Amherst College Guide for Premedical Students

Note: This material has been prepared for students at Amherst College. Advice given here may not apply to students at other colleges and universities, although others using the Web are (obviously!) welcome to read this guide and take the advice for what it is worth. Comments and suggestions (to Steve George or Carolyn Bassett) are always welcome.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I: Preparing to Apply to Medical School

Part II: The Medical School Application Process

 

Originally written by Liz Hartzell, Karen Wood, and Sophia Chang, all members of the class of 1981 and now practicing physicians, this guide has been revised and updated with contributions from former Amherst Health Professions Advisors Jane Cary and Tracy Holleran. The Guide is now maintained by Prof. Stephen George, chair of the Health Professions Committee at Amherst, and Dean Carolyn Bassett, Associate Director of the Career Center and Health Professions Advisor. When you read below that "we" give certain advice, "we" refers to Professor George and Dean Bassett. Included are "hard facts", such as the courses you must take in order to be considered for admission to medical school, plus "friendly advice" that you may choose whether or not to follow, such as what to do during your summers. We hope that this booklet will give you some of the information and support you need to engage productively in your Amherst education, while also preparing successfully for admission to medical school and for a career in medicine.

FROM THE PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL 1981 EDITION:
Amherst College as an institution prides itself in providing a liberal arts education. As a result, there is no acknowledgement of pre-professionalism, i.e., no pre-med major... Consequently, we have compiled a booklet which we feel outlines information necessary for and helpful to an Amherst College student considering medicine.

- Liz Hartzell, Karen Wood, and Sophia Chang - Class of 1981

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This Guide focusses on "allopathic" medicine (i.e. becoming a physician with an M.D. degree), because that is the most common career choice of Amherst students interested in health professions. However, the Health Professions Advisor and Committee also support and encourage students interested in otherhealth-related careers, including dentistry, nursing, veterinary medicine, and public health.

WHO'S WHO IN HEALTH PROFESSIONS ADVISING AT AMHERST

Preparing to enter one of the health professions involves both academic preparation and career planning, so health professions advising at Amherst involves both faculty and Career Center support.

The Health Professions Advisor in the Career Center is Dean Carolyn Bassett, Associate Dean of Students and Associate Director of Career Counseling.

The faculty Health Professions Committee for 2006-07 consists of Dean Bassett and four professors, who can advise you about academic preparation for the health professions:

Chair: Prof. Stephen George, Biology Dept., Life Sciences 228; Telephone: extension 2477; E-mail: sageorge

Other members:

The Health Professions secretary is Annie Alexander.

SOME UP-FRONT ADVICE

No single formula guarantees acceptance into medical school. A practicing pediatrician may need different personal and academic qualifications from a research pathologist, for example. But here are five things we've noticed that many successful Amherst applicants do:

They engage enthusiastically in their whole undergraduate education.
They choose a major--science or non-science--that interests them, and pick challenging courses outside the major that also interest them. Because they're interested in learning, they do well in their courses. Their professors get to know them and can provide them with strong recommendations.
They do well in the required premedical science courses.
Whether their major is in science or non-science, they have ability and genuine interest in scientific understanding that shows in their work in the required premed courses.
They show accomplishment and leadership outside the classroom.
They get involved in a sustained way doing something worthwhile that they love doing and are good at doing--volunteering, mastering a musical instrument and performing, doing research, or many other things.
They have contact with doctors and hospitals.
During the two or three years prior to applying to medical school, they shadow, intern, work, or volunteer with doctors and/or in hospitals.
They often apply to enter medical school later than the Fall immediately after graduation.
Applying for admission a year or two after graduation enhances their qualifications, and they're not behind in their career--the average age of all first-year medical students in the U.S. is now 25. If they are prepared and motivated to plunge right into the premedical science courses when they arrive at Amherst, then so much the better. But many who are later successful in being accepted don't feel so prepared or motivated at first, and they take the courses when they are prepared and motivated.

GETTING INFORMATION AND ADVICE

There is no need for your official faculty advisor to be a member of the Health Professions Committee. Information you need about premedical matters is available from several sources on campus:

ACADEMIC PREPARATION FOR ADMISSION TO U.S. MEDICAL SCHOOLS

Unlike other students at Amherst who only have to fulfill requirements for a major, if you are considering a career in medicine you must also fulfill medical school entrance requirements.

