reapplying to med school personal statement

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement Guide

• By Med School Insiders
• January 18, 2023
• Personal Statement , Reapplicant

As a reapplicant, you’ve already gone through all of the motions of applying to medical school before, but something didn’t work the first time around. It’s now up to you to figure out what improvements you need to make to land yourself an acceptance. A reapplicant personal statement, while much the same as one for a first-time applicant, gracefully acknowledges the previous rejection.

Admissions committee members will know you are a reapplicant, and they expect you to address it by illustrating what has changed since you first applied. The personal statement is a huge opportunity to tell your story and share why you want to become a doctor. As a reapplicant, why do you feel this is still the ideal path for you?

In this post, we’ll focus on what admissions committees are looking for from a reapplicant’s personal statement. We’ll cover what’s expected of reapplicants, how to determine what changes you should make, and strategies for crafting a successful essay.

If you haven’t already, save our comprehensive personal statement guide , which includes eleven steps to writing a successful essay.

Is a Reapplicant Personal Statement Different?

Yes, your reapplicant personal statement must be different from your original personal statement. After all, your story has changed, and your new personal statement must reflect that.

This isn’t to say that you should delete your last personal statement. Keep your core reasons and motivations for wanting to become a doctor. If your reasons change from one personal statement to the next, admissions committees could easily question the validity of your story.

Admissions committees expect you to intertwine your reapplicant story with your personal statement. How have you grown? How are you a different applicant now? What have you learned during this extra time? Do you know what went wrong the first time? Have you made the necessary improvements to your application? Do you have new anecdotes or new experiences to add?

Your reapplicant personal statement must convey the notable improvements you’ve made to your qualifications as well as your continued commitment to medicine. Why are you staying the course after your initial rejection? What since your rejection has shown you that you do actually have what it takes to succeed in medical school and beyond? Admissions committees are looking for maturity and growth here.

The Purpose of the Personal Statement—What Schools Are Looking For

Your personal statement is your opportunity to tell an admissions committee who you are, what you stand for, and why you want to be a doctor. Medical schools already have your transcripts and your CV. They know your accomplishments. This is your chance to dig deeper and provide insight into your personality and values, highlighting in detail the experiences that have crystalized your ambition to commit your life to medicine.

What’s your story? What fuels your pursuit to become a physician despite the setback of not being accepted the first time? Why are you still convinced this is the path for you? What recent experiences exemplify this? You are a more mature and more qualified candidate than you were last time. Admissions committees want to see that maturity throughout your personal statement and across your entire application.

You’ve written a personal statement before, so you know you must do more than simply state qualities about yourself. It’s not enough to say you’re more mature now. Demonstrate your maturity through tangible examples from your life. How specifically have your values and dreams kept you going through this difficult time? What concrete steps have you taken to right the wrongs of your previous application?

Admissions committees want to see, with clear examples, how and why you’re a more qualified candidate this time around.

Determine What You Can Keep and What You Need to Change

In order to achieve success with your reapplicant personal statement and reapplication as a whole, it’s imperative you understand where you went wrong the first time.

Which aspect of your application held you back? Was it your personal statement that was the problem? Or was it your grades and MCAT score that kept you from gaining any interviews?

If you had a few interviews but didn’t receive any acceptances, you likely didn’t impress your interviewers, which means your application may not require as much revising. It’s your interview skills you need to improve, which means it would be wise to practice well in advance of interview season and take advantage of the unbiased feedback given in mock interviews .

If your personal statement was one of your weaker areas, you might need to scrap the whole thing. On the other hand, if your previous statement was successful, you may only need to tweak your personal statement to address being a reapplicant.

Don’t analyze your application alone. Assess your own strengths and weaknesses, but be sure to get advice from people who have actually worked on admissions committees before. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. If anything, it shows a great level of intention and maturity. It shows you understand the value of feedback and want to use your time effectively. Plus, at this point, you can’t risk another failed application attempt.

If you don’t have someone like that in your network, it may be prudent to invest in one-on-one advising to pinpoint where you went wrong. An assessment of your previous application by an unbiased expert on the application process is invaluable. It is vital to your success this time around that you make calculated, smart decisions about where you place your focus. What changes will make the greatest impact for your effort?

If you can’t determine where you went wrong with your previous application, it’s very likely you’ll make the same mistakes this time, which will result in the same lack of acceptance.

Personal Statement Strategies to Remember

Read personal statement examples.

Remember, you’re far from the only person who has written a personal statement before. As a reapplicant, it’s time to once again take a step back and look at both successful and poorly written personal statements.

What makes a great personal statement so great? How have others seamlessly weaved in their story of resilience? What makes for a bad personal statement, and did your previous essay share any common mistakes? After reading other personal statements, does yours still stand out? If you were on an admissions committee, would you find your personal statement interesting after reading 100 others?

Read these successful personal statement examples and learn from these bad personal statement examples , which include key insights into what to do instead.

Create a Cohesive Narrative

It’s critical that your personal statement tells a clear, cohesive narrative. Your reapplicant story shouldn’t feel tacked on or like an afterthought. It should naturally weave into your personal statement in a way that also complements the rest of your application.

Remember, you are trying to engage admissions committee members by telling a consistent story about why you want to pursue medicine and why you, in particular, will make an ideal fit for their medical school. The many components of your application will be viewed together to create a complete picture of who you are, including your personal statement, letters of recommendation, experiences, mini-essays, MCAT score, and grades. Each piece should complement the other, not repeat what’s already been said.

Use your personal statement to complement the other aspects of your application while bringing something new to the table that hasn’t already been covered elsewhere.

A narrative-based approach to your application will entice admissions committees and make them want to learn more about who you are. Learn How to Develop a Cohesive Narrative for Medical School Applications .

Acknowledge the Past While Looking to the Future

Tread lightly when speaking about your previous rejection to medical school. You should address it in your reapplication, including how you have improved as a candidate, but you don’t need to say harsh phrases like, “when I neglected studying for the MCAT and was rejected…” Or, “I made mistakes last time I applied…” “since I failed the last time I applied…”

For example, here’s what not to include in a reapplicant personal statement.

“ Although I failed to gain admittance to medical school, I’ve remained steadfast in pursuit of achieving my dream to be a physician. Instead of accepting failure , I continued to foster these kinds of meaningful experiences with my patients and develop the traits necessary to forge the desired relationships I hope to foster as a physician, like those my father had with his patients.”

Don’t directly call out a “failure.” Instead, look to the future and illustrate how you have improved. Acknowledge the past with a focus on the future. What have you been doing differently? What did you learn? What has your experience as a reapplicant taught you? Why are you continuing your pursuit?

Here’s an example of how to improve that personal statement paragraph.

“Directly witnessing the eternal illumination my father left on the world has shown me the incredible impact physicians can achieve in patients’ lives and their communities. My struggles with his passing forced me to further develop the resiliency necessary to not give up on this path when faced with setbacks and instead to redouble my efforts to be a pillar of luminosity as a future doctor.”

Simple word choice changes can make a big difference in how your personal statement is received. Acknowledging your rejection does not mean you have to put yourself down. Find a way to spin the situation into speaking about what has changed and what you have learned instead of drawing attention to the negative. In doing so, ensure you still sound genuine and sincere throughout your essay.

Refine, Review, Edit

Don’t let a simple mistake ruin your chances of acceptance. It only takes one error to sink an otherwise excellent personal statement. You’re going up against thousands of other medical school applicants, many of whom have very similar qualifications to your own, except you’ve already been turned down once before.

Take your time! Reflect on and brainstorm your ideas early on in the year you are applying. If you’re a reapplicant who is applying again in the immediate next cycle, prioritize writing your personal statement as soon as possible. Assess the time you have as well as what you need to accomplish in order to notably improve your application. You may have to come to the difficult but realistic decision to delay your reapplication by one year.

You absolutely must save time for the editing and refining process. Ensure you make time to receive adequate feedback from those who have been intimately involved in the application process.

Learn how to edit your personal statement to impress admissions committees.

Med School Insiders offers a range of personal statement editing packages , including in-depth editing with a physician who will be there to advise you every step of the way.

Personal Statement Resources

The Med School Insiders blog is filled with personal statement resources and how-to guides that can help you no matter where you are in the essay writing process.

If you’re stuck for ideas, begin with our Medical School Personal Statement Prompts , which will help you reflect on your past to remember the experiences, people, and setbacks that made you who you are today. Next, read The Anatomy of a Stellar Personal Statement and Personal Statement Dos and Don’ts .

As you complete the rest of your reapplicant application, here are 9 Reapplicant Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make and 6 Steps to Reapplying to Medical School .

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get our latest advice, guides, and videos sent straight to your email. We are always adding to our database of resources, and we continually update our content based on the most recent data, current deadlines, and changes to the application process.

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Reapplying to Medical School? Consider These 7 Tips

New section.

Did you know that approximately 25% of the medical school applicant pool consists of reapplicants? In a recent AAMC webinar, “Knowing When, Where, and How to Re-Apply,” a panel consisting of an admissions officer, a prehealth advisor, and successful reapplicants discussed how to review an unsuccessful application for lessons learned, red flags, or gaps. They also discussed how to know when you’re ready to apply again, where else you should apply, and if you should reapply to any schools on your previous list. You can access the complete presentation here or check out the highlights and key takeaways below.

• Honor your feelings. If you didn’t get into medical school the first time you applied, you’re probably experiencing a lot of emotions, which may be exacerbated by the pandemic. Allow yourself time and space to process your feelings. Give yourself credit for all the hard work you put into applying and consider taking some time off from any premed activities to engage in self-care.  
• Don’t rush to reapply. Any subsequent application should be significantly different from your first. If your application has not changed significantly from the previous submission, the likelihood of a different outcome is small. It’s important to take the time needed to strengthen your application.  
• Pay attention to how you describe your health care experiences in your application. Make sure the descriptions of your encounters highlight what you learned from them. 
• Examine the descriptions of your life experiences. As a physician, your patients will come from all walks of life, so it’s important to become comfortable and build trust with all different kinds of people. Putting yourself in situations where you spend time with people who have had very different life journeys can be a great thing to do.
• For additional ideas on how to strengthen your application, review the 15 core competencies for entering medical students. You can also read stories of other successful applicants through the AAMC  Anatomy of An Applicant resource.  
• Revisit your personal statement. Your growth and accomplishments between your last application and your current application should go into your personal statement . While your new essay can focus on a similar theme and communicate the same qualities from your previous personal statement, your anecdotes and supporting examples may change to reflect the new experiences you’ve had.  
• Examine your school choice. Make sure that you are “looking for schools that are looking for students like you,” said Ann Trail, health professions advisor at Villanova University.   Read the mission statements of schools and use that as a guide to evaluate fit. For example, if your passion is to help underserved populations, then a medical school that emphasizes and values research may not be the best fit. Learn how researching medical school missions can help you find your fit . Also, remember that state-supported medical schools have an interest in enrolling students who will remain to practice in that state. For this reason, they often give preference to in-state applicants. Be sure to check the admissions statistics for out-of-state students if you decide to consider applying to a state-supported school in another state.  
• Time your application early. In some cases, qualified candidates may not be successful if they apply too late in the season. It’s generally a good idea to have your application submitted by the end of July and your MCAT scores available by the end of August.  
• Hone your interview skills. Most medical schools interview only a small percentage of their applicants each year. If you receive an invitation to interview, the school is very interested in you. Utilize career center resources to practice your interviewing skills. You can also check out the AAMC’s collection of articles on interviewing to help you prepare. 

• Medical School Application

Med School Reapplicant Personal Statement: Turn 'No' to 'Yes'!

Medical school reapplicant personal statement examples are often necessary to help the thousands of applicants who face med school rejection every year. Being rejected is never easy, especially for something as important as medical school. However, both Homer Stryker and Charles R. Drew, who went on to make important contributions to medical science and now have medical schools in the US named after them, had to reapply to medical school, so if you were rejected the first time, you are in good company. This article will show you medical school reapplicant personal statement examples written specifically for programs that use specific prompts for reapplicants and give you more tips to improve your reapplication! 

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

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Article Contents 10 min read

Med schools that ask for a medical school reapplicant personal statement.

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine

University of Colorado School of Medicine

• Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
• Central Michigan University College of Medicine
• University of Arizona Phoenix School of Medicine
• University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Want to know the reason why most people get rejected by med schools and learn how to avoid them? Watch this video:

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement Example #1

Essay Prompt

Describe the changes to your application from previous cycles - include academics, experiences, and/or personal attributes. (2000 characters maximum)

Throughout my previous application cycles, I have come to recognize the importance of self-reflection and growth. Taking the time to evaluate my application and seek guidance from pre-med advisors, they mentioned that although my academic profile and test scores were above-average, I lacked any significant extracurricular activities, or any real goals for the future aside from being a practicing physician.

Taking their advice, I made several intentional changes to enhance my candidacy for the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine. In this time, I discovered a newfound passion for woodworking and ceramics. Engaging in these non-academic pursuits taught me the value of patience, precision, and attention to detail.

Through the process of crafting intricate designs and working with various materials, I honed my motor skills and developed a heightened sense of creativity. These skills have not only broadened my horizons but have also provided me with a unique outlet for self-expression and personal growth. Furthermore, immersing myself in woodworking and ceramics has taught me the importance of adaptability and perseverance. In the face of challenges and setbacks, I learned to problem-solve, think critically, and refine my techniques.

I also took beginner classes in Arabic. This decision was motivated by my ambition to work with Medicines Sans Frontiers in the future, where I believe my language skills would be invaluable in providing healthcare to underserved populations. Engaging in Arabic language classes has been a humbling and rewarding experience.

It has allowed me to connect with diverse communities, deepen my understanding of different cultures, and broaden my perspective on healthcare disparities. I believe that these language skills will not only facilitate effective communication but also foster trust and rapport with patients from diverse backgrounds.

The changes I have made to my application reflect my commitment to personal growth and my unwavering dedication to becoming a compassionate and competent physician. I am excited to bring my newfound creativity, linguistic abilities, and academic achievements to the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine.

Please explain how you and your application has changed since your previous submission. (1500 characters maximum)

Fortunately, my rejection was the catalyst that made me finally seek out self-reflection and self-awareness, which I did through journaling. This practice has not only honed my writing skills but has also allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me. Through this process, I realized that the journey to becoming a doctor is not solely about personal accomplishments, but rather about the profound impact I can have on others' lives.

Motivated by this newfound awareness, I sought opportunities to contribute to my community and make a difference. Volunteering with a local non-profit organization, I dedicated myself to outreach efforts for unhoused individuals, providing them with access to essential medical services. This experience was both eye-opening and challenging, exposing me to the harsh realities faced by vulnerable populations. It reinforced my commitment to advocating for equitable healthcare and fueled my passion for serving marginalized communities.

Recognizing the importance of academic excellence, I retook the MCAT to improve my scores and enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program to enhance my GPA. Through self-reflection, journaling, volunteer work, and academic improvement, I am now equipped with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication to pursuing a career in medicine. I am excited to bring these transformative experiences and my unwavering commitment to the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where I hope to contribute to the health and well-being of a diverse patient population.

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement Example #3

Louisiana State University School of Medicine

The LSU School of Medicine accepts re-applicants, but they do not need to respond to a specific prompt. Reapplicants to LSU need to complete a form outlining any improvements in their MCAT score , if they have earned any new degrees, and whether they have participated in any new extracurriculars for medical school . But, for this article, we will present this information in the form of a medical school reapplicant personal statement example.

Since my previous application, I have undertaken new coursework and engaged in extracurricular activities that have further enriched my academic and personal journey. Notably, I pursued a certificate in the biochemistry minor program at Tulane University, broadening my knowledge in this field of study.

One course that challenged me during this pursuit was "Advanced Topics in Biological Chemistry" at Tulane University. This rigorous course delved into complex biochemical concepts and required a comprehensive understanding of advanced laboratory techniques. While initially struggling with the intricate subject matter, I demonstrated resilience and determination by seeking additional resources, collaborating with peers, and seeking guidance from professors. Through perseverance and a strong work ethic, I not only overcame the obstacles but also passed the course with a satisfactory grade.

In addition to academic accomplishments, I actively engaged in extracurricular activities that expanded my perspectives and enhanced my skills. For instance, I participated in a volunteer program focused on mentoring underprivileged high school students in the Baton Rouge community, guiding them in their pursuit of higher education. This experience provided me with a profound sense of fulfillment and reinforced my commitment to serving and uplifting disadvantaged communities.

Moreover, I pursued continuous learning and professional development by earning certifications in advanced life support techniques, such as Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). These certifications not only enriched my understanding of life-saving interventions but also highlighted my dedication to acquiring essential medical skills.

Through my renewed academic pursuits, extracurricular involvements, and commitment to professional growth, I am confident in my readiness to contribute to the Louisiana State University School of Medicine community. I look forward to further honing my skills, broadening my knowledge, and making a positive impact on the health and well-being of the diverse population served by the university and the surrounding community.

Central Michigan University School of Medicine

If you have applied to any medical school in previous cycles, what have you done since your last application to prepare yourself for a career in medicine? (500 words) 

Since my previous application, I have embarked on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth to better prepare myself for a career in medicine. One pivotal experience that transformed my perspective and broadened my horizons was a rural medicine internship at a clinic in rural Michigan.

Coming from an Ethiopian-American background in Saginaw, I had limited exposure to rural populations and their unique healthcare needs. Initially hesitant, I decided to embrace this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. The admissions officer from another medical school provided valuable feedback that I had few service commitments and too much focus on academic excellence. This insight inspired me to seek experiences that would deepen my understanding of diverse communities and the healthcare disparities they face.

I went to Iron Mountain, Michigan, which has a population of about 7,500. While, I was well-received, I encountered the challenge of building trust and rapport with patients who initially had reservations about opening up to a newcomer like me. Recognizing the importance of connection and understanding in healthcare, I sought creative ways to engage with the community and establish meaningful relationships.

One strategy that proved effective was tapping into the local passion for sports, particularly football. I discovered that the Iron Mountain Mountaineers are an integral part of the community. Recognizing the power of shared interests, I eagerly embraced conversations about football with patients, asking about their favorite teams, memorable games, and local football traditions.

These discussions served as a bridge, allowing patients to feel more comfortable and enabling me to delve into their healthcare concerns. As we talked about local sports teams, community events, and the excitement surrounding upcoming football games, a sense of camaraderie emerged. Patients began sharing their experiences, challenges, and personal stories with me, fostering a deeper connection that transcended the clinical setting.

Listening to the stories and struggles of the residents, and gaining a deeper appreciation for the unique challenges they face in accessing quality healthcare. Through this experience, I learned the importance of cultural competence, empathy, and adaptability in delivering patient-centered care. I developed a greater understanding of the social determinants of health and the need to address healthcare disparities, especially in rural communities. It sparked a passion within me to serve these populations and contribute to improving their access to healthcare resources.

