Session 13

Each week, Ryan and Rich directly pull up a question from the forums over at OldPreMeds.org as they deliver the best answers right on to you. If you have questions you want answered here on the OldPremeds Podcast, go to oldpremeds.org and register for an account.

This week's topic is on Early Decision, whether it be a wise decision to apply for it and weighing out between its risk and reward.

OldPreMeds Question of the Week:

The poster is deciding if they should apply for Early Decision in the current city they live and also wanting to apply for the HPSP scholarship. What are the pros and cons?

Here are the insights from Ryan & Rich:

What is Early Decision?

It is a program by some medical schools typically designed for students who:

• Are very strong candidates
• Have a strong geographic connection to the school
• Make a strong case why they be a good fit for that school

When you apply for it, it means you have committed on the AMCAS application to only apply to that school until a decision is made.

The risk of early decision:

This raises an issue that if the decisions do not come out by October and if you don't get accepted the Early Decision, you have now set yourself back for all the other medical schools to apply to.

Major takeaway from this episode:

Rich recommends:

Do not consider early decision unless you are extremely strong, have extremely good geographic connection to the area, and you are a good fit for that school.

How are you a good fit for that school?

Specific on the school's mission such as role in medicine, primary care, or some other aspect that you can show that would make you a good fit.

Ryan recommends:

Do not apply for an early decision because the risk is higher than the reward.

Links and Other Resources

If you have questions you want answered here on the OldPremeds Podcast, go to oldpremeds.org and register for an account. Go into the forums and ask a question.

Listen to our first episode at OPMPodcast.com/1 to find out more about who we are.

Also check out the Premed Years Podcast at www.medicalschoolhq.net.

Find us on iTunes and go to opmpodcast.com/itunes and leave us a rating and review.

Check out MedEdMedia.com for all the shows that we produce including The Premed Years and the OldPreMeds Podcast. We will soon be launching a medical school podcast as well so stay tuned!

Email Dr. Ryan Gray at [email protected] or connect with him on Twitter @medicalschoolhq.