Simply How?

How to Get into Medical School by Howcast :)

The ULTIMATE QUESTION: WHY?

The Ultimate question that will be asked from you in your medical interviews is simply this:

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A DOCTOR?

Let me share to you this great insight I have found through days and months of searching the world wide web. I found it in the videos of The College of Medicine of Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA. Unfortunately, the videos are down.

Luckily for you (and for me, in times of great turmoil and doubt), I have transcribed it and found it in my scribbles while I was preparing for the medical interviews.

Let me share it to you in the words of Dr. Anthony Silvagni, Dean of The College of Medicine of Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA:

NARRATOR: Why MEDICINE?

Medicine is a very special profession. I actually perceive it as MAGIC.

When you're a doctor, people would entrust you with information and personal data that they will not share with anyone, not their parents, not their spiritual leaders, not their spouses, no one; but they will trust you. And with that trust, they will allow you with hope that you will examine their bodies in the most PROFESSIONAL WAY, looking to help them have a better quality of life and possibly the quantity of life.

In medicine, you get to be the first person to touch a new human being. To deliver a child is so magic and such an opportunity to view. To see that transition, as that child is born into a breathing, living person. You will also get to see death. 

In today's world, people do not see the transition. Someone get sick, they go to the hospital, they die and you see them in the funeral homes. Your realization as a DOCTOR is that you will PARTICIPATE in that TRANSITION.

And in that transition, you will see the power and strength of some individuals have in their RELIGIOUS BELIEFS and their understanding of the fact that LIFE IS A CYCLE. With that strength and knowledge that you've gained from those people, you will help others who do not have that power, that strength or that belief and therefore help them through that transition.

All of this makes up the 

MAGIC OF MEDICINE.

Tips for your Interview when Applying for a Medical School

Hey guys,

I have been getting lots of requests through email and on my message/chat board about giving tips on the medical school interview. Well, I can't really do an extensive one since I'm on a strict structured board review schedule, but for the sake of the new year, here's a basic tip. Hope it helps! And, hopefully when I pass the boards by March (please please please, please Oh God.), I can start writing in full again.

For now, bear with me. Please and Thank you.

I have gathered and compiled the following from various internet sources:

Tips from an Admissions Officer

1. Be “well lopsided.” Try to be very strong in a few areas, rather than superficially involved in many. You should have experiences in leadership, research, and service, but certain cornerstones – such as being a varsity athlete or leading a major campus organization – will stand out, and could even make up for lower MCAT scores or GPA.
2. Be specific in your secondary. Be sure to tailor your secondary to the school you are applying to, mentioning specific attributes and why those make you a good fit. A generic secondary shows a lack of effort.
3. Get prestigious and/or superlative letters of recommendation. It helps if your letter writer is well known, particularly if he/she is from the institution to which you are applying; however, a more personal letter with superlatives (“…among the most intelligent,” “…one of the best students to come through my lab,” etc.) trumps an impersonal letter from an academic celebrity.
4. Avoid lying and arrogance. Perhaps this seems obvious, but your written application should be a truthful representation of you and is subject to scrutiny in interviews. For example, if you list cooking as one of your activities, then your interviewer may ask you what you like to cook and how you prepare it. The activities you designate “most important” will likely be covered. Walk the line between being humble and confident when discussing any part of your application.
5. Be excited. It is easier for the interviewer to connect with someone that is passionate about something and can talk about it at length. Your passion does not have to be strictly academic – it can be ballroom dancing or writing short stories, provided you are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about it. Be sure that you can articulate the things that you really care about.

- Lifted from The Prospective Doctor

With that said: Kaplan, KevinMD, and TheCompleteUniversityGuide have also written some tips. You can check and click on the links.

Interview Preparation for Medical School

UPDATE: February 1, 2017

The videos are down. Sorry.