THE IMPORTANCE OF
ACADEMIC PREPARATION
Medicine Needs YOU

… African Americans, Latinos/as, and Native
Americans comprise 25 percent of the U.S.
population, but only 12 percent of US medical
student graduates and only 6 percent of physicians
in practice...
taken from http://www.AspiringDocs.org

So we’re offering our advice in hopes that you will
be able to join the ranks and thereby increase the
percentages.
Important Considerations:
There is no magic formula for getting into
medical school.
 We, Penn Med students, didn’t have an
identical journey to medical school.
How to Get Ready for the Medical School
Application Process

Rule #1: Decide to devote a significant time
commitment to preparing for medical school

Rule #2: Research national medical school
acceptance data based upon GPA and MCAT scores

Rule #3: Review academic qualifications, curriculum,
first year class profile and demographics of medical
schools which interest you

Rule #4: Seek advise from those well-versed in the
medical school application process

Rule #5: Develop your plan for success
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Confer with premed advisors, faculty mentors,
and medical students who can support you
through the medical school preparation
process.

Attend a medical school recruitment fair to
learn from representatives about their schools
http://www.aamc.org/calendar/careerfairs
The MSAR aka Your Best Friend
The Medical School Admissions
Requirements (MSAR) profiles ever
medical school in the US, Canada

Check the MSAR well before applying
to see what that school’s numbers are,
their requirements, and their curricula

For example, more and more schools
require biochemistry, and same require
two semesters of calculus

Another Essential Text: MOUSMS
* Review Minority Student Opportunities in US
Medical Schools (MOUSMS) – learn about
recruitment, applicant and matriculant data by
gender, race and ethnicity; summer
programs, educational partnerships, etc.
My Credentials

I am a wonderful, amazing person who
 rescued children from burning houses
 built 50 houses with my bare hands by myself
for 50 different families
 volunteered in the ER
 holds leadership positions in 10 different
organizations
 it doesn’t matter that I have a 2.9 GPA and a
25 MCAT score, right???
Sorry, It Does Matter
 Don’t bank on being the outlier case
 It’s stressful to take that risk (both financially and
emotionally)
 No one will see how wonderful you are unless
your numbers get by the screening
THE NUMBERS
The Numbers
 Medical School Admission Committees WILL
NOT read every applicant’s personal statement
and the rest of the application.
 Every school has to screen its applications to
reduce the number of applications they
actually have to read
 Once the screening process is done, then they
start reading the applications
What Do They Screen?
GPA
MCAT
(Medical School Admissions Test)
Fact and Figures https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/
Table 19: MCAT scores and GPA’s for Applicants and Matriculants to US
Medical Schools by Race and Ethnicity, 2009
Calculating Your Chances: Applicant
Pool and Matriculants, 2008-2010 (taken from Table 24
AAMC Facts and Figures- https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicationt/matriculant)
MCAT
GPA:
2.802.99
18-20
Acceptees
21-23
24-26
27-29
30-32
33-35
36-38
39-45
17
56
89
65
33
8
.
.
Applicants
216
259
220
118
51
13
.
.
Acceptance
Rate
2.7%
6.3%
21.4%
26.3%
36.8%
50.0%
.
.
For example, if you have a 2.9 and a 25
total MCAT…
2009-2010 Penn Med URM Median
Applicant Pool and Matriculants
URM Applicants
GPA
Science
All Other
Overall
MCAT
VR
PS
BS
WS
2009/2010
3.48
3.67
3.48
2009/2010
9.0
10.0
10.0
P
URM First Year Matriculants
GPA
Science
All Other
Overall
MCAT
VR
PS
BS
WS
2010
3.68
3.77
3.71
2010
11.0
12.0
12.0
Q
Max GPA 4.0
Max MCAT 45 T (15 each section)
Questions?
2008 and 2009 Coordinator:
Amanda Crichlow, MS4 - crichlow@mail.med.upenn.edu
2010 Coordinators:
Juron Foreman, MS4 - juronsf@mail.med.upenn.edu
Derek Mazique, MS1- mazique@mail.med.upenn.edu
Alyssa Reyes, MS1 - alreyes@mail.med.upenn.edu
GOOD LUCK!