Who determines whether you get accepted to medical school? Most premeds think that the most influential people in the medical school admissions process are the admissions committee.

The truth is that there are seven other people in your life who will greatly influence your acceptance to medical school, and knowing who they are and how to deal with them will give you a big advantage over other premeds.

The six most important people in your life while you’re a premed:

1. Your MCAT Instructors

The quality of your MCAT instructors make all the difference to your MCAT score. Learn how to find the right MCAT course for you. Shop for instructors before you sign up for the prep course!

2. Your Closest Premed Friends

You need good friends around you who can give you sound advice and constant support to help you to reach the standards you need to succeed. Friends that belittle your goals and pull you off the path to medical school will harm your candidacy.

3. Your Mom and Dad

You need their support, but their pressure can be a major source of stress. Help your parents to understand that their job is to be emotionally supportive, not to step in as your pre-health adviser and homework monitor.

4. Your Professors

There are two sides to this: The grades that you get and your relationship with your professors can make all the difference to your candidacy. You’ll get higher grades and stronger letters of recommendation when you cultivate positive relationships with your professors.

5. Your Pre-health Adviser

Good advice is worth its weight in gold and a wrong step can cost you dearly. Get to know your campus Pre-health Adviser early on in your premed program, and regularly visit the pre-health office to get free guidance and reassurance.

6. You!

You need to remember that you have the ability to achieve your goals and that nothing can get in your way. If you stay focused on the prize then you can make it. But if you focus on failure, you’re likely to self-sabotage your own candidacy.

Do you know what you need to do next. Learn what you need to do now in “How to Get Into Medical School Admissions – Step By Step.”