Through introspection and continuous growth, I am now equipped with a stronger foundation in the humanistic aspects of medicine. I am committed to leveraging my unique cultural background, experiences, and newfound perspectives to provide compassionate and equitable care to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

As I apply to Central Michigan University School of Medicine, I am confident that my journey of personal and professional development has prepared me to contribute meaningfully to their mission of serving the healthcare needs of underserved communities. I am eager to continue expanding my knowledge, embracing new challenges, and working collaboratively to make a positive impact on the lives of patients and the community at large.

Are you not getting medical school interview invites? Check this out:

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement Example #5

University of Arizona College of Medicine

For re-applicants, 1000 characters to explain how you are a stronger applicant this cycle.

As a re-applicant to the University of Arizona College of Medicine, I am a stronger candidate this cycle for several notable reasons. I had the privilege of volunteering with No More Deaths, a prominent organization in Arizona dedicated to providing humanitarian aid and search and rescue operations for migrants in distress. Working alongside dedicated professionals, I witnessed firsthand the impact of social determinants of health and the need for equitable access to healthcare for all individuals.

I also enrolled in a biochemistry pre-med class, specifically BIOCH 421: Advanced Biochemistry. This course delved into the intricacies of molecular interactions, enzymatic kinetics, and metabolic pathways. Through hands-on laboratory experiments and in-depth discussions, I gained a better understanding of the biochemical basis of life and its implications in human health and disease. It also gave me a more solid foundation in biochemistry, and an overall more comprehensive scientific perspective.

University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine

Have you previously applied to the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine? If yes, please provide the Admissions Committee with a brief application history (including when you first applied and the number of application attempts). Please describe in detail the ways in which this application is superior to your previous application(s). (Maximum 3000 characters)

As I reapply to the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, I acknowledge that my previous applications fell short due to poorly-written essays. Writing has never been my natural strength, but I have taken significant steps to address this challenge.

Recognizing the importance of effective communication in the medical field, I enrolled in a writing-intensive course at the University of Missouri-Columbia, MFST 322: Media Writing. This course honed my skills in crafting coherent and persuasive written content. Through rigorous assignments and constructive feedback, I developed a better grasp of structuring arguments and conveying ideas concisely.

Since then, I have continued to refine my writing abilities. Notably, I had the privilege of having a blog post published on the UMKC student blog website, 'The RooWriter’. This opportunity allowed me to express my thoughts on pertinent topics in healthcare, fostering my growth as a writer and demonstrating my commitment to effective communication within the medical community.

By acknowledging my weaknesses and actively seeking opportunities for improvement, I have gained valuable insights into the art of writing. I am determined to utilize these skills to express my genuine passion for medicine, my commitment to serving others, and my unique experiences that have shaped my journey towards becoming a healthcare professional.

I am grateful for the chance to reapply to UMKC School of Medicine, and I am confident that my enhanced writing abilities, along with my unwavering dedication and academic achievements, make me a stronger candidate this time around.

These medical school reapplicant personal statement examples are only a guide intended for you to craft your own medical school personal statement , but you can also use them as examples of what to do to improve other parts of your application, such as medical school secondary essays and medical school letter of intent . You can see from the examples that a wide variety of activities and hobbies are as important to have as completing academic course or performing a service commitment. Volunteer work is another common feature of medical school reapplicant personal statement examples, as many medical schools mandate their students participate in volunteer work even after they are admitted.

Yes, according to some medical school requirements , if you are a re-applicant, whether to the same school or a new one, some programs do make re-applicants write a specific medical school reapplicant personal statement and only this one. They do not allow the resubmission of old statements. If you are reapplying to a medical school, the point is to show what has changed about your application so your old statements no longer apply to who you are as a candidate now. 

Many medical schools make clear what they expect to read in a medical school reapplicant personal statement, namely, what a candidate has changed or improved about themselves that was lacking in their first medical school application . The changes made could range from improving your coursework or doing more volunteer work. 

The main difference is a medical school reapplicant personal statement should address the changes you have undergone since you last applied to demonstrate that you are ready to take on the commitment of being a medical student. All medical schools typically ask this of re-applicants so at least you know what to write when you are writing the statement. 

Every school has its own word limits but the medical school reapplicant personal statement can range from between 1000 to 3000 characters. 

You should not repeat anything you mentioned in your original personal statement. You should focus mostly on what you have changed about yourself and how you have increased your suitability for the program, as nearly all medical school ask the same thing of re-applicants. 

Schools ask different questions because re-applicants are a unique demographic in the world of medical school applicants, similar to non-traditional medical school applicants . Re-applicants face the extra burden of having to improve their application significantly, while first-timers with a strong application only have to apply once. 

Yes, many medical schools in the US and Canada regularly admit re-applicants who were unsuccessful either at the same school or another. 

You should only re-apply if you have made the necessary changes or improvements to your application, be it through writing better essays, improving your grades or MCAT scores, or doing more shadowing hours for medical school . Many experts say that you should at least wait a year before undergoing the process again so you can gain a better understanding of your application’s strengths and weaknesses. 

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March 30, 2022

Reapplying to Med School: Your Primary Application

The previous posts have focused on identifying problem areas in your application and offering ideas to help you address them. You might be feeling a bit fragile after such a critical review – if so, then you’re doing it right. This exercise demands that you be ruthless and identify every potential flaw. Your ego might not like it, but you’ll be happy when you have a clear roadmap to highlight your strengths and address your weaknesses.

Before beginning the next part of your assessment – and deciding whether you’re ready to reapply – it’s time to take a reality check and ask yourself:

• Did I have a competitive GPA when I first applied? If not, how have I improved it?
• Did I have a competitive MCAT score when I first applied? If not, have I retaken it and improved my score?
• Did I demonstrate my commitment to service through both clinical and non-clinical experiences on my last application? If so, has my commitment continued/expanded? If not, have I taken concrete steps to address my deficiencies?
• Did I demonstrate other qualities that are important in medicine, including scientific curiosity, leadership and teamwork skills , problem solving, etc. through my experiences? If so, has my growth continued through these same or new activities? And if not, have I pursued ways to enhance my experiences?
• Have I done my due diligence, through both shadowing healthcare professionals and personal reflection, to know that medicine is still the right career?

If you cannot answer each of these questions with a resounding “YES,” you might need to hit the brakes. Far too many reapplicants submit a similar application in the next cycle. A few get lucky, but most do not. The applicant pool doesn’t get easier from year to year; in fact, the reverse is usually true: mean GPAs tend to rise, MCAT scores go up, and more people apply almost every year. If your application was unsuccessful last year, do you really think the same one will work this time?

Nobody wants to hear that their dream of medical school needs to be put off for another year. Applicants may worry that they will “age-out” of contention, or that their MCAT scores will expire, or that other parts of their life will not permit them to study in the future. Each of these concerns is reasonable and must be a part of your own decision calculus. Nonetheless, addressing the problem areas in your application is something you can’t do overnight. Time and effort are essential if you hope to show the substantial improvement expected of reapplicants.

But let’s assume that your answers were all “yes,” that you have worked hard to substantially improve your application, and that you’ve had time to see your hard work pay off. Congratulations! You’re ready to reapply!

Now, the question becomes how you can best present yourself to the admissions committees. These last two posts in our series will look at how the admissions committee saw you, based on your interactions. Unlike the rest of your application, your written materials – your primary and secondary application, interviews and additional communications – are entirely in your hands. Did you use them to your best advantage?

The primary application 

Whether you’re a first-rate candidate or a borderline student, your primary application is how you make your first and best impression on an admissions committee. It’s here that you share what matters to you and why, how you’ve put your interests and values into action, and what unique attributes distinguish you from all the other applicants. And along the way, you want them to understand why you want to become a doctor. 

Chances are, you poured your hopes and dreams into your essays the first time around. But just as you’ve assessed the other elements of your profile, it’s important to ask whether, in your honest opinion, you’ve presented the strongest possible personal statement . While re-reading your previous essay, ask yourself:

• Does my application reflect who I am today, with the new experiences that I’ve amassed since my last application? Do my new experiences better reflect the qualities that medical schools are looking for: commitment, compassion, leadership , curiosity, critical thinking, maturity, etc.? 
• Was my personal statement enjoyable and interesting to read? Did I start with a strong lead paragraph that inspired the reader to continue? Did I tell a compelling story and support my claims with evidence, rather than just listing what I’d done? 
• Did my personal statement and activities focus on me rather than my projects, patients, or mentors? If I was reading this material about another person, would that individual come across as someone I might want as my physician?
• Were my activities varied to reflect the breadth of my passion, intellectual pursuits, and integrity? Were my meaningful experiences personal and authentic, and was their impact clear?
• Did I have anyone else review my application for content and style before submission? Was my writing free of typos or grammatical errors?
• If the admissions committee decided to review my new application alongside my previous one – which is very easy to do – would it convince them that I have substantially improved my profile for medical school? Am I showing growth since my last application?

This last question is worth unpacking. Time and again, reapplicants ask me if they need to rewrite their personal statements. Keep in mind that you are considered a reapplicant at any program selected on a previous primary application, regardless of whether or not you completed their secondary. Those schools have access to your prior application, and while it’s unlikely that they will return to it, it is always a possibility. Submitting the same personal statement and experiences suggests the applicant could be apathetic, unwilling to change, and/or unlikely to put in the hard work that medical school demands. Is this the impression that you want to present?

Letters of recommendation

Although not technically how you represent yourself, recommendation letters are another extremely important part of the application process and your challenge is to find faculty members who can write a compelling letter.

Here are some more questions to consider (and again, you want to be able to answer “yes” to each of these):

• Did you select recommenders who know you well, whether in the classroom or beyond? Did they present different areas of your life to reflect your diverse pursuits and qualities?
• Did you supply them with your CV or a list of activities so they have a better idea of your pursuits? Did you advise them of any areas that you specifically wanted them to address to balance the rest of your application?
• Did you provide each recommender with clear instructions about submitting them to the appropriate letter services?

Finally, your review should include an honest assessment of your timing in the prior application season. Although some extremely competitive applicants do manage to secure acceptances late in the season, many more are put on “hold,” wait-listed, or just rejected. Conversely, those who begin the process early tend to have much better results. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• Did you register with the AAMC and/or the AACOM when it first opened? Did you submit your application as early as possible?
• Did you line up your recommenders early? Did you follow up to make sure they sent their recommendations in a timely manner?
• Did you follow the verification process to ensure there were no issues delaying your application? Was your application verified and released to medical schools early in the season?
• Did you take the MCAT early? Were your scores available when you submitted ? Did you have your MCAT scores to guide your school selection?
• Did you return your secondary essays in a timely manner (within two weeks)?
• After an interview, did you promptly send thank you notes expressing your interest?

Answering “no” to any of these questions could signal a serious problem. If you don’t have your MCAT score for your school choices, you might apply where you aren’t competitive. If your recommenders are late getting in their letters, the admissions committee might put your entire application on hold. If you apply later in the season, you face a larger applicant pool competing for fewer interview slots and, in many cases, fewer seats in medical school.

Applying late might not be your only concern, but chances of admission decline as the season goes on. Give yourself the best shot at admission by applying as early as possible, with the strongest application possible.

This exercise demands that you be ruthless and identify every potential flaw. Your ego might not like it, but you will be grateful when you have a clear roadmap to address your weaknesses.

“Reapplying to Medical Schools: Your Primary Application” is the fifth post in our series: Medical School Reapplicant Advice: 6 Tips for Success .

Our next post looks at the rest of the hurdles in the admissions process, and how well you cleared them.

Work on your application with an admissions expert

Take advantage of Accepted’s review service to have an admissions expert review your application and provide a tailored assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

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– From a reapplicant later accepted to Tulane and LSU

We look forward to helping you too!

Related Resources:

• How to Create a Compelling Medical School Personal Statement , a free webinar
• Ace the AMCAS Essay , a free guide
• The Best Medical School Letter of Recommendation Advice for 2022

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The Only 3 Medical School Personal Statement Examples You Need to Read

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

Table of Contents

The personal statement is one of the most important parts of the med school application process because t his mini-essay is a critical opportunity for you to stand out from other prospective medical students by demonstrating your passion and personality, not just your grades.

Admissions committees receive hundreds or more AMCAS medical school applications , so yours should be unique and captivating. Your medical school personal statement shows admissions officers who you are beyond your high school or pre-med GPA , extracurriculars , and MCAT score . 

The best personal statements are… well, personal . This is your chance to share what life experiences have compelled you toward a career in healthcare or the medical field , and how those experiences shape the picture of your ideal future.

MedSchoolCoach has crucial advice for writing your personal statement . 

Read these examples of personal statements for prospective med students.

Writing a great medical school personal statement is a lot easier with the right support. We’ve helped numerous med school applicants craft top-notch personal statements and can do the same for you.

But first: 7 steps to writing an engaging personal statement.

Before you read these excellent examples, you need to understand the process of writing a personal statement.  

Include these in your medical school personal statement:

• Why you’re passionate about becoming a doctor
• Your qualities that will make you a great physician
• Personal stories that demonstrate those qualities
• Specific examples of the communities you want to serve as a member of the medical field

What are the most important things to remember when writing a medical school personal statement ?

• Begin the writing process early: Give yourself plenty of time for brainstorming and to revisit your first draft, revising it based on input from family members and undergrad professors. Consult the application timeline for your target enrollment season.
• Choose a central theme: An unfocused essay will leave readers confused and uninterested. Give your statement a clear thesis in the first paragraph that guides its formation.
• Start with a hook: Grab the reader’s attention immediately with your statement’s first sentence. Instead of opening with a conventional introduction, be creative! Begin with something unexpected.
• Be the you of today, not the you of the future: Forecasting your future as a physician can come across as empty promises. Don’t get caught up in your ambitions; instead, be honest about your current situation and interest in the field of medicine.
• Demonstrate your passion: It’s not enough to simply state your interest in becoming a doctor; you have to prove it through personal stories. Show how your perspectives have been shaped by formative experiences and how those will make you an effective physician.
• Show, don’t tell : Avoid cliches that admissions committees have heard hundreds of times, like “I want to help people.” Make your writing come alive with dynamic, persuasive storytelling that recounts your personal experiences.
• Tie everything together: Conclude by wrapping up your main points. Reiterate your passion for the medical profession, your defining personal qualities, and why you’ll make a good doctor.

You can read more about our recommended method in our step-by-step guide , but those are the major points.

Example 1 — From the Stretcher to the Spotlight: My Journey to Becoming an Emergency Medicine Physician

Another siren shrieks as the emergency room doors slide open and a team of EMTs pushes a blood-soaked stretcher through the entrance. It’s the fifth ambulance to arrive tonight — and only my first clinical shadowing experience in an emergency medicine department since my premed education began.

But it wasn’t my first time in an emergency room, and I knew I was meant to be here again.

In those crucial moments on the ER floor, many of my peers learned that they stumble in high-pressure environments. A few weeks of gunshot wounds, drug overdoses, broken bones, and deep lacerations in the busiest trauma bay in the region were enough to alter their career path.

They will be better practitioners somewhere predictable, like a pediatrician in a private practice where they choose their schedules, clients, and staff.

Every healthcare provider has their specialties, and mine are on full display in those crucial moments of lifesaving care. Why am I pursuing a career in Emergency Medicine? Because I’ve seen firsthand the miracles that Emergency Medicine physicians perform.

12 years ago, I was in an emergency room… but I was the one on the stretcher.

A forest-green Saturn coupe rolled into my parent’s driveway. The driver, my best friend Kevin, had just passed his driving test and was itching to take a late-night run to the other side of town. I had ridden with Kevin and his father many times before when he held his learner’s permit. But this time, we didn’t have an adult with us, and the joyride ended differently: with a 40-mph passenger-side collision, T-boned by a drunk driver.

I distinctly recall the sensation of being lifted out of the crumpled car by a paramedic and laid onto a stretcher. A quick drive later, I was in the care of Dr. Smith, the ER resident on call that night. Without missing a beat, he assessed my condition and provided the care I needed. When my mom thanked him for saving my life, he simply responded, “It’s what he needed.”

Now I’m watching other doctors and nurses provide this life-saving care as I observe as a premed student. I see the way the staff works together like a well-oiled machine, and it reminds me of my time in high-school theater.

Everyone has a role to play, however big or small, to make the show a success. All contributions are essential to a winning performance — even the technicians working behind the scenes. That’s what true teamwork is, and I see that same dynamic in the emergency department.

Some actors freeze during performances, overcome by stage fright. Other students are too anxious to even set foot in front of an audience; they remain backstage assisting with split-second costume changes.

Not me. I felt energized under the spotlight, deftly improvising to help my co-stars when they would forget their lines. Admittedly, I wasn’t the best actor or singer in the cast, but I provided something essential: assurance under pressure. Everyone knew me as dependable, always in their corner when something went awry. I had a reputation for remaining calm and thinking on my feet.

My ability to stay unruffled under pressure was first discovered on stage, but I can use it on a very different platform providing patient care. Now, when other people freeze under the intensity of serving public health on the front lines, I can step in and provide my calm, collected guidance to see them through.

As an ER doctor, I will have to provide that stability when a nurse gets flustered by a quarrelsome patient or shaken from an irreparably injured infant. When you’re an Emergency Medicine physician, you’re not following a script. It takes an aptitude of thinking on your toes to face the fast pace and unpredictable challenges of an emergency center.

During my time shadowing, I saw experienced physicians put those assured, gentle communication skills to use. A 13-year-old boy was admitted for a knife wound he’d received on the streets. He only spoke Spanish, but it was clear he mistrusted doctors and was alarmed by the situation. In mere minutes, one of the doctors calmed the patient so he could receive care he needed.

Let me be clear: I haven’t simply gravitated toward Emergency Medicine because I liked it most. It’s not the adrenaline or the pride that compel me. I owe Emergency Medicine my life, and I want to use my life to extend the lives of other people. Every person brought into the trauma bay could be another me , no matter what they look like.

People are more than their injury, health record, or circumstances. They are not just a task to complete or a challenge to conquer.

My childhood injury gave me an appreciation for the work of ER doctors and a compassion for patients, to foster well-being when people are most broken and vulnerable. I already have the dedication to the work and the heart for patients; I just need the medical knowledge and procedural skills to perform life-saving interventions. My ability to remain calm, think on my toes, be part of a team, and work decisively without making mistakes or overlooking critical issues will serve me well as an Emergency Medicine physician.

Some ER physicians I spoke with liked to think that they’re “a different breed” than other medical professionals — but I don’t see it that way. We’re just performing a different role than the rest of the cast.

Breaking It Down

Let’s look at what qualities make this a great personal statement for med school.

