Are you considering hiring a medical school admissions tutor? We can understand why. The admissions landscape for medical schools is getting increasingly competitive. So, if you want to improve your chances of getting one of those highly coveted spots in medical school, you need to know how to prepare for your medical school applications and medical school interview. In this blog, we'll tell you all about who medical school admissions tutors are and how they can help you get accepted into top medical school programs.
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What is a medical school admissions tutor?
A medical school admissions tutor is essentially a private medical school consultant. They guide you through and assist with different aspects of your medical school application, including the planning, preparation, application, and interview prep. Medical school admissions tutors work directly with students in one-on-one sessions, which is quite different from a regular application prep class or medicine interview prep course.
This is especially important because it means that tutors provide students with a more personalized service that is focused on addressing their concerns, helping them create the most competitive application possible and submitting it to the right medical school.
Why do you need a medical school admissions tutor?
It is no secret that getting into medical school is hard. Medical school acceptance rates are notoriously low, so if you want to get into medical school, there is a whole lot of planning and preparation that has to go into it. The issue is that often students don't know how or when to prepare for medical school applications. In fact, one of the most common reasons why students face med school rejection is that they do not apply early enough.
Most medical schools have a rolling admissions process, and in addition to that, AMCAS actually reviews your medical application before sending it to the schools you've applied to. This means that the earlier you submit your application, the higher your chances of actually getting called for an interview and potentially getting an offer of admission. If you apply too late, you can get rejected or placed on a medical school waitlist simply because no interview spots are remaining or worse, because your application didn't arrive before the school's deadline.
You also need to keep in mind that one of the reasons getting into medical school is so difficult is the sheer number of qualified candidates that medical schools receive applications from. Doing well on the MCAT and having a few extracurriculars is simply not enough anymore. Most medical schools have a holistic admissions process that not only takes into account, but places importance on many non-academic factors like critical reasoning or communication skills. These are abilities that students often don't realize they need to improve on, but the reality is that with the right tools and strategies, it is possible to get into medical school with a low MCAT. On the other hand, even if your MCAT score is outstanding, you can easily get rejected from medical school because of a poorly written personal statement or a bad interview.
Medical school admissions tutors are experts who understand this and so much more about the world of medical school admissions. When you hire one, you are essentially hiring them to use that knowledge to teach you how to make your medical school application stand out and maximize your chances of getting into medical school.
Check out this infographic for some extra tips for making your medical school application stand out:
How do medical school admissions tutors help applicants?
Some people shy away from medical school admissions tutors because they are not free, but the right tutor is well worth the investment. The fact that you’re reading this blog tells us that you’re committed to maximizing your chances of finding the right medical school and getting in. So, let’s discuss exactly how a medical school admissions tutor can help you do that. These tutors offer a variety of different services that will ultimately help you with the following:
They help you find and apply to the right schools:
Often, when students are on the path from high school to medical school, they are focused on getting the right extracurriculars for med school, finding the top summer programs for high school students and keeping up with their classes and GPA during undergrad. This leaves little time for thoroughly researching the different medical programs in the country and beyond. It is, therefore, not surprising that students will typically choose a medical school based on all the wrong reasons like popularity, size, and other general characteristics that might have nothing to do with them being compatible with the school.
Medical school admissions tutors can help you find schools that are a better fit for you in more ways than one. They can consider your goals, values, and interests to help you find a medical school that is a good fit for you academically and socially. Furthermore, some medical schools are more competitive than others, and applicants need to be strategic about the schools they're applying to. For example, the Geisel school of medicine at Dartmouth University is one of the most competitive medical schools in the United States. If you have a low GPA and average MCAT scores, you wouldn't be considered a very competitive applicant, and the chances of you getting into that school are pretty low. Admissions tutors can help you find backup schools that might be a better fit, all while helping you craft an application that will highlight your strengths instead of drawing attention to your grades.
They help you prepare application components:
Applying to medical school is a long and complex process involving many moving parts. Applicants are expected to be learning about the application process, figuring out how to study for the MCAT, trying to write a medical school personal statement, and practicing with sample medical school interview questions. If you do not get them right, these are application requirements that could not only cost you admission to your chosen program but also cost you more money because you will likely have to reapply the following year.
Medical school admissions tutors have gone through this process several times with different students. This means that they can provide you with proven strategies to strengthen your application. While they cannot prepare your application for you, they can provide personalized feedback, tips, and strategy to make the process easier for you and ensure the end result is more compelling.
For example, many students do not know how to answer the med school personal statement and interview question, "why do you want to be a doctor." Medical school admissions tutors can help you brainstorm and teach you how to answer questions like these in a medical school personal statement in a way that highlights your abilities, personality, and commitment to the field of medicine.
