Why Getting into Medical School is So Hard (& How to Stand Out)

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

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[@kathandevaraj]

I just got into medical school today and I came back to this video to remind myself of the significance of that achievement! To anyone out there that is on the path to med school rn, pls don’t give up! If I can achieve my dream than you can to!!

[@ds2r5fazfbr]

congratulation, how many times do u apply, and what schools

[@min_nik204]

Praying for all pre-meds out there. We got this!

[@omgjoseph7931]

No I got kicked out for a felony

[@excel_wasnot_available]

😭

[@nicyhere]

Very overwhelming

[@DonSwaggin]

@@omgjoseph7931what happened

[@Rain.and.petals]

Thanks...im in my first term of year 1, but i already feel like im dying

[@BigMPC]

Bruh, I'm 29 going back to school to finish my pre-med. I'm excited and scared but that just means the challenge is worth it. (Want to become a Cardiologist) Been through a lot and I'm looking forward to be back in school with a set goal. Good luck to everyone else. I hope y'all make your dreams come true.

[@hamzacokic2314]

Woow thats brave, good job. How is it going so far, was your decision worth it?

[@learningwithlanden]

“Physics and organic chemistry are two of the weed-out courses premed students have to overcome…” [altered] Lucky me, I’m taking both in the same year 😂 Best wishes to y’all! Amidst struggle, remember your “WHY”

[@faiq006]

why physics tho

[@learningwithlanden]

@@faiq006 That’s a great question 🤷‍♂️ I used to joke that physics taught premeds how to assess a patient in the ED for a GSW-I had to correctly determine the bullet’s path through body systems and the force with which it impacted the body, the tensile forces on bones, and the deceleration from entry to exit/embedding 😂 Realistically, physics is applied math which doctors should be proficient in for research. Does that explain why it’s a weed out course-not exactly

[@Robdpd]

My daughter applied to all Texas medical schools and got into the one she wanted. She is in her second semester and says she is taking it day by day. She scored perfect on the MCAT last year so hopefully she takes it all in stride.

[@edhcb9359]

If she scored a perfect MCAT, why on earth is she attending school in Texas?

[@edhcb9359]

@V Cheaper than free?

[@xjd2971]

Texas has great medical schools especially at the cost. Not to mention a great place to live for many people and students. Especially when considering CoL. What exactly are you inferring about Texas medical schools? Or is it Texas in general? Honestly curious.

[@edhcb9359]

@@xjd2971 Missie Toe stated that her daughter scored a perfect score on the MCAT(which is a 528) and that she applied to all Texas schools because they are more affordable. People like my son(who also scored a perfect MCAT) generally get full ride scholarships at the most prestigious universities in the country and MIssie Toe’s daughter would have likely discovered that had she applied outside of Texas. Texas med schools are decent but the only really great one is Baylor.

[@xjd2971]

@@edhcb9359 oh okay i was not sure what you were inferring. That’s interesting. I know many students choose different schools not only based on prestige so I’m sure there were other factors that were involved. Have a blessed one!

[@DonLyfe]

Wow… All of these hurdles and challenges, and here I am… Still pushing forward to it, still chasing this goal.

[@oyinzalabrah2284]

We can do all things through Christ that strengthens us - Philippians 4:13

[@alyssajones4368]

Amen. One of my favorite verses 👍🏼

[@ab-is]

@@alyssajones4368 No, God is One and He is not part of his creation. He begets not and He is not begotten. He creates Adam with no father and no mother but can’t creates Isa (jesus) without a father? Turn and repent to Allah Almighty ‎ﷻ, Muhammad ‎ﷺ is the last of His messengers and Isa, Ibrahim (abraham), Moussa (moses) and Nouh (Noah) also delivered the same message to their people, that Allah ‎ﷻ Is Uniquely One and that He has no beginning and no end and that we will all be summoned for a tremendous day, the day of judgment. Muhammad ‎ﷺ is the last messenger of Allah ‎ﷻ for humanity. You must Choose between God and the devil, and choosing Allah ‎ﷻ is choosing the way of Muhammad ‎ﷺ. Every other path is devilish and leads to loss, lies, regret and suffering. Choose well. May Allah ‎ﷻ grant us life

[@isehlee]

​@@ab-is There was no need for that.. we should learn to respect other peoples faith or beliefs in times of tribulations.