Almost every medical school in the country requires at least the following:

A few schools also require:

Information about requirements for specific medical schools can be found in the Association of American Medical Colleges publication, Medical School Admissions Requirements, updated annually. On campus, this book is available in the Career Center library and on reserve at the Merrill Science Library. Using this book, we have compiled a pamphlet (available free in the OCC library) that tabulates in condensed form the requirements for each of the 126 U.S. medical schools.

AMHERST COURSES THAT SATISFY MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

(Courses are linked to their online Catalog descriptions. If you click on any of the course links, use the "Back" button on your browser to return to this Guide. To explore other Amherst courses, access the full online Catalog, and select "Find courses." )

CHEMISTRY:

PHYSICS:

BIOLOGY has three options:

MATHEMATICS:

ENGLISH:

ADVANCED PLACEMENT/ADVANCED STANDING

In the sciences, we recommend that whatever your standing or placement you should take at least two lab Biology courses, two lab Physics courses, and four lab Chemistry courses in college. The reason is that many medical schools state that they do not accept AP credit, or accept it only if it appears on the college transcript, and Amherst doesn't list AP credits on transcripts.

However, we should note that occasionally Amherst students have been able to apply with fewer than the above number of these courses on their transcripts. These were very strong science students who placed out of an introductory course in one discipline, e.g. Biology or Physics, in order to schedule a program with many advanced science courses in another of the three disciplines. This record of strong science achievement, plus a letter from the Health Professions Committee to the medical schools confirming the student's advanced standing, has satisfied at least some medical schools. Still, our attitude would be, "Why take a chance - take the course!"

In math, the situation is more flexible. Students from Amherst have been accepted to medical school having taken high school calculus and no math here. (As noted above, many medical schools have no math requirement or require only precalculus math.) The schools that don't accept AP credit in many cases are ones that don't require calculus. Again, the Health Professions Committee will be happy to supply a letter confirming any applicant's advanced standing, based on a listing provided by the math department, or based on courses taken for which a particular math course is prerequisite. However, note that two medical schools (Harvard and Duke) require two semesters of calculus, and a few (e.g. UCSD) insist on seeing two math courses on the college transcript, no matter how advanced a student's placement upon entering college. Whatever the absolute requirements, our friendly advice is to maximize your education and impress medical schools: even if you have advanced math standing or placement, take one or two college math-related courses, which could include more calculus, computer science, and/or statistics. Statistics courses at Amherst suitable for premedical students are Math 17, Biology 28, and Psychology 22.

CHOOSING A MAJOR

Amherst College has no premedical major. You may major in any subject, while satisfying the premed requirements. Major in a subject that interests you! Humanities or social science majors are not at a disadvantage when applying to medical school, if they have done well in the required premedical science courses. Of course if you like a particular science subject, choose it as your major. If you major in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Neuroscience, some of the courses you take as major requirements will also count as premed requirements. You would almost certainly major in science if you wanted to go on in medical research, e.g. to enter a combined M.D./Ph.D. program.

Friendly advice: If you decide not to major in science, consider taking a science course or two above the minimum requirements, and avoid taking science requirements in the summer. As a non-science major, you want to convince the medical schools that you can do the heavy science workload of medical school.

SCHEDULING PREMEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

At Amherst there are almost as many different paths through the premedical requirements as there are premedical students. There is no single recommended major or sequence of courses. Below we present several possible schedules, to give a few examples of the many sequences of premedical courses. The listed courses are the minimum premedical science courses; science majors would take additional science courses, as noted by "[Additional science]." One constraint illustrated by these schedules is that it is always inadvisable to take more than two lab science courses simultaneously. As noted above, usual premed courses are linked to their online catalog descriptions. Use the "back button on your web browser to return here after seeing the description.

