Educating medical students is expensive-- it costs time and a number of resources. When students fail to meet the demands of medical school and drop/flunk out, the school's investment has essentially gone to waste. The MCAT is a standardized test that allows admissions officers to quantitatively compare applicants to each other and determine which applicants are most likely capable of meeting the demands of medical education.

Tens of thousands of premeds apply to medical school each year. Many of these applicants score well on the MCAT. Generally speaking, a good score will not get you into medical school, but a bad score will be more likely keep you out. Sometimes, it is impossible for every single application to be read from start to finish. As such, many schools use the MCAT as a screening tool. Applicants with scores above a certain number will be considered and those below the cut off will not. Different schools have different score cut offs, but the average score of successful applicants ( students admitted to at least 1 school) hovers around a 30. 

While the MCAT is an important component of the medical school application, it important to note that it is only one of many factors. In terms of gaining admission to medical school, a 45 may not make you any more "special" than a 35 because it is obvious that you are capable of doing the work. Once you have passed the initial screen the other parts of your application-- your personal statement, letters of recommendation, and interview-- are probably more likely to "get you noticed".  

Medicine is a service profession. According to HMS commencement speaker, Dr. Donald Berwick, "we [get] our compass the day we decided to be healers. Our compass is one, simple question, and it will point us true north: How will it help the patient?” Those who enter the profession are committing themselves to a lifetime of helping others. In my opinion, a history of volunteerism is an important component of your application to medical school. How else are you going to demonstrate your commitment to helping patients unless you have given your time and used your talents to serve people in the past? ( I can't really speak for MD/PhD applicants, as their applications may call for different things). 

You NEED clinical experience when applying to medical school. Many applicants gain clinical experience by volunteering at hospitals or staffing free clinics. That being said, working in a hospital is not the only acceptable form of community service. There are many ways to spend your time helping others in need. These service activities can be clinically focused, but that does not always have to be the case. Make sure that you are passionate about the causes to which you dedicate your time, especially if you write about them in your applications. You you will definitely be asked about these activities on the interview trail. If you choose non-clinical activities however, make sure you are able to get clinical experiences in as well. Shadowing a local physician is an easy way to learn more about the profession. 

It's hard to say what will get you chosen for an interview at one school or another. Each school is really looking for something different and emphasize unique things when filtering a pool of applicants. My best advice is to find your passion and pursue it. The path to becoming a physician begins long before medical school matriculation. This path entirely too long to "fake it till you make it." Spend time doing what makes you happy and articulate that passion during every step of the application process, from your AMCAS to your interviews. Schools that appreciate your spirit and value what you have to offer will pick up on that! 

Function: The work/activities section of the AMCAS is an excellent opportunity for medical school applicants to shine. This collection of mini essays really gives you an opportunity to showcase your interests and illustrate the depth and breath of your extracurricular involvement. Fill out as many as you can, but make sure you only describe the activities in which you invested significant time, energy, and effort. These essays are a prime hunting ground for interview questions. Make sure you know everything you write there by heart because you WILL be asked about these activities on multiple occasions. 

Structure: I viewed this portion of the application as an extended resume which highlights skill and demonstrates commitment. Make sure you cover these points in the essay: 

1. What is the activity? What's the purpose of the organization? Give a sentence or two of background information.

2. What was your involvement? What did you actually do? Who did you work with? What was accomplished? Just like you would in a real resume, make sure to use action  words that really depict your contribution to the activity. Make a brief note of the time commitment as well. 


These essays don't really provide room for fluff or poetic prose, its all about the business. It's your opportunity to detail your entire resume, especially those activities unrelated to medicine.  In these essays you really want to cover the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and HOW of each activity. 

It is important to note however, that you cover the WHY of your most important or meaningful activities in  your personal statement and secondary essays. That's when you really need to connect those activities to your desire to become a physician. 

As always, its important to make sure everything is well written. Have at least two people proof your work for clarity. They should be able to tell you the WHO, WHAT, WHERE and HOW of each activity with relative ease. Admissions officers don't have time to dig for that information so make it easy for them to like your application.

Here is an example from My AMCAS:

Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers
The Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers (HSBSE) is an organization that provides mentorship and career development opportunities for students interested in science, medicine, and engineering. I joined HSBSE my freshman year and in my sophomore year was elected to the board. As Social Chair I planned and moderated events for the organization which included a speaker series, study groups, and general meetings (6 hours/week). In my junior year I was elected Vice- President of the organization and led a board of students in organizing events that catered to our membership (12 hours/week). As Vice-President I was the executive producer of HSBSE’s annual intercollegiate charity step show which raised money for our affiliate mentorship program. I also helped fund-raise, plan and execute HSBSE’s other large events which include a Mentorship Luncheon, and a senior award banquet called Celebration of Excellence. 

Do you have a question about medical school applications? Ask me by submitting a comment or contacting me via twitter @JenniferAdaeze.

There are a number of issues to consider when making this decision. 

1. How low is "low"?  The average MCAT score of successful applicants is around 30. If your first score was 1 or 2 points below this, your application should be fine, especially if you are retaking the exam. If you scored below the national average (25), I'd definitely consider holding off on applying this cycle all together. You may not have enough time to complete a solid application and study enough to significantly improve your score. 

2. Are you being honest with yourself? Based on the full length practice tests I took, my MCAT score was exactly what I expected it to be.  You should be absolutely confident about your score going into the exam, especially if you plan on submitting your scores late. A second poor score will be detrimental  to your application. One low MCAT score could be a fluke or explained in interviews, two or more cannot. In my opinion, taking the MCAT more than twice looks bad. Scores are valid for three years, so schools will see all the exams you've taken within that window. Use your test opportunities wisely!

3. Its important to remember that the MCAT is only one component of the entire application. Its always important to put your best foot forward, but if your exam scores are on the lower end of acceptable, you need to make sure that you have stellar recommendations, extracurriculars and a personal statement.