Medical school is very competitive, as hundreds of thousands of students apply yearly. The stiff-necked competition means that only a small percentage of applicants can enter every year. But your dream to become a medical practitioner is valid, and there’s no other way to do it than by going through medical school.
This is why we recommend making your application stand out. But what happens if you get rejected from medical school after all your efforts? What to do if you can’t get accepted into med school? Here’s an article with excellent recommendations that can help you get through medical school rejection depression while offering you the best possible actions for such scenarios.
Why Applicants Get Rejected from Medical School?
Why Applicants Get Rejected from Medical School?Being rejected from medical school can trigger feelings of confusion and disappointment. It’ll likely have you asking yourself what you did wrong. But you’re not alone in this – official statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges showed that more than 68% of applicants fail to get accepted into medical schools annually.
Of course, most of these students pass through the same medical school rejection depression you’re going through. However, what separates top students from unmotivated students is the ability to determine the cause of their rejection and work on it before another application cycle.
Here, we’ve highlighted some common causes of medical school rejection so you can know where to focus when setting yourself apart for medical school admission.
Low GPA and MCAT Scores
Unfortunately, this is the common reason for many rejections. Students often consider themselves exceptions to the GPA/MCAT rule, thus applying to top medical schools despite having lower-than-average statistics.
Unfortunately, the competition in such schools is stiffer, and admission committees are mostly stricter. Learn to choose the schools you apply to carefully if your scores are not so great. You can also opt for post-baccalaureate and special Masters programs to boost your score.
Lack of Significant Extracurriculars
You can have great admission numbers but still get rejected based on insufficient experience. Most medical schools want to know your qualities before admitting you since they always look for intelligent, mature, and well-rounded students.
Unfortunately, most medical schools are not satisfied with you telling them about your possession of these qualities. They want significant proof that you have what it takes to become a doctor. There’s no better way to show off your passion than participating in extracurricular activities like research, shadowing, volunteering, etc.
Lack of Commitment to Medicine
Another crucial reason medical school applicants get rejected from medical schools is the perceived lack of commitment to medicine. So, you can still get rejected, even with good test scores and a strong academic performance. But how do medical schools determine your lack of commitment?
By looking at your experience in clinical settings. Admission committees want to be sure you know what being a doctor entails, and that’s why they’ll look at how much time you’ve put into clinical experiences like shadowing physicians or volunteering in hospitals. They may also look at the exact nature of your clinical experience. The best clinical experiences are ones that allow premeds to work alongside physicians in broad medical settings where they’ll be exposed to common medical conditions.
Weak Essays and Personal Statements
Essays and personal statements are excellent opportunities to tell about yourself and your motivation. You want to leverage this opportunity to present yourself as the most deserving student. Admission committee members know when you don’t put enough effort into writing your essay/personal statement, and it is usually an indicator that a student is not passionate about medicine.
Poor Interview Performance
Many medical colleges organize physical interviews as part of their admission process. These interviews are designed to check candidates’ suitability for medical programs, and interviewers will pay attention to your ability to present/articulate yourself. Most interviewers will disqualify you if they perceive you can’t present or articulate yourself.
How to Overcome Med School Rejection?
Although rejection is tough to handle, it’s important to still remember that it’s not the end of the world. A medical school rejection doesn’t define who you are. It only becomes a failure if you allow it to knock you down without trying to get up. So, you must keep trying and never give up. But how can you? Here are useful tips that can help you overcome medical school rejection depression.
Statistically, Expect Rejection
As we’ve pointed out above, more people get rejected than accepted into medical schools, which makes your chances of being accepted pretty slim even if you’re outstanding. So, it makes sense to make mental space for rejection while applying to medical schools. That doesn’t mean you should be pessimistic or expect rejection on all fronts. Just understand that there are chances of rejection. This way, rejections won’t hit you so badly.
Consider Your Next Line of Action
As expected, a rejection will make you sad, but it’s not the end of the world, and you shouldn’t sulk forever. Take a moment to assess your application before planning what’s next. Check your mistakes and learn how to correct them as you prepare to reapply.
Plan to learn new application skills and gain new experiences while waiting for the next application cycle. The skills and experiences you gain may become the stepping stone to your medical school admission.
Take Some Time Off
We often advise students to take some time off to breathe when they fail to get an admission. Spend time with your family, book a vacation, or pick and pursue a new hobby. You’ve been so busy studying and preparing that you probably forgot these things. Now’s the time to take your mind off studies for a little so you can refresh your mind and see things differently.