Additionally, medical school admission tutors are literally paid to keep up with the trends in the medical school admission world. This means that they will know about all the different medical school requirements, and they can help you figure out what you could be missing, what you already have, and what you can improve on. Furthermore, even if you possess the strong writing skills, attention to detail, critical thinking skills, and organizational skills that preparing medical school applications requires, it can be difficult to juggle multiple applications. A medical school admissions tutor knows exactly when to submit which components of your application, so they can help keep you accountable by devising a medical school application timeline that is realistic and well thought out.
They help you find and apply to scholarship programs:
Medical school tuition in the US and Canada can get pretty high. Even the cost of the cheapest medical schools can be overwhelming for students. Fortunately, there are various funding opportunities available for medical applicants. They can be internal (meaning that they are offered by the university itself) or external (meaning that they come from government funding or private funding).
The issue is that you not only have to find these opportunities, but you also have to apply for them. A great medical school admissions tutor can help you find the opportunities you are eligible for and help you prepare applications that will improve your chances of qualifying. Furthermore, most of these applications have at least one written component, so you will need the help of an expert to craft a catchy grant or scholarship application.
This service is especially important for international students because they already have fewer spots to compete with medical schools in North America, and they usually have to pay fees that are much higher than local students. So, having someone who can help reduce that financial burden can be a great help!
They help you prepare for medical school interviews:
Your medical school interview is your only opportunity to show the admissions committee who the person behind your application is and impress them in person. You can certainly prepare for this yourself using resources online, like this blog you are reading, for example. But it's important to remember that while the information you find online can be very helpful, it is also not specific to your situation. You might come across some interview preparation tips that work for a lot of students but are not simply not ideal for you, and unfortunately, you wouldn’t know that these strategies aren’t working until your actual med school interview, or at least until you participate in a realistic mock medical school interview.
Your medical school interview is far too important to gamble with. That is why working with an experienced professional is ideal. Firstly, because they will be familiar with your background and medical school application so they can tailor their advice specifically to you and ensure you are getting the most out of their medicine interview course.
Furthermore, the right medical school admissions tutor will provide you with answering strategies that will serve you well during medical school and beyond. They will teach you how to answer questions that are specific to medicine, but they will also help you figure out how to tackle tricky, common questions like what is your greatest limitation and tell me about yourself.
Want to know more about medical school interview prep? This video is for you:
Top reasons why BeMo is the best choice for a medical school admissions tutor
We would be remiss if we didn't tell you at least a little about our own medical school admissions tutors here at BeMo. We believe in helping students achieve their goals, which is why we work hard every day to improve our student-focused programs, and we are very proud of the 93.5% success rate that it has resulted in. We're not going to give you the whole spiel because you need to do your own research and determine which admissions tutor is best for you. However, we will share the top two reasons why BeMo is the best choice for medical school admissions tutoring.
Conclusion
The process of preparing and submitting medical school applications is lengthy and complex. Not all students need to work with a medical school admissions tutor but considering the ultra-competitive landscape of medical school admissions, working with one is your best chance for success. Medical school admissions tutors can not only provide you with the tools and strategies that you need to maximize your chances of acceptance, but they can also teach you life-long skills that will serve you well as you take other critical steps on your academic journey. So make sure you take the time to research and find a medical school admissions tutor that can set you up for success.
FAQs
1. How hard is it to get into medical school?
Getting into medical school can be challenging. Medical schools have very competitive acceptance rates, so you will need a compelling application and a great interview if you want to get into a med school program.
2. What exactly is a medical school admissions tutor?
A medical school admissions tutor is essentially a medical school consultant who works one-on-one with individual students. They provide a more personalized service than prep courses.
3. Do you need a medical school admissions tutor to get into med school?
Working with a medical school admissions tutor is not required, but it is encouraged. They make the med school application prep easier to navigate while maximizing your chances of getting accepted by strengthening your application.
4. What’s the difference between an admissions tutor and an admissions prep course?
The main difference is the personal service. An admissions tutor works with individual students, which means that the sessions revolve around you and your needs. While a prep course typically involves multiple students.
5. What’s better? A medical school admission prep class or a medical school admissions tutor?
We recommend working with a medical school admissions tutor as they are able to provide more personalized feedback and focus on your specific needs.
6. How do I know if a medical school admissions tutor is any good?
You should look for a student-focused admissions tutor with good independent reviews and experience helping other students get into medical school.
7. How do medical school admissions tutors help students?
They help students by assisting them in finding the right schools for them, providing tips and strategies to strengthen their application and prepare for medical school interviews, and finding and applying for funding opportunities.
8. How do I get in touch with one of BeMo’s medical school admissions tutors?
You can book a free consultation by clicking on the free strategy call button below, and one of our team members will be happy to help you.
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