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

What do you think the hardest part of getting into medical school is? Let us know with a comment!

[@meloncore1]

The porcess just scares me. I'm not in college yet but I will be in a couple years. I'm very worried and second thinking about this. I hope I can do all these courses and have decent grades. I'm praying for myself. Being a doctor is the only thing that interests me in life. HOW DO PEOPLE MANAGE THIS. MY HOPES WENT VERY DOWN. 😢😭

[@i_drew]

Don't worry,I'm with you. Just in ninth grade, but has a big dream of being a doctor, and an international student, this really scared me but also remembered me to work hard. You just have to remember that too.

[@danielwillis12]

I'm in no place to offer advice on this, but man you're so young! Just take a deep breath my friend! There are thousands of other career paths that are equally as fulfilling and you'll change a TON before you even look at applying. It is a long process, so look to enjoy it and you'll naturally find things that help you stand out!

[@soggychip6302]

I remember in my orientation day of college we were assigned to a group based on our interests and I was handed a "Pre-med curriculum" sheet which had all the basic requirements as well as all the extracurricular stuff we needed to be competitive and I was super overwhelmed and in a similar position as you. It took me a couple weeks during my summer break to just suck it up and plan out my entire 4 years to make sure I do this as efficiently as possible. My biggest tip is to plan ahead so that you can make it easier for yourself in the future. Being exposed to this information now is really helpful because it IS a lot of stuff to do but now you have a couple of years to think about how you're going to space out your classes, use breaks to get extracurriculars done, when to ask for LORs and when to take the MCAT. I'm now in my last semester of university with a 3.85 GPA, 514 MCAT, and a good amount of extracurriculars that I'm proud of and I really think it was because I took the time that summer before my freshman year to plan out the next 4 years. Once you plan ahead you can just take it one day at a time.

[@NickyMachiavelli]

Is english your native language dear?

[@meloncore1]

@@NickyMachiavelli No I’m from India. I am an immigrant.

[@Liam1J]

Getting discouraged.well done , because hard work and determination are worth it .trust me😊

[@OmarAbdulMalikDHEdMPASPACPAPro]

This is such an informative channel! It takes serious discipline to do well as a pre-med, and eventually get into medical school. It's a good idea to get with a group of SERIOUS pre-med students so you can encourage each other. Also, be VERY careful about WHEN you take the MCATs. I did best (after the 3rd time 🤦🏽‍♂️) AFTER I graduated (BS in biology) and, ONLY focused on the MCAT. I used Kaplan. I was also working as a CNA. 😮‍💨 I wish everyone the BEST of success in your pre-med endeavors!🙂👋🏽👨🏽‍⚕️

[@musicenthusiast19]

We always get gems of wisdom, thank you Dr Jubbal. Could you please talk about the top factors considered for residencies ? I have heard and have always been curious if applications are being sorted to in vs out state i.e. is your med school state the most important factor even if you do rotations/internships in those hospitals?

[@BrianErwin]

the sad part is that medical school students are just glorified premeds, who learn a bunch of general knowledge they'll forget or never use, and then apply to real medical school (i.e. residency) by doing all the same stuff over again, writing a personal statement, maintaining good grades, scoring well on step exams and shelf exams, getting LORs, participating in research, etc. you don't really become a doctor until after finishing residency.

[@seanojha5784]

I mean, you still get 1000s of hours of clinical exposure on top of that “general knowledge.” I wouldn’t write off the four years of medical school as being useless

[@BrianErwin]

@@seanojha5784 i wouldn't say it's useless. just that students could be spending those four years concentrating on a specialty and being an apprentice, rather than being required to gain cursory knowledge in a variety of fields. also, rotations in medical school are almost similar to volunteering as a premed.. you do menial things like help prepare rooms, and shadow doctors. sometimes doctors will let you take out some staples, or do a suture, or cut something, but it's still time that can be better served elsewhere, in my opinion.

