Research Assessment #3

Date: October 20, 2017

Subject: Oncology
MLA or APA citation: Middendorf, Kim Frisch; Kevin. “How to Get into Medical School: Top
Tips for Pre-Med Students.” CollegeXpress, www.collegexpress.com/interests/health-
medicine/articles/prepping-professional-school/medical-school-your-future-8-tips-put-you-right-
path/.

Analysis:
Thinking about switching my ISM topic from biomedical engineering to a more specific
oncology comes with many changes, one of the biggest being the sudden requirement of going to
medical school. Going through medical school is a difficult process with many hours of
commitment to both studying and shadowing, but I’ll jump over that hurdle when I get there.
Right now, I need to focus on the closer issue in hand: getting accepted into medical school in
the first place. Luckily, I found an article that highlighted many great actions to take during
undergraduate studies to ensure a high chance of getting accepted into medical school. The tips
were given by Kim Frisch and Kevin Middendorf who are both admissions officers at a top
medical school, so this article has credibility and will be one that I will refer to while
transitioning into college.
The first tip that the admission officers provided was to not major in pre-medicine. The reason
why is because medical schools want to teach their students specific medical strategies
themselves. This idea of not majoring in the specific career itself was not surprising to me
because last year Dr. Madhuranthakam had mentioned a similar sentiment to me when he
advised me not to major in biomedical engineering. As biomedical engineering encompasses so
many topics, majoring in such a topic would be too broad of a major to lead success in the
professional world. Instead, he said to major in a natural science such as biology, chemistry, or
physics. This is similar to how the authors of this article advised students to major in a “broad
discipline” such as English, psychology, or chemistry. As I am planning on majoring in
chemistry, I know I am following the first part of their guidance article. The authors move on to
explain that creating relationships with professors is important during undergraduate years, as
these professors will later be writing recommendation letters for medical school acceptance. The
admission officers hint that going to an undergraduate college with a low faculty to student ratio
can help build stronger connections with professors. My first choice is Rice University which has
a 6:1 student to teacher ratio which is extremely low. This means that I am on the path to
successfully following the second part of the article’s advice.
The next section of tips the article provides is related to getting involved in the medical
community during undergraduate years to demonstrate maturity, leadership, teamwork, and
professionalism within the field. This can be accomplished in a number of ways including
participating in research, shadowing, and volunteering. I hope to take part in all three of these
because all of them will be crucial whether going into research oncology or medical oncology.
The article advises choosing an undergraduate college in a location where such opportunities are
available. Rice is located right next to Texas Medical Center which is the world’s largest
children’s hospital and houses many shadowing and volunteering opportunities for Rice students.
In addition, Rice is known for being one of the best research universities in Texas, so lab work
openings are a guarantee.
The next piece of advice the article provided was to study which seems like an obvious idea,
but pre-medical students often overestimate the weight of the MCAT and underestimate the
importance of GPA when applying to medical school. Even though a good MCAT score is
crucial when applying for medical school, grades share the same importance. This means I will
need to continue focusing on my school work as well as prepare for the MCAT. I plan to start
studying for the MCAT the summer before my sophomore year of college, as by then I will have
enough basic knowledge to understand the material of the test. The authors moved on to suggest
starting a journal in college to note all accomplishments I will make during my undergraduate
years. I find this a beneficial and unique idea that I will implement to make medical school
applications easier to finish. The final piece of advice the article had was to practice writing even
when majoring in natural science topics. Writing is crucial for all fields and is a must-have in the
medical and research fields when filing patient information or grant proposals.
Overall, I found the advice provided by this article to be very informative and helpful. It
opened my eyes to the areas I was preparing well for such as choosing my major and
undergraduate college, and the areas I could improve on such as my writing and organizational
skills. I will definitely attempt to implement most of the ideas presented by the admissions
officers.