• Engaging opening: The writer painted a vivid scene that immediately puts the reader in their shoes and leaves them wanting more.
• Personal examples: The writer demonstrated his ability to stay calm, work as a team, and problem-solve through theater experience, which he also uses as a comparison. And, he explained his passion for Emergency Medical care from his childhood accident.
• Organized: The writer transitions fluidly between body paragraphs, connecting stories and ideas by emphasizing parallels and hopping back and forth between time.
• Ample length: Makes full use of the AACOMAS and AMCAS application personal statement’s character limit of 5,300 characters (including spaces), which is about 850-950 words.

Unsure what traits and clinical or research experience your preferred medical school values ? You can research their admissions requirements and mission statement using the MSAR .

Example 2 — Early Clinical Work For Empathetic Patient Care

The applicant who wrote this personal statement was accepted into University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, and Tufts University School of Medicine.

As I walked briskly down the hall to keep up during our daily rounds in the ICU, I heard the steady beeping of Michelle’s cardiac monitor and saw a ruby ornament twinkling on the small Christmas tree beside her. She was always alone, but someone had decorated her room for the holidays.

It warmed my heart that I wasn’t the only one who saw her as more than a patient in a coma. I continually felt guilty that I couldn’t spend more time with her; her usual companions were ventilators, IV bags, and catheters, not to mention the golf ball-sized tumors along her spine. Every day, I thought about running to Michelle’s bedside to do anything I could for her.

Thus, I was taken aback when my advisor, who was visiting me that day, asked me if I was okay. It never crossed my mind that at age 17, my peers might not be able to handle the tragedies that healthcare workers consistently face. These situations were difficult, but they invoked humanity and compassion from me. I knew I wanted to pursue medicine. And I knew I could do it.

From my senior year of high school to my senior year of college, I continued to explore my passion for patient interaction.

At the Stepp Lab, I was charged with contacting potential study participants for a study focusing on speech symptoms in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. The study would help future patients, but I couldn’t help but think: “What are we doing for these patients in return?” I worried that the heart and soul behind the research would get lost in the mix of acoustic data and participant ID numbers.

But my fears were put to rest by Richard, the self-proclaimed “Parkinson’s Song & Dance Man,” who recorded himself singing show tunes as part of his therapy. Knowing that he was legally blind and unable to read caller ID, I was always thrilled when he recognized my voice. The spirit in his voice indicated that my interest in him and his journey with Parkinson’s was meaningful. Talking with him inspired me to dive deeper, which led to an appreciative understanding of his time as a sergeant in the U.S. military.

It was an important reminder: my interest and care are just as important as an effective prescribed treatment plan.

Following graduation, I began my work as a medical assistant for a dermatologist. My experience with a patient, Joann, validated my ability to provide excellent hands-on patient care. Other physicians prescribed her painkillers to relieve the excruciating pain from the shingles rash, which presented as a fiery trail of blisters wrapped around her torso. But these painkillers offered no relief and made her so drowsy that she fell one night on the way to the bathroom.

Joann was tired, suffering, and beaten down. The lidocaine patches we initially prescribed would be a much safer option, but I refused for her to pay $250, as she was on the brink of losing her job. When she returned to the office a week later, she held my hand and cried tears of joy because I found her affordable patches, which helped her pain without the systemic effects.

The joy that pierced through the weariness in her eyes immediately confirmed that direct patient care like this was what I was meant to do. As I passed her a tissue, I felt ecstatic that I could make such a difference, and I sought to do more.

Since graduation, I have been volunteering at Open Door, a small pantry that serves a primarily Hispanic community of lower socioeconomic families. It is gut-wrenching to explain that we cannot give them certain items when our stock is low. After all, the fresh fruits and vegetables I serve are fundamental to their culturally-inspired meals.

For the first time, I found myself serving anguish rather than a helping hand. Usually, uplifting moments strengthen one’s desire to become a physician, but in this case, it was my ability to handle the low points that reignited my passion for aiding others.

After running out of produce one day, I was confused as to why a woman thanked me. Through translation by a fellow volunteer, I learned it was because of my positivity. She taught me that the way I approach unfavorable situations affects another’s perception and that my spirited attitude breaks through language barriers.

This volunteer work served as a wake-up call to the unacceptable fact that U.S. citizens’ health suffers due to lack of access to healthy foods. If someone cannot afford healthy foods, they may not have access to healthcare. In the future, I want to partner with other food banks to offer free services like blood pressure readings. I have always wanted to help people, but I now have a particular interest in bringing help to people who cannot afford it.

While the foundation of medicine is scientific knowledge, the foundation of healthcare is the word “care” itself. I never found out what happened to Michelle and her Christmas tree, but I still wonder about her to this day, and she has strengthened my passion to serve others. A sense of excitement and comfort stems from knowing that I will be there for people on their worst days, since I have already seen the impact my support has had.

In my mind, becoming a physician is not a choice but a natural next step to continue bringing humanity and compassion to those around me.

How did this personal statement grab and sustain attention so well?

• Personalization: Everything about this statement helps you to understand the writer, from their personal experiences to their hope for how their future career will look.
• Showing, not telling: From the first sentence, the reader is hooked. This prospective medical student has plenty of great “on paper” experience (early shadowing, clinical experience, etc.), but they showed this with storytelling, not by repeating their CV.
• Empathy: An admissions committee reading this personal statement would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this student cares deeply about their patients. They remember first names, individual details, and the emotions that each patient made them feel.
• A clear path forward: The writer doesn’t just want to work in the medical field — they have a passion for exactly how they want to impact the communities they serve. Outside of strictly medical work, they care about the way finances can limit access to healthcare and the struggle to find healthy food in food deserts around the US .

Read Next: How Hard Is It to Get Into Medical School?

Example 3 — Beyond the Diagnosis: The Importance of Individualized Care in Medicine

The applicant who wrote this personal statement was accepted into Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and Nova Southeastern University College Of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Haywood sighs and shakes her head upon opening the chart. “I was worried about her A1C. It’s up again. Hypertension, too. Alright, let’s go.”

As we enter the patient’s room, I’m expecting the news about her blood sugar and pressure to fill the room. Instead, Dr. Haywood says, “Roseline! How are you doing? How’s your girl, doing well?”

Dr. Haywood continues to ask questions, genuinely interested in Roseline’s experience as a new mother. If not for the parchment-lined examination chair and anatomy posters plastered to the wall, this exchange could be happening in a grocery store. What about her A1C? Her blood pressure? Potential Type II diabetes?

As I continue to listen, Dr. Haywood discovers that Roseline’s mother moved in with her, cooking Haitian meals I recognize as high on the glycemic index. Dr. Haywood effortlessly evolves their conversation to focus on these. Being Haitian herself, she knows some traditional dishes are healthier than others and advises Roseline to avoid those that might exacerbate her high blood sugar and blood pressure. Dr. Haywood also suggests Roseline incorporate exercise by bringing her baby on a walk through her neighborhood.

During my shadowing experience, I observed one of the core components of being a physician through several encounters like this one. By establishing a relationship with her patient where Roseline was comfortable sharing the details of new motherhood, Dr. Haywood was able to individualize her approach to lowering the patient’s A1C and hypertension. Inspired by her ability to treat the whole person , I began to adopt a similar practice as a tutor for elementary kids in underserved areas of D.C.

Shaniyah did not like Zoom, or math for that matter. When I first met her as a prospective tutee online, she preferred to keep her microphone muted and would claim she was finished with her math homework after barely attempting the first problem. Realizing that basing our sessions solely on math would be fruitless, I adapted my tutoring style to incorporate some of the things for which she had a natural affinity.

The first step was acknowledging the difficulties a virtual environment posed to effective communication, particularly the ease at which distractions might take over. After sharing this with Shaniyah, she immediately disclosed her struggles to share her work with me. With this information, I found an online platform that allowed us to visualize each other’s work.

This obstacle in communication overcome, Shaniyah felt more comfortable sharing details about herself that I utilized as her tutor. Her love of soccer gave me the idea to use the concept of goal scoring to help with addition, and soon Shaniyah’s math skills and enthusiasm began to improve. As our relationship grew, so did her successes, and I suspect the feelings I experienced as her tutor are the same as a physician’s when their patient responds well to prescribed treatment.

I believe this skill, caring for someone as a whole person , that I have learned and practiced through shadowing and tutoring is the central tenet of medicine that allows a doctor to successfully treat their patients.

Inspired by talking with patients who had received life-altering organ transplants during my shadowing experience, I created a club called D.C. Donors for Georgetown University students to encourage their peers to register as organ donors or donate blood. This experience taught me that to truly serve a person, you must involve your whole person, too.

In starting this club to help those in need of transplants, I had to dedicate my time and effort beyond just my physical interactions with these patients. For instance, this involved reaching out to D.C.’s organ procurement organization to inquire about a potential partnership with my club, to which they agreed. In addition, I organized tabling events on campus, which required significant planning and communication with both club members and my university.

Though exciting, starting a club was also a difficult process, especially given the limitations the pandemic imposed on in-person meetings and events. To adapt, I had to plan more engaging meetings, designing virtual activities to make members more comfortable contributing their ideas. In addition, planning a blood drive required extensive communication with my university to ensure the safety of the staff and participants during the pandemic.

Ultimately, I believe these behind-the-scenes actions were instrumental in addressing the need for organ and blood donors in the D.C. area.

From these experiences, I have grown to believe that good medicine not only necessitates the physician cares for her patient as a whole, but also that she fully commits her whole person to the care of the patient. Tutoring and starting D.C. Donors not only allowed me to develop these skills but also to experience such fulfilling emotions: the pride I had in Shaniyah when her math improved, the gratefulness I felt when she confided in me, the steadfast commitment I expressed to transplant patients, and the joy I had in collaborating with other passionate club members.

I envision a career as a physician to demand these skills of me and more, and I have confirmed my desire to become one after feeling so enriched by practicing them.

Here’s what makes this personal statement such a good example of what works:

• Desirable qualities: The student clearly demonstrates qualities any school would want in an applicant: teachability, adaptability, leadership, organization, and empathy, to name a few. This again uses the “show, don’t tell” method, allowing the readers to understand the student without hand-holding.
• Personalized storytelling: Many in the healthcare profession will connect with experiences like the ones expressed here, such as addressing patient concerns relationally or the lack of blood donors during the recent pandemic. The writer automatically makes a personal link between themselves and the admissions committees reading this statement.
• Extensive (but not too long): Without feeling too wordy, this personal statement uses nearly all of the 5,300 characters allowed on the AMCAS application. There’s no fluff left in the final draft, only what matters.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

You can learn a lot from those personal statements. They avoid the most common mistakes that med school applicants make when writing the medical school personal statement.

Here are some things you should avoid in your personal statement if you want to be a doctor:

• Name-dropping: Admissions counselors won’t be impressed when you brag about your highly regarded family members, associates, or mentors. You need to stand on your own feet — not someone else’s.
• Dishonesty: Lies and exaggerations can torpedo your application. And they’re bad habits for anyone entering the medical field. Don’t do it.
• Unedited AI content: Artificial intelligence can help you edit and improve your writing, but don’t let it do the work for you. Your statement needs to be authentic, which means in your voice! A chatbot can’t feel or adequately convey your own empathy, compassion, trauma, drive, or personality.
• Grammatical errors and typos: Have someone reliable proofread your essay and scour it for typos, misspellings, and punctuation errors. Even free grammar-checking apps can catch mistakes!
• Telling without showing: I’ll reiterate how important it is to prove your self-descriptive statements with real-life examples. Telling without showing won’t persuade readers.
• Too many examples: Have 3-4 solid personal stories at most; only include a few that are crucial for providing your points. The more experiences you share, the less impact they’ll make.
• Fluff and filler: Cut all fluff, filler words, and irrelevant points. There are many other places you can include information in your application, such as secondary essays on your clinical experience, volunteer work, and research projects . 

You can find more valuable do’s and don’ts in our in-depth guide to writing your best personal statement .

Need extra help? We’ve got you covered.

Schedule a meeting with medschoolcoach for expert support on writing and editing your personal statement. we’re here to help you impress medical school admissions committees .

Renee Marinelli, MD

Dr. Marinelli has practiced family medicine, served on the University of California Admissions Committee, and has helped hundreds of students get into medical school. She spearheads a team of physician advisors who guide MedSchoolCoach students.

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Great Medical School Personal Statement Examples (2024-2025) Insider’s Guide

A physician and former medical school admissions officer teaches you how to write your medical school personal statement, step by step. Read several full-length medical school personal statement examples for inspiration.

In this article, a former medical school admissions officer explains exactly how to write a stand-out medical school personal statement!

Our goal is to empower you to write a medical school personal statement that reflects your individuality, truest aspirations and genuine motivations.

This guide also includes:

• Real life medical school personal statement examples
• Medical school personal statement inventory template and outline exercise
• AMCAS, TMDSAS, and AACOMAS personal statement prompts
• Advanced strategies to ensure you address everything admissions committees want to know
• The secret to writing a great medical school personal statement

So, if you want your medical school personal statement to earn more more medical school interviews, you will love this informative guide.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

Medical School Personal Statement Fundamentals

If you are getting ready to write your medical school personal statement for the 2024-2025 application year, you may already know that almost 60% of medical school applicants are not accepted every year . You have most likely also completed all of your medical school requirements and have scoured the internet for worthy medical school personal statement examples and guidance.

You know the medical school personal statement offers a crucial opportunity to show medical schools who you are beyond your GPA and MCAT score .

It provides an opportunity to express who you are as an individual, the major influences and background that have shaped your interests and values, what inspired you to pursue medicine, and what kind of a physician you envision yourself becoming.

However, with so much information online, you are not sure who to trust. We are happy you have found us!

Because the vast majority of people offering guidance are not former admissions officers or doctors , you must be careful when searching online.

We are real medical school admissions insiders and know what goes on behind closed doors and how to ensure your medical school personal statement has broad appeal while highlighting your most crucial accomplishments, perspectives, and insights.

With tight limits on space, it can be tough trying to decide what to include in your medical school personal statement to make sure you stand out. You must think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture” while showing you possess the preprofessional competencies med schools are seeking.

When a medical school admissions reviewer finishes reading your medical school personal statement, ask yourself:

• What are the most important things you want that person to remember about you?
• Does your medical school personal statement sum up your personality, interests, and talents?
• Does your medical school personal statement sound as if it’s written from the heart?

It’s pretty obvious to most admissions reviewers when applicants are trying too hard to impress them. Being authentic and upfront about who you are is the best way to be a memorable applicant.

The Biggest Medical School Personal Statement Mistakes

The most common medical school personal statement mistake we see students make is that they write about:

• What they have accomplished
• How they have accomplished it

By including details on what you have accomplished and how, you will make yourself sound like every other medical school applicant. 

Most medical school applicants are involved in similar activities: research, clinical work, service, and social justice work. 

To stand out, you must write from the heart making it clear you haven’t marched through your premedical years and checking boxes.

We also strongly discourage applicants from using ChatGPT or any AI bot to write their medical school personal statement. Writing in your own voice is essential and using anything automated will undermine success.

The Medical School Personal Statement Secret

MedEdits students stand out in the medical school personal statement because in their personal statements they address:

WHY they have accomplished what they have.

In other words, they write in more detail about their passions, interests, and what is genuinely important to them. 

It sounds simple, we know, but by writing in a natural way, really zeroing in on WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, you will appeal to a wide variety of people in a humanistic way. 

MedEdits students have done extremely well in the most recent medical school admissions cycle. Many of these applicants have below average “stats” for the medical schools from which they are receiving interviews and acceptances.

Why? How is that possible? They all have a few things in common:

• They write a narrative that is authentic and distinctive to them.
• They write a medical school personal statement with broad appeal (many different types of people will be evaluating your application; most are not physicians).
• They don’t try too hard to impress; instead they write about the most impactful experiences they have had on their path to medical school.
• They demonstrate they are humble, intellectual, compassionate, and committed to a career in medicine all at the same time.

Keep reading for a step by step approach to write your medical school personal statement.

“After sitting on a medical school admissions committee for many years, I can tell you, think strategically about how you want to present your personal “big picture.” We want to know who you are as a human being.”

As physicians, former medical school faculty, and medical school admissions committee members, this article will offer a step by step guide to simplify the medical school personal statement brainstorming and writing process.

By following the proven strategies outlined in this article, you will be and to write a personal statement that will earn you more medical school interviews . This proven approach has helped hundreds of medical school applicants get in to medical school the first time they apply!

Learn the 2024-2025 Medical School Personal Statement Prompts ( AMCAS , TMDSAS , AACOMAS )

The personal statement is the major essay portion of your primary application process. In it, you should describe yourself and your background, as well as any important early exposures to medicine, how and why medicine first piqued your interest, what you have done as a pre med, your personal experiences, and how you became increasingly fascinated with it. It’s also key to explain why medicine is the right career for you, in terms of both personal and intellectual fulfillment, and to show your commitment has continued to deepen as you learned more about the field.

The personal statement also offers you the opportunity to express who you are outside of medicine. What are your other interests? Where did you grow up? What did you enjoy about college? Figuring out what aspects of your background to highlight is important since this is one of your only chances to express to the med school admissions committee before your interview what is important to you and why.

However, it is important to consider the actual personal statement prompt for each system through which you will apply, AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS, since each is slightly different.

Getting into a medical school has never been more competitive. Let the experts at MedEdits help you with your medical school application materials. We’ve worked with more than 5,000 students and 94% have been admitted to medical school.

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2024 AMCAS Personal Statement Prompt

The AMCAS personal statement instructions are as follows:

Use the Personal Comments Essay as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Consider and write your Personal Comments Essay carefully; many admissions committees place significant weight on the essay. Here are some questions that you may want to consider while writing the essay:

• Why have you selected the field of medicine?
• What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
• What do you want medical schools to know about you that hasn’t been disclosed in other sections of the application?

In addition, you may wish to include information such as:

• Unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits
• Comments on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application

As you can see, these prompts are not vague; there are fundamental questions that admissions committees want you to answer when writing your personal statement. While the content of your statement should be focused on medicine, answering the open ended third question is a bit trickier.

The AMCAS personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces maximum.

2024 TMDSAS Personal Statement Prompt

The TMDSAS personal statement is one of the most important pieces of your medical school application.

The TMDSAS personal statement prompt is as follows:

Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician.

This TMDSAS prompt is very similar to the AMCAS personal statement prompt. The TMDSAS personal statement length is 5,000 characters with spaces whereas the AMCAS personal statement length is 5,300 characters with spaces. Most students use the same essay (with very minor modifications, if necessary) for both application systems.

You’ve been working hard on your med school application, reading medical school personal statement examples, editing, revising, editing and revising.  Make sure you know where you’re sending your personal statement and application.  Watch this important medical school admissions statistics video.

