So You Wannabe an MD?

There was an exciting interactive “mix and mingle” event hosted by the University of Toronto Pre-Medical Society (UTPMS) recently! The event allowed undergraduate students the opportunity to receive valuable insight from current U of T medicine students. As your Professional Faculty blogger, I thought I would relay the information I learned about applying to medical school to all of you!

When I first entered the room, I noticed undergraduate students circled around the med students and asking them countless questions - “how many times did you have to apply?” “are they looking for certain majors?” “how should I get involved?”. The med students answered openly and honestly, and provided their anecdotes of their journey into medical school.

I managed to speak with both undergraduate and medical students while I was there. After speaking to a few undergraduate students, I noticed a recurring theme – many thought they wouldn’t be good enough for med school and that the competition was just too fierce. There is no denying that receiving acceptance into medical school is challenging; stellar grades, research involvement, extra-curriculars...they seem to want it all! However, when I was speaking with the med students, I asked them: “what would be the greatest piece of advice you could give to someone wanting to get into med school?” From all the med students I talked to, I got the same response: if you want to stand out, do the activities you’re passionate about; they will see that drive and determination, and that’s what really makes for a good doctor. I felt this was great insight as many students think they need to be involved in a multitude of extra-curriculars but sometimes it’s as easy as pursuing the activities you enjoy and making the most of them. As one med student eloquently phrased it, “make the journey your own”.