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The bottom line: Although the finish line for each applicant may be medical school acceptance, each applicant does not have the same starting line and their journeys vary greatly.
The path to medical school has never been glamorized. From difficult courses to moments of self doubt, the journey of a pre-medical student undoubtedly has a lot of twists and turns. What some students come to learn is that on the other side of their obstacles and challenges is a life as a successful medical student that has been shaped by those same lived experiences.
And the AAMC (American Association of Medical Colleges) sees value in taking a look at what you have been through to get to where you are in your journey to medical school – and it’s called distanced traveled (DT), any obstacles or hardships you’ve overcome to get to this point in your education or any life challenges you’ve faced and conquered. The AAMC feels that the parts of who you are that have nothing to do with medicine give a peek into your character and values. Is there anything you’ve been through that demonstrates how resilient you are? Your commitment? Your drive? What motivates you? The truth is, your nonacademic experiences say a lot about you as an applicant.
Some medical schools admit to not knowing how to use information about an applicant’s distanced traveled since it’s tricky to quantify an applicant’s experience and assign a score or number to such a factor. However, there’s a group of individuals who set out to see if there’s a way for medical school admissions teams to improve how an applicant’s personal attributes can be measured to potentially create a more inclusive student body by admitting students with a greater diversity of experiences. They found that an applicant’s “distanced traveled was considered an important component of the medical school holistic review process, yet many students struggle to communicate these highly personal stories within the current distance travel framework.”
Your Move
#1 – Communicate the not so good times
It’s important for you to know that there are certain qualities and personal characteristics that are key to getting through tough times as a premedical student. If you are able to communicate experiences in your life that highlight how motivated or resourceful you are, changes are, this is something you’ll want to share with the admissions committee. Being resilient is something that will come in handy once you reach medical school. Resiliency, coming back from setbacks – including death of a loved one, facing heath challenges, struggling financially, and experiencing failure are all examples of adversity which can potentially help prepare you for facing challenges in your future.
#2- Find your tribe
You’ve probably heard the saying, “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” Your journey to medical school will feel a lot different if you have support. Having a support network of family members, close friends, and other individuals in your life (eg. mentors, coaches, professors) is a non-negotiable for your journey to medical school, so make sure that you check off this box when it comes to looking at ways to make your admission to medical school a success. Students without adequate support sometimes doubt their ability to become a doctor. Don’t let this be you. Find a professor or mentor who can provide academic guidance and resources, and lean on your friends and family members who can be there for you for emotional and even logistical support.