Graduate Admissions:
Medical School Programs
Who Should Be Looking to Start the 2030s with an M.D. Degree?
The M.D. degree differs from many other advanced degrees in that it requires an enormous amount of debt to finance, and unlike other degrees such as an MBA or master's, nearly the only efficient way to pay off this debt is by working directly in the field of medicine. An MBA can advance your career in many fields, and a PhD typically requires little to no debt at all. The M.D. degree, however, will usually be financed with substantial debt, and the degree is most efficiently used by directly pursuing medicine. Therefore, we only recommend pursuing an M.D. degree to applicants who are absolutely certain they want to pursue a lifelong career in medicine. Those who are certain about pursuing a career in medicine generally have a strong desire to help others, a deep interest in science and biology, and the ability to connect with people on an emotional level. Being empathetic is an absolute requirement.
To be competitive for an M.D. program, you need 3 things.
First, a high MCAT score (80th percentile or higher for more competitive programs). Most schools will not even read your application if your score falls below their threshold.
Second, a high GPA (3.8–4.0), with A's in most of your biology, chemistry, physics, math, and sociology/psychology classes.
Third, a significant amount of clinical experience. Admissions officers want to know that you understand what it is actually like to be a doctor. The only way to demonstrate this is through substantial clinical hours paired with a deep understanding of the role of an M.D. in the clinic. Clinical hours are hours spent "in the clinic." This can include shadowing a physician on their day-to-day routine, volunteering at a hospital, or working as an EMT.
Getting into a lab at your college or university for a couple of semesters can show that you have a general understanding of research, which can be an important part of medicine. While research experience strengthens your application, it is not absolutely necessary. The heads of research labs are generally looking for engaged and interested students from their classes who show genuine interest in the course material and want to pursue careers in research. The best way to obtain an undergraduate research position is to develop a relationship with a professor from one of your classes and then reach out to them after earning an "A" in the class about research opportunities. Alternatively, you can cold approach professors. But that requires having a professional resume, and sending a large number of emails over a period of time, typically 3-6 months, so that you don’t give off the impression that you are spamming departments.
If you truly have a deep passion for practicing medicine and you are one of those people who is destined to help others and save lives because you genuinely love medicine, we are here to help you. Our services can support you during every step of the process, starting from advisement during your freshman year of college and finishing with medical school applications during your senior year.
Given that most of us have walked the path you wish to walk, we can help you get into your dream M.D. program no matter where you are in your journey.
Are you a high school senior?
We will help you apply to the Anson L. Clark Scholar Program and other similar research programs that offer graduating seniors the opportunity to perform intensive research over the summer before their freshman year of college. We can also serve as advisors from the start of undergrad until your medical school applications are submitted during your junior or senior year, making sure you take all the right steps, attain the right experience, and achieve the highest level of qualifications.
In college already?
We can help you plan out your course load throughout your remaining time in college to best prepare you for M.D.-level coursework, including when to take and how to excel in the "weed-out" classes. We can help you identify opportunities for clinical experience and make recommendations for jobs and certifications you should pursue while completing your undergraduate degree. We can coach you on how to approach professors whose labs you might want to work in. We can also help you write essays for REU programs, prepare your resume, and prepare you for interviews. We can give you advice on how long and how much you should study for the MCAT.
Finally, if you are applying to M.D. programs in just a couple of months, we will help you brainstorm your statement of purpose, prepare your resume, edit and polish your materials, help you secure letters of recommendation, and prepare you for any interviews.
Have you been out of school for a while and now want to earn an M.D. in your 30s or 40s?
We can tell you exactly what you need to do to become a competitive applicant for M.D. programs and help you leverage your work experience into a successful M.D. application.
We deeply respect the work that doctors do and the sacrifices they make. Our mission is to ensure that people who want to become doctors for the right reasons have the resources and expertise needed to compete in an extremely saturated and competitive applicant pool.
