school admissions advisors, many prospective students remain unsure how these professionals might improve their chances of acceptance and how to find the right one.
You might have different questions about medical school admissions consulting. The most common questions are: “What is medical school admissions consulting?”, “How can advisors help students improve their applications?” and “Do you need medical school admissions consulting?“
This article answers these questions and guides you through the process of finding a consultant who is suitable for you.
Fierce Competition
The struggle for admission to medical school is getting increasingly intense. One reason is that more people are applying each year.
According to the AAMC, there were over 10,000 more applicants to U.S. medical schools during the last round of admissions than ten years ago. Similarly, Canada saw an increase of over 5,000 applications to medical schools in the past seven years. This indicates an increase of almost 25 percent over the previous ten years for U.S. candidates and a 15 percent rise for Canadian applicants.
The AAMC estimates that between 42,600 and 121,300 doctors will be needed in the next ten years due to population increase, aging, and the retirement of older physicians. Fortunately, more and more millennials are coming forward, but this means more competition will be for the few available slots.
Despite the anticipated lack of medical professionals, getting into medical school will always be difficult. To ensure that students accepted into medical schools are prepared for the academic challenges of medical school, as well as the physical and emotional requirements of a career in medicine, schools test applicants on different levels, including personal statements, secondary essays, grade point averages, and the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The application process is designed to be demanding to rule out applicants who are unwilling to endure the challenges of the application process in the first place.
What is medical school admissions consulting?
A medical school admissions consultant can help you improve your chances of getting into medical school by advising you on how to fill out the application, write your statement, prepare for the CASPer exam by reviewing practice questions and answers, and ace the interview. They will also teach you how to respond to the MMI questions, the most typical questions asked during medical school interviews and any other form of interview question.
They can also help you get into your top choice residency program by helping you write your statement and going over the questions you need to know for your residency interview. The ideal medical school admissions consultant will have helped tens of thousands of applicants and conducted extensive research to discover what works and doesn’t.
Do you need medical school admissions consulting?
Most students admitted into medical schools work with a medical school counselor or an admissions consultant. Every applicant is different, with different strengths and weaknesses, and a good consultant will be able to give tailored advice to each applicant according to their unique circumstance. In a field as competitive as medicine, even the most minor improvements might be significant in whether or not a candidate is accepted. This does not mean that you can’t succeed without the help of a consultant, but your chances will increase significantly if a professional services you.
Since there are so many unknowns in the admissions process, students might feel overwhelmed and confused. Medical school applicants have various challenges, including deciding how many schools to apply to, writing personal statements and supplementary essays, and preparing for interviews. Then which groups of students need consulting?
Students with poor GPA or MCAT scores
Some students who seek the assistance of a medical school consultant have low MCAT scores and GPAs. As a result, every other component of their application must be exceptional. Otherwise, they will not stand out, and their applications won’t attract admission officers’ attention. Therefore, they are strongly recommended to seek help from medical school consultants.
Students with GPAs and MCAT scores ranging from average to excellent
Even if a student has a good GPA and MCAT score, they may still need help getting into medical school. High GPAs and MCAT scores alone won’t ensure admission to medical school; medical schools also look for well-rounded candidates. Applicants need to have great personal statements and essays, and they also need to do very well in their interviews. This means they must put a lot of time and effort into preparing for their medical school interviews. Most students don’t have enough experience in all areas of the admissions process. Even if a student has exceptional GPA, grades, and MCAT results, it is still possible that their interview or writing abilities are below average and, in some situations, very poor. Even students with flawless stats might not get accepted o their desired medical school.
Students who have gaps in their medical school applications
Some applicants have obvious gaps or have spent a year away from academic life before applying to medical school. For example, these students might not have enough volunteering or shadowing experience, or they might not have done any extracurricular activities. This group also consults professionals to strengthen other parts of their applications and address weaknesses they didn’t even know they had.
Students with poor writing skills
Excellent writing is required for personal statements and primary and secondary essays. Many students sit down to write, only to discover they lack the skills necessary to produce something engaging, coherent, and persuasive. Maybe they have the thoughts ready but can’t seem to put them into an essay, or maybe they don’t even know where to start. A medical school admissions expert will help these applicants write a statement or essay that will stand out from the crowd.
The role of an admissions consultant in increasing your chance of acceptance
A medical school admissions consultant will work one-on-one with you to improve your chances of acceptance into medical school by using tested strategies, techniques, and practice methods. When it comes to the application process, an application preparation package will guarantee that the consultant is there for you at every stage, from helping you decide which schools to apply to, writing personal statements and essays, or even mastering the CASPer test and interviews. Medical school advisors have been on both sides of the table, as applicants and examiners, so they have a unique perspective on the admissions process. They have the skill and expertise to identify weak points in your application, reinforce them, eliminate negative points, and highlight your positive qualities, personality, experiences, and capabilities that make you a strong candidate.
The first place you need to stand out is on paper because admissions committees will look through dozens of applications. This can be hard without the help of a medical school consultant, who can help you make an application that can’t be missed in the pile of applications that the schools receive. CASPer tests, computer-based samples of personal qualities, could be the next step in the admissions process, depending on the school. This exam is frequently used to narrow down the number of candidates before an interview.
Individuals with better CASPer test scores will be invited to continue the admissions process, while those with lower scores will be denied. You can raise your CASPer test scores with the assistance of an experienced medical school advisor. The interview stage will be the last step in the admissions procedure. Medical school admissions advisors can support you during your interview by giving you mock interviews, sample questions, and, most importantly, tailored professional feedback.
For many students, working with a professional throughout preparation is crucial to establish good interviewing techniques and to feel at ease and confident on the day of the interview. The interview will be your final obstacle and will determine whether you are accepted.
Red flags to avoid when choosing your consultant
No Reviews
The first thing you can do to see whether a service is good enough is to check the online reviews, but what if there aren’t any reviews? If a consultant lacks independent, verifiable reviews, you should take this as a warning sign. There are just two possibilities left without reviews. Either the business lacks the experience it claims to have or actively removes negative reviews; neither scenario is ideal.
At Jack Westin, we couldn’t be more proud of the thousands of students we’ve helped.
Unverified or low success rates
Typically, consultants list their success rate on their website, letting you know what percentage of students they advised were accepted. If this number is low, there is little chance that they could be helpful. However, it’s essential to look into this number to see if they have researched to prove that their tools and methods work.
No trial sessions
You will be given a chance to test out the services of a top medical school admissions expert without being charged. Why? Medical school admissions consulting isn’t free, and if you spend money on a service, it should be exceptional and effective. You wouldn’t walk onto a car lot and buy a new vehicle without first taking it for a test drive. An admissions consultant is no different. At Jack Westin, we host free live sessions every week.
Final Word
You should seek out a consultant who has undergone extensive, standardized training. The best consultants are genuinely dedicated to helping students become their best versions. They have either been through the admissions process or as interviewers or evaluators. They have completed their training and have sufficient experience working with medical school applicants to establish rapport and recognize each applicant’s particular needs. You’ll need someone who can help you improve your application and be a reliable source of guidance.
At Jack Westin, our team of admissions consultants not only knows the ins and outs of the admissions process but also provides you with the most valuable feedback to get you into medical school.
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