[@krishreddy8291]

@@BrianErwin the knowledge u gain in medical school is absolutely not useless. are u even a medical student? plus, rotations are needed so med students can actually figure out what specialty/field they want to go into.

[@BrianErwin]

@@krishreddy8291 please show me where i said the knowledge gained in medical school is useless. in fact, i said the complete opposite right above your response. and no, i work at a medical school, and design curriculum for it, so i get to talk to hundreds of the students, and collab with faculty. my perspective is derived from them.

[@seanojha5784]

@@BrianErwin Third years at every school I interviewed at had to preround/round, present patients, develop plan, interview patients, conduct physicals (all of this is wayyyy beyond shadowing). Even as a first year my school has us do mandatory H&P work with real patients in the community. Also, even if you want to specialize (which I do) you still graduate to be a medical doctor. I want to be a dermatologist, but if I graduated medical school and didn't have at least a "cursory" understanding of psychiatry, internal medicine, emergency medicine, etc, I would be a terrible doctor. Every physician I respect who has mentored me has told me the same. I think your opinion has come from talking to jaded medical students (per your other reply) who just want to jump into residency and don't get quite why they have to pursue such a broad / comprehensive education when they just want to specialize. I'd say they should spend more time talking to specialists about why a generalized medical education / background is so key. And I mean I get it - the finish line is so far away I get frustrated with it too, but it's there for a reason.

[@soumyabratachakraborty7283]

In India we need to complete these pre-requisites in high school in 2 years, and have to appear for a very highly competitive national level exam with

[@swastisinghai8460]

but that whole cracking of NEET exam is toughest of all

[@kaifhaider2192]

True but you can still get into private med school with only 50 percent neet plus you also don’t have to go through undergrad and gaining clinical experience, extracurricular, shadowing exp , research and something to stand out I agree that you have to pay money if you go to private school but in the US It doesn’t even matter if you get into top med school you still have to pay more than 250k+ dollar with stacking interests for 8 years the only good thing here is you can get loan easily. I used to be one of the kid who thought that getting into med school in US will be easier although in reality it is hard everywhere.

[@seanojha5784]

The “holistic” admissions process we use in the USA can be a crapshoot. Without a well-rounded application (good GPA over 4 years of college classes, MCAT towards the top, research, volunteering, all totaling 100s if not 1000s of clinical hours) you might not get in. I’m not saying it’s harder than the Indian system - both are uniquely difficult in their own ways & different students would find each easier/harder than the other. Students that are more personable & have leadership experience more likely to succeed in US’s system, while the students that can study 10+ hours a day would be more likely to succeed in India. IMO a balance of both traits would be desired in a physician

[@superEriccui]

@@seanojha5784 I am not going to lie. Getting in in the US is MUCH harder than it is in India. What people don’t realize is in America it is a complete crap shoot. In India you get a very good grade on the entrance exam (which is btw in my opinion easier than the mcat) you are virtually guaranteed a spot. Here in the US nothing you do or say will guarantee anything. Trust me I know.

[@superEriccui]

Plus here in the US there is so many opportunities for you to get rejected. Even getting an interview is like amazing and you are very fortunate.

[@hackerwho1159]

Also I really like the videos I'm planning on using med school Insider to help me get through college and med school

[@peterlynblessgaryeazon]

these lectures are brutal but encouraging at the same time lol

[@medico920]

In India 2.2 million students applied for pre med entrance examination which is NEET , and the seat is only 37000, is beyond 0.1% selection chance

[@gtaitz]

My dream is to be a neurologist or general physician. I will work really hard and be 100% committed to my journey of becoming a doctor!