2024 AACOMAS Personal Statement Prompt

The AACOMAS personal statement is for osteopathic medical schools specifically. As with the AMCAS statement, you need to lay out your journey to medicine as chronologically as possible in 5,300 characters with spaces or less. So you essentially have the same story map as for an AMCAS statement. Most important, you must show you are interested in osteopathy specifically. Therefore, when trying to decide what to include or leave out, prioritize any osteopathy experiences you have had, or those that are in line with the osteopathic philosophy of the mind-body connection, the body as self-healing, and other tenets.

Medical School Application Timeline and When to Write your Personal Statement

If you’re applying to both allopathic and osteopathic schools, you can most likely use the same medical school personal statement for both AMCAS and AACOMAS. In fact, this is why AACOMAS changed the personal statement length to match the AMCAS length several years ago.

Most medical school personal statements can be used for AMCAS and AACOMAS.

Know the Required Medical School Personal Statement Length

Below are the medical schools personal statement length limits for each application system. As you can see, they are all very similar. When you start brainstorming and writing your personal statement, keep these limits in mind.

AMCAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces.

As per the AAMC website :   “The available space for this essay is 5,300 characters (spaces are counted as characters), or approximately one page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space.”

AACOMAS Personal Statement Length : 5,300 characters with spaces

TMDSAS Personal Statement Length : 5,000 characters with spaces

As per the TMDSAS Website (Page 36): “The personal essay asks you to explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. You are asked to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician. The essay is limited to 5000 characters, including spaces.”

Demonstrate Required Preprofessional Competencies

Next, your want to be aware of the nine preprofessional core competencies as outlined by the Association of American Medical Colleges . Medical school admissions committees want to see, as evidenced by your medical school personal statement and application, that you possess these qualities and characteristics. Now, don’t worry, medical school admissions committees don’t expect you to demonstrate all of them, but, you should demonstrate some.

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Oral Communication
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement

In your personal statement, you might be able to also demonstrate the four thinking and reasoning competencies:

• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Written Communication
• Scientific Inquiry

So, let’s think about how to address the personal statement prompts in a slightly different way while ensuring you demonstrate the preprofessional competencies. When writing your personal statement, be sure it answers the four questions that follow and you will “hit” most of the core competencies listed above.

1. What have you done that supports your interest in becoming a doctor?

I always advise applicants to practice “evidence based admissions.” The reader of your essay wants to see the “evidence” that you have done what is necessary to understand the practice of medicine. This includes clinical exposure, research, and community service, among other activities.

2. Why do you want to be a doctor?

This may seem pretty basic – and it is – but admissions officers need to know WHY you want to practice medicine. Many applicants make the mistake of simply listing what they have done without offering insights about those experiences that answer the question, “Why medicine?” Your reasons for wanting to be a doctor may overlap with those of other applicants. This is okay because the experiences in which you participated, the stories you can tell about those experiences, and the wisdom you gained are completely distinct—because they are only yours. 

“In admissions committee meetings we were always interested in WHY you wanted to earn a medical degree and how you would contribute to the medical school community.”

Medical school admissions committees want to know that you have explored your interest deeply and that you can reflect on the significance of these clinical experiences and volunteer work. But writing only that you “want to help people” does not support a sincere desire to become a physician; you must indicate why the medical profession in particular—rather than social work, teaching, or another “helping” profession—is your goal. 

3. How have your experiences influenced you?

It is important to show how your experiences are linked and how they have influenced you. How did your experiences motivate you? How did they affect what else you did in your life? How did your experiences shape your future goals? Medical school admissions committees like to see a sensible progression of involvements. While not every activity needs to be logically “connected” with another, the evolution of your interests and how your experiences have nurtured your future goals and ambitions show that you are motivated and committed.

4. Who are you as a person? What are your values and ideals?

Medical school admissions committees want to know about you as an individual beyond your interests in medicine, too. This is where answering that third open ended question in the prompt becomes so important. What was interesting about your background, youth, and home life? What did you enjoy most about college? Do you have any distinctive passions or interests? They want to be convinced that you are a good person beyond your experiences. Write about those topics that are unlikely to appear elsewhere in your statement that will offer depth and interest to your work and illustrate the qualities and characteristics you possess.

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• How to Get into NYU Medical School
• How To Get Into Columbia Medical School
• How To Get Into UT Southwestern Medical School
• How To Get Into Harvard Medical School

Complete Your Personal Inventory and Outline (Example Below)

The bulk of your essay should be about your most valuable experiences, personal, academic, scholarly, clinical, academic and extracurricular activities that have impacted your path to medical school and through which you have learned about the practice of medicine. The best personal statements cover several topics and are not narrow in scope. Why is this important? Many different people with a variety of backgrounds, interests, and ideas of what makes a great medical student will be reading your essay. You want to make sure you essay has broad appeal.

The following exercise will help you to determine what experiences you should highlight in your personal statement. 

When composing your personal statement, keep in mind that you are writing, in effect, a “story” of how you arrived at this point in your life. But, unlike a “story” in the creative sense, yours must also offer convincing evidence for your decision to apply to medical school. Before starting your personal statement, create an experience- based personal inventory:

• Write down a list of the most important experiences in your life and your development. The list should be all inclusive and comprise those experiences that had the most impact on you. Put the list, which should consist of personal, extracurricular, and academic events, in chronological order.
• From this list, determine which experiences you consider the most important in helping you decide to pursue a career in medicine. This “experience oriented” approach will allow you to determine which experiences best illustrate the personal competencies admissions committees look for in your written documents. Remember that you must provide evidence for your interest in medicine and for most of the personal qualities and characteristics that medical school admissions committees want to see.
• After making your list, think about why each “most important” experience was influential and write that down. What did you observe? What did you learn? What insights did you gain? How  did the experience influence your path and choices?
• Then think of a story or illustration for why each experience was important.
• After doing this exercise, evaluate each experience for its significance and influence and for its “story” value. Choose to write about those experiences that not only were influential but that also will provide interesting reading, keeping in mind that  your goal is to weave the pertinent experiences together into a compelling story. In making your choices, think about how you will link each experience and transition from one topic to the next.
• Decide which of your listed experiences you will use for your introduction first (see below for more about your introduction). Then decide which experiences you will include in the body of your personal statement, create a general outline, and get writing!

Remember, you will also have your work and activities entries and your secondary applications to write in more detail about your experiences. Therefore, don’t feel you must pack everything in to your statement!

Craft a Compelling Personal Statement Introduction and Body

You hear conflicting advice about application essays. Some tell you not to open with a story. Others tell you to always begin with a story. Regardless of the advice you receive, be sure to do three things:

• Be true to yourself. Everyone will have an opinion regarding what you should and should not write. Follow your own instincts. Your personal statement should be a reflection of you, and only you.
• Start your personal statement with something catchy.  Think about the list of potential topics above.
• Don’t rush your work. Composing thoughtful documents takes time and you don’t want your writing and ideas to be sloppy and underdeveloped.

Most important is to begin with something that engages your reader. A narrative, a “story,” an anecdote written in the first or third person, is ideal. Whatever your approach, your first paragraph must grab your reader’s attention and motivate him to want to continue reading. I encourage applicants to start their personal statement by describing an experience that was especially influential in setting them on their path to medical school. This can be a personal or scholarly experience or an extracurricular one. Remember to avoid clichés and quotes and to be honest and authentic in your writing. Don’t try to be someone who you are not by trying to imitate personal statement examples you have read online or “tell them what you think they want to hear”; consistency is key and your interviewer is going to make sure that you are who you say you are!

When deciding what experiences to include in the body of your personal statement, go back to your personal inventory and identify those experiences that have been the most influential in your personal path and your path to medical school. Keep in mind that the reader wants to have an idea of who you are as a human being so don’t write your personal statement as a glorified resume. Include some information about your background and personal experiences that can give a picture of who you are as a person outside of the classroom or laboratory.

Ideally, you should choose two or three experiences to highlight in the body of your personal statement. You don’t want to write about all of your accomplishments; that is what your application entries are for!

Write Your Personal Statement Conclusion

In your conclusion, it is customary to “go full circle” by coming back to the topic—or anecdote—you introduced in the introduction, but this is not a must. Summarize why you want to be a doctor and address what you hope to achieve and your goals for medical school. Write a conclusion that is compelling and will leave the reader wanting to meet you.

Complete Personal Statement Checklist

When reading your medical school personal statement be sure it:

Shows insight and introspection

The best medical school personal statements tell a great deal about what you have learned through your experiences and the insights you have gained.

You want to tell your story by highlighting those experiences that have been the most influential on your path to medical school and to give a clear sense of chronology. You want your statement always to be logical and never to confuse your reader.

Is interesting and engaging

The best personal statements engage the reader. This doesn’t mean you must use big words or be a literary prize winner. Write in your own language and voice, but really think about your journey to medical school and the most intriguing experiences you have had.

Gives the reader a mental image of who you are

You want the reader to be able to envision you as a caregiver and a medical professional. You want to convey that you would be a compassionate provider at the bedside – someone who could cope well with crisis and adversity.

Illustrates your passion for, and commitment to, medicine

Your reader must be convinced that you are excited about and committed to a career in medicine!

Above all, your personal statement should be about you. Explain to your reader what you have done and why you want to be a doctor with insight, compassion, and understanding.

Medical School Personal Statement Myths

Also keep in mind some common myths about personal statements that I hear quite often:

My personal statement must have a theme.

Not true. The vast majority of personal statements do not have themes. In fact, most are somewhat autobiographical and are just as interesting as those statements that are woven around a “theme.” It is only the very talented writer who can creatively write a personal statement around a theme, and this approach often backfires since the applicant fails to answer the three questions above.

My personal statement must be no longer than one page.

Not true. This advice is antiquated and dates back to the days of the written application when admissions committees flipped through pages. If your personal statement is interesting and compelling, it is fine to use the entire allotted space. The application systems have incorporated limits for exactly this reason! Many students, depending on their unique circumstances, can actually undermine their success by limiting their personal statement to a page. That said, never max out a space just for the sake of doing so. Quality writing and perspectives are preferable to quantity.

My personal statement should not describe patient encounters or my personal medical experiences.

Not true. Again, the actual topics on which you focus in your personal statement are less important than the understanding you gained from those experiences. I have successful clients who have written extremely powerful and compelling personal statements that included information about clinical encounters – both personal and professional. Write about whichever experiences were the most important on your path to medicine. It’s always best, however, to avoid spending too much space on childhood and high school activities. Focus instead on those that are more current.

In my personal statement I need to sell myself.

Not exactly true. You never want to boast in your personal statement. Let your experiences, insights, and observations speak for themselves. You want your reader to draw the conclusion – on his or her own – that you have the qualities and characteristics the medical school seeks. Never tell what qualities and characteristics you possess; let readers draw these conclusions on their own based on what you write.

Medical School Personal Statement Examples and Analysis for Inspiration

Below are examples of actual medical school personal statements. You can also likely find medical school personal statements on Reddit.

AMCAS Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #1 with Personal Inventory  

We will use Amy to illustrate the general process of writing an application to medical school, along with providing the resulting documents. Amy will first list those experiences, personal, extracurricular, and scholarly, that have been most influential in two areas: her life in general and her path to medical school. She will put this personal inventory in chronologic order for use in composing her personal statement.

She will then select those experiences that were the most significant to her and will reflect and think about why they were important. For her application entries, Amy will write about each experience, including those that she considers influential in her life but not in her choice of medicine, in her application entries. Experiences that Amy will not write about in her activity entries or her personal statement are those that she does not consider most influential in either her life or in her choice of medicine.

Amy’s personal inventory (from oldest to most recent)

• Going with my mom to work. She is a surgeon — I was very curious about what she did. I was intrigued by the relationships she had with patients and how much they valued her efforts. I also loved seeing her as “a doctor” since, to me, she was just “mom.”
• I loved biology in high school. I started to think seriously about medicine then. It was during high school that I became fascinated with biology and how the human body worked. I would say that was when I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should be a doctor.”
• Grandmother’s death, senior year of high school. My grandmother’s death was tragic. It was the first time I had ever seen someone close to me suffer. It was one of the most devastating experiences in my life.
• Global Health Trip to Guatemala my freshman year of college. I realized after going to Guatemala that I had always taken my access to health care for granted. Here I saw children who didn’t have basic health care. This made me want to become a physician so I could give more to people like those I met in Guatemala.
• Sorority involvement. Even though sorority life might seem trivial, I loved it. I learned to work with different types of people and gained some really valuable leadership experience.
• Poor grades in college science classes. I still regret that I did badly in my science classes. I think I was immature and was also too involved in other activities and didn’t have the focus I needed to do well. I had a 3.4 undergraduate GPA.
• Teaching and tutoring Jose, a child from Honduras. In a way, meeting Jose in a college tutoring program brought my Guatemala experience to my home. Jose struggled academically, and his parents were immigrants and spoke only Spanish, so they had their own challenges. I tried to help Jose as much as I could. I saw that because he lacked resources, he was at a tremendous disadvantage.
• Volunteering at Excellent Medical Center. Shadowing physicians at the medical center gave me a really broad view of medicine. I learned about different specialties, met many different patients, and saw both great and not-so-great physician role models. Counselor at Ronald McDonald House. Working with sick kids made me appreciate my health. I tried to make them happy and was so impressed with their resilience. It made me realize that good health is everything.
• Oncology research. Understanding what happens behind the scenes in research was fascinating. Not only did I gain some valuable research experience, but I learned how research is done.
• Peer health counselor. Communicating with my peers about really important medical tests gave me an idea of the tremendous responsibility that doctors have. I also learned that it is important to be sensitive, to listen, and to be open-minded when working with others.
• Clinical Summer Program. This gave me an entirely new view of medicine. I worked with the forensics department, and visiting scenes of deaths was entirely new to me. This experience added a completely new dimension to my understanding of medicine and how illness and death affect loved ones.
• Emergency department internship. Here I learned so much about how things worked in the hospital. I realized how important it was that people who worked in the clinical department were involved in creating hospital policies. This made me understand, in practical terms, how an MPH would give me the foundation to make even more change in the future.
• Master’s in public health. I decided to get an MPH for two reasons. First of all, I knew my undergraduate science GPA was an issue so I figured that graduate level courses in which I performed well would boost my record. I don’t think I will write this on my application, but I also thought the degree would give me other skills if I didn’t get into medical school, and I knew it would also give me something on which I could build during medical school and in my career since I was interested in policy work.

As you can see from Amy’s personal inventory list, she has many accomplishments that are important to her and influenced her path. The most influential personal experience that motivated her to practice medicine was her mother’s career as a practicing physician, but Amy was also motivated by watching her mother’s career evolve. Even though the death of her grandmother was devastating for Amy, she did not consider this experience especially influential in her choice to attend medical school so she didn’t write about it in her personal statement.

Amy wrote an experience-based personal statement, rich with anecdotes and detailed descriptions, to illustrate the evolution of her interest in medicine and how this motivated her to also earn a master’s in public health.

Amy’s Medical School Personal Statement Example:

She was sprawled across the floor of her apartment. Scattered trash, decaying food, alcohol bottles, medication vials, and cigarette butts covered the floor. I had just graduated from college, and this was my first day on rotation with the forensic pathology department as a Summer Scholar, one of my most valuable activities on the path to medical school. As the coroner deputy scanned the scene for clues to what caused this woman’s death, I saw her distraught husband. I did not know what to say other than “I am so sorry.” I listened intently as he repeated the same stories about his wife and his dismay that he never got to say goodbye. The next day, alongside the coroner as he performed the autopsy, I could not stop thinking about the grieving man.

Discerning a cause of death was not something I had previously associated with the practice of medicine. As a child, I often spent Saturday mornings with my mother, a surgeon, as she rounded on patients. I witnessed the results of her actions, as she provided her patients a renewed chance at life. I grew to honor and respect my mother’s profession. Witnessing the immense gratitude of her patients and their families, I quickly came to admire the impact she was able to make in the lives of her patients and their loved ones.

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine as my mother had, and throughout high school and college I sought out clinical, research, and volunteer opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of medicine. After volunteering with cancer survivors at Camp Ronald McDonald, I was inspired to further understand this disease. Through my oncology research, I learned about therapeutic processes for treatment development. Further, following my experience administering HIV tests, I completed research on point-of-care HIV testing, to be instituted throughout 26 hospitals and clinics. I realized that research often served as a basis for change in policy and medical practice and sought out opportunities to learn more about both.

All of my medically related experiences demonstrated that people who were ‘behind the scenes’ and had limited or no clinical background made many of the decisions in health care. Witnessing the evolution of my mother’s career further underscored the impact of policy change on the practice of medicine. In particular, the limits legislation imposed on the care she could provide influenced my perspective and future goals. Patients whom my mother had successfully treated for more than a decade, and with whom she had long-standing, trusting relationships, were no longer able to see her, because of policy coverage changes. Some patients, frustrated by these limitations, simply stopped seeking the care they needed. As a senior in college, I wanted to understand how policy transformations came about and gain the tools I would need to help effect administrative and policy changes in the future as a physician. It was with this goal in mind that I decided to complete a master’s in public health program before applying to medical school.

As an MPH candidate, I am gaining insight into the theories and practices behind the complex interconnections of the healthcare system; I am learning about economics, operations, management, ethics, policy, finance, and technology and how these entities converge to impact delivery of care. A holistic understanding of this diverse, highly competitive, market-driven system will allow me, as a clinician, to find solutions to policy, public health, and administration issues. I believe that change can be more effective if those who actually practice medicine also decide where improvements need to be made.

For example, as the sole intern for the emergency department at County Medical Center, I worked to increase efficiency in the ED by evaluating and mapping patient flow. I tracked patients from point of entry to point of discharge and found that the discharge process took up nearly 35% of patients’ time. By analyzing the reasons for this situation, in collaboration with nurses and physicians who worked in the ED and had an intimate understanding of what took place in the clinical area, I was able to make practical recommendations to decrease throughput time. The medical center has already implemented these suggestions, resulting in decreased length of stays. This example illustrates the benefit of having clinicians who work ‘behind the scenes’ establish policies and procedures, impacting operational change and improving patient care. I will also apply what I have learned through this project as the business development intern at Another Local Medical Center this summer, where I will assist in strategic planning, financial analysis, and program reviews for various clinical departments.

Through my mother’s career and my own medical experiences, I have become aware of the need for clinician administrators and policymakers. My primary goal as a physician will be to care for patients, but with the knowledge and experience I have gained through my MPH, I also hope to effect positive public policy and administrative changes.

What’s Good About Amy’s Medical School Personal Statement:  

Paragraphs 1 and 2: Amy started her personal statement by illustrating a powerful experience she had when she realized that medical caregivers often feel impotent, and how this contrasted with her understanding of medicine as a little girl going with her mother to work. Recognition of this intense contrast also highlights Amy’s maturity.

Paragraph 3: Amy then “lists” a few experiences that were important to her.

