Real Stories Demonstrating Premed Competencies

“Scores and grades can only get you so far without a story to sell yourself and the experiences to back it up. Everyone from here on out is very intelligent, but that increase in raw intelligence has diminishing returns. At this point in your career, it matters more who you are as a person and the soft qualities you bring to the table that will help you become a better physician and colleague.” 

"Never get discouraged. Each person’s path is very different, and the strongest candidates are those that show how they have found their own path headed towards a career in medicine."

“Learn to take time off. The process of applying to medical school is just the beginning of a long marathon. Do not burn yourself [out] at the start.”

"There’s no magic formula for getting into medical school. I pursued a career as a pastor, volunteered internationally, came to love working with people in vulnerable circumstances, worked as an EMT, and drove cross-county; all this helped prepare me to be a driven, authentic medical student."

"Always keep in mind what the goal of this journey is: to be a physician who serves others. When you're feeling down in the weeds about studying, take time to volunteer or shadow. Connect with patients and bring yourself back to what brought you to this path in the first place."

“Challenges and setbacks are inevitable, and these are the moments that force us to grow. Reflect on these moments when they have passed and understand perfection is not the expectation. Work hard given the situation that you're in and be the best you can for those around you."

"The application cycle can be disillusioning and not without challenges, not unlike medicine, but remember to be ambitious, surround yourself with good people, work hard and enjoy the moment; you really can do anything."

"My personal statement was a winding journey of how I went from being a bewildered high school graduate, unsure of my place in the world, to being certain I wanted a career as a linguist in the Air Force, to ultimately figuring out I belonged in medicine. I highlighted major forks in my journey focusing on different character traits that I developed with each experience."

"Throughout the application process, I was worried that schools would automatically eliminate my application from consideration due to my undergraduate GPA. I was told that to most schools, applicants are merely a number and a GPA below 'x' would automatically throw someone out of the running for acceptance. These worries were unfounded, and I ended up landing several interviews and multiple acceptances."