[@thej5268]

10:06 Some DO schools will ask if you've shadowed with a DO physician. Might want to consider that if you are applying to DO schools.

[@edhcb9359]

I think time spent observing a licensed massage therapist counts as shadowing a DO as well.

[@MrBapu-uu9xt]

@@edhcb9359😂 You’re joking right?

[@edhcb9359]

@@MrBapu-uu9xt Sort of? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@MrBapu-uu9xt]

@@edhcb9359 they’re two completely different professions with very different training. It’s like saying you can shadow a medical receptionist and it’ll be the same as shadowing an MD 😂

[@edhcb9359]

@@MrBapu-uu9xt DO is a happy ending away from being the same thing as a LMT though. 🤣

[@godwinjoseph391]

Much needed. Thank you Dr. J

[@michelinechedid3311]

Omg why in the United States is so hard to get in?? Here in Europe it's conpetitive but not like the USA interviews etc....

[@degstoll]

Yeah, even in the UK where they also have interviews, it's much easier there than in the US.

[@ZyNeEnZyNe]

Nah in the UK its insane too. Competition is so high its overwhelming

[@michelinechedid3311]

@@degstoll yess same in Spain there's interview and entrance exam but not like the USA

[@edhcb9359]

Doctors in the UK are paid so poorly the competition to become a doctor isn’t as high. Supply and demand.

[@degstoll]

@@ZyNeEnZyNe I'm talking about the application process, medical school is competitive everywhere, just look at Spain as an example, and I've heard that in India only 1% of students get accepted. In the UK you don't need a college degree and a thousand prerequisites, right?

[@edhcb9359]

I don’t mind that it’s difficult. Don’t we want our physicians to be of the highest quality? Contrary to what most people think, not everyone gets a trophy.

[@thatgirlasha4256]

My dream is to become and obstetrician gynecologist doctor (OBGYN) I am in my sophomore year of college and plan on taking my MCAT the summer of my Junior year and my only thing I’m more nervous about is my personal statement and trying to find clinical hours and letters of recommendation as I attend a community college.

[@Tata.95]

Hi med school insider, I hope you see my comment and respond to it. I am an international student, I studied science in my pre-med college in my country which do not really consider my study as pre-med because our system is like UK system you need to get to medical school right after graduating from high school ( we do not have the system of pre-med and then med school as USA). So, i am wondering what is the difference between texas schools and (DO, MD) I saw the video where you where talking about MD Vs DO but it my first time hearing about texas schools. Also, I would really be thankful if you could make a vedio for the international students ( like anything we need to know or anything that is diffrent for us than the USA pre-med students or if you know how the accept officers look to our applicantions and what they expecting from us) like anything that could be helpful for us, I really feel like I am gonna lose my mind there are so many things that I just discoverd it lately and I need to do and I do not even know if I have the enough time for this until the comming cycle which depending on what I know that it is gonna open late on May, right? + I have another question 😂😂😂 Applying for medical school opens just once in the year in May ? Thank you from now and pardon me for the long comment 😅💛💛

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

For more information about the Texas application system, check out our guide AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS Med School Application Differences: medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/amcas-vs-aacomas-vs-tmdsas-med-school-application/ Medical school applications only open once a year. Here's a complete month by month schedule: medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/medical-school-application-timeline-allopathic/

[@thebeatles9]

20 hours of shadowing and 30 hours of clinical experience is really, really low

[@DenshaOtoko2]

How do you have time for extra curriculars when you study 40 - 50 hours a week? (Literally 8 - 10 hours a day; 5 days a week)?

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

Studying at that intensity is generally only required approaching certain standardized tests. Most of the time, you should be able to get great results with far fewer hours if you use the proper study strategies that we elaborate on in our playlist.

[@smartiechuco]

Can you make a video about how to pick yourself back up and succeed after failing a class or entire year in med school

[@nataybarrett1121]

Any suggestions on prerequisites ? Especially the math part… what are some good study tools

[@dogethsamurai2390]

Thank you most student fail to enter med school are because of these reasom Admissions Statistics Prerequisite Courses & GPA MCAT Extracurriculars Applications

[@SkylerMShah]

I just finished residency as a radiation oncologist and now I’m practicing.

