Getting
into medical school represents a significant challenge for many undergraduate
students. Medicine is a highly competitive field, and a relatively low number
of students are granted admission to medical schools each year. According to
the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), less than half of
applicants go on to become students. The strict requirements serve a purpose.
Medical school is grueling, with academically challenging coursework and long
hours.
Demand for Students
Nevertheless,
there is a significant demand to increase
enrollment numbers. The AAMC is working towards a 30 percent
increase in first-year acceptance rates. Schools are rising to meet this demand
by adding more classes, and new schools have applied
for LCME accreditation. There are currently 125 fully accredited medial schools
in the United States and 8 preliminary accredited institutions.
While
some schools are more selective than others, it is critical to understand that
they are also highly competitive with each other. Using objective data
from the AAMC, it is apparent that there are two main areas influencing over 80
percent of acceptance rates: undergraduate grades and Medial College Admission
Test scores. Secondary to these considerations is the race of the applicant and
their area of focus.
Requirements for Admission
While
it isn't necessary for an undergraduate to obtain a degree prior to applying,
applicants do need to complete at least 90 hours of coursework. Some students
are able to complete this in three years. However, a minimum GPA of 3.7 is required in all coursework. Bad grades are simply not
an option. Students must stay ahead of the pack to be considered for medial
school admission.
The
Medial School Admission Test, or MCAT, is the other important factor schools
use to evaluate prospective students. The majority of 2012 MCAT scores for all
test takers fell between 20 and 30. A minimum of 27 is generally expected. The MCAT can be
taken more than once, but ideally a student wants to pass this exam the first
time around.
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| Photo: Stockvault |
Opportunities for Minorities
For
the few remaining students whose GPA and MCAT scores are not in the top
percentiles, there is still some opportunity for minority races. Since schools
encourage diversity in both race and gender, lower GPA and MCAT scores can be
supplemented by an applicant's minority status. In particular, blacks and
Hispanics are almost five times more likely to be accepted than whites and
Asians with similar objective scores.
Historically,
women were significantly under-represented among medical school applicants.
During the 1980s, only 32 percent of matriculated students were female. Today,
this number has grown to 47 percent of all enrollments. While there
doesn't appear to be any significant advantage to being female, it may make
admission a little more likely if combined with a minority status.
Getting
into medical school is difficult but primarily a numbers game. Students in the
top 20 percent of GPA and MCAT scores will get the first slots. While state
universities may be less competitive than private schools, it is still
advisable for potential applicants to begin planning years in advance. Staying
on top of grades is crucial for optimizing admission rates.
By:
Christian
Spinney is a freelance writer who focuses on medical education, medical
science, the medical profession, nursing, student issues and other kindred
subjects; those curious about the nursing profession may want to take a peek at
the resources from Vocational
Nursing Online.
