December Medical Newsletter

By Brandie Erickson • December 27, 2023 • BS/MD Admissions Consulting Newsletter

As the holiday season approaches, medical school hopefuls can be on the lookout for the last rounds of interview invitations. January is typically the last month students can expect an invitation, so applicants should keep a close eye on their inboxes, spam, and junk folders, as well as school portals. For those lucky enough to receive an interview, make the most of your big moment with expert guidance. Moon Prep can help with interview preparation for both traditional and multiple-mini interview formats. Train with one of our medical mentors who has been through the process themselves and succeeded. Take a look at the interview package syllabus or schedule an informational call to sign up for our services.

 

Medical School Reapplication 

If you have yet to receive any interview invitations this application cycle, it may be time to reassess your application content and strategy. Moon Prep counselors Darlene and Loren specialize in getting two-time and even three-time re-applicants accepted to top MD programs, including Tufts, Dartmouth, and New York Medical College. Schedule a call today to find out how our team can turn your application into an acceptance.

Don’t make these critical mistakes when interviewing this medical school cycle. Watch as Moon Prep counselors, Loren and Darlene, cover common pitfalls and how to avoid them. 

 

Pre-med Guidance

It’s never too late to get an expert’s guidance on medical school admissions, and it’s never too early, either. Pre-med freshman and sophomore students can begin building strong resumes early on and strategically take the proper prerequisite courses to enhance their chances of future admissions. Moon Prep students who start working with us earlier typically have more successful outcomes. If you may be interested in working with us, secure your spot by contacting Moon Prep before our medical mentors and senior counselors sell out of spots!

Brown PLME Video Supplement 

The PLME program at Brown University is arguably one of the most popular programs with the students at Moon Prep. It is also one of the most selective. Brown PLME is the only Ivy League direct medical program. It also is one of the top three most competitive BS/MD programs, with an acceptance rate below 5% every year. Thankfully, we’ve done the research and are prepared to help make your Brown University application stand out from the rest. We are offering the opportunity to work with Moon Prep on your two-minute Brown admissions video to leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee, guiding students from the first script draft to the video editing.

Ready to start recording? New students can schedule a complimentary call to get started. Current Moon Prep students should email their Moon Prep counselor to get connected with our video specialists. A well-crafted video takes time, so act now! 

 

Casper Test Prep

If Hofstra, Drexel, or Texas Tech are on your college list for BS/MDs, this section is for you! These BS/MD programs require the Casper test, a situational judgment test, and the last test date is January. The test can only be taken one time per cycle, and the test has undergone significant changes for this admissions cycle. It is more important than ever to prepare properly. 

Just a reminder, the Casper test requirement for Drexel University is in place only if the student receives an interview.

Thankfully, the Moon Prep mentors are available to work with students to help prepare them for the Casper exam. View the syllabus here. Sign up for a free consultation to learn more about our Casper package to help you prepare for the test.

 

Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines!

While many families may be enjoying the holiday season, be mindful not to be caught off guard by the impending rush to meet regular decision deadlines. Read our article in Forbes, Regular Decision Deadlines For Top Universities In 2023-24, to keep track of every important college deadline to ensure your student is prepared. 

While regular decision deadlines for college are still ahead, early decision and early action deadlines have since passed. Many students are now waiting to hear their fate. Learn what a deferral for early decision or early action means, and check out our comprehensive list of Notification Dates For Early Decision, Early Action And BS/MD Programs for 2023-2024. 

If the difference between early decision I and early decision II is unclear to you, don’t fret because you are not alone. Applying to college is tricky and made more complex by unfamiliar lingo. Early decision I is the initial early deadline that results in a binding contract if a student is accepted. If a student is not accepted to their early decision I choice, they have the opportunity to apply early decision II to another school, which will also result in a binding contract if accepted. Learn more about how to use these deadlines to your advantage and view a Complete List Of Early Decision II Schools In 2023-24 in Moon Prep’s Forbes article. 

 

Tips to Stand Out

BS/MD applicants applying to Brown are running out of time to create their admissions video before the last video submission date, January 10th. While the video is marked as optional, truly competitive students will take advantage of this precious opportunity to showcase their personality and convince the admissions committee why Brown would be a great fit. Although there are few guidelines for producing the video, Moon Prep provides Seven Tips To Make Your Brown University Admissions Video Memorable in our recent Forbes article.

A counselor with Moon Prep, Megan draws on her extensive research skills, scientific publications, and admissions experience to guide students through the medical school admissions process, advising them through personal statements, interviews, and standout research opportunities. As a medical mentor and current medical student, Megan is passionate about working with highly motivated and passionate students as they plan their journeys toward medicine. She has worked as both an undergraduate and medical school interviewer and knows firsthand what it takes to be accepted into the most highly competitive medical programs.

Alongside her mentoring at Moon Prep, Megan is currently a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Having successfully navigated the arduous admissions process, she is excited about empowering aspiring medical students with her own experiences in writing compelling essays, conducting effective interviews, and securing valuable research opportunities. Megan has extensive scientific research experience and has worked as an undergraduate researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and interned in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School. Outside a busy academic schedule, Megan is an Ophthalmology Senior Clinician with East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership and a calculus tutor at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. Through her diverse academic, healthcare, and professional experiences, she knows what it takes to be competitive in the recruitment process and is eager to impart her insights to aspiring medical students.

In her free time, Megan loves being outdoors and can be found running, hiking, skiing, and biking.

Schedule a call to learn about working with Megan!

Washington University at St. Louis scientist Robert D. Schreiber won the inaugural 2024 Senior Scientist Winner of the Innovators in Science Award in Cancer Immunology. This award recognizes his outstanding contribution to the field. As the founding director at the Bursky Center for Human Immunology & Immunotherapy Programs, Schreiber has made significant progress in harnessing the immune system to treat cancer. He is the second researcher from Washington University to be recognized by this award in the last two years.

Arizona’s public universities plan to address the healthcare professional shortage by expanding their healthcare programs. Arizona State University Health has announced it is launching its own School of Medicine and Public Health Technology in downtown Phoenix. Northern Arizona University Health is designing a new College of Medicine in Flagstaff. University of Arizona Health Sciences plans to start a new College of Health Sciences. The Arizona Board of Regents hopes these expansions will increase the number of practicing health professionals in the state.

The University of Northern Colorado received $25 million from The Weld Trust to open a new College of Osteopathic Medicine. As the largest single gift the school has received, the donation will function to support a growing workforce of healthcare professionals in Colorado to address the physician shortage. The decision to begin an osteopathic program instead of an allopathic school was intentional, as DO’s tend to practice primary care in more rural and underserved areas, where Colorado needs more healthcare professionals.

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