Author Archives: Liza
Posted on November 9, 2022 by Liza
The Multiple Mini Interview format is spreading rapidly among US medical schools. Here is a list of schools using MMI in the 2021-2022 application cycle. “Hybrid” means a combination of a traditional interview with MMI stations and sometimes a group … Continue reading →
Posted on October 5, 2022 by Liza
Medical school applicants often wonder whether they should update schools. An “update letter” can keep medical schools informed as the application process unfolds. Applicants often wonder what merits sending an update. Only significant additions to an application should be … Continue reading →
Posted on September 8, 2022 by Liza
Medical school admissions personnel have identified core competencies that are necessary to be a successful medical student and physician. The competencies are grouped into four categories: interpersonal, intrapersonal, thinking/reasoning, and science. The 15 competencies that are considered essential are: 1. … Continue reading →
Posted on August 10, 2022 by Liza
‘ Photo courtesy of umhs-sk.org Receiving an invitation to interview is an exciting step in the medical school application process. If you’ve been selected to interview it means that the medical school has vetted your application and you have passed … Continue reading →
Posted on June 24, 2022 by Liza
July is an incredibly busy month in the medical school application process. This is the time when secondary applications are in full swing. Having read thousands of secondary application essays over my career, which has spanned almost 30 years, I have … Continue reading →
Posted on June 12, 2022 by Liza
As described in another blog post, secondary applications are an enormously important component of the medical school application process. Secondaries are designed to suit the needs of individual medical schools. As such, medical schools pay as much attention to the secondary applications … Continue reading →
Posted on April 4, 2022 by Liza
The Casper test has been around for several years and is now required at many medical schools. It is open-ended in terms of the responses (no multiple choice questions). Casper is changing in 2022, as follows: the number of scenarios … Continue reading →
Posted on March 3, 2022 by Liza
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education accredits medical schools in the US and Canada. Accreditation ensures that medical schools meet standards set by the LCME. Medical schools are required to “demonstrate that their graduates exhibit general professional competencies that are appropriate … Continue reading →
Posted on February 11, 2022 by Liza
What are medical school “letters of intent” and what role do they play in the medical school admission process? A letter of intent is like a love letter that’s sent to a medical school: it expresses an applicant’s fervent wish … Continue reading →
Posted on February 4, 2022 by Liza
A study from Tulane and Thomas Jefferson shows the distinctive benefits of engaging in the arts and/or the humanities while in medical school. The results, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, showed that such activities helped to promote … Continue reading →