PreMed 101 – Medical School Acceptances – Back Up Plan If I Don’t Get Into Medical School

Last Updated on July 9, 2020

PreMed 101

Medical School Acceptances

The crucial day of when pre-medical students find out about acceptance to medical school is one when with anticipation, excitement, fear, worry and stress. For many pre-medical students, acceptance day is a time to reflect on their accomplishments, applications, CASPer® preparation, medical school interview, and ask the very important questions, “was it enough?” At MedApplications, following the end of each medical school admissions cycle, we receive waves of communication from pre-medical students who unfortunately didn’t surpass the benchmark of acceptances. Each year, the caliber of pre-medical students who don’t receive acceptances is more and more impressive. Gone are the years where a good GPA and MCAT score for medical school were enough to get accepted to medical school. The modern era of medical school admissions is a complex algorithm that factors in criteria many pre-medical students are unaware of.

Upon receiving a medical school wait list response or flat out medical school medical school rejection, what are the next steps? Our physicians have suggested the following topics for consideration. Each option has pros and cons. It is imperative to think critically about your aspirations, passions and dedication to pursuing medicine. For many pre-medical students, medical school admissions are a long journey, filled with challenges, obstacles and ultimate rewards.

Common Scenarios:

Medical School Acceptance

Here are some common scenarios:

1. Medical School Acceptance in Canada
2. Medical School Acceptance in the United States
3. Medical School Acceptance in an International Medical School
4. “Good” Wait List University of Ottawa Medical School
5. “Bad” Wait List University of Ottawa Medical School
6. General Wait List Canadian Medical Schools
7. Medical School Rejection…Now what?

Medical School Back Up Strategies:

What do I do if I don’t get into Medical School?

1. Apply Again…. Broadly

Many pre-medical students apply to medical school with a narrow focus of a geographic region. Others apply anywhere and everywhere. If you fall into the category of applying narrowly, expand your horizons and cast a farther net to include more medical schools. For example, pre-medical students who selected Ontario Medical Schools only in Canada, may consider broadening their application to include Eastern and Western Canadian medical schools. Taking it one step further, applying to American Medical Schools, provided you have the pre-requisite courses would be a wise decision. Our medical coaches are experts at determining your medical school competitiveness and answering the very important question “Am I competitive to get into medical school?”

2. American Medical Schools

For American pre-medical students, applying to American Medical Schools (AMCAS) can be daunting. With a plethora of hundreds of medical schools to choose from, varying pre-requisite criteria and rigorous selection criteria, it is challenging to secure acceptances where you want. However, preferential in-state rules and variable GPA/MCAT criteria will prove valuable for many pre-medical students looking to take the next step.

3. International Medical Schools

For many candidates pursuing medical school in the international forum as an international medical graduate is the appropriate pathway to become a medical doctor. For some students, the International Medical School route incorporates additional opportunities from leading medical schools in Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Carribean. Our medical experts focus on the following:

1. Oztrekk Medical School Application
2. Atlantic Bridge Medical School Application
3. UCAS Medical School Application

Back Up Strategies

MedApplications

4. Graduate Degrees

Pursuing an advanced degree in a graduate program for many pre-medical students it the natural progression from undergraduate studies when medical school acceptance has not been secured. Popular medically relevant graduate degrees include:

1. Master of Public Health for Medical School (MPH Med School)
2. Master of Epidemiology for Medical School
3. Master of Education for Medical School (MEd Med School)
4. Master of Science for Medical Schoo (MSc Med School)
5. PHd before Medical School

For a portion of students, life as a clinical scientists is the right fit. For other students, graduate studies are completed to give them a “competitive edge” in medical school admissions. A thoughtful and careful approach to graduate degrees is essential in making the right choice.

5. Extending your Undergraduate Degree before Medical School

Pre-Medical students aiming to recover poor academic performance in their early years of undergraduate may think to extend their undergraduate or pursue an additional undergraduate degree. While this pathway may seem daunting and not appealing, it may be a tactful option for the right student in order to position themselves appropriately for medical school.

The most important element of this exercise is to determine “How competitive am I for medical school”