[@Jailynn1]

I want to become a medical assistant

[@Araween_Kaletean]

Its WORK junior boy in bachelors in bioscience sook.

[@DenshaOtoko2]

I gave up all my hobbies except for YT Vids and study 6 hours a day 5 days a week, sometimes 7 days a week and still don't have the desired outcome.

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

Without knowing the details it might be a matter of putting in the time, but it likely is also a matter of tweaking your time management and study strategies. Check out our videos on those topics!

[@heartgaming7033]

Make videos considering Canada too.

[@chetanbagra2267]

does matriculation means getting accepting into a med school

[@yuunyuun]

Can international students who studies pre-med in US can apply to medical schools in US?

[@jxzyza4630]

thie just makes me wanna give up

[@welcomeparadise4433]

I know right people with high IQ would work hard than people with lower average.

[@RichardMitchell-nk9ec]

You say its a year but it's really not no year

[@dreamdream1212]

But i still find , USA and UK have pretty high acceptance rate in comparison to the number of applicants . Here, in Nepal every year more than 20000 students apply for Medschool but only 268 students get selected i.e only 1.5% students gets a chance to enter into med school

[@mwshu6045]

Does it completely matter which college I go to for pre med? Will going to an average pre med college dampen my chances of getting into a prestigious medical school?

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

We have a video covering this topic. Check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpTPi2Rsra57pZY

[@parleymanderson7490]

How can international med graduates study in the US/UK/Australia? Which country is the best?

[@gtaitz]

US is probably the best as it is very well paying here from what I've seen based on the stats, but I haven't done research on other countries yet so don't take my word for it.

[@parleymanderson7490]

@@gtaitz I like the US but I heard that it is really hard for international students to study in competitive specialties

[@gtaitz]

@@parleymanderson7490 Yeah it's really competitive here I plan on going back to college to get a Biology degree to become a doctor. You need to perform really well in college too here.

[@BulletMagnetJB]

@@gtaitzremember salary isn’t the only thing that matters!

[@gtaitz]

@@BulletMagnetJB I know, but I'd like to be well paid for a career I choose especially since healthcare is very stressful.

[@tindrums]

83 percentile.. India 2.2 million write exam for 50k spots.

[@belvabiju2455]

Does Highschool volunteer hours count ?

[@nicyhere]

@Medschoolinsiders I checked the cost of the course Ik it is fine price for some countries but for some it is a huge price. For people who want to get in through scholarship or such sort do you have like a concession on the fee

[@lorenamasferrer9345]

Do you have a discount coupon code for signing up for your program?

[@shaq238]

I’m applying to enter fall 2024, so my applications open in may. Question: my mcat is in may, do I have to wait for my results to submit my apps? Or Can that be added after my application is sent out

[@soggychip6302]

You can submit your application to get verified and then send out your MCAT score after. However, your application won't be seen until your MCAT score is sent. So it's really just for verification purposes which can save you a month

[@richiemd777]

Yeah. Apply to just one school in case your mcat isn't the score you want. But that gets you verified. Then add the remainder if your school's once you get your score

[@lunarilie3928]

You should submit your application without the mcat so it can get verified. If you wait for your score, it might take longer for your app to get verified.

[@Stxrtra]

I dont know if i should be a psychologist or psychiatrist

[@liv0003]

One is a medical doctor the other one isn't. Quite different careers in my opinion

[@hackerwho1159]

Hey I am 14 and I am wanting to go into orthopedic surgent as my specialty I know you have a lot of videos on what to do pre-med in College but what should I be doing now to help my application for med school when I turn 16 I'm going to start shadowing and volunteering at the hospital I just wanted to ask you what I should be doing now to help my application

[@niyatsiyum]

I'm 18 and the best thing for you to be doing is just focusing on school and finding hobbies. Highschool should be your main priority *now*. Take any math/science AP classes offered and just enjoy being a teen lol. You're fine!