(1) A student with strong high school preparation in the sciences and math who wishes to major in Biology or Neuroscience, might take the following sequence:

YEAR FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER
FIRST YEAR Math 11, Chemistry 11 or 15 Chemistry 12, Biology 18
SOPHOMORE Physics 16, Biology 19 Physics 17, [Additional science]
JUNIOR Chemistry 21, [Additional science] Chemistry 22 [Additional science]
SENIOR [Additional science] [Additional science]

(2) A student with strong high school preparation in the sciences and math who wishes to major in Chemistry would change the order of Organic Chemistry and Physics, i.e. take Organic Chemistry in sophomore year and Physics in junior year; this order is also possible for students majoring in Biology or Neuroscience.

YEAR FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER
FIRST YEAR Math 11, Chemistry 11 or 15 Chemistry 12, Biology 18
SOPHOMORE Chemistry 21, Biology 19 Chemistry 22, [Additional science]
JUNIOR Physics 16, [Additional science] Physics 17, [Additional science]
SENIOR [Additional science] [Additional science]

(3) A student who is advised to take Math 5 and 6 rather than Math 11, and who wishes to major in Biology, Neuroscience, or Chemistry:

YEAR FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER
FIRST YEAR Math 5 Math 6, Chemistry 11, Biology 18
SOPHOMORE Chemistry 12, Biology 19 Physics 16, [Additional science]
JUNIOR Chemistry 21, Physics 17 Chemistry 22 [Additional science]
SENIOR [Additional science] [Additional science]

Taking a semester or year of study abroad is possible for students like those whose schedules are shown above, but it requires planning ahead for science majors. Consult with faculty in the science department you are majoring in for how to do it.

Besides study abroad, other options that affect planning are (1) majoring in a non-science subject while also completing premed requirements, (2) applying at the end of senior year or later, so premed requirements can be spread out over the full 4 years - nearly 90% of Amherst applicants apply at the end of senior year or later, rather than at the end of junior year for admission to medical school immediately after graduation; and (3) completing some but not all of the premedical requirements at Amherst, and finishing the remainder after graduation, either at a "post-bac" program or via continuing education courses taken in the evenings while working at a full-time job. Here are three out of the many possible schedules consistent with one or more of these options.

(4) A student who begins with Math 11, majors in a non-science subject, and goes on study abroad during the spring semester of junior year.

YEAR FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER
FIRST YEAR Math 11, Chemistry 11 or 15 Chemistry 12, Biology 18
SOPHOMORE Chemistry 21 Chemistry 22, Physics 16
JUNIOR Physics 17, Biology 19 [Semester abroad]
SENIOR -- --

(5) A student who begins with Math 5, majors in a non-science subject, studies abroad in spring of junior year, and completes requirements by the end of senior year:

YEAR FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER
FIRST YEAR Math 5 Math 6, Chemistry 11
SOPHOMORE Chemistry 12 Physics 16, Biology 18
JUNIOR Physics 17, Biology 19 [Semester abroad]
SENIOR Chemistry 21 Chemistry 22

(6) A student who either was hesitant about plunging into sciences right away, or who developed premedical interests only near the end of the 4 years at Amherst. This student would take the remaining four premed requirements after graduation:

YEAR FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER
FIRST YEAR (Math 11) --
SOPHOMORE -- --
JUNIOR -- --
SENIOR Chemistry 11, Physics 16 Chem. 12, Physics 17

"Post-bac" programs allow students to complete premed requirements after graduation. They are offered by many institutions; here is the AAMC's list. You would enroll for one or two years, depending on prior science courses taken. These programs are intensive and often expensive, but our graduates who have gone to good quality programs have often been accepted into medical school. It is also possible to fulfill premed requirements after graduation by enrolling in accredited continuing education courses, of which there is a list in the Career Center resource library.

Some additional scheduling information:

Thinking ahead to the MCAT exam:

You will take the Medical College Admission Test as part of the medical school application process. The test is given throughout the year on various dates. It is very desirable to take the test no later than in June or July, 14 months before you plan to start medical school. Taking the exam later than July in the year you're applying means that medical schools will get the results only after they begin reading applications, which puts you at a disadvantage. You must set aside lots of time to prepare for the MCAT, which is not extremely difficult but does require specific science knowledge, not all of which you will have covered in your Amherst science courses. If you are not able to prepare for the MCAT in time to take the test in June of the summer after your junior year, or July at the absolute latest, we strongly suggest not applying until a year later.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS AND ALTERNATIVES

