The medical school application, and how not to lose all your marbles
by Rae Dong, class of 2011
This began as a few tips on how to budget for medical school applications, but has turned into thoughts on the process overall. To all the pre-med Baldwins about to begin this process (or will at some point), best of luck! Though it is very long and arduous, I think it is also every bit as rewarding. I promise you’ll emerge even more excited to become a doctor.
Budgeting
1. Know how much you can / want to spend. It is helpful to have a ball park figure in mind at the outset of this process so you know how much money you need to earmark and avoid potential headaches down the road. It is probably no surprise to you that this process is expensive. For simplicity, you can assume ~$40 per primary application, and ~$100 per secondary. Then factor in travel expenses and it all quickly adds up. For reference, I applied to (a fairly standard) ~20 schools and spent all in, ~$5000. I was very fortunate to be doing all of this on a generous consulting salary so I didn’t have to limit the number of schools I was applying to on the basis of cost, but whatever your financial situation it is worth considering the schools you would seriously go to with a critical eye before pulling out the credit card.
2. Group interviews when you can. Most schools are receptive to emails letting them know you will be in the area so you can knock a couple of interviews out on one trip. Also, this is common sense, but once you know you’re going to an interview, book as soon as you can!
3. Look at alternate airports for cheaper flights (especially if you are going to the middle of nowhere). For example going to my Mayo Clinic interview, I met many people who flew into Minneapolis and then took a bus to Rochester for more / cheaper flight options. I did not think to do this, but I might have saved a couple hundred dollars had I been savvier.
4. Use those frequent flier miles. Make sure you’ve signed up for the rewards programs ahead of time because miles do add up!
5. Stay with students. Aside from being a major cost saver, this was actually my favorite way of getting to know the school. They often gave awesome talking points to the – why xx school question, and staying overnight is also an invaluable window into what your life might actually be like next year. The downside is you might not get as much rest if the option is a sleeping bag in the living room, but ultimately the choice is up to you.
6. Don’t interview if you’ve already gotten into a school you would rather go to. There is nothing wrong with declining an interview offer. (You will not hurt their feelings.) Don’t spend the unnecessary money, and someone else is likely to be hoping for that interview spot.
7. You don’t need an expensive looking portfolio; however you should invest in a nice suit. I usually brought a copy of my application along with me, but I was never asked to refer to it during any of my interviews. A 2 dollar black folder worked perfectly well for this and more times than not, it stayed in my bag. On the other hand, make sure you feel comfortable and look polished in your suit. (Also, bring an extra blouse and stockings just in case.) Business formal wear is an important investment that you should not skimp on.
8. Make a trip of it. I tried to schedule Monday or Friday interviews and took the opportunity whenever possible to stay the weekend and catch up with friends in the area or just explore the place a bit more. While you’re in town, it’s always great see what the city has to offer beyond the walls of the medical school. Just because you’re doing med school interviews doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun on your trip. Also, try not to let the travel stress you out. Sometimes cancellations and delays will happen, but building in cushion travel time allows you to be open to adventure. On one of my trips, my connection through DC was cancelled and I ended up with an 8 hour layover in Salt Lake City. Instead of going stir crazy at the airport, I drove into the city and took a spontaneous tour of the Mormon temple, then got to see a couple of old friends over brunch. The point is, be creative and have fun with the opportunity to travel to places you might otherwise not have a reason to visit.
General advice on the process
1. Run your own race (even though it is not really a race). Try very hard not to get sucked into the negativity that is all too easily found all over the student doctor network (would suggest avoiding this website like the plague). The amount of advice out there is overwhelming, and there are endless services willing to take your money to edit your essays and tell you all the right things to say. Frankly, there is not one right way to go about this process. Don’t feel like you need to do something just because someone else did it that way. Trust yourself and do what makes the most sense for you.
2. Be organized. This is easier said than done, but it is imperative to stay on top of the application (particularly the secondary process). Pace yourself, prioritize the schools you’re most interested in, and keep all your logins / passwords / deadlines all in one place. Use excel to track your progress. (Happy to share my nerded out and color coded tracker if you’re interested).
3. Know when you’re done. You should absolutely have people read your essays and provide feedback on how to improve clarity and check for typos. However, too much input is also a terrible and frustrating thing. At some point, enough feedback is enough. Make it clear if/when you want someone to read only for grammar and punctuation rather than style or content and don’t feel the need to make everyone happy. Your own opinion is the one that matters most.
Interviews
I will keep this brief. In retrospect, I found this part of the process to be the most humanizing, and even enjoyable. The hard work is done, and at this point you and the school have a chance to become better acquainted to assess whether you are the best fit for each other. There are a million practice interview books out there, and you can get lost in trying to prepare a response to every single possible question, but ultimately there are 3 things you need to know well.
1.Your application. Know this backwards and forwards. What you say needs to be consistent with what you have written that got you the interview in the first place.
2. Why you want to be a doctor. This should be obvious, but it is actually not the easiest question to answer succinctly. Practice this and know it cold.
3. Why you want to go to X. school. Again, obvious, but you should have a few points prepared that are unique to your own background and experiences.
Oh, and don’t forget the thank you notes.
In sum, keep the big picture of all your motivations for pursuing medicine in mind, and try your best to enjoy the process – you’ll have much more success if you do! I’m happy to try and answer any other questions about anything along the way.












