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

Increasing diversity is impossible with the current medical school admission practices

BeMo Academic Consulting
Sponsored
February 9, 2023
55 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

This article is sponsored by BeMo Academic Consulting, one of the most sought-after academic consulting firms for helping applicants with admissions to highly competitive programs and its staunch advocacy for fair admissions.

It is no secret that it is incredibly hard to get into medical school, even the easiest medical schools. It may seem like the low medical school acceptance rates and this extremely selective admissions process indicate the schools’ wish to uphold high standards. Still, the admissions process is constantly under attack for promoting bias and the status quo associated with a lack of diversity in the medical profession. Some physicians and educators are calling to change the criteria used, and we couldn’t agree more.

Many of the current medical school application components seem odd and unfitting for the profession these candidates are pursuing. Ok – we can maybe see why the GPA would be reviewed or why some extracurriculars would be valued, but why would applicants need to submit an overwhelming number of long-form and short-form essays, such as the medical school personal statements for AMCAS, AACOMAS, TMDSAS, and even OMSAS? As well as medical school secondary essays for different prompts and questions, or school-specific essays such as the University of Toronto medical school brief personal essay, and so on? Is all this writing really necessary to tell us about a student’s aptitude for being a doctor?

Or why would candidates be subjected to multiple situational judgment tests (SJTs) like the MMI, AAMC PREview, and so on? Many medical schools in the U.S. and Canada require students to complete not just one SJT but multiple! After all, the value these tests claim to bring to admissions is that they evaluate skills and behaviors that are hard to acquire and detect via other admissions practices, such as diversity secondary essays or traditional medical school interview questions. This practice is questionable since it’s been shown that the skills these tests assess are easily coachable with the right prep strategies. The creators of these tests claimed that their examinations could identify the right people for the medical profession. In other words, people who have these professional qualities almost inherently. An in-depth discussion of the bias of this position may be outside of the scope of this article, but a brief mention of it here provides a glimpse into the kind of tools currently used in the admissions process: you have to be born and raised “right” to be able to do well on these tests.

Using the GPA and MCAT score in tandem is another contentious topic in medical school admissions. Not only are they considered to be the top indicators of your academic readiness for medical school by the establishment, but they are often used to weed out the increasing number of applicants. This means that your application may be thrown out even before the admissions committee looks at other medical school requirements, such as your ACMAS Work and Activities section, your medical school recommendation letters, or all the essays you spent months writing. So, your suitability for the multidisciplinary career of a medical doctor is narrowed down to these two numbers whether you are applying to MD or DO schools.

There are many additional problems with using a student’s GPA and MCAT score as the only measure of their academic abilities. Firstly, the MCAT format is truly a hurdle. The ability to do well on a test like the MCAT is not necessarily an indicator of your knowledge – it’s an indicator of your ability to apply your knowledge to the difficult MCAT format. No doubt, that’s a useful skill for an MCAT-taker, but it’s not an indicator of one’s academic readiness for medical school. You might have all the knowledge needed, but if you cannot apply it to the MCAT format, most allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in the U.S. and Canada will not consider you a competitive candidate.

Secondly, the strength of your GPA is relative. Your GPA may differ significantly based on which schools you are applying to. Some only consider science prerequisites, some use a cumulative GPA of 4 years of your undergrad, some use only a select number of your undergrad courses, and some may or may not include your master’s or PhD GPA you worked on in your special master’s program or post-bacc. Your GPA will be different depending on your school list – it’s not an issue overall, but you can see how subjective the assessment of academic preparedness can be based on the schools’ GPA requirements. For example, a student may be a wiz in biology, chemistry, and other science courses but have abysmal grades in English or social sciences. If this is so, they will most likely apply to medical schools that look at science GPA only. Does this mean that they are strong academically? In certain areas, surely, but it’s all relative.

On the other hand, medical schools that look at overall 4-year GPAs continue to promote a faulty notion that students should know exactly what they want to do upon starting their higher education. But this is simply not so. Most students have no idea what kind of career they want to pursue when they enter college. Many do poorly in their courses in the first and even second year before they find their passion and take courses they excel in. Should these students be punished for not knowing what they wanted to do at 17, 18, and 19? Some medical schools may truly believe so. This helps them perpetuate the unrealistic standards we have set for pursuing medicine and applying to medical educational institutions, making them more prestigious, elite, and richer, of course.

Does that mean that we at BeMo advocate for no selection criteria? Does this mean we think that academic readiness is not important for medical school? Do we think that professional behavior is not of consequence regarding medical school applications? Certainly not. We are simply pointing out that the hurdles applicants are asked to overcome to attend medical school often misrepresent their abilities and suitability for becoming a doctor. It’s in the interest of the medical school admissions process to make itself as unattainable as possible to as many people as possible. Diversity and inclusion seem to be the last thing on its mind. And while the latest AAMC data reports a slight increase in matriculants’ diversity, inclusion and equity remain a constant uphill battle for the medical community.

BeMo Academic Consulting is one of the most sought-after academic consulting firms for helping applicants with admissions to highly competitive programs and its staunch advocacy for fair admissions.

Image credit: BeMo Academic Consulting

Prev

A thank you to those who take care of us

February 9, 2023 Kevin 2
…
Next

Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms

February 9, 2023 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
A thank you to those who take care of us
Next Post >
Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms

More by BeMo Academic Consulting

  • BeMo MCAT Prep lesson #1: The liberal arts is a friend of MCAT test-takers

    BeMo Academic Consulting

Related Posts

  • End medical school grades

    Adam Lieber
  • Moral injury in medical school

    Anonymous
  • How to write a medical school diversity essay

    Joel Butterfly, JD
  • My high school was harder than my first year of medical school

    Leonard Wang
  • The medical school personal statement struggle

    Sheindel Ifrah
  • Why medical school is like playing defense

    Jamie Katuna

More in Sponsored

  • Contract Diagnostics is the only firm 100 percent dedicated to physician contract reviews

    Contract Diagnostics
  • Reducing burnout and improving patient care with ambient clinical intelligence

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • Biosimilars have saved patients billions of dollars and are changing the treatment landscape. Here’s how.

    The Podcast by KevinMD & Timothy de Gavre
  • How can a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease help patients and their families? [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • How can a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease help patients and their families?

    Lisa Keckich and Natasha Mitchner, PhD
  • Be a prepared physician: laceration repair kits for your home, vacation home, and cars

    Nathan Whittaker, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

      Jackson J. McCue | Tech
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions

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

View 4 Comments >

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

  • Sam Neill's Rare Lymphoma
  • Day in the Life of a Doctor: Treating a Patient With Septic Shock
  • Paxlovid May Lower Long COVID Risk, VA Study Suggests
  • Digital Inhalers May Improve Uncontrolled Asthma Management
  • Another Win for Zolbetuximab in Advanced Gastric/GEJ Cancer

Meeting Coverage

  • Switch to IL-23 Blocker Yields Deep Responses in Recalcitrant Plaque Psoriasis
  • Biomarkers of Response With Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

      Jackson J. McCue | Tech
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

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

Increasing diversity is impossible with the current medical school admission practices
4 comments

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

Loading Comments...