5 Secrets That Helped Me Match at Harvard

[@williansantiago498]

Thank you very much!

[@alec.palmerton_md]

You’re welcome!!

[@jasonnguyen704]

Appreciate these types of videos a lot! I'm a current M1, and getting an overarching perspective such as yours is motivating and incredibly useful

[@alec.palmerton_md]

Glad to hear it! I wish that I had known these things at your stage, so you’re well ahead of the curve!!

[@marytheresadavis7071]

I'm currently a M2 in Philadelphia, and this touched on a lot of key points! I particularly liked the spiral staircase model, since I often use it to try to build on existing knowledge in a new unit. I'll rely on knowledge I have down well and then extend my knowledge to the principls in a new topic.

[@alec.palmerton_md]

Great ideas! It can feel harder to learn things deeply and connect them, but in the medium and long run, it makes life much easier and more enjoyable. Keep building on that spiral staircase!

[@ST-me7tc]

thank you for this! great video. Would you have any specific tips on what someone can do to stand out for MGH.

[@alec.palmerton_md]

Great question, obviously it will depend on the program, but one thing that is typically emphasized is excellence in clinical abilities. Being a great clinician is a fantastic way to start - plus obviously high level research for the most competitive programs.

[@smivlibee5936]

thank you for the tips, doc

[@alec.palmerton_md]

Absolutely, happy to help in any way I can!

[@charlesakwasiopoku7656]

Great presentation!

[@alec.palmerton_md]

Thanks so much for your support and kind words!

[@Daniel-vk9qy]

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to do research in medical school but our school has very limited capacity for it? current M2.

[@alec.palmerton_md]

Great question. If you’re interested in a more competitive specialty or a more competitive location, research will obviously be important. You can try and reach out to people at other institutions to do projects remotely while you are in class/rotations. But if you want something serious, you might try and find a mentor that would take you on for a year. A lot of people at research-focused places like Stanford (my alma mater) or Harvard take a year off, often between their third and fourth year, to do research in a particular field, build connections in their desired field, etc. In fact, last I checked roughly 50% of people at Stanford Med take more than 4 years to graduate, and many of them do research.