"May I take premed requirements in summer school in order to lighten my Amherst load, or to catch up if I decided late to go premed, or to improve my grades?"
Medical schools in principle will accept summer science courses taken at any accredited institution in fulfillment of their requirements, and they will let you count the grades in those courses when you figure your "science GPA" for your applications. However, remember that the medical schools have to decide to accept not just the courses you have taken, but also you as an applicant. Although many Amherst students have been accepted to medical schools with summer courses on their records, in general we believe it does not help students' chances. Remember that much of medical school training is science-based, and at most medical schools it comes in a more concentrated form than you will experience even while taking two lab courses simultaneously at Amherst. You must show medical schools that you can do a heavy load of science and do it well, and taking summer courses may raise questions in that area. Taking a summer course or two shouldn't cause a problem for students with a substantial science load anyway, e.g. a science major, or a student taking lots of science to complete requirements before going away on a study abroad program. Also see Factors affecting the probability of acceptance for categories that may favor admission in spite of a less competitive record.

Regarding the effect of summer courses on a student's Amherst record, as distinct from the effect on medical school admissions: students do not receive credit towards a degree from Amherst for a summer course, unless the course was taken because the student failed an Amherst course. However, subject to approval from the department concerned, a summer course may fulfill a prerequisite requirement for an Amherst course; e.g. taking a semester of Intro. Physics with lab, if it has the content of Physics 16, will allow the student later to take Amherst's Physics 17 if the Physics department approves the course. Note that approval of prerequisites for Amherst courses is up to the Amherst science department involved, not the Health Professions Advisor or the Health Professions Committee.

"May I take a Five College course during the regular semester to fulfill a premed requirement?"
No, you may not get credit for a Five College course that is similar or identical to an Amherst course, unless you can demonstrate to the Dean of the Faculty that an unavoidable scheduling conflict prevents you from taking the course at Amherst. The reason for this rule is that the courses are listed on the Amherst transcript, and the grade in the course counts in figuring your Amherst GPA. It may indeed be possible to find an easier science course at another institution in the valley. However, taking a course elsewhere for that reason is not the purpose of Five College cooperation, and, since it appears on the Amherst transcript, doing so may be unfair to other students who take the sometimes more rigorous Amherst course.

"Is it all right to take premed requirements Pass/Fail?"
No. Many medical schools will not consider any pass/fail courses as fulfilling premedical requirements. Even in cases where there is no absolute prohibition, it is very inadvisable to take premed requirements pass/fail. A "D" counts as a "Pass" in a pass/fail course, and a "D" is probably what skeptical admissions committee members will assume you deserved in the course.

"Under what circumstances should I consider freshman drop?"
Every Amherst course is a valuable experience; by dropping a course you reduce by one the number of Amherst courses you will be able to take during your time here. As the Amherst Catalog puts it, "The Dean of Freshmen, in consultation with the instructor and advisor, will decide on the basis of the student's educational needs" whether to allow you to drop. It is not an "educational need", for example, to drop a course simply because it is your potentially lowest grade of the semester. From the point of view of admission to medical school, low grades do not help, but at the same time no single grade, however low, will eliminate your prospects. It is reasonable for you to be concerned if you think you are headed for a grade of, say, C- or below. Even in that case, you need to consider carefully whether to petition to drop the course, when there may be plenty of time left in the semester to improve your work. See your instructor and faculty advisor about options, which may include taking better advantage of the help available in office hours, dropping some extracurricular activities, and getting a tutor.

"Will my chances of acceptance be improved if I double major?"
Not that we can detect. It's great to have one or more areas of academic concentration outside your major, but to us the only legitimate occasion to double major is if you really want to take all the courses in the second major, plus any other requirements such as senior seminars and comprehensives. Professors aren't happy to hear excuses about why students can't complete requirements for their major as scheduled because of alleged conflicts with requirements for a second major. Medical school admissions committees will be looking at the overall quality of your academic work. While it is good to have significant strength outside the major, we see no evidence that medical schools are impressed by the addition of a second major per se.