Paragraph 4: Amy describes the commonality in some of her experiences and how her observations were substantiated by watching the evolution of her mother’s practice. She then explains how this motivated her to earn an MPH so she could create change more effectively as a physician than as a layman.

Paragraph 5: Amy then explains how her graduate degree is helping her to better understand the “issues in medicine” that she observed.

Paragraph 6: Amy then describes one exceptional accomplishment she had that highlights what she has learned and how she has applied it.

Paragraph 7: Finally, Amy effectively concludes her personal statement and summarizes the major topics addressed in her essay.

As you can see, Amy’s statement has excellent flow, is captivating and unusual, and illustrates her understanding of, and commitment to, medicine. She also exhibits, throughout her application entries and statement, the personal competencies, characteristics, and qualities that medical school admissions officers are seeking. Her application also has broad appeal; reviewers who are focused on research, cultural awareness, working with the underserved, health administration and policy, teaching, or clinical medicine would all find it of interest.

med school personal statement examples

Osteopathic Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #2

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background: This is a nontraditional applicant who applied to osteopathic medical schools. With a 500 and a 504 on the MCAT , he needed to showcase how his former career and what he learned through his work made him an asset. He also needed to convey why osteopathic medicine was an ideal fit for him. The student does an excellent job illustrating his commitment to medicine and explaining why and how he made the well-informed decision to leave his former career to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine.

What’s Good About It: A nontraditional student with a former career, this applicant does a great job outlining how and why he decided to pursue a career in medicine. Clearly dedicated to service, he also does a great job making it clear he is a good fit for osteopathic medical school and understands this distinctions of osteopathic practice.. 

Working as a police officer, one comes to expect the unexpected, but sometimes, when the unexpected happens, one can’t help but be surprised. In November 20XX, I had been a police officer for two years when my partner and I happened to be nearby when a man had a cardiac emergency in Einstein Bagels. Entering the restaurant, I was caught off guard by the lifeless figure on the floor, surrounded by spilled food. Time paused as my partner and I began performing CPR, and my heart raced as I watched color return to the man’s pale face.

Luckily, paramedics arrived within minutes to transport him to a local hospital. Later, I watched as the family thanked the doctors who gave their loved one a renewed chance at life. That day, in the “unexpected,” I confirmed that I wanted to become a physician, something that had attracted me since childhood.

I have always been enthralled by the science of medicine and eager to help those in need but, due to life events, my path to achieving this dream has been long. My journey began following high school when I joined the U.S. Army. I was immature and needed structure, and I knew the military was an opportunity to pursue my medical ambitions. I trained as a combat medic and requested work in an emergency room of an army hospital. At the hospital, I started IVs, ran EKGs, collected vital signs, and assisted with codes. I loved every minute as I was directly involved in patient care and observed physicians methodically investigating their patients’ signs and symptoms until they reached a diagnosis. Even when dealing with difficult patients, the physicians I worked with maintained composure, showing patience and understanding while educating patients about their diseases. I observed physicians not only as clinicians but also as teachers. As a medic, I learned that I loved working with patients and being part of the healthcare team, and I gained an understanding of acute care and hospital operations.

Following my discharge in 20XX, I transferred to an army reserve hospital and continued as a combat medic until 20XX. Working as a medic at several hospitals and clinics in the area, I was exposed to osteopathic medicine and the whole body approach to patient care. I was influenced by the D.O.s’ hands-on treatment and their use of manipulative medicine as a form of therapy. I learned that the body cannot function properly if there is dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system.

In 20XX, I became a police officer to support myself as I finished my undergraduate degree and premed courses. While working the streets, I continued my patient care experiences by being the first to care for victims of gunshot wounds, stab wounds, car accidents, and other medical emergencies. In addition, I investigated many unknown causes of death with the medical examiner’s office. I often found signs of drug and alcohol abuse and learned the dangers and power of addiction. In 20XX, I finished my undergraduate degree in education and in 20XX, I completed my premed courses.

Wanting to learn more about primary care medicine, in 20XX I volunteered at a community health clinic that treats underserved populations. Shadowing a family physician, I learned about the physical exam as I looked into ears and listened to the hearts and lungs of patients with her guidance. I paid close attention as she expressed the need for more PCPs and the important roles they play in preventing disease and reducing ER visits by treating and educating patients early in the disease process. This was evident as numerous patients were treated for high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes, all conditions that can be resolved or improved by lifestyle changes. I learned that these changes are not always easy for many in underserved populations as healthier food is often more expensive and sometimes money for prescriptions is not available. This experience opened my eyes to the challenges of being a physician in an underserved area.

The idea of disease prevention stayed with me as I thought about the man who needed CPR. Could early detection and education about heart disease have prevented his “unexpected” cardiac event? My experiences in health care and law enforcement have confirmed my desire to be an osteopathic physician and to treat the patients of the local area. I want to eliminate as many medical surprises as I can.

Texas Medical School Personal Statement Example and Analysis #3

Medical School Personal Statement Example Background: This applicant, who grew up with modest means, should be an inspiration to us all. Rather than allowing limited resources to stand in his way, he took advantage of everything that was available to him. He commuted to college from home and had a part-time job so he was stretched thin, and his initial college performance suffered. However, he worked hard and his grades improved. Most medical school admissions committees seek out applicants like this because, by overcoming adversity and succeeding with limited resources, they demonstrate exceptional perseverance, maturity, and dedication. His accomplishments are, by themselves, impressive and he does an outstanding job of detailing his path, challenges, and commitment to medicine. He received multiple acceptances to top medical schools and was offered scholarships.

What’s Good About It: This student does a great job opening his personal statement with a beautifully written introduction that immediately takes the reader to Central America. He then explains his path, why he did poorly early in college, and goes on to discuss his academic interests and pursuits. He is also clearly invested in research and articulates that he is intellectually curious, motivated, hard working, compassionate and committed to a career in medicine by explaining his experiences using interesting language and details. This is an intriguing statement that makes clear the applicant is worthy of an interview invitation. Finally, the student expresses his interest in attending medical school in Texas.

They were learning the basics of carpentry and agriculture. The air was muggy and hot, but these young boys seemed unaffected, though I and my fellow college students sweated and often complained. As time passed, I started to have a greater appreciation for the challenges these boys faced. These orphans, whom I met and trained in rural Central America as a member of The Project, had little. They dreamed of using these basic skills to earn a living wage. Abandoned by their families, they knew this was their only opportunity to re-enter society as self- sufficient individuals. I stood by them in the fields and tutored them after class. And while I tried my best to instill in them a strong work ethic, it was the boys who instilled in me a desire to help those in need. They gave me a new perspective on my decision to become a doctor.

I don’t know exactly when I decided to become a physician; I have had this goal for a long time. I grew up in the inner city of A City, in Texas and attended magnet schools. My family knew little about higher education, and I learned to seek out my own opportunities and advice. I attended The University with the goal of gaining admission to medical school. When I started college, I lacked the maturity to focus on academics and performed poorly. Then I traveled to Central America. Since I was one of the few students who spoke Spanish, many of the boys felt comfortable talking with me. They saw me as a role model.

The boys worked hard so that they could learn trades that would help them to be productive members of society. It was then I realized that my grandparents, who immigrated to the US so I would have access to greater opportunities, had done the same. I felt like I was wasting what they had sacrificed for me. When I returned to University in the fall, I made academics my priority and committed myself to learn more about medicine .

Through my major in neuroscience, I strengthened my understanding of how we perceive and experience life. In systems neurobiology, I learned the physiology of the nervous system. Teaching everything from basic neural circuits to complex sensory pathways, Professor X provided me with the knowledge necessary to conduct research in Parkinson’s disease. My research focused on the ability of antioxidants to prevent the onset of Parkinson’s, and while my project was only a pilot study at the time, Professor X encouraged me to present it at the National Research Conference. During my senior year, I developed the study into a formal research project, recruiting the help of professors of statistics and biochemistry.

Working at the School of Medicine reinforced my analytical skills. I spent my summer in the department of emergency medicine, working with the department chair, Dr. Excellent. Through Dr. Excellent’s mentorship, I participated in a retrospective study analyzing patient charts to determine the efficacy of D-dimer assays in predicting blood clots. The direct clinical relevance of my research strengthened my commitment and motivated my decision to seek out more clinical research opportunities.

A growing awareness of the role of human compassion in healing has also influenced my choice to pursue a career in medicine. It is something no animal model or cell culture can ever duplicate or rival. Working in clinical research has allowed me to see the selflessness of many physicians and patients and their mutual desire to help others. As a research study assistant in the department of surgery, I educate and enroll patients in clinical trials. One such study examines the role of pre-operative substance administration in tumor progression. Patients enrolled in this study underwent six weeks of therapy before having the affected organ surgically excised. Observing how patients were willing to participate in this research to benefit others helped me understand the resiliency of the human spirit.

Working in clinical trials has enabled me to further explore my passion for science, while helping others. Through my undergraduate coursework and participation in volunteer groups I have had many opportunities to solidify my goal to become a physician. As I am working, I sometimes think about my second summer in Central America. I recall how one day, after I had turned countless rows of soil in scorching heat, one of the boys told me that I was a trabajador verdadero—a true worker. I paused as I realized the significance of this comment. While the boy may not have been able to articulate it, he knew I could identify with him. What the boy didn’t know, however, was that had my grandparents not decided to immigrate to the US, I would not have the great privilege of seizing opportunities in this country and writing this essay today. I look forward to the next step of my education and hope to return home to Texas where I look forward to serving the communities I call home.

Final Thoughts

Above all, and as stated in this article numerous times, your personal statement should be authentic and genuine. Write about your path and and journey to this point in your life using anecdotes and observations to intrigue the reader and illustrate what is and was important to you. Good luck!

Medical School Personal Statement Help & Consulting

If all this information has you staring at your screen like a deer in the headlights, you’re not alone. Writing a superb medical school personal statement can be a daunting task, and many applicants find it difficult to get started writing, or to express everything they want to say succinctly. That’s where MedEdits can help. You don’t have to have the best writing skills to compose a stand-out statement. From personal-statement editing alone to comprehensive packages for all your medical school application needs, we offer extensive support and expertise developed from working with thousands of successful medical school applicants. We can’t promise applying to medical school will be stress-free, but most clients tell us it’s a huge relief not to have to go it alone.

MedEdits offers personal statement consulting and editing. Our goal when working with students is to draw out what makes each student distinctive. How do we do this? We will explore your background and upbringing, interests and ideals as well as your accomplishments and activities. By helping you identify the most distinguishing aspects of who you are, you will then be able to compose an authentic and genuine personal statement in your own voice to capture the admissions committee’s attention so you are invited for a medical school interview. Our unique brainstorming methodology has helped hundreds of aspiring premeds gain acceptance to medical school.

Sample Medical School Personal Statement

Example Medical School Personal Statement

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Reapplying to medical school: the ultimate guide.

Learn how Lauren, a 2nd-time medical school reapplicant, got accepted into medical school after working with us in the video below! 

Anyone who has ever considered applying to medical school can recognize that it is a complicated, long, and unbelievably competitive process. 

To be successful, you must have excellent academics, extensive volunteer hours, experience in patient care, and enriching letters of recommendation. Yet, even the most successful premedical students are rejected from medical schools to which they applied.

It can be challenging to look at such a lengthy application and determine what went wrong. But this guide will help you identify your application’s weaknesses, understand what you can do to strengthen them, and explain how to reapply to medical school. 

Reapplying to medical school isn’t easy. However, this article will help you implement the necessary changes to ensure you submit a stellar application.

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

Why Reapplying to Medical School Isn’t Bad

You may feel embarrassed or upset for not getting accepted to medical school after your first application. What you may not know is that this is normal , common , and OK. Sometimes, even the greatest candidates get rejected because there simply isn’t room in the next incoming class.

Many students have applied more than once to medical school before they were accepted. After all, many prestigious medical schools have low acceptance rates. For example, Stanford University ’s acceptance rate is only 2.3 percent. Low acceptance rates are a common occurrence at many of the top medical schools in the US .  

There is nothing wrong with reapplying to medical school after being rejected. If anything, it shows your dedication to medicine and your perseverance by continuing to work toward your passion. Admissions officers will recognize this. 

Before you stress about reapplying to medical school, there are several things you can do to strengthen your application. 

When Should You Reapply?

Although you are probably anxious to reapply to medical school as soon as possible, the best route to take begins with slowing down. Take time to assess and reflect upon your application. 

There may be obvious things you are missing in your application, like spots you can develop further. Alternatively, there may be places you can better show off your skills and knowledge in medicine. Whatever you do, take all the time necessary to seriously examine your application and reflect upon where you can improve. 

Remember — there must be a significant change in your application when reapplying to medical school; if your application looks virtually the same year over year, how will it change an admissions officer’s mind? 

Take the time you need to reevaluate, make changes, and do everything you can to strengthen your application. 

Assessing Your Previous Application

The first step in assessing your previous application is successfully identifying what didn’t work. 

For example, find out at which point in the admissions cycle you were declined. If you were denied before submitting a secondary application, your primary application was lacking something. Similarly, if you made it to the medical school application’s interview portion, your interview skills were likely lacking.

Once you can narrow down which aspects of your application hindered you from being accepted to medical school, you can focus on tackling each issue one by one. If you are unsure of your application’s weak points, you can always ask a teacher, peer, or family member for assistance. 

One great tip from John D. Schriner, Associate for Admissions and Student Affairs at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine , is to solicit feedback from the medical school to which you applied. Reach out and ask what prevented you from being accepted in the previous application cycle. 

Though not all schools are receptive, it does not hurt to try. Plus, if you receive that feedback, you will know which areas to target, amend, and improve. It is the perfect opportunity to act on the advice you receive and show the admissions officers that you can absorb feedback and excel because of it. 

Schriner also notes that there is no shame in addressing that you were rejected in your reapplication. Show the admissions officers that you’ve taken the time to reevaluate your application and your experiences, although you were denied. This way, you’ll demonstrate you’re a worthy and passionate medical school candidate. 

Don’t let a rejection stop you from pursuing your career in medicine.  

Planning How to Reapply to Medical School: Step-by-Step

Preparations

The first step in planning to reapply to medical school begins with taking a long, hard look at your application. This is to find any areas that need improvement, expansion, or removal. Though this may be a tedious process, it is imperative. 

Some things on your application may have deterred admissions officers from accepting you into their program. By identifying what is wrong with your application, you are one step closer to improving your med school application. 

Areas of Focus

When reevaluating your application, focus on one section at a time. This way, you can set your focus on one specific aspect of your application and thoroughly evaluate it. 

For example, don’t evaluate your personal statement and essays until you have gone through your extracurricular activities and deemed what was and was not representative of your experiences. 

Then, dig deeper. Can you identify any weaknesses in this section? Is there anything you can add to help admissions officers better understand what you are trying to show them? Is there a more efficient example you can use or a stronger description you can implement? 

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges , several key components go into a medical school application: 

• Primary application
• Background information
• Coursework & official transcript(s)
• Work and activities
• Letters of evaluation
• Personal statements & essays
• Secondary application
• Social media/internet search
• Financial information
• Criminal history search

GPA and MCAT Scores 

Your GPA and MCAT scores should reflect each other. To be a strong med school applicant, you must show that you have performed successfully in both areas. If either of these areas hindered your initial application, take the steps necessary to amend them. 

For example, your grades and GPA may have been an issue in your initial application. In that case, consider taking another course to improve your GPA for the next application cycle. 

If your MCAT score was low, utilize this time period before the next application cycle to reevaluate how, when, and where you study. Consider taking a preparatory course and retaking the MCAT exam. 

You will have the time to retake courses or exams before applying to medical school again, and this is an extremely productive use of your time. Additionally, retaking courses or exams exhibits your dedication to medicine and becoming a doctor despite your obstacles.

Letters of Recommendation: What Should Change?

Your letters of recommendation should not be a simple statement of your academic achievements. When looking to faculty or advisors to be letter writers, you are looking for someone who will advocate for you. Therefore, you need to ask someone who knows you well and is willing to justify why you deserve to be a medical student. 

Your letter writers should be advisors or faculty with whom you have a strong, professional relationship. They should also be ready and willing to speak to your character, drive, and passion for medicine. 

If your letters of recommendation were a problem area in your initial medical school applications, consider sending the American Association of Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation to your letter writers. This helps your letter writers know what admissions officers are looking for in a strong applicant.

Update Your Work Experience to Strengthen Your Application

Maybe the area of your application that needs work is your work experience. Most, if not all, medical schools heavily emphasize the importance of experience in patient care. This is an essential aspect of your duty as a doctor in the future. 

 If work experience was a problem area of your application, there is nothing wrong with waiting to reapply to medical school. Because you will have at least a year before the next application cycle, this is the perfect time to expand upon your experience. 

Some experiences you can pursue include getting a part-time job, volunteering , or shadowing a doctor. Reference this comprehensive list of extracurriculars for any medical school application when adjusting your own. 

Taking this step will not only cause admissions officers to notice this update in your application, but it will also help prepare you to become a doctor. 

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement: What Should Change?

When it comes to personal statements in a medical school application, it isn’t about having the most detail or the longest essay. What matters is that the content represents you, your character, and why you want to be a doctor. It is as simple as that. 

Your statement is where you can give admissions officers an insight as to who you really are. In it, you can advocate for yourself and show them why you are meant to be a doctor. Anything that deflects from this distracts admissions officers from why you believe you deserve to be a student at their medical school. 

The first step to writing your medical school reapplicant personal statement is reflection and self-assessment . 

Ask yourself: What aspects of your first statement were weak? Have you asked your pre-health advisor to review your application? Did you ask the schools that declined you for feedback? Do you understand what medical schools look for in applicants?

Once you have reflected and highlighted areas of growth, take the time to address them. Remember — medical schools are interested in how you have matured and used your time since the last application cycle. If you can show that you have dedicated yourself to improving your application, this will increase your chances of admission. 

While it’s important to demonstrate growth, you should also continue to illustrate your continued commitment to medicine. Perhaps you’ve shadowed a doctor or conducted clinical research since the last application cycle. In that case, highlight your experiences in your revised statement. 

If you have struggled with writing a successful personal statement, consider researching what personal statements and essay topics and questions have proven successful for past applicants. This can provide inspiration, insight, and a baseline for you to refer to when rewriting your personal statements.

Of course, grammar, cohesiveness, and clear descriptions are still essential in your statement. Any discrepancy in these areas is a surefire way to distract admissions officers from the critical points of your statement.

Have a trusted faculty member, advisor, or family member read through your statement. A fresh set of eyes is always a good way to look for mistakes you may have missed. Alternatively, Inspira Advantage offers free consultations with admissions experts to increase your chances of being accepted to medical school.

Redrafting your personal statement isn’t easy, especially as it will need large-scale revision. But looking at medical school reapplicant personal statement examples can be useful to see what worked for other applicants. 

