Author Archives: Liza

The American Medical Association started a program in 2013 to move medical education forward. Accelerating Change in Medical Education gives grants to medical schools with innovative programs. The group works collaboratively to foster and share ideas for improving medical education. Recently, … Continue reading

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As a medical school admissions consultant, I am often asked, “Should I take a gap year before I apply to medical school?”  The answer depends, of course, on an individual’s circumstances, background, experiences, GPA, and MCAT score, among other things.  … Continue reading

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The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section of the MCAT is challenging for many students. Even those who have immersed themselves in the humanities may find this portion of the test more difficult than they anticipate. Even for the most … Continue reading

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Yale medical school has announced that it plans to reduce student debt by 50%; the goal is for students to graduate with <$60,000 in debt, well below the average nationally ($196K in 2018).  The Association of American Medical Colleges has … Continue reading

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NYU has announced that it will open a new medical school on Long Island and will begin accepting applications in the 2019-2020 cycle. It will be a three-year program—with no tuition—and will focus on training primary care practitioners. The program … Continue reading

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Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, California is opening a new medical school in 2020; they will begin accepting applications in the 2019-2020 cycle. They announced recently that they will waive tuition for the first five classes; this will undoubtedly create a surge … Continue reading

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There are several written parts to the medical school application but the central component—and the one in which applicants have the most open space to convey their past experiences and future goals—is the personal statement. In the AMCAS application the … Continue reading

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is hosting a virtual medical school fair on Feb. 21st from 11am – 8pm EST. Click the above link to register. Enjoy! –Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consultant

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          UCLA’s School of Medicine has raised the bar on its GPA and MCAT scores for applicants to be eligible for admission, sparking some controversy about the effect this might have on holistic review of applicants … Continue reading

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As a premedical advisor for the last 25+ years, I have ample experience guiding students through the challenging science prerequisites for medical school admission. At Johns Hopkins and Goucher, where I directed their postbac programs, I helped non-science students transition to … Continue reading

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