"Is it OK to `take time off' after graduation before going to medical school, either because I started late, or because I want a break from academics at that point?"
It's more than just "OK"! It can be a very positive step on your way to becoming a physician. In fact, the median age for first-year medical students is now nearly 25! Of course, what you do should be science- or medicine-or service- related, like working in a research lab or a hospital, teaching, Peace Corps or other service work, or perhaps even travelling, with some medical care contact in the places you visit. The added experience can enhance your qualifications and show your commitment to a career in medicine. . (By the way, "taking time off" isn't how we would describe doing experiments until the wee hours of the morning in a research lab, teaching high school, or working in a hospital. Parents might be more supportive of "working before going to medical school.")
One caution: note the very long lead time required to apply to medical school, as described in the timetable for applications. If you have graduated and are away from Amherst, you won't receive notices about this - it's up to you to begin the process on time!

STUDY ABROAD

A semester or a year studying abroad is almost always a very rewarding experience. For premedical students who choose to major in a foreign language, it can be an essential component of their undergraduate program. Students interested in medical careers will find it much more feasible to study abroad while they are undergraduates than after they have started their medical education.

While studying abroad, most students do not take science courses. This is because it is desirable and logical to be studying the culture of the country you are visiting, particularly if you are learning a foreign language. It is also difficult to find courses at foreign universities that fulfill exact science requirements for U. S. medical schools, and medical school admission committees usually want to see the 8 minimum premedical lab science requirements on a transcript from a U.S. college or university.

As a consequence, studying abroad and fulfilling premedical requirements before graduation will require some careful planning. (If you defer science courses until after graduation and take a "post-bac" program, there should be no difficulty in going abroad for a semester or even a full year.)

A semester abroad can be arranged either during sophomore or junior year:

Study abroad during sophomore year: Most students who choose to study abroad have done so during their junior year, but that's not the only possibility. If your foreign language skills are well developed early in your undergraduate career, you can gain admission to most study abroad programs as a sophomore. Study abroad programs usually require as a minimum the equivalent of a fourth-semester course in the foreign language concerned. Many students who have studied a foreign language in high school will complete this requirement by the end of their first year at Amherst, or by the end of first semester sophomore year, which qualifies them for admission to most study abroad programs for the following semester.

This solution has the advantage of giving time to prepare for MCAT exams in the late spring of the junior year. If you choose this option, it is recommended that you study abroad during the spring semester of sophomore year. Consult faculty on the Health Professions Committee early in your academic career to determine the best sequence of science courses to follow prior to going abroad. If you have had foreign language training in high school, studying abroad during sophomore year may well be the best way to integrate study abroad into your premedical program.

Study abroad during junior year: This can work well if you apply to medical school at the end of senior year, rather than at the end of junior year. You could take the MCAT in the late summer or fall after you return from study abroad, or any time during the senior year up to June. As noted throughout this Guide, you are not at a disadvantage if you enter medical school a year after graduation!

It is also possible, though probably more difficult, to go abroad in the Fall of junior year and still apply to medical school at the end of that year, taking the MCAT in the spring of junior year as recommended for those applying to enter medical school right after graduation. However, you will need to "double up" on lab courses every semester and may have to take a summer course to finish your premed science requirements prior to taking the MCAT exam. (Note the warning about taking summer courses.)

THE MOUNT SINAI PROGRAM

Mount Sinai Medical School has a "Humanities & Medicine" program whose goal is to encourage students with interests in the humanities rather than in science to become physicians. However, note that (1) only two to four Amherst students per year are accepted to this program; (2) admission is unpredictable; and (3) even though the purpose of the program is to encourage humanities study, accepted students usually have done very well in first year science courses. So the most important advice we can give about this program is not to count on it, obsess about it, or prepare for it by doing anything other than what you would normally do in your first year as a premedical student.

Applications are submitted in the fall of sophomore year, and anyone accepted is automatically admitted to Mount Sinai Medical School after graduating from Amherst. Although accepted students are not required to go to medical school at Mount Sinai, the program requires participants to take summer courses courses in Physics and Organic Chemistry that only Mount Sinai will accept as fulfilling premed requirements. Therefore if you fulfill the expectations of the program, you would not be in a position to apply to other schools. If you are interested in the Humanities & Medicine Program, consult Dean Bassett. She can link you to "graduates" of the program who are at Mount Sinai Medical School now.

