Jessica Freedman, MD

Medical school applicants: Waitlisted? Want more interviews? Here’s what you can do.

Education

January 13, 2017

You submitted your application in July. You completed all of your secondary essays by mid-September. Other than one interview that resulted in a waitlist decision you’ve heard nothing but radio silence. What can you do?

Whenever I work with medical school applicants I emphasize that the application process is ongoing because the admissions process is fluid. It is not as if you submit your primary application and secondary essays and the …

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Writing your medical school personal statement: Tips and myths

Jessica Freedman, MD

Education

April 2, 2013

“I have no idea what to write.”

“I want to stand out.”

“I want to be different.”

“I want to have a theme.”

These are all comments I hear from medical school applicants as they start thinking about what topics to include in their medical school personal statement. I find that applicants often feel pressured to be unique and to write something the medical school admissions officer has never read before. But if you …

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4 bad reasons why medical students choose a specialty

Jessica Freedman, MD

Education

December 27, 2012

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“I love the hours.”

“I want to be just like Dr. Smith. He has a sweet practice.”“I want to make a ton of money.”

“I want to make a ton of money.”

These are some bad reasons why medical students choose a specialty. Most medical students decide what specialty to pursue when they are in their mid to late 20s. While we all think …

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6 reasons why applicants fail to get into medical school

Jessica Freedman, MD

Education

February 28, 2012

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Every year medical school applicants feel confused and in the dark about why they have been rejected by medical schools. They do not understand what they did wrong or what they need to do differently when they reapply. Whether you are a premedical student trying to make sure to “do everything right” or a medical school applicant who has not yet …

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The exhaustion of emergency physicians, and its toll on patients and family

Jessica Freedman, MD

Physician

April 26, 2011

When I advise students about how to choose a specialty, I suggest that they seek out advice from physicians who are at least 10 years out of residency and leading the type of life they hope to have in the future.

It is difficult, and perhaps impossible, to anticipate in your late 20s or early 30s what practicing a certain specialty will be like when you are 40, 50, or 60.

Find …

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