How to Create Your Medical School List

I am so excited to write this post! I feel like there is a lot of misinformation out there on this topic. A lot of it discouraging information (and internet trolls cough cough, SDN, cough cough) trying to tell you where you can and can’t apply. As someone who did not have a 520 MCAT score and 3.99 GPA, I too was so bogged down by all the posts out there saying I was wasting my money applying to schools at all.

To give some background, I applied to both U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical schools through AMCAS and AACOMAS. I won’t be discussing TMDSAS or off-shore schools simply because I didn’t apply to them and therefore do not have any experience with them.

This post is all about how to create your medical school list, or list of schools you plan on applying to.

The only resources that should have a strong influence on your school list is 1) the school’s website and 2) MSAR, in that order.

If there is only one sentence in this post you read, let it be this one: The only resources that should have a strong influence on your school list is 1) the school’s website and 2) MSAR, in that order. Now I do find value in consulting a medical school application advisor or your school’s pre-health advisor. I do believe they can provide great suggestions as they are more familiar with programs since they have been through this process year-in and year-out. Your friends and parents may also want to put in their two cents. I want to remind you, this is your application. This is your life. If you don’t apply to a school, you’re the only one who will experience the “what ifs”of that decision. So take each suggestion with a grain of salt and let your final school list be your decision. You will get into zero of the schools you don’t apply to.

You will get into zero of the schools you don’t apply to.

Now that that is out of the way, let’s get into the fun part: creating your list. Here are the steps I recommend when curating your list:

Creating Your Medical School List

Medical School List Step #1: Create a Personal Mission

Holistic application reviews are real. Let me say that again. Holistic application reviews are real. The truth of the matter is, there are thousands of brilliant and accomplished individuals applying to medical school. Most applicants are academically qualified. That is why, to set yourself apart from the rest, you must be a “mission fit.” Do you know what your personal mission is? If you don’t, you should definitely figure it out before med school. Every school has its own mission statement, vision, and core values. When looking for schools you want to see whether or not their mission compliments yours. During my application cycle, I interviewed at two allopathic schools who most recently won the AAMC Spencer Foreman Award for Community Engagement. My stats were at or below their 10th percentile of accepted students. But my mission aligned so well with theirs and that’s what got my foot in the door. So trust me. “Mission fit” matters. Know your mission and you will be able to identify the programs you are most qualified for.

Most applicants are academically qualified. That is why, to set yourself apart from the rest, you must be a “mission fit.”

Medical School List Step #2: Decide on Your Deal Breakers

Applying to medical school is a lot like dating. You put your best self forward, there’s a lot of back and forth, and when there’s that perfect match, you choose each other. So what do you want in a school? Is research important to you? Do you want to be at a school affiliated with a public hospital? Do you want to be close to home? Far from home? Do you prefer a lecture-based curriculum or are you more into problem-based learning? Can you handle cold weather? How important is community service and engagement to you? Do you want to live in a city? Suburb? Rural area? Are you interested in an MD/PhD, MD/MBA, or MD/MPH? Do you want to participate in Global Health initiatives? Are you interested in healthcare policy?

Make a List

Make a list of your deal breakers and make a separate list of your preferences. Now some of your answers to the questions above you may be indifferent to. Some of you may be thinking, Sabie I honestly don’t care, I just want to get into med school! I get that, I totally do. But I still think it’s important to use your preferences to select a school list. Do not apply to every school in the country. That is 1) SUPER $$$$$$ and 2) there’s no way to produce quality, sincere secondary responses to that many schools in such a short amount of time.

Medical School List Step #3: Design a Tracking Spreadsheet

Stay organized. Don’t aimlessly search schools and have nothing in place to compare programs. I recommend creating an excel spreadsheet. Include things like the name, location, stats, programs they have, cost of attendance, etc.

Medical School List Step #4: How to Use MSAR Effectively

AAMC’s MSAR is awesome. It’s literally a virtual catalog of medical schools that you can use to filter programs and see kinda the “Quick Facts” on each school. Here are my 5 tips and tricks to using MSAR effectively.

Medical School List Step #5: Using the School’s Website

This is your ultimate source to rule a school in or out of your list. You will find a lot of detailed information on what makes the school unique. What hospitals and medical centers they have relationships with (aka where you might do your clinical rotations), what curriculum style they use, what specific community projects they sponsor, and what their research opportunities are like. You will definitely be able to see what the school values based on the quality and quantity of information available on their website for each component of their school. You’ll be able to see if your mission matches with theirs.

So if I can emphasize anything out of all this, it’s to choose the schools that are right for you and that you want to apply to. Don’t let anyone make you feel insecure for dreaming big or simply just trying.