LIFE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Should premedical students participate in medically-related activities?

Yes! Such activities are absolutely necessary both for you to find out about medicine and to show your commitment to medicine as a career. "Hands-on" interaction with patients and medical personnel gained by working or volunteering in a hospital is preferable to "shadowing" physicians, although the latter is also useful. Even students with high grades and good recommendations sometimes are not admitted to medical school if they have had no contact with doctors and hospitals in the two or three years before applying. (This perhaps does not apply to M.D./Ph.D. applicants with very strong research experience.) For suggestions about how to go about arranging physician and hospital contact, see January and summer internships.

A word about ACEMS, the Amherst College Emergency Medical Service. It is natural for premedical students to be interested in participating in ACEMS and perhaps becoming certified as an EMT, and that's great. Be aware, however, that many medical schools seem to want applicants to have had contact specifically with doctors and hospitals. By its very nature, ACEMS leaves off where doctors and hospitals begin. ACEMS can supplement, but not substitute for, contact with doctors and hospitals, at least in the eyes of some admissions committees.

Extracurricular activities:

Applicants' accomplishments and leadership outside the classroom are of great interest to medical school admissions committees. What's important is your sustained commitment to one or a few worthwhile activities, such as music, volunteer work, sports, student newspaper, political activity, or other pursuits. Participate in these activities for the genuine interest you have in them, not primarily to impress medical schools.

January and summer internships:

Internships in hospitals, laboratories, clinics, or other health-related organizations can help you clarify and confirm your career decisions and show your commitment once you have decided to enter the health professions. Binders containing "Alumni Physician Contacts" can be found in the Health Professions section of the Career Center library. Therein are the names, addresses, etc., of hundreds of Amherst alumni physicians, arranged by state. Many of these physicians have offered to host an Amherst student in an internship, or at the very least for a visit. Come in to the Career Center to review this valuable resource.

Summer jobs:

The summer is an excellent time to get involved in medicine and biomedical science. Programs at many universities invite undergraduates to participate in summer lab research.  Beginning in January of each year, the summer opportunities bulletin board near the Biology Department Office in the Life Sciences building lists many such programs. Also check out the multitude of paid and unpaid internship possibilities in the Career Center. Amherst also has summer opportunities, e.g. through the Howard Hughes foundation grant--watch for announcements at the beginning of the second semester.

"WHAT ARE MY CHANCES...?": An Analysis of Amherst College Premedical Outcomes

Amherst College has no magic touch that automatically elevates a student's chances of entering medical school simply by virtue of the student's coming to Amherst; no college or university has that kind of magic touch. What does elevate a student's chances is to go to an institution (1) that energizes and challenges that particular student academically, while providing good teaching and academic support so the student can meet the challenge satisfactorily; and (2) that provides opportunities for accomplishment and leadership in extracurricular areas. Of course the student must take advantage of these educational and extracurricular opportunities - in the end it's the student's accomplishments that count, not the name of the institution.

Here are outcomes for the 224 Amherst College students and graduates who applied to U.S. allopathic medical schools (i.e. seeking to become physicians with an M.D. degree) for the first time for admission between 2000 and 2004, including those in this group who reapplied to enter in 2005 and/or 2006 if not accepted the first time. The 224 applicants are divided into two groups: (1) 174 so-called "well-qualified" applicants, and (2) 50 so-called "less-qualified" applicants. The "well-qualified" applicants met the criteria for grades and MCAT scores suggested in the Amherst Guide for Premedical Students:

. The "less-qualified" applicants didn't meet one or both of these criteria. (Note that we count applicants as "less-qualified" if they took the August MCAT in the year they applied, no matter how high a score they received, because taking the August MCAT delays the application and puts the applicant at a disadvantage!) Here is a table of outcomes, explained below:

Total Accepted
Rejected on first try, haven't reapplied 4 --
Rejected on first try, have reapplied 14 12 98.8% (168 out of 170) acceptance rate for 'well-qualified' applicants who either were accepted on their first try or who have reapplied 97% (199/205) acceptance rate for all applicants, 'well-qualified' and 'less-qualified,' who either were accepted on their first try or who have reapplied
Accepted on first try 156
Accepted on first try 20
Rejected on first try, became 'well-qualified' and then reapplied 5 5
Rejected on first try and reapplied although still 'less-qualified' 10 6
Rejected on first try, haven't reapplied 15 --

How many were accepted on their first try?