Medical School Reapplicant Personal Statement Examples

Let’s take a look at an example personal statement that impressed the University of Minnesota’s Medical School admissions officers. 

Admissions officers note that this statement contains several key elements that make it great: 

• A clear motivation to pursue medicine 
• An understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of being a physician 
• Impactful interactions with patients 
• Reflecting on difficult experiences and the challenges of a medical career
• Dedication to pursuing medicine (evidenced by the applicant’s willingness to give up their spot on the rowing team)  

If you can include several of the points listed above, you’ll write a stellar personal statement. 

Interviews 

It is no secret that interviews can be an extremely nerve-wracking experience for most people. The best thing you can do to prepare for a med school interview is practice, practice, practice. 

‍ ‍ Where Are You Going to Apply?

So, you have successfully reassessed and implemented meaningful changes into your medical school applications. In that case, create a draft of a list of medical schools to which you plan to apply. 

Ask yourself: Are you applying to all the same medical schools you applied to previously? Are you applying to fewer? Are you applying to more? Are you applying to entirely different medical schools? 

Answering these questions will help you know what sort of guidelines you are following in each application. Once you are sure of which schools you are applying to, you can adjust your application accordingly. ‍ ‍ ‍

How to Go About the Reapplication Process

When you have finalized your applications, set up an appointment with your premedical advisor or admissions consultant to review them. A fresh set of eyes can spot any discrepancies you may have missed. 

To ensure you have done everything you can to fix your application, take the time to review the AAMC’s Tools for Medical School Applicants . Create a checklist when reviewing these tools and check them off as you go to ensure you didn’t miss anything. It just may be your saving grace!

FAQs: Reapplying to Medical School

Being a medical school reapplicant isn’t ideal. But we’ve provided several questions and answers to help make this process as painless as possible.

1. Is it bad to be a reapplicant for med school? 

Not at all. Reapplying shows your perseverance and dedication to medicine. 

Most candidates who apply to the top medical schools are rejected, so there is no shame in reapplying. 

2. Can I reapply to medical school after withdrawal?

Yes. But your chances of readmission depend on your reasons for withdrawal, as medical schools may not guarantee you readmission if you withdraw from their program. 

If you withdrew due to a severe illness or a family death and you excelled while in med school, you should be fine to reapply. However, if you struggled with the program, it will be difficult to gain admission as a reapplicant to that medical school.

3. Can I reapply to med school with the same application? 

No, you’ll need to submit a new application. 

Submitting a new application provides an excellent opportunity to address the weaknesses of your first application. Take the time to highlight these areas and improve them. 

4. Can I reapply to the same medical schools?

Yes! If you can illustrate that you have meaningfully improved your application, you will likely be a competitive reapplicant to medical school. 

Of course, you should be realistic about your odds of gaining readmissions to an extremely competitive school if your application remains largely unchanged.  

5. Can you reapply to medical school with the same letters of recommendation?

Yes. But AMCAS doesn’t hold them on file, so you’ll have to resubmit your rec letters with your new application. 

However, take the time to assess whether you want to submit new letters of recommendation. For example, if you’ve undertaken new volunteering, clinical , or research experiences , you may want a letter from your recent supervisor or professor.  

6. When should I reapply to medical school?

It varies between applicants, but you should only reapply to med school when you are ready. 

If you need to accrue more volunteering and clinical hours, take the time to complete them. Sure, you may have to skip an application cycle. But if you reapply the year after with an even stronger application, your chances of admission may be higher. 

7. Is it worth it to reapply to medical school?

Whether it is worth reapplying to medical school depends on you. 

If you’re passionate about medicine, helping people, and serving the community, medicine might just be the career for you. Otherwise, think hard about what you want to do in life.

Final Thoughts: Reapplying to Medical School

Applying to medical school is a huge decision and requires a lot of hard work. On top of that, it is an extremely competitive field. Acceptance rates are low, expectations are high, and every other applicant is your competitor for a spot. 

It is perfectly normal not to be accepted into medical school on your first try! This isn’t something that just happens to “bad” candidates or people who don’t want it enough. It happens to great, passionate premedical students everywhere. If you don’t give up and make every effort to show admissions officers that you are passionate about medicine, they will see that. 

Whether you work on submitting stronger personal essays, gaining more work experience in patient care, or retaking your MCAT exam, admissions officers will see and notice this effort. It speaks to your character and your drive to become a great doctor, which encourages admissions officers to give you the chance to be just that.

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Tips for the Reapplicant: Successfully Reapplying to Medical School

If you are worried about the medical school rejection letter you just received in the mail, you’re in good company. While the numbers vary from year to year, nearly 60 percent of applicants experience rejection when initially applying to medical school. However, while those numbers are intimidating, there is a bright side: applicants that medical schools initially reject often reapply later on, and many are eventually accepted. There is nothing at all unseemly about reapplying. In fact, reapplicants comprise a significant portion of the incoming classes at many top medical schools . So, if you’ve been rejected by the schools of your choice and want to try again, here are some great tips for successfully reapplying to medical school.

ASSESS YOURSELF AND CAST A WIDE NET

If you receive a rejection letter, you’ll be understandably upset. However, ensure you take a step back and don’t let your emotions run wild. Following the initial shock of rejection, be honest with yourself and take any advice you receive to heart. Try to find out exactly why you were rejected. Perhaps it was a matter of timing, a weak application packet, problematic MCAT scores, or some other issue. Determining why you medical school rejected you will put you on the path to a successful reapplication.  If you get feedback that your packet had significant problems, or that it was not strong enough relative to your competition, make sure you evaluate all of your options. Reapplying for medical school is often an arduous process and you will only succeed if you are willing to face what you will actually need to do to improve your chances of being accepted.

A key part of this frank assessment is determining the chances of being accepted to the medical schools you originally applied to. If you don’t have a fighting chance to get into those schools, it may make sense to search for other medical school options that align with your personal goals and that you have a more

realistic chance of being accepted into. Casting a wider net during the medical school reapplication process can give you a much better chance of being successful the second time around.

MAKE A PLAN

Once you determine exactly why your med school application was rejected in the first place, start making a plan for reapplying. First and foremost, you should find out when you need to reapply to your target medical schools, focusing on the earliest possible dates. Then, using that application window as a goal, you can develop a timeline for everything else you need to do. For example, if your MCAT grades were too low in your original application, programming your time to retake the test and all of the studying you’ll have to do to improve your score should take priority on your timeline.

If other parts of your application were considered weak, allocate time to improve those areas as well. You may need to take additional classes to improve your GPA, so the time needed to do that should be factored in to your plan. Finally, ensure you program enough time to successfully fill out and submit your new medical applications as well.  Don’t spend months and months improving your medical school acceptance prospects, only to leave no time to prepare effective application packets.  

GET TO WORK REAPPLYING

Once you have a plan, you should start preparing your new medical school application packets.  A great place to begin is with your letters of recommendation. Find out if the schools you previously applied to allow you to resubmit your old letters. If they do, and you feel the old letters were particularly strong or addressed important areas concerning your potential, then you should definitely reuse them. You may also want to consider replacing letters that you assess are too generic or weak with stronger, more relevant ones based on more recent relationships you’ve had with professors or other medical professionals. If any case, you should start seeking any new letters you’ll need as early as possible.

You should also assess other key parts of your application packet as well. When reapplying to medical school, you should plan on updating your personal statement. Schools you previously applied to will want to see a new statement, and you can use your revisions to address the work you have done to improve your potential since the last time you applied. If you assess that the work and activities section of your previous application were strong, you may not need to update it. However, if you have had new experiences in the time since your first application, or if you receive notice that this section was particularly week, you may want to revise it nonetheless. You should proceed carefully and deliberately to complete all of this work; many medical schools accept reapplicants on a case-by-case basis, so the sooner you reapply, the better.

FIND SOME HELP

When it comes to reapplying to medical school, don’t go it alone. Instead, find trusted advisors and experts who can help you navigate the process. The med school help these experts provide can increase your prospects of making your second round of applications a successful one. A great place to start looking for help are the admissions offices of the medical school or schools that rejected you. While all medical schools are different, many admissions offices are willing to explain exactly why applicants were rejected and may even provide tips for successful reapplication. This feedback can be invaluable as you begin planning to reapply to medical school again.

Additionally, other expert help can put you on the path to a successful medical school reapplication. For example, if your MCAT score was too low despite all your studying the first time around, consider enrolling in an MCAT prep course to get the help you need to improve your score. Advisors in the Pre-Med program at your current school may also be helpful in plotting a course for medical school reapplication. If you receive feedback that your original application packet was weak, you should also seek help to improve key sections, like your personal statement or work and activities section as well. If you have to retake a class or sharpen your interview skills, tutors can assist you in both of these areas. Finally, your mentors or other trusted advisors may be able to recommend additional clinical experiences that will strengthen your reapplication and give you a greater chance of being accepted upon reapplication.

A medical school rejection letter doesn’t have to end your dream of becoming a doctor and helping patients. Every year, thousands of people channel their disappointment of initial rejection into a successful medical school reapplication process. So, if you have recently received a rejection letter, consider the tips here, and start working hard right now to have a successful reapplication the second time around.

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Session 381

The med school application cycle is right around the corner! Here are 10 things you need to know before applying and 8 tips for writing your personal statement.

Follow me on YouTube at premed.tv . Episode 2 of Application Renovation Season 2 just came out yesterday. It has been the most popular show on the channel that comes out on Tuesdays. Season 2 has about 14 episodes recorded. Ask Dr. Gray is released on Thursdays.

Please take advantage of all the resources available on Meded Media along with my books The Premed Playbook series .

Listen to this podcast episode with the player above,  or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

[04:35] 10 Tips Before Applying to a Medical School

#1: Understand the rolling admissions and apply early.

The majority of medical schools here in the United States utilize rolling admissions. As soon as the application cycle opens up, they are reviewing applications to interview and reviewing those interviewed students for acceptance.

For schools that don’t use rolling admissions, it’s not as important to make sure everything is in earlier than other students. However, for schools that use rolling admissions, you need to understand the importance of applying earlier. Hence, it’s always stressed to apply as soon as possible.

That being said, don’t apply with a crappy application or a terrible personal statement because you rushed it. 

By applying early, it means starting earlier so you have a great personal statement and you have all your extracurriculars lined up along with your MCAT and all.

The problem with many medical schools is the lack of transparency around the importance of rolling admissions and whether or not they utilize it at their school.

My team did some research looking at over 130 medical schools and their websites. We looked for rolling admissions notes and information. Only about 30% of medical schools that use rolling admissions actually taught about rolling admissions and talked about the importance of applying early. 

[07:10] #2: Medical school application costs a lot!

It costs a lot of money to apply to medical school. The more you know right now, the more that you can be prepared for it. Check out our Application Cost Estimator .

It will give you a rough estimate on cost including MCAT prep as well and deposit for medical school acceptances, etc. Check out the Fee Assistance Program that both AAMC and AACOMAS have for their application.

[08:50] #3: Understand what the application looks like.

Understand what the application looks like and what you need to apply to medical school. You need your MCAT score. You don’t need all your prereqs done before you apply either. You just need your prereqs done before matriculating or starting medical school.

Other things you need include letters of recommendation, clinical experience, shadowing, research (if necessary), etc.

You need all these things ready to go so once the application opens up, you can submit on time.

Very important too are your personal statements, which can take a while for you to do this. You also need to complete secondary applications and secondary essays are a big part of the application.

Check out the Application Renovation Series as I break down applications so you can see what one looks like.

[10:15] #4: Picking Medical Schools to Apply To

Most students choose the medical schools they apply to based on their MCAT and GPA. But there are a thousand other factors that are much more important than MCAT and GPA. Do not pick schools based on MCAT and GPA!

Don’t put your considerations into not applying to that medical school. Understand where you want to be. Consider weather, geographic location, proximity to family, etc. Start thinking about those things.

You only need to have one school selected to apply to medical school. Then you can add more schools as you go.

[11:50] #5: Be realistic with your MCAT and GPA.

If you’re nowhere near ready and prepared and really showing that you’re academically qualified to be a successful medical student, then you probably shouldn’t apply to medical school.

Looking at the data for acceptance rates to medical school, it doesn’t look that very good. A lot of those students not getting accepted probably should not apply to medical school because their stats just don’t show that they’re going to be successful medical students.

If you’re not above a 3.0 at least science and cumulative GPA with a super-strong upward trend to show you’re academically qualified, you probably need to look into a postbac or a special master’s program or another master’s program. You have to rehabilitate your image when it comes to your academic qualifications. 

If you have a strong GPA (ex. 3.8-3.9) and have always been successful in the classroom, but for some reason you can’t do well on the MCAT, applying with a terrible MCAT and a strong GPA is not going to help you.

That GPA is not going to prove to medical schools that you’re academically qualified if your MCAT is nowhere near where they need it and want it to be. So just be careful with that as well.

 [14:00] #6: It’s okay to wait.

One extra year waiting to apply seems like a long time. But as you get older, a year is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Be more conservative when it comes to applying to medical school because it costs a lot of money. And if you apply and you’re not accepted, you have to rework a lot of your application.

That means writing a new personal statement, improving your extracurriculars, and potentially getting new letters of recommendation.

Be okay with waiting a year or two depending on how much rehab you application needs before you submit it. Don’t just throw in an application because you rushed and you feel like you need to apply now.

Now, if you choose to ignore this point or you’ve already applied and didn’t get in the first time, this leads us to the next point.

[15:30] #7: It’s okay to reapply.

It’s not like a Scarlet letter that you’re a reapplicant. Only 40% to 45% of students actually get accepted every year. So a lot of students are reapplying. Unfortunately, many students don’t reapply and just go on a different route.

Show that self-awareness and that reflection to say why you think you didn’t get in and what you’ve done to work on your application to make yourself a better applicant. Talk about those things. A lot of medical schools will ask you if you’ve applied before, what have you done in your application to improve your application.

Moreover, there’s this myth going around that it’s better to be a reapplicant. And so a lot of students are applying just for the heck of it with terrible applications. This is crap! Don’t believe that hype.

It’s not better to be a reapplicant. It’s just not bad to be a reapplicant.

[17:09] #8: Be self-aware of your activities.

Too many students with super-strong stats are not self-aware of their activities. T hey don’t have shadowing or clinical experience. They don’t have volunteer experience. They’ve focused so much on MCAT and GPA that everything else was pushed off to the side.

They just don’t have anything that proves to them that they want to be a physician. They’re not proving with their actions and time that this is something they want to do.

Do you need to take a gap year to do more shadowing? Do you need to bolster your application so when it comes to proving to the admissions committees that this is what you want, you have it on paper that you’ve done it?

[18:10] #9: Be aware of the time commitment necessary to write all of your secondary essays.

There’s a lot of time commitment and a lot of students are caught off-guard because of this. This is necessary not only with the whole application but also the secondary applications. A lot of students apply to a crazy number of schools because money was not an issue. But they don’t think on the backend, which are all secondary essays that you have to do.

Check out SecondaryApps.com that we have updated every year where you will find a database of all the prompts that medical schools ask. Typically, they don’t change their prompts every year. But if they do, please send them to us so we can update them.

You can start prewriting your secondaries whenever you want. But ideally, when you’re done with your applications in late April to early May, you can start working on your secondary applications at that point.

[20:00] #10: Talk to your pre-health office and find out about their recommendations.

Go to your pre-health office and find out how they can help you through this application process. Some pre-health offices will write committee letters. Follow the rules for them to see what’s required for them to write you a committee letter.

Unfortunately, there are committees out there that will not write students committee letters if their MCAT or GPA score is not “high” enough. Then you have to play by the rules wherever you are at. That being said, you can still get into medical school without their committee letter.

But if they do offer you one because your stats are high enough, follow their rules and jump through the hoops they have for you. They are there to help you really be a successful medical school applicant.

[22:40] 8 Tips for Writing Your Personal Statement

It’s hard to write about yourself and your journey to medical school in 5300 characters, which is what the majority of application services give you.

A great personal statement won’t probably help you overcome terrible stats and terrible MCAT score and terrible activities. But a really bad personal statement can probably keep you out of medical school even with some good stats.

[23:25] #1: Understand how long it takes to write a personal statement.

Too many students go through the application cycle in May, which is when the cycle opens. But a lot of students will wait until the application service opens up to write their personal statement. They will just write it in the box of the application.

Expect your first draft to be terrible. Put it aside and sit on it. Have a couple of drinks. Think about it and send it to someone for feedback. Come back to it and look at it with fresh eyes. Redo it all and send it all again for feedback. Put it in the drawer again and come back to it again with fresh eyes.

You’re going to go through this process over and over again until you come to your final draft. It takes many drafts to get to a really, really good personal statement.

For more help with your personal statement, grab a copy of my book The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement .

[25:10] #2: Understand who you are and what your motivations are behind becoming a physician.

The personal statement is an essay about your journey to medical school. What experiences have you had that have led you to this knowing that you want to be a physician?

Start now and start thinking about the most memorable experiences that you’ve had and what really drove you to want to be a physician.

Start writing down things you’ve done in the past, influences that you’ve had, and mentors you’ve had to find out what you should be writing about in your personal statement.

[27:05] #3: There are three different application services to medical school.

The AMCAS is for most MD medical schools. AACOMAS is for most DO medical schools. TMDSAS covers the public MD and DO schools in Texas.

There are three different application services with three different personal statements. 

The Texas application service has a character count of 5000, this is 300 characters less. You’re going to have to tweak your personal statement if you’re applying to both AMCAS or AACOMAS and TMDSAS.

[28:35]  Should you write a DO-specific personal statement?

No. Especially with the AACOMAS changing the character count for 2019, they’re probably not expecting big changes between your MD personal statement and your DO personal statement.

For the DO personal statement, you’re still writing why you want to be a doctor, not why you want to be an osteopathic physician? You can explain this in your secondary applications later on. You can talk about what motivates you to be an osteopathic physician.

**If you are only applying to DO schools, then you can tweak it to be a more DO-specific personal statement. 

But the caveat to this is don’t just write “osteopathic physician” everywhere you would just write “physician.” You need to really show the differences and your experiences with osteopathic medicine to make it a DO-specific personal statement.

[30:06] #5: It’s not a creative writing piece.

I’ve seen “creative writing” personal statements and 99% of them miss the mark of what their goal is. The goal is to show the reader why you want to be a physician. 

Sometimes, you can still get into medical school in spite of a bad personal statement. But it’s not a creative writing piece.

[30:50] #6: It’s not a sales letter.

It’s not an argumentative paper on why you think you’re going to be an amazing physician. Your job is not to show all of the things you’ve done and how they correlate so well with being a physician. 

You may have shadowed. You may have clinical experience and know what a hospital smells like. But until you have patients under your watch, you have no idea what it’s like to be a physician. So don’t try to claim that you do.

