Considering a Medical School Application Editing Service? Read This First.

With medical school admissions getting more competitive each year, premeds are on the hunt for the best resources to make their application stand out amongst the rest. So is it worth it to seek out a medical school application editing service? In this post, I will tell you the honest truth.

Recent numbers show that over 50,000 individuals apply to medical school each cycle. With numbers like that, there is bound to be overlaps in stats, clinical experiences, research roles, and volunteer efforts.

Don’t search for experiences specifically to make you appear “unique.” Instead, choose activities that honestly mirror who you are as a person.

To be unique to the admissions committee, you need to focus on how you write about your experiences. Additionally you want to carefully compose your personal statement and go through comprehensive preparation for your interview day.

Recent numbers show that over 50,000 individuals apply to medical school each cycle.

Applicants must explain how you impacted the experience or how it impacted you, what you learned or how you grew, and why this will make you a great student, physician, future colleague, team member, leader, etc. Sometimes it’s hard to get these sentiments on paper. I wrote drafts upon drafts of my application while getting ready to apply to medical school. I really struggled with staying within character counts, identifying where I could develop thoughts more, and how to transition from one thought or experience to another… sound familiar?

This is when I took to the internet to see if I could find a reputable medical school application editing service. I was searching for help with ironing out my written application and providing me helpful feedback. After trying multiple different services at first to compare them in three categories: quality, cost, and customer service. I very quickly found the one that I would use for my personal statement, work & activities section, secondary essays, and eventually my interview prep: MotivateMD.

I really struggled with staying within character counts, identifying where I could develop thoughts more, and how to transition from one thought or experience to another… sound familiar?

So why should you consult with MotivateMD for your medical school application editing service needs? Here’s how they match up to the competition in the three aforementioned categories:

1. Quality

Written Application Components

MotivateMD has a team of editors that consists of practicing physicians and medical students. One of their strengths is that their team has editors who are MDs, DOs, MD/MBAs, allopathic medical students, osteopathic medical students, non-traditional students, etc. If you are applying to a specific type of program, they can match you to an editor with experience in that field. When I sent them secondaries, they matched them up to editors who were actually attending the respective school so they could provide high quality and informed feedback.

The feedback I received on the content of my written work was so detailed. Not only would they highlight sections that needed attention, but they also made valuable suggestions in addition to leading questions to help with brainstorming. Having a second set of eyes on my work really helped me cut out all the non-vital details and information that were consuming the character counts (is there anyone else who can relate to struggling with the strict character counts on these essays?!).

It ultimately made me more confident that I composed my pieces well and that they were readable and relatable to a variety of audiences.

So what can a medical school application editing service help you with?

At the end of each edit, the editor also wrote down a summary of points. This included the main things to focus on improving as well as the areas that I performed well in. I loved the balance of positive reinforcement and constructive feedback that each editor provided. It ultimately made me more confident that I composed my pieces well and that they were readable and relatable to a variety of audiences. Lastly, they state that the turnaround time for essays is 2-3 days. In my experience, they are usually much faster! I have seen edits back in my inbox as quick as 8 hours but usually averages between 24-36 hours.

Interview Prep:

I quickly turned to MotivateMD when I got my first interview invite. After purchasing my first package, I was quickly scheduled for my first mock interview. They hold mock interviews seven days a week which is helpful if you have a more inflexible schedule. They were able to accommodate for me whether that be holding sessions in the evening or on the weekends.

In your first session, you will log into the virtual meeting and meet your mock interviewer. They explain to you some important points to focus on during the interview and how the mock interview process works. They then leave time to answer any questions you have prior to the start. Afterwards, they will let you know when the official mock interview has started and begin recording the session.

The mock interview portion of the call is about 30-40 minutes. I really liked this timing as all of my interviews were the same length so I was able to gauge how much I would be able to discuss in that amount of time. Afterwards, is the debriefing which can vary in length.

I cannot say enough how much this team cares about you as an applicant. After my first mock interview, my interviewer stayed on the call with me for an hour giving me such valuable feedback. This was way longer than promised by the company! The interviewer continuously asked me if I had any questions and always gave me super detailed answers and drew from personal experiences. I never felt rushed or pressured to get off the call or to hold back my questions due to time.

These people really want to see you succeed. It really shows by how much time they are willing to spend with you. They empathize with what you’re going through and give you tools and strategies for how to answer a lot of the common interview questions!

2. Cost

You will not find a better “bang for your buck.” Seriously. I have searched the internet far and wide for medical school application editing services. THIS IS A STEAL. One service that I consulted with prior to Motivate MD charged me $300 for ONE edit of my personal statement; the quality of the comments were hit or miss, and I didn’t really feel confident after taking their suggestions.

With MotivateMD, however, I felt like I was getting way more than what I paid for! Their prices make it feasible to purchase multiple edits if needed without feeling like you’re breaking the bank. Applying to medical school is expensive on its own, these services are an investment, so choose wisely. Pick a team that primarily focuses on the quality of their service. MotivateMD demonstrated this through the detailed feedback I received on written applications. And then again with the time they spent with me in mock interviews. Not to mention, constantly through the open communication with the team. But if you are looking at price alone, you won’t find a better deal than Motivate MD!

3. Customer Service

As an avid Yelper, beyond the product, customer service is something that I am always paying attention to. I’ve worked with so many of the editors between all their service. They are all so kind, supportive, good at delivering constructive feedback, and genuinely want you to succeed.

Becca Porter is the Director of Operations over at MotivateMD. She will be primarily who you communicate with outside of the editors and mock interviewers. She will be behind the emails when you contact for support or coordination of services. For example, I received an interview invite to a specific school seven days before the interview. I was able to reach out to her to see if there was a student available from that same school to hold my mock interview. Within less than 24 hours, she had communicated with the mock interviewer, confirmed their availability, and placed me in the schedule.

And this was definitely not an isolated event. I have contacted Becca for multiple little requests and she has been incredibly accommodating, patient, helpful, and quick to respond! With all the urgency that comes with applying to med school, I appreciated the timely responses! Becca, if you ever get a chance to read this, your hard work is SO evident and undeniable. You have made this one of the best customer experiences for me! Thank you for making this service so personal, supportive, and encouraging. This team is so lucky to have you leading it!

To the entire MotivateMD Team:

Thank you to all of you! When I got accepted into one of my dream medical schools, I couldn’t help but think of all the people who have supported me in this journey. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, empathy, guidance, and encouragement throughout this application cycle. While I worked hard along my premed journey, you all really helped me make those experiences shine in the best way possible. I’m so grateful for your help, premed students are so lucky to have you as a valuable resource!