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3 Myths about applying to Medical School
Myths About Applying to Medical School
These days, there is an abundance of resources out there about applying to Medical School. This can range from other online courses, TikTok videos, posts on Facebook or Instagram and information given my teachers or careers advisors. Don’t get us wrong - a lot of the resources out there are excellent. However, with a greater availability of information comes a greater abundance of misinformation as well.
Here, we will go through some of the common myths that are associated with applying to Medical School. Hopefully this can help either reassure you, or prevent you from making any mistakes when it comes to the application.
Myth 1: The Medical School League Tables are a vital source of information
There are many resources out there trying to tell you about the ‘top’ Medical Schools in the UK. This can be based on league tables or on the general prestige of a Medical School. In fact, many people try to sell themselves by saying that they studied at a ‘top’ Medical School.
The truth is - where you study in the UK mostly does not matter. As part of my clinical duties, I have been the on call medical registrar on many occasions. This often means that I’m the most senior decision maker within a hospital at times, and am in charge of leading a team of doctors. I have never once been able to tell which medical school each of my colleagues have been to. Everyone is a doctor, and has been to a wide variety of medical schools.
When you apply for your foundation training or subsequent training jobs, the medical school you went to is very rarely (if ever) considered. You will end up a doctor no matter which medical school you go to - and this is something you should bare in mind. Therefore, choose your options wisely based on your strengths - not on the supposed prestige of the medical school.
Myth 2: I should name drop where I did my work experience
Sometimes, people are lucky enough to have done work experience in fancy, well known hospitals (e.g. Great Ormand Steet Hospital, the Royal Brompton etc.). Whilst you may well have seen some unique things in these hospitals, interviewers and admissions tutors are not looking for a list of things that you did. The applicant who did work experience in a remote district general hospital but who is able to reflect on what they learnt will score higher than the applicant who saw ECMO at the Royal Brompton but isn’t able to expand on it.
Therefore, don’t worry if you didn’t do work experience at any of these prestigious hospitals. It really doesn’t matter, and it’s not what the interviewers are looking for.
Myth 3: I need to be excellent at academics, sports and music in order to even be considered
Many people are under the false impression that they need an abundance of extracurricular activities in order to even be considered for Medical School. In fact, lots of advice is given to medical applicants, advising them to ensure they join their local sports club, learn a musical instrument or join a choir or orchestra. The justification that is given for this is often: ‘medical schools want to see that you are well rounded.’
Whilst Medical Schools do want to see someone who has various skills (e.g. teamwork, leadership, ability to deal with stress), there are various ways to demonstrate these skills. You don’t need to be a top sports player or musician to demonstrate these skills, and so don’t be put put off by people trying to peddle this common myth. Rather, reflect on the activities that you have done, think about the skills you learnt from them and let those skills come out at the time of the application.
If you love sports or music, then do them. Otherwise, do activities that you enjoy.