Ask Dr. Gray: Premed Q&A

Should your tone and writing style in the MD/PhD essay differ from the personal statement? Should your MD and MD/PhD personal statement be written differently?

Our caller's prereq grades were pretty bad—but he's in a Special Master's Program doing much better now. So does he still need to retake old prerequisites? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

Should you mention your history with mental health issues in your medical school application? Plus, what issues often affect disadvantaged students and URMs? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group Medical School Applications Cost Estimator

How do med schools view institutional actions like alcohol violations? Are they red flags that will get your app thrown out? How does it vary between schools? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group University Services, Uniformed Health Sciences (USUHS)

You're interested in a career that offers the best of both worlds—a few days a week seeing patients and a few days of research—but, is an MD/PhD the best option? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media Specialty Stories Episode 9: Interview with Dr. Maureen Leonard MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

What counts as clinical experience? How many hours should you have when applying to med school? And is it okay to keep working a non-clinical job as a premed? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media Specialty Stories MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

Will DO and international medical schools be adversely affected by the changes to USMLE Step 1? What does the NRMP survey data say? Listen and find out! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast Specialty Stories MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group Premed.tv PMY 379: USMLE Step 1 Went Pass/Fail: What Does That Mean for Premeds? 2018 NRMP Program Director Survey

When is it a good idea to apply early decision to med school? And what are you committing to when you check the "I'm interested in rural medicine" checkbox? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The MCAT Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group The Old Premeds Podcast Session 215: Are You Sure You Want to Be a Physician?

Today's premed is considering a gap year. She's only a sophomore! We talk about how important it is to be selective with extracurriculars and how to say no! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group Specialty Stories

Committee letters are typically comprised of several LORs from professors and faculty in a single packet. What do you do when you only receive a summary letter? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

Are you making the most of your gap year? We'll talk about how med schools view gap years (spoiler: they don't care), interview day experiences and more! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The MCAT Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group Session 85: Should I Push my Med School App Back a Year?

Our caller today wants to know what she should focus on to enhance her med school application: GPA, MCAT prep, or clinical experience. I'll help her prioritize! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group The MCAT CARS Podcast

Is it worth rushing to submit your med school application late in the cycle, or should you wait a year while you strengthen your application? The data says... Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

Time is a precious commodity when you're a nontraditional student like today's caller. How should you spend your time as a nontraditional premed? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

In many cases, caregiving is an amazing way to gain clinical experience in a non-traditional setting. How should you talk about it on your med school application? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group secondaryapps.com Premed.tv The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement

If you've faced adversity on your path to med school, you aren't alone! Today, we'll talk about how to discuss obstacles in the med school application process. Links: Full Episode Blog Post The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Interview secondaryapps.com Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

Not getting any medical school interview invites? Let's look at the 8 most common areas students make mistakes in their medical school application. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group MCATpodcast.com Application Renovation The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement

How do you decide between a special Master's program (SMP) and a postbac? Today, I share why I think a postbac is the better choice for this student. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group Check out more resources on YouTube premed.tv AAMC’s postbac database

Today's caller had a mediocre GPA from her undergrad in business. Now, she's on the premed path taking prereqs and her GPA is improving—but is it enough? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group Calculate your GPA on whatsmygpa.com

Everyone experiences imposter syndrome as a premed, medical student, and resident physician. Today, I share how to deal with these feelings on the premed path. Links: Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

Should you start thinking about the MCAT as you're still taking prerequisites? Today's caller is getting started early. Dr. Gray talks timelines and prep.

There are ways to touch upon mental illness in your application that are more discreet. But what if it's a major part of your story? Dr. Gray answers. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

If you have a low GPA, first ask yourself why. Before picking between post-bac, masters, and SMP programs, be honest about where you need to improve. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

What do you do when a premed advisor recommends a drastic change of course? Should this caller call it quits on US MD and DO schools? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group Check us out on YouTube at premed. TV

Help your reader inhabit those important "why medicine" moments with you. Show your experiences through anecdotes and appeal to their senses. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast The MCAT Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group