Ask the Experts

How to Get into Medical School: Top
Tips for Pre-med Students
by Kim Frisch and Kevin Middendorf
Dean of Admissions, Regis University; Senior Copywriter, Primacy
Bookmark
So, you want to be a doctor or a dentist or a pharmacist someday—first of all,
thank you. You’ve chosen an incredibly important and rewarding career. But
there will be plenty of time for “thank yous” once you’re out in the working world.
For now, let’s focus on what really matters: how do you get there from where you
are today?
Unfortunately, there is no magic, one-size-fits-all formula for success. But when it
comes to choosing an undergraduate institution, earning your degree, getting into
grad school, and starting a career in medicine, there are some things that work
well—and some that don’t. I like to pass these tips along to every high school
student I meet who shows an interest in the health professions. Since you’re still
reading, I assume you’re one of them, so now I’ll pass them on to you.
Tip #1: Don’t major in pre-medicine Commented [OD1]: Similar to how Dr. Madhuranthakam
said to not major in biomedical engineering as it is too
It may come as a shock, but undergraduate students who major in pre-med are broad of a topic for specialization
not the most attractive medical school candidates. Why? Because schools want
to teach you medicine their own way with their own techniques and their own
thematic emphasis. When they’re sorting through thousands of applications, they
prefer candidates with training in a broad discipline, like biology, chemistry, Commented [OD2]: My planned major is considered a
good choice for medical school
English, philosophy, psychology, and so on.
One thing you should keep in mind, however, is that some colleges will let you
choose specific “tracks” or “paths” to follow, such as pre-medicine or pre-
dentistry, in addition to selecting a major. So you can follow your chosen track to
ensure you’re taking the right classes to get into medical school someday while
majoring in a specific subject, like biology. If this option is available to you, that’s
the way to go.
But that still leaves the question: which major should you choose? Luckily, the
answer is easy: anything you want. Seriously. The best major for you is the one
you find most interesting. Medical schools do not require a particular major. They
only require a series of prerequisite courses, and you can take those courses Commented [OD3]: Still need deep understanding of these
courses to get a good score on MCAT
while completing just about any major you want.
Tip #2: Get to know your professors
Your professors are more than just teachers. They’re experts, mentors,
researchers, advisors—and real people. Build relationships with them whenever
you can. It’s one of the best things you can do at college, especially since you’ll
be asking them to write reference letters when you apply to med school.
That’s one of the reasons class size is such a critical factor when choosing your
undergraduate school. Pay attention to the student-faculty ratio as you’re
researching colleges. At smaller schools with smaller classes, you’ll probably
have a better chance to get to know your professors and vice versa. And you Commented [OD4]: First choice Rice has average of 6:1
student to teacher ratio
may have more opportunities to become involved in faculty research, work in a
lab, and intern in health settings.
Tip #3: Location, location, location
When it comes to a college’s location, close to home versus not so close and city
versus suburbs are very important considerations. But for students considering a
future in health care, there’s even more to it. The location of your undergraduate
school will play a major role in determining the opportunities available to you
while you’re there. For instance, our campus, near downtown Denver, gives
students access to several hospitals, low-income clinics, and Spanish-speaking
clinics that need volunteers, interns, and researchers. Speaking of volunteering .
..
Tip #4: Get out of the classroom
Health care isn’t just a degree; it’s a passion, a privilege, and an opportunity to
make a difference in people’s lives. If you want to be a successful health
professional someday—not to mention get into medical school—you need to
demonstrate that passion. The best way to do so is by being involved.
Be involved in research to get a better understanding of the science that goes Commented [OD5]: Might especially be beneficial for going
into research oncology
into health care. Be involved in a health care setting by volunteering or
shadowing to demonstrate maturity and knowledge of your chosen field. Be
involved in the community to show you understand that health care is a service
profession.
In the end, everyone who applies to medical school is smart and talented. It’s the
real-world experiences you gain, along with your leadership ability, teamwork,
and professionalism, that will help set you apart.
Tip #5: Study!
Sure, this one seems obvious. But if you hope to go to medical school, don’t
underestimate the importance of good grades, especially in your science and
math courses, as well as any other medical school prerequisites. The competition
is fierce. Schools receive thousands of applications, and they’ll only accept a
couple hundred. If you want to be one of the chosen few, your grades will be
incredibly important.
On top of your exams, papers, and labs, you’ll also need to prepare for one of
those standardized tests: either the MCAT, DAT, GRE, or VCAT, depending on
your chosen field. No matter which of these tests is in your future, do not take it
lightly. And never, ever take the official exam “just to practice.” Graduate schools
put a lot of emphasis on these scores. Prepare for the test as if your future is at
stake—because, truly, it is.
Tip #6: Start a journal
I know the last thing you want is another homework assignment. But this one will
actually save you time in the long run. It doesn’t have to be a detailed “Dear
Diary” where you pour your heart out. It should just be a list of goals and
accomplishments that you keep updated during your time as an undergrad. Keep Commented [OD6]: Like a planner; Will help organize
undergrad accomplishments for a facilitated medical school
track of the hours you spend volunteering, research projects you take part in, application process
awards you receive, and other experiences worth noting. Then, a few years from
now, when you start filling out those graduate school applications, you’ll be able
to look back at your list instead of relying solely on your memory.
Tip #7: Become a writer
Strengthening your writing skills is one of the most important things you can do
as an undergrad. There’s a reason why English, literature, and writing classes Commented [OD7]: Take numerus English classes and
maybe join a creative writing club
are required for science majors. When you apply to medical schools, they’ll be
looking at more than just your science and math abilities.
The quality of your writing will play a critical role in determining the fate of your
med school applications, and admission officers say they frequently reject
applicants because of poor writing skills. Take your English classes and writing Commented [OD8]: Will help when writing grants and lab
reports
assignments seriously—as seriously as you would any lab or research project.
And if you find the grades on your papers aren’t as high as you’d like them to be,
ask for help. Becoming a good writer takes work, and it’s something you can
improve if you put in the effort.
Tip #8: Don’t panic
Pursuing a career in health care is extremely rewarding, but it’s also extremely
challenging and competitive. Simply put: it’s not something you should—or need
to—rush into. You’ve got plenty of time to choose your path, and there are many
people around willing and able to help you make the best choices along the way.
Talk to your advisors and mentors. That’s why they’re there.
So, that’s my list. Is it everything you’ll need to know? Definitely not. Does
following my advice guarantee you’ll get into medical school? Nope. But it won’t
hurt either. Many of you will go on to have wonderfully successful health care
careers. Many more of you will decide along the way that health care isn’t
necessarily for you, and that’s absolutely fine too. It’s not for everyone. There are
plenty of other equally great choices you can make when it comes to your degree
and career. Just don’t major in pre-med.