Erin Walsh, PhD, director of the NICHD Office of Education, led a virtual Q&A session last month for postbacs who are putting together medical school application packages. Participants asked several important questions about the process, recapped here for those who couldn’t attend.
What are the general guidelines for requesting recommendation letters?
Dr. Walsh suggested visiting the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) main website every application cycle to review updated instructions on recommendation letters. For general guidance, she discussed when recommendation letters should be requested and by whom they should be written.
When: Applicants should contact all recommendation writers several months in advance in order to have application packages complete by June, at the latest. Always be sure to check in with your undergraduate pre-med advising committee, as applicable, since they may have specific deadlines and instructions.
Who: When selecting your recommenders, consider who can speak to your career-relevant experiences and ask if they are willing to write a strong letter that highlights your competitiveness. If appropriate, provide recommenders with information about yourself that you would like to emphasize in your application, so that they can shape their letters to match your goals after medical school.
How can postbacs complete necessary coursework and/or boost their academic credentials?
Dr. Walsh recommended that course deficiencies can be completed at an accredited institution. She added that trainees who want to boost their GPA can consider an academic postbac, a master's program, or a suite of courses at an accredited university.
For trainees who would like to gain more background knowledge in a particular area, Dr. Walsh noted that FAES is a fantastic resource. She added that the NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) website offers additional information on postbac opportunities outside the NIH.
What’s the best way to study for the MCAT?
Dr. Walsh noted that courses designed to help people learn how to take the exam (test taking strategies) tend to be the most helpful. Some resources to consider can be found on the AAMC website and through the OITE. She added that practice exams provided by AAMC often correlate well with actual test performance.
When taking the practice exams, Dr. Walsh urged trainees to pretend it’s the real test to most accurately reflect later on areas that need improvement. “Consider saving the AAMC practice exams until you’re ready to prove that your studying has been sufficient,” Dr. Walsh emphasized.
A meeting attendee mentioned that MCAT-specific study cards are available through flashcard apps, and a quick online search will reveal potential plug-ins for making practice tests mirror the look of the actual MCAT exam.
For additional questions about applying to medical school, please contact Dr. Walsh (erin.walsh@nih.gov) or reach out to Ms. Veronica Harker (veronica.harker@nih.gov) to be added to the next Q&A session.