On their first try, 156 of the 174 "well-qualified" applicants were accepted (90%). Among "less-qualified" applicants, 20 of the 50 were accepted on their first try (40%), for an overall first-try acceptance rate of 79% (176 out of 224). Thus the "well-qualified" applicants were more than twice as likely to be accepted as the "less-qualified," but some "less-qualified" applicants were also successful. (Some reasons why: underrepresented minority status; being from a state with a medical school and a small population; having family connections at a medical school; or plain good luck.)

By the way, the Amherst Health Professions Committee supports almost all applicants without reservations even if they are "less-qualified" by our definition. We take no account of MCAT scores in making recommendations, and we support even those whose grades give them little chance of acceptance, as long as we believe (1) they can do the work of medical school, which means getting grades at least in the "C" range in Amherst science courses; and (2) they have the integrity and maturity needed to be a physician. Only three of the applicants from 2000-2004 who applied through the Amherst Health Professions Committee didn't meet these standards and so were recommended with reservations.

Is it worth it to reapply if not accepted the first time?

Yes! Among 'well-qualified' applicants initially rejected who reapplied, the success rate is 86% so far (12 out of 14). Among initially 'less-qualified' applicants, the success rate is not surprisingly greatest for those who improved their grades and/or MCAT scores and became 'well-qualified' before reapplying. Of these, 5 out of 5 have been accepted so far, i.e. 100% of this group. Even the 10 'less-qualified' initially rejected applicants who reapplied without substantially improving qualifications didn't do too badly: 6 have now been accepted (60%), showing that persistence sometimes pays, perhaps bolstered by more medically-related or scientific experience, even without much higher grades and MCAT scores.

We should note that some students who show up as 'rejected' in the table reapplied to other health professions such as osteopathic medicine or dentistry and were successful. This analysis refers only to 'allopathic' medicine, i.e. being a physician with an M.D. degree.

Two groups are marked for special attention in the table: the group shaded in dark blue, and the group shaded in purple (which includes the "blue group" also). The "purple group" are the 205 applicants who either were accepted on their first try or who reapplied if not successful the first time around, leaving out only the 19 who were rejected the first time and haven't reapplied. Among this group, the success rate is 97% (199 out of 205). The "blue group," a subset of the "purple group," was even more successful. These are the 170 'well-qualified' applicants among the "purple group," i.e. those 'well-qualified' applicants who either were accepted on their first try or who reapplied if rejected on the first try. The success rate in this group is an impressive 98.8% (168 out of 170 applicants).

Does it help to major in science?

The non-science majors in this group did just as well as the science majors in gaining acceptance to medical school. Of the 224 applicants, 88 were non-science majors, or 39% of the applicants. The other 136 applicants (61%) majored in science. (Those who had two majors, one of which was science and the other non-science, are counted as science majors.) Among the 176 who were accepted on their first try, 70 were non-science majors and 106 were science majors. Those 70 non-science majors represent 40% of the 176 first-time acceptances, which is almost identical to the 39% proportion of non-science majors among all Amherst applicants. So, majoring in science doesn't in itself make any difference to the odds of acceptance. Of course, non-science majors, just like science majors, had to do reasonably well in the required premedical science courses and get decent MCAT scores in order to be accepted.

Why were any 'well-qualified' applicants rejected?

Although most 'well-qualified' applicants were accepted the first time (90% as noted above), that leaves 10% (18 applicants out of 174) who were rejected the first time in spite of being 'well-qualified.' The most common reason for these applicants' rejection is that they applied to only a small number of schools, and/or not the best choice of schools given their state of residence and qualifications. Another reason several strong applicants were rejected is that they applied only to MSTP MD/PhD programs, which are extremely selective, with no 'backup' straight MD applications. Of course it is perfectly fine to do this if MD/PhD is one's goal, but it may help explain why our modest 'well-qualified' standard - 3.1 science GPA, just above "B", and 28 MCAT - wasn't good enough in these cases, at least on their initial round of applications. A few 'well-qualified' applicants just had bad luck--at least we can see no good reason why they weren't accepted.

