Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Made mistakes? How to spin them for your medical school applications.

Michelle Finkel, MD
Education
September 24, 2019
374 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Despite more than a dozen years in medical school admissions consulting, I still clearly recall a bright advisee who had improved her grades considerably throughout her college career. But I, unfortunately, had a less than stellar freshman transcript. After calculating her AMCAS GPA with me, she lamented, “I feel like my grades are a criminal record.” In a twisted way, she was right — she couldn’t erase the grades.

But she could address her GPA weakness in her interviews.

Not every applicant has a 3.99 GPA or a 522 on her MCAT. In fact, one of the benefits of my years in advising has been the opportunity to help some candidates get into medical school by both acknowledging deficiencies and providing persuasive evidence that they have successfully overcome obstacles.

Being upfront about a major deficiency and demonstrating — with evidence from the remainder of your candidacy — that the weakness is not representative of your abilities is a good strategy.

Although medical school application deficiencies are, of course, not real scandals, allow me an analogy: An otherwise respected politician is noted in an old photo to be smoking marijuana at Coachella. She has two options: First, she can deny, await a media frenzy, and then (after the media has crafted its own interpretation of her behavior) focus on belated damage control. Alternately, she can acknowledge the episode, remind the public of her robust record in office, and defuse a crisis. Interestingly, the latter not only averts a disaster but also by addressing the problem head-on, makes her look more responsible. Although an imperfect analogy, the same principle is true with deficiencies in your medical school candidacy. When describing a weakness during a medical school interview, you should execute a three-pronged approach.

First, make a true, strong and convincing statement about your candidacy’s worth. You can start by noting that the deficiency in your application does not accurately characterize your academic abilities nor your professional potential. Simply said: “My C- in calculus is not representative of my intellectual capabilities nor my overall academic achievement.”

Next, you can briefly explain the circumstances that led to the problem.

This part is tricky. Saying that your MCAT score does not correlate with the remainder of your strong candidacy because you aren’t a good test-taker will not fly with many interviewers. (After all, you’ll be taking countless tests in medical school, and you don’t want your faculty interviewer to worry about your ability to pass your USMLE or COMLEX exams.) This is true for excuses about a course’s level of difficulty as well.

In other words, explaining that Organic Chemistry 33 is the hardest class around is to your disadvantage. After all, you’ll have to manage a very tough curriculum in medical school. However, you can simply say that in retrospect, you realize you did not fully and adequately prepare for your MCAT or your organic chemistry assignments. Also, if you have a justifiable reason for your deficiency (concomitant family illness, a job you took to support yourself that limited your study time, etc.), explaining that background will be helpful. Be careful walking the fine line between providing a factual explanation and creating what your interviewer may perceive as an excuse. Your explanation should convey full accountability for your performance.

Finally, you need to give examples of the strengths of your candidacy to convince the interviewer that your deficiency is not an ill omen of your future medical school performance. Your MCAT score may be below the school’s average, but perhaps you can note that your GPA is above. Your freshman year may have been a bad time for you, but you can point out that you earned a 4.0 your sophomore and junior years. You may have been disorganized in college, but as a post-baccalaureate student, you were at the top of your class. Your primary role throughout the interview process is to convince medical schools that you deserve a slot at their institutions. The best way to persuade is with facts, so giving evidence of your accomplishments will help convince the faculty member that your deficiency is an anomaly.

Consider rehearsing your sales pitch (and make no mistake about it, you are selling yourself) with an experienced faculty mentor or a qualified professional advisor who is able to play devil’s advocate skillfully.

Actively solicit feedback on which aspects of your pitch sound defensive or come across as flimsy excuses and spend ample time reflecting on how the same information might be conveyed in ways that present you as a mature individual who has achieved redemption enough to warrant a slot in medical school.

If you can persuade your interviewer with the above strategic steps, then when your candidacy is discussed in medical school admissions committee meetings, Dr. Decision, the brilliant — but also imperfect — professor whose approval may well shape your professional future, will advocate for you, citing the examples you have given to establish the strength of your application to her colleagues. Note, too, that by demonstrating a willingness to confront and discuss mistakes you have learned from, you may be perceived as having greater maturity, humility, and integrity than other candidates who remain evasive or fail to own up to their shortcomings.

Michelle Finkel is an emergency physician and founder, Insider Medical Admissions.  She can be reached on Facebook, YouTube, and on Twitter @Insidermedical.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The unexpected people who's listening to your conference speech

September 23, 2019 Kevin 4
…
Next

To extinguish burnout, bring back physician autonomy

September 24, 2019 Kevin 35
…

Tagged as: Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The unexpected people who's listening to your conference speech
Next Post >
To extinguish burnout, bring back physician autonomy

More by Michelle Finkel, MD

  • Why are COVID antibody tests of questionable relevance being marketed to the public?

    Michelle Finkel, MD
  • Why physicians should have golden parachutes

    Michelle Finkel, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Why are emergency physicians burning out?

    Michelle Finkel, MD

Related Posts

  • End medical school grades

    Adam Lieber
  • The medical school personal statement struggle

    Sheindel Ifrah
  • Why medical school is like playing defense

    Jamie Katuna
  • Promote a culture of medical school peer education

    Albert Jang, MD
  • The unintended consequences of free medical school

    Anonymous
  • 5 common and commonly overlooked mistakes in the medical school interview 

    Rajani Katta, MD

More in Education

  • Master the ABIM Certification exam with effective strategies: insider tips for success

    Farzana Hoque, MD
  • The pros and cons of taking a gap year during medical school

    Med School Insiders
  • Breaking the silence: the truth about mental health challenges among medical students and why medical schools must take action

    Erin Waldrop
  • Breaking the stigma: Encouraging mental health help-seeking in medical trainees

    Anonymous
  • I’m not so different from Lionel Messi – and neither are you

    Lauren Tien
  • 6 ways ChatGPT can help you succeed in medical school

    Drew Bergman
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Overcoming the lies of depression: Senator John Fetterman’s struggle with mental health

      Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • Master the ABIM Certification exam with effective strategies: insider tips for success

      Farzana Hoque, MD | Education
    • A mentor’s legacy in medicine, leadership, and embracing evidence-based care

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Breaking free from restrictive covenants to combat burnout

      Raya E. Kheirbek, MD | Physician
    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From medical student to intern: Discovering a deeper connection with patients

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • CAR-T Tops Standard Care in Heavily Pretreated Lenalidomide-Refractory Myeloma
  • Artificial Intelligence Could Improve Medical Practice -- But Only if Done Right
  • Huntington's Disease Chorea Improved With Valbenazine
  • T-DXd Proves Mettle in Multiple Solid Tumors
  • Preoperative Ocular Surface Disease Algorithm Re-Introduced

Meeting Coverage

  • CAR-T Tops Standard Care in Heavily Pretreated Lenalidomide-Refractory Myeloma
  • T-DXd Proves Mettle in Multiple Solid Tumors
  • Preoperative Ocular Surface Disease Algorithm Re-Introduced
  • Omitting RT Safe in Many Locally Advanced Rectal Cancers
  • Novel IDH1/2 Inhibitor Shows 'Dramatic Effect' in Low-Grade Glioma
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Overcoming the lies of depression: Senator John Fetterman’s struggle with mental health

      Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • Master the ABIM Certification exam with effective strategies: insider tips for success

      Farzana Hoque, MD | Education
    • A mentor’s legacy in medicine, leadership, and embracing evidence-based care

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Breaking free from restrictive covenants to combat burnout

      Raya E. Kheirbek, MD | Physician
    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From medical student to intern: Discovering a deeper connection with patients

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...