In Light of Looming Primary Care Physician Shortage, Community Service Predicted to Be a Critical Consideration in This Year's Medical School Admissions Cycle, Says Veritas Prep
MD Admissions Experts Encourage Savvy Applicants to Tout Service in Secondary Application, Citing the Correlation Between Volunteerism and the Likelihood of Pursuing Careers in Primary Care Specialties
MALIBU, CA--(Marketwire - August 20, 2009) - In an attempt to address the anticipated primary
care physician shortage, more and more medical schools are starting to
recognize the correlation between an applicant's level of community service
and the likelihood that candidate will pursue a career in underserved areas
of medicine. As a result, volunteerism is expected to emerge as a critical
component of an effective application in this year's admissions cycle,
according to medical
school admissions consulting firm Veritas Prep.
According to Adam Hoff, Director of Admissions Consulting at Veritas Prep,
recent data released by the American Association of Medical Colleges shows
that students' increased involvement in community service, as demonstrated
by the volunteer experiences described on their applications, correlates
with students' choice of specialty, and suggests a stronger inclination
towards family medicine and primary care specialties.
"Medical schools are looking for true doctors, people who want to pursue
primary care and family medicine as opposed to the more glamorous,
higher-paying specialty fields," explains Hoff. "For that reason,
admissions officers will examine community service more closely, looking
for candidates who will help to curtail the looming physician shortage by
pursuing careers in primary care. The secondary applications -- which some
schools call supplemental applications -- offer an ideal mechanism through
which medical school applicants can express their commitment to medicine
and share their service experiences."
Articulating volunteerism effectively in the secondary applications, which
will be released this month, will be critical to an applicant's success in
a competitive U.S. admissions landscape where there were more than 40,000
applicants for just 18,000 seats at accredited medical schools last year.
Veritas Prep's medical
school admissions consultants encourage clients to adhere to the
following supplemental application strategies:
-- Focus on fit. Use the compelling back-story created in the AMCAS
personal statement as a foundation, but fold in more specifics that
showcase fit with each respective medical school.
-- Resist the urge to copy and paste. Admissions officers are adept at
differentiating between thoughtfully crafted, authentic answers and those
that were hastily copied and pasted from the AMCAS or other secondary
applications.
-- Take your time. It is a myth that the speed with which applicants turn
in their supplemental applications is the strongest indicator of their
interest level in a school. Obviously one must meet a school's stated
deadline, but applicants should only apply once their secondary
applications are as strong as can be.
For more information about Veritas Prep's medical school admissions
consulting services, visit http://www.veritasprep.com/medical_school/ or
call 1 (800) 925-7737.
About Veritas Prep
Veritas Prep is the world's fastest-growing test preparation and admissions
consulting provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants
improve their test scores and gain admission to the world's best graduate
schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management,
Veritas Prep now offers live GMAT prep instruction in more
than 80 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses available
everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions
consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most
competitive business schools, law schools, and medical schools in the
world. To learn more, visit http://www.veritasprep.com.
Contact Information: Contact:
Lisa Weiner
303 433 7020