Don’t try to compare what you’ve done in the past and what you’re doing now to what you’re going to do in the future. Don’t try to show them that you’re going to be an amazing physician.

[31:55] #7: There’s nothing unique about you.

There’s a common piece of advice going around to find what’s unique about you and write about that. And I personally think this is crap. It’s not true. There’s nothing unique about you.

What is unique about you is your viewpoint and your story behind your experiences. You’re not going to find unique experiences. Otherwise, when you tell them about what’s unique about you, you end up selling yourself which brings us back to the point before this.

[33:15] #8: Don’t worry about being cliché.

Write about your journey to being a physician. An admissions committee member wants to understand why you want to be a physician. So write about that.

It’s very common to have a very similar story to many other students who are on this journey with you. That doesn’t mean you go out and try to be completely different and write an essay that is completely off the wall.

The personal statement is a very powerful essay on your journey to wanting to be a physician. Don’t screw it up by trying to get too creative because you think your journey is either too common, too cliché, or too boring.

Talk about your journey. Show everything you’ve been through and really let that leader understand your motivations for wanting to be a physician.

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Reapplying to Medical School: What to Change?

Benjamin Mittman

Are you reapplying to medical school after an unsuccessful cycle and are looking for advice? We are here to help! Although it may feel disappointing and stressful to go through a long cycle all over again, keep in mind that you are in the majority. Each year less than half of medical school applicants are accepted. According to the AAMC , reapplicants constitute a significant proportion of the total applicant pool each year. This means that you are not at a major disadvantage as a reapplicant. In fact, by repackaging your application you are showing medical schools your perseverance and growth. Here we will discuss how best to repackage your application to maximize your chances of success during a reapplication cycle, focusing on aspects of your application to change and how to do so.

Reapplying to Medical School at the Right Time

This first piece of advice, while not about the content of your application, is perhaps the most important. The application cycle proceeds on a rolling basis. Therefore applying at the right time will ensure that you put your best foot forward and receive a thorough application review by admissions committees before they become inundated with thousands of applications. Timing must be balanced between allowing enough time to revise your application and make it as strong as possible and applying early enough that you are competing for a large number of spots with a relatively smaller applicant pool.

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The best timing will vary slightly for everyone, but a few general rules apply broadly. First, aim to submit your primary application as soon as possible after it opens, but without sacrificing quality. In 2024, the AMCAS will open on May 2nd, and submission will begin on May 30th . One month should be plenty of time to complete the AMCAS, especially if you’ve started early. Begin writing your personal statement and organizing your activities section early in the year. If you need more time, it’s okay to submit in June. But you should wait no more than a couple of weeks and should certainly submit before July.

Secondary applications should have a turnaround time of two weeks. Rather than cramming dozens of essays in a short span, use two strategies to minimize your turnaround without sacrificing quality. First, pre-write your essays based on prompts from prior years which are widely available online. Second, evaluate your school list and make sure you are applying to a reasonable number of schools. Trying to write 50 secondary applications in the span of a month is a recipe for disaster.

Revisit Your School List

Speaking of your school list , our next tip is to think carefully about which schools you will apply to before you begin the new cycle. As noted above, applying to too many schools often handicaps students by overwhelming the secondary application phase. When it comes to essays, remember quality over quantity. That being said, given the competitive nature of med school applications, a certain amount is needed to improve your chances of getting at least one acceptance.

A good rule of thumb is that 10-12 schools are a good minimum and 16-20 is the sweet spot. Climbing above 25-30 risks overwhelming your time and writing abilities. Also, you can do yourself a huge favor by ridding yourself of the concept of “safety” and “reach” schools. Although these apply to college applications, medical school applications are uniformly competitive, drawing the best students nationwide. Therefore, it is a better idea to focus on your fit with individual programs which involves a holistic review of more than just stats. You should aim to find the schools that most closely align with your curricular, research, personal, and other goals.

Identify Weak Spots

Before you attempt to revise your primary application, it is crucial that you assess it honestly and critically. Ideally, this process should be done with the help of your pre-health advisor or a trusted mentor. You may feel that you were unsuccessful due to bad luck or poor timing, but all applicants (even those who are successful) will have weaker areas of their application that could benefit from thoughtful revision.

Perhaps you had a lower GPA or MCAT score. Although not easy fixes by any means, these are straightforward to address. If warranted, re-taking the MCAT or enrolling in postbaccalaureate courses are excellent ways of boosting your stats. If, on the other hand, you are lacking clinical or research hours , you may need to seek out additional volunteer or work experiences. Admissions committees value efforts to complete and balance your application, even if research isn’t your primary focus.

When Reapplying to Medical School, Be Sure to Craft a Compelling Story

As a reapplicant, you are tasked with telling a story about why are applying to medical school again and what motivates you to persevere. Schools encounter thousands of reapplicants each year, so they are looking for narratives that stand out among the crowd. Explaining what and how you improved in your application is a big part of this story, but meaningful reflection is also essential and vastly underappreciated. Why are you a better applicant this time? What did you discover about yourself during the unsuccessful cycle? How did you determine what needed to be improved? How did you enact these changes, and what challenges did you face along the way? What lessons did you learn from failure and/or growth that can be applied to medical school and clinical practice?

Redo Your Personal Statement When Reapplying to Medical School

Your personal statement is the primary means by which you communicate your story in narrative form. It is also a crucial element that requires significant change for reapplicants to succeed. The overarching theme and messages of your personal statement can remain the same, especially if you aim to show consistency of character, but improvement in qualifications. However, you should use different anecdotes and examples and modify the overall structure as needed. Additionally, scrutinize for distracting typos, grammatical errors, or stylistic issues in the essay. Attention to detail is a highly valued skill in medicine. Be sure to demonstrate this skill in all of your essays, especially your personal statement.

Reevaluate your Recommendation Letters

Evaluating your recommendation letters is a tricky step because their content is hidden from applicants. What we really mean is to think about how well each of your letter writers knew you. A longer and more meaningful connection will yield a better and less generic letter. As a reapplicant, success hinges on showcasing your excellence and unique contributions to create a diverse class. It is best to keep the letters that you believe are the strongest, and either remove or replace those that are likely the weakest

Furthermore, if you have had a significant new experience since your previous application cycle, you should include a letter from your new mentor or supervisor if possible. Admissions committees will want to hear directly from whoever oversaw your recent year(s) of additional experiences, which hopefully involved both personal and academic/professional growth.

Update Work and Activities Section

The final revision, the work and activities section, should be straightforward.  Basically, leave all minor entries the same (except for grammatical/stylistic improvements) and add anything relevant that you have done recently or originally excluded. Regarding your most meaningful experiences, most will find it best to only change one of them by replacing the least important or interesting one with the main new activity you undertook since your last cycle. The consistency of your application will be apparent to readers if you add a new “most meaningful experience” entry and recommendation letter that correspond with one another.

As you approach a new cycle, remember to be proud of yourself for your perseverance and commitment to medicine. If you acknowledge your prior mistakes or shortcomings and honestly explain how you’ve addressed them, you will win a lot of points in the eyes of admissions committees who are looking for just such qualities in future physicians. But, do put your best foot forward and emphasize your improvements above all else. In addition to developing a superior application, the best thing you can do to make your next cycle a success is to maintain confidence, optimism, and patience. Good luck!

For more help with your application, essay writing and editing, or retaking the MCAT, consider enlisting the help of an Elite Medical Prep tutor! Schedule your complimentary consultation today to learn more about how we can help you succeed!

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Reapplying to Medical School

Ohio state offers advice for those reapplying to medical school. learn more about your portfolio and reusing your personal statement..

Finding out that your medical school application was rejected can be discouraging. Before you reapply, ask yourself some tough questions: When you imagine yourself in that white coat, what aspect of being a physician leaves you feeling good inside? Is it the fulfillment of a deep desire to help others by curing, treating and preventing illness? Is it the high esteem in which doctors are held, or imagining how proud your family will be?

Although your time in medical school and residency training can be exhilarating and life-affirming, it can also be exhausting. You’re making a commitment to years of sacrifice and service — so be sure your motivation will sustain you on this journey.

If you’re confident that you want to be a doctor, then hold your head high and reapply. Know that you aren’t alone: Many current physicians were once in your place before experiencing the joy of ultimately gaining acceptance to medical school.  Every year, Ohio State accepts about 200 future doctors into medical school and, because there are far more applicants than there are seats in a class, some of these students will inevitably be repeat applicants.

As you reapply, here are some tips for success based on the experiences of repeat applicants.

Reapplying to medical school

Ask the question: Where did I go wrong in my medical school application?

Now’s not the time to be shy. It’s your responsibility to find out why you were rejected. Consider reaching out to your premedical advisor to discuss your possible shortcomings:

• Did you apply late in the cycle? 
• Did you present an application that was light on community service or research? 
• Are your GPA and MCAT scores competitive? 
• Did your essay make it clear that you’re passionate about becoming a physician?
• Did you convey to the admissions committee that you are well-rounded?
• Did your communication style fail to impress the interview committee?

Consider contacting the schools that rejected you, and ask for their advice on ways to strengthen your application. Draft a plan with their input, and then — and this is important to avoid insulting the school that took time to counsel you —  follow that plan .

An example: A rejected applicant met with an adviser to go over his application. It was clear that his undergraduate GPA was the problem. He had excellent experiences, including volunteer, community service, leadership and research. His MCAT score was only slightly lower than the school's average. His interview performance hadn’t been stellar, but it wasn’t bad either, and he would have had a significant chance of being offered an acceptance were it not for his low grades. The admissions committee liked him overall but was concerned that he would not be able to handle the medical school curriculum.

The adviser suggested he enter a one-year master's degree program in biomedical science, retake the MCAT and wait to reapply until he had completed the full year of graduate study. While this route would delay his medical school matriculation by two years, it would also significantly improve his chance of acceptance. Performing well in the courses, with at least a 3.5 GPA, would prove to admissions committees that he had the cognitive ability to master graduate-level biological science work — and studying these graduate science courses would also be excellent preparation for the MCAT.

Seeking advice is the first step, and following it can be the difference between achieving a goal and continuing to daydream about it.

Take time to positively impact your portfolio before you reapply to medical school

Think twice before reapplying immediately. The reason you weren’t offered an acceptance is because medical schools perceived shortcomings in your application. Most shortcomings are remediable and, given proper emphasis, your weaknesses can become strengths.

You want it to be obvious to anyone reading your file that you made a turnaround. To maximize the chances of giving off this perception, you must allow enough time before reapplying. This may prove to be the hardest part of the process, but be patient — if you rush it, you may join the ranks of those who are applying for a third time.

If your plan is to improve your chances by engaging in a meaningful research project, and you obtain a full-time research assistant position the summer after your unsuccessful attempt, wait at least one year before reapplying. One year of full-time, meaningful research is very powerful, and you may have the opportunity to present your research at a meeting — or, more impressively, co-author a scientific publication.

Even if you don’t publish or present at a national meeting, performing research for one solid year will give you plenty to discuss during your interview. If you reapply immediately the next cycle, you’ll still be too new in the research lab to have developed a sound knowledge of what you’re doing.

Another example: Say you were on a medical school waiting list until a week before classes started in August before you were finally rejected. You decide, with the school's input, that a higher MCAT score will make you competitive. Some candidates in this position retake the MCAT the very next time it is offered so they can reapply the very next cycle. But with this rushed approach, it’s unlikely that your MCAT score would improve much. It would be wiser to forget about the next cycle and plan to take the MCAT in January or the next spring after months of preparation, possibly including a formal MCAT prep course or a course or two in advanced biology that will hone your skills at problem-solving and reading comprehension. Then, apply the following summer for an entering class two years after your rejection.  

Another option you can pursue is an  online degree  to supplement your knowledge in area you are interested and passionate in. An online degree can give you the flexibility to earn a degree while participating in other activities such as research or clinical experience to supplement your application. Don’t get discouraged with the additional time it may take to pursue your goals. Everyone has 24 hours in a day — what you do with your time is what is important.

Can you reuse your personal statement for medical school when you reapply?

As a reapplicant, you must change something. You don't want to be a “boomerang applicant” — someone who responds to a rejection by simply sending out the same application the very next cycle. This is disrespectful to the medical school to which you are applying, and gives the impression that you don’t care about the process. It’s also a missed opportunity to show what you’ve learned. Even if you don’t apply to the same medical school, the admissions committee will likely know that you were unsuccessful the last time around.

You have an excellent opportunity here to take the negative and turn it into a positive. Consider these questions in your revised personal statement:

• Since being rejected from medical school, what did you learn about your perceived shortcomings?
• What have you done to improve upon them?
• In the interval between your medical school rejection and your reapplication, what did you learn about yourself?

Maybe you learned that you’re a person of great resilience and persistence — someone who simply won’t give up on their dreams. All of this is great material for your essay. Use it.

Many applicants in this position never mention that they were rejected the first time around. Some mistakenly think medical school reviewers are unaware of this fact, and if you don't mention it, they’ll never know. Most of the time they’ll know. In fact, if you’re reapplying to the same school, they’ll likely review your old application and your new application side by side to see what you’ve improved upon.

So step up to the plate, bare your feelings about being rejected, and paint a picture of how you methodically went about improving your portfolio. The admissions committee likely will be impressed.

Use the interview to show how you have improved as a medical school reapplicant

Should you receive an interview, you can be sure that you’ll be asked about your medical school rejection. If you’ve followed the advice above, this is the time to talk about it.

It’s uplifting to hear a reapplicant describe how they methodically went about preparing to reapply. When you describe how you contacted the schools that rejected your application to find out where you went wrong, you sound mature — someone who’s on a mission and won’t let one bump along the way stop them. Talk about how you drafted a new plan and put it into action.

Show them your persistence, determination and commitment to your goal of becoming a physician.

Helpful Links

• American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

For help with any step along the way, contact: Office of Admissions The Ohio State University College of Medicine 614-292-7137 [email protected]

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Reapplying to Medical School: How to Excel the 2nd Time Around

Padya Paramita

May 12, 2020

It’s become a notoriously well-known fact that gaining admission to medical school is incredibly tough. In the 2019-2020 cycle, only 41% of applicants actually matriculated into any MD and DO institution. So, if you weren’t accepted on your first try, you’re definitely not alone. Now, you’re considering reapplying to medical school . Without a doubt, you’ve got to work extremely hard on your application materials in order to convince admissions committees that you do have what it takes to grow into a capable physician. 

There are many possible reasons behind an applicant being denied admission to medical school the first time: low GPA or MCAT score, unsatisfactory performance in the interview round, late AMCAS submission, or essays that might not have been compelling. To guide you through how to turn your luck around as you prepare for reapplying to medical school , we’ve provided a bigger picture of how many students apply and reapply, discussed how admissions committees view reapplicants, and gone over the factors that you should reconsider to make sure your application makes it to the “yes” pile.

What the Data Looks Like for Reapplicants

One of the biggest questions reapplicants have is what their chances look like and how successful those in their shoes have been in the past. Although there’s no specific data for how many reapplicants are ultimately accepted by MD programs, the AAMC states that during the 2018 application cycle, 38,483 (73%) were first-time applicants, and 14,294 (27%) were reapplicants. So, there is still a pretty significant number of students who want another shot at their medical school dreams. 

As a candidate who is reapplying to medical school , you’re not only in competition with first time applicants, but you also have the added pressure of being compared to students who are in the same position as you when going through the process all over again. So it makes sense that most pre-med committees at prestigious universities encourage applicants to not reapply the immediate cycle after which they’ve been rejected by medical schools. For example, Brown states , “ Before you re-apply, carefully consider the factors which did not enable you to gain admission during your first application. Evaluate your previous application and ensure that you address areas that may not have been the strongest before you reapply.”

So, you must take time to really reflect on where you went wrong and work hard to improve in those areas instead of rushing to submit only a few months after you’ve just received your admissions decision. 

How Do Admissions Offices View Reapplicants?

If you’re reapplying to medical school , it’s understandable that you’re wondering whether submitting your profile a second time puts you at a disadvantage with admissions committees. The straightforward answer is no — but know that you will need to show concrete improvement. Obviously, it will not benefit you to upload the exact same application that you did the first time — you will unfortunately find yourself with more nos. Admissions committees expect reapplicants to have reevaluated where they went wrong or could have improved. They want your file to convey how you have strengthened your profile in terms of clinical experience, increased volunteering hours, and whether you’ve further reflected on why medicine appeals to you and repositioned your personal statement to demonstrate your dedication to medicine.

More importantly, it’s essential that instead of trying to spread yourself across all of these areas, you reflect on exactly where your application needs boosting. If you’ve got enough volunteering experience, focus on research or patient interaction. When admissions committees note that you’re reapplying to medical school , they want to see development.

Hear from a Reapplicant on How to Get it Right the Second Time!

How to excel the second time around.

As you look through your first application and think about how to boost your candidacy, it’s time to start reflecting on where you might have gone wrong last time. Hopefully you’ve still got your essays, school list, and MCAT information as you formulate your reapplication plan. Go through each component and keep the following steps in mind.

Re-Evaluate Your School List

It may seem obvious but when it comes to reapplying to medical school, you need to think about where you applied and how that played into your admissions decisions. If you only applied to 10 medical schools, that is not enough to bolster your chances. Students usually send their file to 25-30 institutions to make sure they’ve fully maximized their odds. Given the competitiveness to get into any institute at all, there really is no “safety” per se in the medical school application world. However, if you only applied to only Ivies or top 10 schools, you should definitely expand your list— and to be on the safe side, it could be wise to consider DO and Caribbean institutions as well. Look at your profile and be realistic about what is in reach for you.

DO schools bring a unique philosophy to the table, and it might be that the programs that you applied to initially did not resonate with your particular approach to medicine. Not all students fit every medical institution. If you believe that you are more invested in holistic care of the body, thus aligning with the DO philosophy, strategize your list accordingly.  As you take a year or two to regroup, put some time and effort into really researching each school and what it looks for from students — both in terms of numbers and extracurriculars, but also in personality and character. 

Think Critically About Your Numbers

The bottom line is, many applicants to not get admitted the first time around because their academic profile isn’t up to par. Numbers are definitely very important in helping admissions committees determine your fit for a school. If your GPA isn’t up to the mark, you should take post bac courses, particularly science classes, to boost your scores. If your MCAT is in the low 500s, this is also a circumstance in which you have to retake the exam before reapplying to medical school . Analyze the data for admitted students of programs that interest you. Unless you have an extremely compelling story, or your personal statement blows the reader away — and perhaps even then — your stats should meet or exceed the average numbers. 

Think About Filters Placed by Medical Schools

If you’re wondering whether or not you have to change your activities and experiences section, note that you can include the same activities — but think about adding new ones as well to show admissions committees that you haven’t remained complacent. You should also consider rewording and updating the previous descriptions to include more details of your involvement. Prioritize tangible achievements and quantitative data so that the reader can get a sense of your dedication and what you accomplished. 

