MYTHS ABOUT GETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL

Some of these are things I personally had troubles with, and some are questions that others have asked me. Enjoy!

Myth #1: I need at least a 90%+ GPA in order to get into medical school. Fact: You definitely do not need a 90%+ GPA to get into medical school. Take a look at UBC’s admission stats to find out what GPA you should aim for (https://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/admissions-statistics/). The average GPA of the entering class last year (2019) was around 88%. Take note that this is an average, which means some students were below this mark and some were above. Also take note that almost half of the entering class (47%) was in the 85.00 to 89.99% range.  

Myth #2: I need hundreds of volunteering hours to get into medical school. Fact: While volunteering experiences are great for medical school applications, your chances are not necessarily limited (or increased) by the number of hours you put down on your application. You may have few volunteering hours, but lots of hours spent on doing something else, such as learning a skill, taking care of someone with a disease or disability, parenting, etc… Put those hours down because they are important to show how you’ve spent your time. On the other hand, please do not over-report your hours on the application: first, it’s dishonesty, which will nullify your application; second, the admissions team will do the math – although they know that “premeds” are hardworking, they also understand that “premeds” are humans beings and need sleep too! 

Myth #3: I need a “super high” MCAT score to get into medical school. Fact: Similar to Myth #1, (if you are applying to UBC) you should probably check out the admission stats (https://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/admissions-statistics/) to set a realistic MCAT goal for yourself. Some schools like U of T have a minimum score that you must reach (https://applymd.utoronto.ca/academic-requirements). The average MCAT of the entering class at UBC in 2019 was around 513~514, whereas that of the rejected was ~511, and these numbers are very close! Again, those are average numbers, which means that some students scored lower than 513 and some scored above. While you should definitely try your best on the MCAT, be aware that there are many other factors that play a role in the application besides the MCAT score.

Myth #4: From what I gathered on reddit forums about other people’s stats (GPA, ECs, etc.), I am probably not going to make it into medical school. Fact: Please do not compare yourself to people online who list their stats and claim that they did or did not get into medical school. I personally found that reading other people’s stats gave me nothing but stress and self-doubt. The medical school application is complex – it takes into account your academics, non-academics, as well as any special circumstances. There is no “perfect” applicant, so reading other people’s stats may not necessarily better your application. It also may not be a good idea to let others rate your chances of getting into medical school on reddit because you wouldn’t really know the intentions of people who answer you. Always question everything you read on “premed” forums!

Myth #5: Experience in the healthcare field is required for med school applications. Fact: Healthcare volunteering/shadowing experience is emphasized by US schools, but not Canadian schools. While it’s an asset to have volunteered or worked in the healthcare field, it is definitely not a “must” on your application. In fact, there isn’t anything that is a “must” in the non-academic section of your application, but I will save this conversation for another post.

Myth #6: I must have a Science background to get into medical school. Or, I should avoid doing a Science degree to avoid being “generic”. Fact: While it’s important that you do your research on the course requirements of different schools, do not feel constrained to do (or not do) a particular program just because you think (or other people tell you) that it’s “better” for med school. Do a degree that you are passionate about and don’t do it just for the sake of med school applications. I will address this a bit more in a later post as well.

Myth #7: I was not accepted by this volunteering opportunity, and therefore my chances of getting into medical school is lowered.    Fact: It may feel disappointing when you are declined volunteering opportunities at hospitals or other places that you think may look good on your med school application. However, this does not mean that you will not make a good medical student and a good doctor. Volunteering experiences at hospitals may not necessarily be “better” than other volunteering experiences. As well, med schools value diversity in their applicants, so keep that in mind!

Myth #8: I have spent most of my time on things unrelated to medicine, so I probably won’t get accepted into medical school. Fact: Similar to #7, med schools value diversity in their applicants, so definitely don’t be discouraged if you feel that you are not a “typical premed”. I have classmates who are engineers, musicians, bankers, …etc. Put down these experiences (even if you think they are unrelated to medicine) in your application, if they are significant to you or to shaping who you are.

Myth #9: By comparing myself to so and so, who got into medical school, my chances are probably low. Fact: There is no one perfect way to get into medical school. Don’t be intimidated by someone who you think is better than yourself. I know this is easy to say and difficult to do, but in the “premed” journey, you would save yourself so much worry (and maybe achieve a lot more) if the only person you compare to is yourself.

Myth #10: I need to beat my fellow “pre-meds” in order to increase my own chances of medical school. Fact: The “premed” culture is unfortunately very competitive, but that doesn’t mean you have to put others down in order to succeed. Getting into medical school is only the first step into the rest of your career, in which you would have to collaborate with your colleagues into order to achieve the best possible outcome for your patients. In fact, it would be important that you help out your peers if you have the skills or knowledge in a particular task because they will help you back in the future!