BACK TO SCHOOL 1'1'

Getting In

Continued from preceding page

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* SCIENCE
* DIET

681-1717

Mon.-Sat. 10-8, Sun. 12-5

armed with a calculator and
an academic transcript, the
applicant conquers the for-
mula and determines science
and non-science grade point
averages.
Sitting back, the premed
smugly turns to the last page
— and finds a request for an
open-ended personal essay.
Uh, oh. Where are the guide-
lines? Somebody, give me
some idea of what to say here!
Several books do offer sample
essays but it is usually best
for premeds to use their own
judgement and creativity in
deciding what to write. In-
deed, applicants send in
everything from whimsical
poems to boring biographies.
It's probably best to aim for a
medium between setting
oneself apart and not sound-
ing too unconventional. For-
tunately, applications usual-
ly have a section that allows
premeds space to explain per-
sonal difficulties or inconsis-
tent academic performance in
college.
Once they have sent in the
primary application to AAM-
CAS, premeds anxiously wait
to hear from the medical
schools. Beginning in August,
schools send secondary ap-
plications to those in whom
they are interested. All secon-
dary applications require a
list of confidential recommen-
dations which must be sent in
directly by the writers or by
the university. Medical
schools usually require an
analysis (hopefully favorable)
of the student by the
premedical committee, if the
undergraduate institution
has one. Otherwise, they re-
quire the recommendations of
at least one science and one
non-science professor. If the
school has a premed advisor
(usually a professor), it is to
the student's advantage to
get to know him/her. The
premed advisor can give in-
valuable guidance through-
out the application process.
As soon as schools receive
the secondary applications,
they begin deciding whom to
invite for interviews. The pre-
med asked to interview at a
school should be congratu-
lated — only one-fifth to one-
half of all applicants to a
school reach this point. Only
those interviewed will be con-
sidered for admission. If the
school is far away and time
and money pose a problem,
regional interviews may be
possible. Usually, the student
travels to the school although
the admissions office may be
able to provide names of
students willing to house the
student for a night. The inter-
view day consists of one or
more interviews (usually one-
half to one hour long), a tour

of the campus and hospital,
and lunch with a student
(who may or may not be on
the admissions committee).
Before they appear, poised
and ready at 8 a.m. on the day
of their interview to answer
questions, premeds prepare
frantically. First on the agen-
da is shopping for the "inter-
view suit." Next comes the
more formidable task of pre-
paring for the interview
itself.
A good starting point is
reading The Medical School
Interview by Randall Zielinski
(Betz Publishing Co., 1988)
and doing its preparation ex-
ercises. The book stresses
what admissions committees
are looking for and tells how

Before they appear
for their first
interview, premeds
prepare frantically.

to prepare. At the very least,
applicants should prepare for
the interview by writing
down why they have chosen to
pursue medicine and what
they have done to prepare for
it. In addition, it is helpful to
list extracurricular activities
and jobs held during (or since)
college. Interviewers in-
variably ask about motiva-
tion for choosing medicine,
and applicants' backgrounds
and preparation.
It's also a good idea to bone
up on current issues in med-
icine. Applicants may find a
compilation of articles and
papers at the career place-
ment office or college library.
Looking at old copies of The
New Physician and other
medical journals should help.
During the interviews, ap-
plicants are given a chance to
ask questions of the inter-
viewer. Applicants should get
copies of the AAMC cur-
riculum directory and AAMC
admissions requirements
book, and read the sections on
the school at which they are
interviewing. More than like-
ly, this will spark some ques-
tions on the school's cur-
riculum. In sum, applicants
must do their best to look and
sound interested in the
school.
Walking nervously into the
interview room, the applicant
shakes hands with the inter-
viewer and introduces him/
herself. Depending on the
school, the interviewer may
or may not have seen the ap-
plicant's application. The in-
terviewer asks the first ques-
tion. At this point the best ad-
vice is for the interviewee to
relax, then answer the ques-
tion. Applicants must be
truthful while looking for the