3 Pre-Submission Tips to Boost Your Med School Application

Many applicants think that when they submit their medical school application, their work is done. In reality, because the application process can last a full year or more depending on your outcomes and goals, it’s crucial to not only submit the strongest application possible but also continue working to improve your candidacy throughout the cycle.

The spring and early summer are critical times to engage in meaningful experiences that strengthen your profile. The effort you put in before and during the application process represents some of the most important work you’ll do to improve your chances of acceptance. The key is to identify what you can improve and what might be missing from your application portfolio.

1. Fill Experience Gaps

Do you lack experience in any of the “categories” that medical school admissions committees want to see? When we meet with applicants early in the application season, we often identify aspects of their experience profile that can be improved. For example, maybe you have little patient-facing experience, or perhaps you’re light on civic engagement or community service work. Use the early spring to seek out opportunities to fill these gaps, ideally before you submit your application. This will enable you to enter those activities as “anticipated,” giving admissions committees evidence that you’re addressing these experience gaps.

2. Increase Impact in Current Activities

Can you make an even greater impact in your current endeavors? Perhaps you have big plans for a gap year research experience or intend to expand outreach through a community service club you started at your college.

Since your application represents a snapshot of your experiences and growth up to this point, it’s valuable when you can indicate your goals for activities in the coming year. This shows medical schools that you’re forward-thinking and ambitious.

3. Develop New Mentorship Relationships

Don’t think that nurturing professional relationships ends after you hit the submit button. Many medical schools allow you to send additional letters of recommendation during the application process.

This can be particularly helpful if you’re waitlisted at a top-choice school; an additional endorsement from a new mentor can be the key to moving from a waitlist to an acceptance.

Keep Growing

Remember, your curriculum vitae, just like your medical school candidacy, is always evolving. Continue to build on your experiences, maintain a growth mindset, and keep working throughout your application year. The most successful applicants don’t view application submission as the finish line but rather as a checkpoint in their ongoing journey toward becoming a physician. By consistently enhancing your profile, you’ll not only improve your chances of acceptance but also develop skills and perspectives that will serve you well throughout your medical career.

JESSICA FREEDMAN, M.D., a former medical school and residency admissions officer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is the founder and chair of MedEdits Medical Admissions and author of three top-selling books about the medical admissions process that you can find on Amazon.