What's the bottom line in all these numbers?

There is no single answer to the question, “What is the success rate for Amherst premeds?” It’s all of these:

To be in the group that had the 98.8% success rate in 2000-04, including reapplications since then, you would do two things:

"What are my chances of getting into a U.S. training program in some area of the health professions (I'm willing to consider training leading to a degree other than MD)?"

Essentially 100%. All Amherst students who pass the required undergraduate science courses for various professions can expect to be accepted into some health professions training program if they widen the net to include osteopathic medicine (a legitimate profession with training essentially the same as MD schools and equal access to facilities such as hospitals in some but not all states), dentistry, optometry, etc.

"What are my chances of getting an M.D. in any way possible--including going to a foreign medical school?"

Your chances of being admitted to a foreign medical school are 100%, but this option should be used only as a last resort. Even if you do well at one of these schools, only a small percentage of students are able to transfer back into a U.S. medical school or enter a medical residency program, although some Amherst graduates have been able to do this. Dean Bassett has the grim statistics if you're interested.

"What are my chances of getting into Harvard Medical School?"

About 5%. Of the 20 to 30 Amherst students and graduates who apply to Harvard Medical School in a given year, usually between zero and about three are accepted there. We note this not to discourage anyone from applying to Harvard, but just to advise against pinning all your hopes on Harvard or any other single school. Although there are some differences among medical schools (e.g. in the possibilities for entering particular specialties or research careers), these differences are far less than the differences among, for example, undergraduate institutions. (You know what they call the person who ranks at the very bottom of the graduating class at the least prestigious medical school in the country, don't you? Here's the answer.)

FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROBABILITY OF ACCEPTANCE

Obviously good grades, solid MCAT scores, strong recommendations, and a successful interview are helpful. However, we would like you to be aware also of other factors, over which you have little or no control, that affect your chances:

PLANNING AND SCHEDULING YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION

During the spring of the year before you intend to apply to medical school, a full 18 months before you intend to begin your medical studies, you need to take steps such as registering with the Health Professions Secretary, asking for letters of recommendation, and scheduling to take the MCAT exam. This would be in the spring of your junior year if you intend to apply for admission at the youngest possible age, i.e. to enter medical school during the fall after graduation from Amherst.

However, a recurring theme in this guide is that you do not have to apply at such an early age, and indeed it may be to your great advantage to apply later--you will have graduated, perhaps with honors, at the time you apply, and you will have more medically relevant experience also.

One piece of advice about the timing of the application process through the Health Professions Committee: do not register with the Health Professions Secretary and begin the process unless you actually plan to apply during the coming year, for admission a year and a half later. It might seem like a good idea to begin the process, collect letters of recommendation, and get the Committee letter written even if you don't intend to apply until a year later, e.g. seniors planning to take two years off before entering medical school. However, this means that faculty recommendations will be dated before-- perhaps long before--the medical schools are reviewing applications, and that lowers the impact of recommendations.

Also, we do not have the resources to go through the process of preparing Committee materials more than once for each applicant. Once we prepare materials, all we can do if you don't apply during that cycle is to provide minor factual updating when you eventually do apply. So you will get more timely and appropriate support for your application by registering with the Health Professions secretary and collecting faculty recommendations during the year before you actually intend to apply. Even if you are a senior about to graduate, don't worry that faculty will forget you! You can mention to professors that you plan to contact them for a recommendation sometime in the future, rather than trying to get recommendations in advance, hoping to use them later.

Finally, we advise against applying with the intention of requesting a year's deferment after being accepted. Applying with the intention to defer is not the best plan for several reasons. First, you will almost certainly be a stronger applicant in terms of grades, honors, and experience at the end of the additional year, so it's better to apply later rather than sooner. Second, some medical schools don't permit deferments, or have specific criteria for allowing them which you may or may not meet. Third, most schools don't allow deferment for applicants admitted from their waiting list, and it often happens that applicants are admitted to their top choice (i.e. most selective) school from a waiting list.

The next section of the guide covers the process of applying to medical school.

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