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A previous version of this article was published by Kevin Yang.
础蹿迟别谤听听补苍诲听聽at multiple medical schools, the wait to hear back from the programs of your choice can feel like an eternity鈥攁nd when you do hear back, it may not be the news you were expecting. So what do you do if instead of opening an acceptance letter, you find out you鈥檝e been聽听辞谤听聽from medical school this cycle? On the other hand, what if the news is good and you get accepted to your top pick? Regardless of the outcome, you鈥檒l need to be practical about your next steps.
Today, we鈥檒l help you navigate some of the most common scenarios when it comes to being accepted, waitlisted, or rejected from medical school so that you can plan accordingly.
What to do if you鈥檙e accepted to medical school
Congratulations! You鈥檝e been聽! If you鈥檙e one of those lucky few who have multiple offers, you鈥檒l need to quickly decide which medical school you want to attend鈥攐r at least the ones at which you want to reserve a spot. Remember, the ball gets rolling pretty fast at this point.
Once a med school gives you an聽, you generally have two weeks to respond. If you decide you want to secure a spot at that school, you鈥檒l need to pay a certain amount鈥攖ypically between $500 to $1,500鈥攖o do so. As you can see, reserving spots at multiple schools can get pretty pricey, but it鈥檚 generally a good idea to play it safe by at least paying the deposit at the first school that accepts you.
If you don鈥檛 have a聽聽in mind or you haven鈥檛 heard back from yours, there are a couple聽听飞丑别苍听聽where you should reserve a seat. Most medical schools have similar curricula, and it鈥檚 good to keep in mind that the reputation of your medical school isn鈥檛 generally as important as that of your聽聽when it comes to getting a job after graduation.
Some big factors to consider when selecting a medical school include:
- Overall cost of attendance
- Available rotation spots
- Residency placements
Also, keep in mind that you鈥檒l be living in this location for four years, so quality of life is important. In addition to considering where the school is actually located (Is it too cold there? Too hot? Mountainous? Urban? Rural? Land-locked?), think about other important details like how close to your support network you鈥檒l be, what things students do in their free time, and your impressions from the school during your interview day. Getting information from med school faculty and current students to help inform your decision is often very helpful as well.
What to do if you鈥檙e waitlisted
First, don鈥檛 get ahead of yourself or get too discouraged; many people will end up being聽聽and, ultimately, accepted every year. Even though it may feel like you鈥檙e stuck in limbo and there鈥檚 nothing you can do about it, try not to let it get to you. Being waitlisted is often just a frustrating part of the process.
Remember that you鈥檙e not completely powerless. While the final decision is up to the admissions committee and whether or not spots open up in the class, there are things you can do to improve your chances. Sending the school a letter to confirm your interest is a fine idea, but make sure to keep your communications short, detailed, and to-the-point.
If you鈥檝e re-taken the聽聽and gotten a better score since your applications went out, or if you鈥檝e accomplished something noteworthy in your research, clinical, or other extracurricular pursuits, send an update to the school. This letter should focus on how you鈥檝e addressed your weaknesses, why you聽聽to which you鈥檙e writing, and the details of your recent accomplishments.
What to do if you鈥檙e rejected from medical school
This is the possibility that everyone dreads鈥攏ot getting in. While being rejected from medical school can be disheartening, it鈥檚 certainly not the end of the line. If this happens to you, allow yourself a day or two for moping if you need it, and then get back on the horse.
For each school you receive a聽聽from, it is a good idea to send a letter to the admissions committee asking for advice on how to improve your application. You may or may not get replies, but any that you do get will help guide your next steps. Feel free to do your own audit, as well, and analyze your application for weaknesses. Try to approach it as the admission committee鈥攏ot as yourself. Is there a coherent theme that runs throughout your聽听补苍诲听? How did your聽聽and MCAT scores compare to those of the聽聽in the schools to which you applied? Don鈥檛 know how to get that info? Check out stats about MD programs at the聽聽page and聽.
Reapplying will be your ultimate goal, but remember that when you do聽, you must present a聽, so start by approaching the process with that in mind. Many schools will ask what you鈥檝e achieved between your application cycles; in short, they want a good reason they should take you now, when they passed on you last year. Give them one. Make sure you have something new you can write about or聽聽when the subject comes up.
Bounce back from medical school rejection by brushing yourself off and working towards a higher MCAT score with one of our聽.