As you look over this section, reflect on where you lacked experience the first time around. What can you add to your profile that can help genuinely boost your candidacy? Think about the core competencies for entering medical students as recommended by the AAMC :

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Oral Communication
• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement
• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Scientific Inquiry
• Written Communication
• Living Systems
• Human Behavior

You definitely don’t need experiences that meet all 15 of these. But your profile must demonstrate your capabilities through your activities. Some medical schools have filters that check whether candidates meet extracurricular requirements in terms of shadowing, research, and volunteering. If you had a lot of volunteering hours the first time around, it wouldn’t be strategic to spend the majority of your time doing the same thing. Instead, take a step back and consider whether you had enough experience when it came to research or shadowing. If you already had research on your file, try and see whether you can get an article published in a journal. Or, you can focus more on shadowing and see whether you can find any experiences specifically surrounding your specialty of interest. Admissions committees want to see that you’ve actively taken steps to improve — so don’t consider your extracurriculars perfect and move on without consideration of where you can grow.

Alongside meeting the filters through increased involvement, think carefully about how you’re spending your time. Don’t just blindly do what others are doing and shadow a random doctor or say yes to the first research opportunity that emails you back. Tailor these experiences to your specific interests. If you’re drawn to pediatrics and your entire application theme surrounds working with children, it wouldn’t make sense for you to suddenly start working with elderly patients. Think about how you can stand out among the competition. 

Rewrite Your Personal Statement

A crucial part of reapplying to medical school is rewriting your personal statement. No matter how good you think it must have been the last time, remember that admissions officers want to see growth. Because you’re still the same person, your values and reasoning behind wanting a career in medicine can and should remain the same, otherwise the reader may question your authenticity. However, the anecdotes you use should be different — help admissions committees understand you better and get a clearer picture of why you’re an applicant who has the potential to become a wonderful physician. Plus, admissions committee members always want to know who you are today — you need to update your essay to be relevant and reflect who you are in the present.

Practice Your Interview Skills

If you had received multiple interview requests last time but ended up not receiving acceptance letters from any medical school, signs point to a need of better interview prep. Go over common questions asked by medical school interviews as well as different formats through which schools host these conversations so that you’re ready for individual interviews, group ones, as well as MMIs. Revise any answers you believe could have been more nuanced last time, such as your reason behind wishing to become a doctor, what you like about a particular program, and the unique perspective you can bring to the school. Once you reach the interview phase, you are so close. Do everything you can to make sure that you’re setting yourself up for success.

Submit Your Application Earlier

Last but not the least, remember that timing can make all the difference in terms of how admissions committees read your application. You should aim to submit your application as soon as the AMCAS is open for submission. If you’re applying in the 2020-21 cycle, you’ve probably heard that the AMCAS will transmit all files on July 10. So, you should aim to send in your primary application materials two weeks before the 10th so that the AMCAS can process your documents and send it to schools to be read at the top of the pile. When it comes to secondary applications, make sure you send your responses within the recommended two-week turnaround. With a process this cutthroat, the little things can also make all the difference.

The road to medical school is far from easy. If you are 100% sure that this is where you see yourself in the future, don’t lose hope after being denied the first time around. Even though you might have worked hard during your last admissions cycle, when you’re reapplying to medical school , you’ve got to step up even further. It’s time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start reflecting on how you can convince the admissions committees that you were made for this profession. Good luck!

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Reapplying to Medical School: What to Know and Do

T he idea of having to reapply to medical school may feel like one of the lowest lows for premedical students. But if you find yourself in this situation, take a deep breath and remember that thousands of applicants who had to reapply to med school are now pursuing their dream of practicing medicine.

With honest self-reflection, you will be able to chart a path forward, determine if medicine is truly right for you and improve your application to maximize your chances of admission the second time around. In so doing, a few steps are worth considering. 

Step 1: Consider Why Your Application Was Unsuccessful

The successful med school reapplicant must understand what went wrong with the first application. A constructive exercise is listing reasons why your application might have been unsuccessful and planning strategies to address identified deficiencies.

A second set of objective eyes, and maybe a third and fourth, can be hugely helpful in identifying areas of weakness. Ask family and friends that know you, but also ask qualified folk who know the intricacies of medical school applications . Think doctors, professors, premed advisers, etc. 

Certain medical schools may even provide targeted feedback for individual applications and can be helpful sources of information with suggestions for improvement. Be mindful that while some schools are open to this, others expressly forbid this practice. Always research each school individually before contacting them. 

Step 2: Assess if You Need to Improve Your Academic Record  

In most cases, a weaker academic record is the main reason for a med school rejection. Among applicants to U.S. M.D-granting schools with an MCAT score between 502-505 and a cumulative GPA of 3.4-3.59, only 26.1% were accepted from 2020-2021 through 2022-2023, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. You can check acceptance rates for your own stats using AAMC’s FACTS table A-23 .

Before you reapply, research each school you applied to and/or would like to reapply to and list their average GPA and MCAT scores in an Excel sheet. AAMC’s MSAR database is helpful. Honest self-reflection is especially crucial here. If you fall below the average of each school you applied to, and particularly if you fall below the lower quartile of schools (if they publish that information), this is likely the culprit. 

If your MCAT falls in the lower range for a school, an improved score is likely to be your best bet at a successful reapplication. If your GPA is the culprit, enrolling in a postbaccalaureate program or a master’s program to demonstrate your academic abilities can significantly help. If you plan to reapply with low numbers, you will need something else very compelling about you to make admissions committees consider inviting you to interview. 

Your GPA and MCAT statistics do not define you, your worth or your ability to become an outstanding physician. However, with many more applicants than available seats, medical schools use these figures to narrow down applications. Quickly reapplying without addressing a weak academic record is unlikely to be successful and frequently results in loss of a year and a significant financial burden. 

Step 3: Write a New and Improved Personal Statement

The personal statement is a rare opportunity to demonstrate to admissions committees that you are a strong candidate beyond the numbers. Make yourself truly jump off the page and separate your application from your competitors.

Committees will know that you didn't receive an acceptance the first time; don't hide it. Instead, acknowledge this reality. Demonstrate how you have improved from the experience, how your application reflects improvement and how motivated you are to continue pursuing medicine. If you plan to do a full rewrite, don’t neglect prior areas of strength in your old essay.

Step 4: Assess if Extracurricular Components Are Missing From Your Application  

At times, applicants don’t have enough experience in patient-facing activities to demonstrate convincingly to committees that they know what medicine is really like. This could happen if applicants switched to premed late in their college years and applied soon after switching, or if an applicant focused solely on academic efforts and didn’t spend enough time getting meaningful exposure to clinical medicine through volunteering , working in a hospital, shadowing or clinical research.

Experience in the clinical realm can solidify your decision to pursue medicine, reassure admissions committees that you know what you are getting into and serve as a source of meaningful content for a stronger personal statement.

Step 5: Perfect Your Interview Technique and Talking Points

The interview is your last opportunity to demonstrate to medical schools that their upcoming class is better with you in it – that you offer unique experiences, viewpoints and abilities and that you will represent their school well as an alumnus. If you received multiple interviews but no acceptances your first time applying, it is especially crucial to focus on interview skills and reflect honestly on what may have deterred committees from offering you a spot. 

After submitting your primary and secondary applications , interview preparation should be your primary focus. Practice, practice, practice! Do multiple mock interviews with medical professionals, professors, advisers or anyone experienced in interviewing students who can provide specific feedback.

Practice answering each kind of potential interview question: behavioral, research , ethics , personal application questions, etc. With each type of question, know how you will draw on experiences or events in your life to answer and how you will highlight strong points of your application to the interviewer in your answer.

If there are weak points in your application, know that these will frequently be brought up by interviewers. In preparing for your interviews, there is a careful balance – you do not want your answers to sound so smooth that they sound rehearsed, but you want to practice so that you can confidently and clearly articulate your ideas. 

Planning for reapplication to medical school may seem daunting, but as you begin to implement your plan you will likely find that it’s not as overwhelming as it seems. Rushing to reapply in the next admissions cycle without improving your application will likely produce the same result as the first time.

Deferring enrollment for more than a year is a challenging thought, but in many cases it may be the most efficient path to a med school acceptance and a rewarding career in medicine.

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• Reapplying To Medical School

If you didn't get into Medical School this year, you might be able to reapply for next year. Here's everything you need to know about reapplying for Medicine.

Reapplying For Medicine

• Find out which medical schools accept reapplications
• Discover how to reapply for Medicine
• Tips to improve your application

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This guide outlines the medical schools that accept reapplications and the steps you should follow to reapply – plus tips to help you improve your application.

Where Can I Reapply?

Certain universities allow candidates to reapply for Medicine if they were unsuccessful previously. This table lists what the university websites currently say about reapplying, where details are available. For the most accurate, up-to-date information, you should always contact the medical school directly and check with them.

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How Do I Reapply For Medicine?

If you’ve applied to medical school before, you still need to register with UCAS again. The username and password that you previously used won’t work, so you’ll need to create a new account.

The rest of the application process is the same – you need to sit the UCAT (your score from last year won’t count), submit a personal statement and select your medical school choices . When making your choices, double-check which Medical Schools allow reapplications, because you don’t want to waste an application choice!

Don’t forget to update your personal statement from last year, e.g. with any new work experience or volunteering experience you now have and with information on how you have made the most of your gap year.

If you’re resitting any A-Levels, remember to include your new predicted A-Level grades in your application – and only apply to medical schools which will accept your A-Level resits .

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How Can I Improve My Application This Time?

If you didn’t get into med school last time, you’ll naturally want to improve your application and boost your chances of getting in this time. Some universities specifically ask that reapplicants show new evidence of improvement in their application.

Ways of improving your application could include:

Resit your A-levels

If you were disappointed with your A-Level results, you might want to resit them. With some subjects, you might even have the option to only retake specific units. You could also choose to revise independently, without going back to lessons, and sit the exam at your school in the summer.

Speak to your teachers about which option is best for you, considering your grades – and make sure you check medical school A-Level resit policies, because some might not consider your application if you are resitting.

Improve your work experience

Getting more work experience is a great way to make the most of your gap year, add more to your personal statement and strengthen your application. The admissions team want to see that you’re eager to study Medicine and wants to make sure you understand what it means to be a doctor.

You could also consider a Medicine summer school , which will provide you with placements and practical experience.

Do extra prep for the UCAT

If you aren’t studying for all of your A-Levels this year, you should have some more time to prepare for admissions tests. Make the most of this time to maximise your UCAT prep and try to boost your score!

Practise for interviews

Start your interview prep early (if you get an invite, you might find you only have a small window to get ready) and familiarise yourself with common interview questions and the NHS hot topics which often come up. You’ll have to improve your interview skills to stand out amongst a large pool of applicants.

Alternative Options

Finally, if reapplying to Medicine doesn’t seem to be a viable option anymore or if you’re unsuccessful on the second attempt, you can consider existing alternatives.

Explore Related Healthcare Programs

If you’re still passionate for healthcare, you may wish to explore related programs such as Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, Nursing, or Physiotherapy. These programs offer valuable knowledge and skills that can lead to rewarding careers in the healthcare field.

Consider Medicine Programs Abroad

Another option is to explore studying Medicine in other countries. Many countries offer medical programs taught in English, and some may have different admission requirements or more available spots for international students.

Look Into Graduate Entry Medicine Programs

Some UK universities offer Graduate Entry Medicine program s, which are designed for students who have already completed a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Students can pursue a relevant undergraduate degree and then apply for these programs.

FAQ: Reapplying To Medical School

Can you reapply to medical school uk.

Yes, most UK medical school allow you to reapply without issues. Note that some schools, however, do not accept reapplications f a student was rejected after an interview. Refer to the table above for details on each individual UK medical school.

How many times can you apply for Medicine?

Generally, there is no limit on the number of times you can reapply to study Medicine. However, dedicating multiple years of your life to reapplications, tests and preparations may negatively impact your professional and personal development, so set a personal ‘limit’ for yourself and stick to it.

Can I re-use my admissions test results?

No, none of your previous admissions test results, such as the UCAT, would be valid (except for school qualifications like A-levels, GCSEs, IB, etc.) You will need to resit the required tests. However, there are some qualifications that are valid for multiple years (for example, IELTs for foreign students), so make sure to check how long your results are valid for.

Can I reapply to medical school after dropping out?

It is extremely unlikely for a medical school to consider someone who had studied Medicine in the past but failed to complete the course. In case of struggles during the programme, it’s recommended to temporarily suspend studies, extend your time limit or transfer to another school instead of fully dropping out (that is, if you still intend to do Medicine in the future).

Do medical schools accept gap years?

Yes, many medical school accept gap year students, especially if you spent that time developing your skills and growing your interest in Medicine (which you should typically be able to demonstrate).

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Medical School A-Level Resit Policies

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What’s A Good GPA For Grad School? How To Get In

Published: Mar 26, 2024, 4:18pm

Applying to grad school can be stressful, especially if your undergraduate GPA could be higher. But there’s good news—you don’t need a 4.0 to get into grad school.

What’s a good GPA for grad school? It depends on the school and program. In general, graduate schools look for a minimum 3.0 GPA, but programs admit applicants with lower GPAs, too.

Grades aren’t the only way grad schools measure applicants. You also submit letters of recommendation and college essays , among other materials that can help you stand out. By doing your research and strengthening other areas of your application, you can get into grad school without a high GPA.

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What GPA Do You Need for Grad School?

Many grad schools require a minimum 3.0 GPA for admission, while some competitive programs may require a GPA as high as 3.5.

However, meeting the minimum GPA threshold doesn’t guarantee admission. For example, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s graduate school recommends applicants have a minimum 3.0 GPA, but the average GPA for admitted students is 3.54.

Competitive grad programs may have even higher average GPAs: For example, Harvard University ‘s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences reported a 3.8 average undergraduate GPA for fall 2023 graduate students. Many prestigious M.B.A. programs report the average undergraduate GPA for new grad students is 3.5 or higher.

Less competitive programs regularly admit students with lower GPAs , especially those whose applications highlight other aspects of their achievements.

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How do grad school admissions officers evaluate applicants.

Grades aren’t the only factor grad school admissions officers consider when evaluating applicants. Ultimately, the admissions process aims to find students who will succeed in grad school. You can show your preparation for graduate-level coursework in several ways.

Elements outside GPA that play a role in grad school admissions decisions include:

• Standardized Test Scores: High scores on tests like the GRE or GMAT can boost your chance of admissions. For test-optional graduate programs, consider submitting scores if you have a lower GPA.
• Experience: Some programs require applicants to have research or work experience, so explain how your previous jobs or research opportunities have prepared you for the program in your statement of purpose.
• Letters of Recommendation: Recommendation letters speak to your viability for grad school, which makes them a valuable tool for admissions officers. When choosing recommenders, ask faculty or work supervisors who can provide specific examples of your academic and professional strengths.
• Statement of Purpose: Your statement of purpose explains your preparation for grad school, why you will fit into the program and what you plan to do with your graduate degree.
• Undergraduate Transcripts: Admissions officers look for more than grades in your transcript. They want to see which courses you took, whether you meet prerequisite requirements and whether your transcripts show improvement over time.

How To Get Into Grad School With a Low GPA

Strengthening your application with research experience, work history or standardized test scores can help you stand out even with a lower GPA. You can also take graduate courses to demonstrate that you can succeed in advanced classes. Finally, if you thrive in interview settings, consider programs that incorporate interviews with faculty or admissions officers to showcase your strengths.

Here are some considerations for getting into grad school with a low GPA:

Apply To Grad Schools With Lower GPA Requirements

Instead of applying to grad programs that require a minimum 3.0 to 3.5 GPA, consider applying to programs with lower grade point average requirements. Additionally, some programs offer conditional or provisional admission for applicants who do not meet GPA minimums. If you qualify for provisional admission, you must usually earn a B or higher in your graduate classes to stay enrolled.

Research or Work Experience

Work or research experience can help you stand out despite a low GPA. While enrolled as an undergraduate, consider internship or volunteer opportunities in your field to build relevant skills. For research-intensive areas, ask faculty in your department about research assistant positions or undergraduate thesis options.

Letters of Recommendation

Strong letters of recommendation can make up for a lower GPA. Think strategically about who to ask for a recommendation letter. Professors who can speak to your academic strengths can reassure grad programs that you’re ready for advanced coursework. If you have full-time professional experience, ask supervisors who can speak to your work ethic and leadership potential.

Personal Statement

A strong grad school admission essay can help you stand out. Explain how the program will help you achieve your goals. Mention specific faculty members and their research to show the direct connection between the department and your aspirations.

Consider addressing your GPA as you explain your preparation for grad school. For example, if circumstantial impacts like bereavement or medical issues negatively affected your GPA, you can explain these situations in your statement.

Professional Experience

Fields like business emphasize professional experience in the admissions process. In your statement of purpose, showcase your work experience and the specific skills you’ve developed that relate to your grad program. You can also detail how the skills and knowledge you gain as you earn the degree will help you advance your career after graduation.

Strong Entrance Exam Scores

Some graduate programs require standardized test scores. Whether you take the GRE, GMAT, LSAT or another exam, high scores can strengthen your application if you have lower grades.

Adequate preparation is essential to getting high test scores. Give yourself ample time to prepare by creating a schedule to incorporate daily practice for several weeks or months, which can help you build and review test-specific knowledge. Find study guides or courses that prepare you for the test. Take practice tests to understand exam structure, pacing and question formats.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About GPAs for Grad School

What is a good gpa for grad school.

Many graduate programs require a minimum 3.0 GPA for admissions. More competitive programs generally admit applicants with a 3.5 GPA or higher.

What is the lowest GPA to get into grad school?

Grad schools often recommend a 3.0 GPA for admissions, but may accept candidates with a 2.5-2.9 GPA with provisional admission. If you have a lower GPA, consider retaking courses to raise your grades or take graduate courses to strengthen your application.

What are the odds of getting into grad school?

The odds of getting into grad school depend on the program and the strength of your application. If you’re interested in grad school but don’t have a high GPA, contact graduate programs for information on their admission policies.

How strict are GPA requirements for grad school?

The strictness of GPA requirements varies by institution. Some schools post a recommended GPA rather than a required minimum grade point average and evaluate applications holistically, offering conditional admissions for students who do not meet the recommended GPA. Reach out to specific programs on your list to learn more about their requirements.

What if my GPA is too low for grad school?

If your GPA is low for grad school, consider strengthening your application with standardized test scores, letters of recommendation and relevant research or work experience. You can also raise your GPA by retaking undergrad courses with low grades or taking graduate-level classes.

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Genevieve Carlton holds a Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University and earned tenure at the University of Louisville. Drawing on over 15 years of experience in higher education, Genevieve provides practical, research-based advice on college degrees, career training and other higher education topics.