[@Zain5hah]

First ❤

[@juzahyodo3706]

Where's your "So you want to be a Pharmacist" video 😔

[@halleyscomment7694]

No one wants to be a pharmacist in this day and age. The job market is oversaturated as more and more pharmacy schools pop up, pumping out more graduates each year than there are jobs available. Their salary has also decreased as companies take advantage of the fact that many new pharm Ds are competing for full-time work in a diminishing job market. The prestige of being a pharmacist also isn't as high as it used to be, with many pharmacists reporting that they feel disrespected or that they're being treated like failed doctors. The job itself is extremely demanding as the workplace is short-staffed to save money, making it hard for pharmacists (and pharmacist technicians) to take lunch breaks or go to the bathroom. Yet the pharmacist (and there's usually only one) is expected to run everything for what basically amounts to glorified retail. Everyday, they encounter a complaining patient, an angry customer, a Karen, a drug addict, basically the sort of people retail employees deal with on a regular basis. Everyday, someone complains about how the only thing pharmacists do is count pills when in reality, they're struggling to keep up with the patients, correcting doctors' prescriptions, calling into the doctor's offices for verification, etc. Being a pharmacist is a thankless job. You study hard in school and go into heavy debt only to be treated as "lesser" by your own patients and by your own company that takes advantage of your desparation by giving you less pay, less flexibility, and only the bare minimum of staff to help you do your job. If even that. As more people catch on and avoid going into pharmacy, pharmacy schools are lowering their admissions requirements in an effort to attract more students - taking away the PCAT, lowering their gpa requirements, even paying current pharmacy students to find more candidates to be interviewed their program (Touro university, for example). Pharmacy has really sunken to a new low.

[@juzahyodo3706]

@@halleyscomment7694 I like Pharmacy. Healthcare jobs in general are thankless. And also it depends on where you plan to be employed, a lot of rural areas have a lack of pharmacists.. Why are you being so toxic, anyway? It is my personal preference.

[@halleyscomment7694]

@@juzahyodo3706 Sorry, I didn't know you want to go into pharmacy and I didn't mean to offend. I was just explaining why pharmacy isn't as good as it used to be. I consider the fact that pharmacy is only in demand in rural areas to be a bad thing because other healthcare professions are in demand everywhere, which gives more options on where to work. But if pharmacy is truly your passion, then go for it.

[@juzahyodo3706]

@@halleyscomment7694 It is okay, thank you for explaining. Pharmacy is definitely over saturated (and somewhat underpaid because of that) in urban areas but I think I am planning to work in a rural area since I grew up in between the countryside, and I want to be there for those who don't have access to healthcare. 😊

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

I worry that nobody would ever even apply to medical school any more.

[@laraowoniyi-cz8nj]

can African Student apply to sit for MCAT?

[@Rain.and.petals]

yes

[@Eshankashyap23]

20 lakh aspiration 34k seats get selected in gov. Medical school….and ya thinking about private it’s tooooo expensive and zero value in society in India ..people just say ooh he doesn’t have much talent so gone in private ..if have guts clear gov. Med school..and in total private + gov. Med school ..it’s 63k seats and just for knowledge there is no pre med it’s called high school here yeah the same high school after which you take one year break to chill in that we we have to crack exam..😢….😂

[@ParniaTaghimomeni]

❤

[@Displ4c]

God this sounds horrible

[@welcomeparadise4433]

I know right not everyone have an opportunity, that’s what suck.

[@kdee7891]

If you think getting into medical school is hard ... staying in medical school is suicide 😅😅😅

[@qeerepoee7153]

I was wondering if there were courses tailored for getting into dental school?

[@rehanahmed744]

😒

[@kaden_priebe]

I’m a senior in high school and I’m already thinking about my med school application because I want to get into a t10 med school

[@unknownuser6757]

I want Anel to be my girlfriend