Don’t Blame Yourself
When people get rejected, they blame themselves for things they should have done differently. With medical schools, you can do those things differently and still fail. The process is very competitive, and it’s probably not your fault that you didn’t make the cut. So, instead of blaming yourself and living in self-pity, we recommend channeling your energy into preparing for the next application cycle.
What to Do If You Get Rejected from Medical School?
Often, when people ask questions like “What to do if you don’t get accepted into medical school,” they’re trying to figure out the next step. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. To help, we’ve highlighted some things you can do in the weeks after receiving a rejection notice.
Review Your Application to See What Could Have Gone Wrong
You want to take stock of everything that happened throughout the application process. Find possible loopholes and make your inquiry to know how they affect admission chances.
Evaluate Your Career Options
It’s okay to feel bad momentarily about not getting into school when you want to. But that shouldn’t last forever. Once you’ve regained strength, it’s time to start weighing your options. Think about why you’re pursuing medicine. Note that becoming a doctor can be rough and sometimes frustrating, and it takes extra courage to go through the path. Reflecting on why you want to become a doctor can help you understand whether you’re making the right choice.
Don’t Obsess Over the Imperfections of Your Application
Even the best applications still often have a few blemishes here and there. It’s easy to focus on these blemishes and wallow in self-pity. But the best thing to do is learn from them and commit yourself to improving. You’d be surprised how well you’ll improve if you dedicate yourself to learning from your mistakes.
Plan Your Next Move
Usually, you’ll want to reapply in the next application cycle. But what’s the point if you’ve not improved on your weaknesses? While waiting, make sure you have an adequate plan on what to do next. Think of what you can do to stand out. If your MCAT score is low, now’s a time to improve on it. If you need more research experience, use this time to get a good internship opportunity that’ll suit your pursuit. These small efforts can make a difference in your next application.
How to Improve Your Medical School Reapplication: 5 Tips
If you don’t get into medical school on your first try, don’t give up. There’s so much lying ahead for you. You can always reapply, and with the right steps, you can set yourself apart for admission this time. Here, take a look at five tips that can help you improve your reapplication for medical school.
Get Feedback from the Admissions Committee
We’ve seen instances where admissions committee members agree to provide feedback on issues they observe from your application. You just have to ensure you are polite and sincere in your request to know how to improve your chances. Some will even go the extra mile to offer tips you can use to improve your chances. However, not all schools will offer this, so don’t feel entitled to it.
Improve Your GPA/MCAT Score
It’s important to note that one of the reasons medical schools reject applications is low GPA and MCAT scores. If you’re applying with a relatively low GPA or MCAT score, now’s a time to boost it. Consider enrolling in a post-baccalaureate program, extension courses, or one of the numerous options available.
Be Deliberate While Developing Your School List
Deciding what school to apply to is an underrated aspect of the admission process. However, your school choice can be the difference between acceptance and rejection. Reapplying means you now have some experience, and we expect you to leverage it.
One of the things you should know is that the overly competitive schools are harder to get. Do detailed research on different schools and pick the one that offers you more based on the aspect of medicine you want to focus on. You don’t want to spend so many resources applying to medical school several times without success.
Apply Early
Whether you’re applying for the first time or the umpteenth time, we can’t overemphasize the importance of applying early. Many students submit AMCAS very early but neglect to send their secondary applications early enough. Unfortunately, most medical schools will not review your work until they receive your secondaries. We recommend pre-writing and submitting your essays as early as possible without sacrificing quality.
Be Honest in Your Application
You’ll still address most of those challenging questions and scenarios you addressed in your first application. Don’t get tempted to falsify information in a bid to sound smart. Admission committee members will know when you begin to spin stories, and that’s a turnoff. Therefore, it’s important to be still as honest as possible while improving the quality of your applications.
Wrapping Things Up: What to Do If You Can’t Get Accepted Into Med School?
Truly, med school rejection can be depressing, especially when you feel like you’ve done everything correctly. But there’s often more to it than you can see from a non-professional perspective, and that’s why it makes sense to turn to a backup plan if you don’t get into medical school. But what backup plan suits you best, especially if you’re desperate to get into medical school? Follow the fascinating tips in this article to help you get the best out of your reapplication to medical school.
