Education / 03.01.2025

Around 60% of medical schools in America deny students the opportunity to get into their dream programs. Unsurprisingly, the process feels overwhelming, especially with the pressure to stand out in such a competitive landscape. When the stakes are this high, even small mistakes can make a big difference.  Avoiding common pitfalls can help you increase your acceptance odds. Below, we’ve outlined five major missteps to watch out for, along with actionable tips to help you rise to the top of the shortlist.

1. Not Showing Why You Want to Be a Doctor

Saying “I want to help people” isn’t going to make your personal statement stand out. Admissions committees want to know the real why behind your decision to pursue medicine. Unfortunately, many applicants fall into the trap of writing what they think med schools want to hear—and that’s mistake #1. Instead, focus on the personal experiences that sparked your passion for medicine. Maybe volunteering at a free clinic opened your eyes to healthcare disparities in underserved communities. Or perhaps shadowing a surgeon gave you a firsthand look at the challenges and rewards of patient care. These stories are what make your motivation feel genuine and relatable. Admissions committees are looking for resilience, empathy, and a clear understanding of what it takes to be a doctor. Sharing specific moments that shaped your journey can help your application stand out from the crowd while showing off your personality.

How to Effectively Communicate Your “Why”

  • Think About Your Journey: What pivotal experiences made you certain you want to become a doctor? Highlight moments that shaped your perspective on medicine.
  • Stay True: Don’t write what you think they want to hear—write what’s meaningful to you. Authenticity will always trump a sycophant.
  • Show Growth: Admissions committees want to see that you’ve faced challenges, learned from them, and are ready to grow as a future physician.
Use a clear narrative voice and connect with your reader via your experiences. This is your time to shine as the author you never wanted to be. (more…)
Education / 28.12.2024

med-school-secondaries.jpg   Medical school secondary applications play a crucial role in the admissions process by giving applicants a chance to expand on their qualifications and explain why they are a strong fit for specific programs. Once primary applications are submitted, many schools invite candidates to complete these supplementary materials, which often include essay prompts and additional questions. Preparing for secondaries can be demanding, requiring time, organization, and financial resources. For applicants concerned about expenses, options like MPOWER Financing loans can help lessen some of the financial stress and allow international grad students studying abroad in the U.S. and Canada to focus on crafting strong applications. Once you’ve prepared mentally and financially, you’ll need to learn how to ace your secondary essays. This article explores what secondaries are and how to approach them successfully. (more…)
Author Interviews, Education, JAMA / 20.07.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Arman Shahriar Medical Student University of Minnesota Medical School Research Consultant HealthPartners Institute MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? & What should readers take away from your report? Response: Financing medical school is an opaque and important topic because the cost of attendance of medical school has risen much faster than inflation for decades. Over the same time period, the racial wealth gap has widened. We found significant differences in how students of different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds are planning to pay for medical school at the time of matriculation. Family or personal financing is far more common for high-income students. Among Black students, family or personal financing was markedly lower than other racial/ethnic groups, which could be a reflection of the wealth gap - which is rooted in structural racism.  This may create educational disparities as the field becomes increasingly racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse; there are many costs outside of tuition and living that may be considered "variable" or "non-essential" but necessary for high-quality education, including expensive board prep materials and transportation during clinical rotations. Furthermore, the stark deficit in family financing may be one reason why Black students currently report the highest debt burden of all racial/ethnic groups.  (more…)