Overview of the Series

In this series of articles, I will be sharing excerpts of case studies on several of my former students (with their permission, of course). Names and other identifying information have been changed, but the material facts — MCAT score, GPA, etc. — are unchanged. The full case studies are published in my book, Pre-Med Success Stories.

I’ll present each case study in three parts — an introduction of the student, followed by an in-depth assessment of the student’s profile and chances for admission to medical school, and then finally I’ll explain what happened to the student once s/he applied.

• Part 1: Introducing Janet
• Part 2: Personal Statement and Core Themes
• Part 3: Janet’s Acceptances

In this article, I will be finishing the last part of my three-part series on a client of mine, Janet.

Part III — How Did Janet Do?

Once the acceptances started coming out, I knew there would be good news for Janet. And indeed, there was. She was accepted to half out of the 16 schools she applied to: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Drexel University College of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, The Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, the Medical School at the University of Michigan, the College of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, and the St. Louis School of Medicine at Washington University. All of it was great news.

What Allowed Janet to Succeed?

Janet application was already strong, but I think I gave her the extra push she needed because she was so unsure. She had doubts years ago if she even wanted to become a doctor, so she settled for a compromise by finishing a PA graduate program. However, this only strengthened her desire to get an MD. Being a PA gave her the experience to know for sure if she would want to pursue an MD, and I think it was necessary for her. I never really doubted her potential — it was more of a question if she wanted a career that would challenge her in every respect. I’m happy she chose this path because I think it suits her.

Want to Read More about Janet’s Story?

There is plenty more about this case study in my book, Pre-Med Success Stories. Feel free to check it out and I hope Janet’s story puts your own medical school pursuits in perspective.