When it was time to reapply, the biggest advice I was given was to apply broadly. Using my metrics, the MSAR, and mission statements, I was able to successfully select schools that I love and who are interested in having me attend their school. For every interview I had, I made sure to talk to a student who attends that school prior to the interview. Not only do I learn more about the school, but they help me understand some of the things they find are important when choosing a medical school. I knew a few things such as choosing a pass/fail school and amount of time to study for boards but I learned about a few more factors that play a larger role in their educational experiences. I have created an extensive list of factors that I’ll share later after I compare schools but there are a few that I am considering.

1. School Exam Characteristics - I think this is a huge one. There are so many thiings to look at such as how often you have exams (every 2 weeks? Monthly? Every 10 weeks?) to what type of exam you have (written or multiple choice). A lot of students I talked to emphasized having a school that utilizing NBME style questions (I believe these are old STEP board exams) for exams. Now that STEP 1 is pass/fail, I am not sure how much this still matters but I think it’s important to note. Personally, I do not want to have to take exams very often as it sounds stressfull but I do want to make sure I keep up to date with material

2. Lecture Components - I assume that time will be very limited in medical school. Having time to study, do research, go to class, and living your daily life will be a lot. I am not a lecture person. It is difficult for me to concentrate on a lecture that is read to me when I know I will have to go home and learn it again myself. I would prefer lectures to not be required. For some of you, you may prefer lectures and like a required component to make sure you attend class. In addition, looking into how long classes are is important. I have seen some schools who have classes from 9-5 while others are done at noon. Some schools include independent learning that allows for more flexibility. This is definitely something to look into.

3. Length of Pre-clinical Years -Most schools have a shortened preclinical term (18 months rather than 2 years) and I think this is important. With more time for your clinical years you have the opportunity to learn more in the field and choose you specialty. In addition, I have heard of some students expressing difficulty in choosing a specialty during 4th year when they have barely begun their 4th year of medical school. A shortened preclinical term means you start 4th year a little earlier and are able to finish more of the required components before it’s time to apply for residency. This is something I never thought of but it seems that it’ll allow for a smoother transition further down the line.

I’ll post my full list soon. I have somewhere between 10-20 factors that I want to compare schools with. I not so sure I’ll find one school that has everything I am looking for but I hope I can find a school that fits most of my requirements and is a place that values diversity & inclusion.

Are you comparing medical schools right now? What are some of the factors that you are looking into when choosing a medical school? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments.