I covered the importance of showing fit in Episode 162 “Focus on Fit,” the second most popular show of 2016 and the most popular show of the second half of 2016. But there is a second focus you need if you want to apply successfully to highly competitive programs. You need a corollary to fit. You need distinctiveness. That’s what today’s show is about.

If you only fit in or only stand out, you are unlikely to get accepted at programs that reject 80, 90 or 95% of applicants. [1:20]

Why do you need to stand out? [1:45]

Schools value diversity. Diversity creates a richer learning environment for those lucky enough to get in. If you are applying to any elite professional or academic graduate program, once you show you can do the work and that you fit in, you will be competing against others who have made the same case and who show they can stand out – that they can bring a distinctive element to a school’s class and community.

Programs with 2-3% acceptance rate are not looking just to see who has the highest numbers – they want students who will contribute. Contribution takes different forms as you’ll see later in this episode.

Many admissions professionals consider themselves enrollment managers. [2:50]

They are creating a class and they view the class as a mosaic. Every individual student is an individual stone in this mosaic. And just like each stone in a mosaic has a distinctive hue and role to play in creating the whole picture, so does each individual accepted to a program.

Stand out by showing you have something distinctive to contribute. I’ll show you the ways to do that: [3: 37]

1. Excel – do better than your peers. I realize that this is easy to say and hard to do.  But it is one effective way to stand out. Actually I wanted to say “an outstanding way,” but thought better of it.

2. Have distinctive experiences. Maybe you have professional experience, community service, involvement in the arts, sports, religious organizations, or political activism that is unusual in your field. And if you showed leadership, teamwork, initiative, innovative spirit. creativity, and impact, you probably have something distinctive to write about.

Please note that being a member of an organization or committee is less impressive than assuming responsibility and taking a leadership role where the buck from something stops with you. Highlight the latter, not the former.

You don’t have to climb Mt. Everest or swim the English Channel, although if you did those activities, they would certainly be distinctive. The key thing is that you have a distinctive experience where you took an active role.

3. Draw on your unusual personal experience or background (something you are as opposed to something you have done). Have you overcome disadvantage? Do you come from a part of the world or an ethnic background that is under-represented at your target program? How does that aspect of our life enrich you? Change you?

4. Show your distinctive perspective, whether it is personal or professional (what and how you think as opposed to what you’ve done or are). Two caveats here: 1) Don’t preach. 2) If you have a distinctive perspective, where have you put it into action? What difference does it make?

Over the last ten years we have seen a lot more options in graduate management education. I’ve highlighted some on previous shows like the recent shows we have had on the CEMS Masters in International Management or UVA’s MS in Global Commerce or MIT’s MS in Business Analytics.

Today it’s my pleasure to have back on Admissions Straight Talk Jamie Wright, Senior Recruitment and Admissions Manager at London Business School – Early Career Programs. She has been working with London Business School’s early career programs since 2009 and became the Senior Recruitment and Admissions Manager in 2012. She’s joining us today to discuss the expanding and evolving menu of early career options at London Business School. Welcome!

Can you give us an overview of the three early career options? [2:10]

Our flagship program is the Masters in Management (MiM), which is a one-year general management degree focusing on the fundamentals of business (finance, economics, marketing, entrepreneurship, leadership, etc), all with an aim to help students pursue careers in business. Most grads go into finance or consulting, but we’re seeing more of an interest in industry roles (tech, entrepreneurship, healthcare, etc).

The Global Masters in Management is a two-year degree. Students spend the first year in London, then go to Shanghai and spend the second year at Fudan University. At the end of the program, they receive two degrees: a MiM from LBS and a masters in International Business from Fudan University. Students gain insight into how business is done in both Europe and Asia.

The newest program is the Masters in Finance Analytics (MFA). It’s a specialist degree within the early career program, intended for students from heavily quantitative backgrounds (math, tech, finance, engineering).

Is knowledge of Chinese required for the Global MiM? [4:39]

It’s not required. We’re seeing people with various ranges of skills in Mandarin (some have studied abroad). We do offer language courses through the program, so it’s a great way for students to develop their skills together.

What is the difference between the MiM and an MBA? [5:50]

On average at LBS, MBA students have five to six years of work experience, which they are expected to bring into the classroom. Most early career students have internship experience, but not that same exposure to the business world.

Both programs address business fundamentals (the MBA program in the first of two years).

If I’m a potential applicant, how do I know when I’m better off going for the MiM or the MBA? [7:40]

It’s a very personal decision. Some companies and industries prefer MBAs, and it can be difficult to gauge at the early career stage if you’ll need an MBA someday in order to advance in your career.

If you have a dream job right out of college and you see the potential for promotion, it might be worth pursuing that and then going for the MBA later. But if you don’t quite know the direction you want, and you want to explore the recruiting landscape, or if you need to develop your business acumen or your

Ten years ago, the AAMC looked with alarm at the increasing and aging U.S. population and the aging physician workforce, and called for an increase in medical school enrollment of 30% by 2015.

At least partially in response to that call to action, approximately seven years ago Hofstra University and North Shore-LIJ Health System established the first ever allopathic medical school in Nassau County and the first new medical school in the NYC metro area in more than 35 years.

Since then Hofstra Northwell Medical has graduated two classes and received full accreditation. To tell us more about this young, innovative medical school, our guest today is Dr. Rona Woldenberg, Associate Dean for Admissions at Hofstra Medical. Dr. Woldenberg earned her MD at the University of Pennsylvania. She is board certified in diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology. In addition to her duties as Associate Dean for Admissions, she is also an Associate Professor at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. Welcome!

What is the first thing to know about Hofstra Northwell Medical? [1:55]

We’re one of the newer medical schools; we’re recruiting our seventh  class, and just graduated our second class. We were one of the schools created to address a projected physician shortage. But through our health system, we had been educating medical students in their third and fourth year of clinical studies since the 70s.

We’re educating physicians for 2020 and beyond.

What does “educating physicians for 2020“ mean in terms of your approach to physician training? [4:05]

First of all, medicine is really a team game now. When I went to med school, it was really doctor, nurse, and a few ancillary staff. Now medicine is all about a team approach to patient care, and is very patient-centered.

We’ve taken on that team approach right from the start: the first 9 weeks of med school is EMT training. Students learn to function in a team – it gives them a concept of teamwork and puts the focus on the patient right away, since they encounter patients in their homes, in the street, etc.

The curriculum is all case-based learning, so all systems-based knowledge is patient based. So for example the Krebs cycle is learned about in the patient who has diabetes – we bring the science into the patient.

To summarize: team approach; group learning; introducing that concept early on in the first 9 weeks; case-based learning focused on patients.

What does the case method mean in the med school context? [6:20]

Students get two cases each Monday. They learn the facts at home, and come together to work through and solve the cases as the week progresses (with a facilitator to guide the small group discussions). There are framing sessions as the week progresses, as well.

When you call Hofstra a “millennial medical school,” is this what you mean? [7:50]

This is exactly what we’re talking about: patient centered, working with team members to achieve best patient outcomes.

Can you describe the clinical exposure students receive in their first 100 weeks (i.e the first two years)? [8:45]

The student encounters five preceptors (family practitioner or internist; pediatrician; psychiatrist; ob-gyn; surgeon). The students work one-on-one with each of those preceptors. We have 21 (soon to be 22) hospitals in our health system, and we pull preceptors from our system.

Students get direct clinical experience at least four hours every week. (Not shadowing!!) They work hands-on, directly with physicians.

And what is the advanced clinical experience also known as the s...

Globalization is a force to be reckoned with in business, and is having a significant impact on graduate management education, with most b-schools developing their international offerings. But only INSEAD considers itself the business school for the world. Today’s guest is Virginie Fougea, Director of Admissions at INSEAD. She’s worked there since 1996, and became Associate Director of Admissions in 2012. She just became Director. Welcome!

Can you give us an overview of INSEAD’s full-time MBA program? [2:05]

INSEAD was founded in 1957, with the first class starting in 1959, in Fontainbleau. They wanted to offer an MBA program in Europe – it was very forward looking. From the beginning, the founders wanted it to be international, independent, diverse, entrepreneurial, and close to business. It started as a 1-year program.

In 2000, we opened our Asia campus in Singapore. And in 2010, we opened a campus in Abu Dhabi. We were ranked #1 in the FT this year.

INSEAD considers itself a “business school for the world” – what does that mean for students? [4:05]

There are about 80 nationalities represented in the classroom. We provide a rich learning experience from the entire world.

There are 500 students in the starting class: 300 students in Fontainbleau and 200 in Singapore.

We have over 24,000 alumni in 174 countries – most countries in the world. And in 47 countries, we have over 100 alumni.

Can you study at multiple campuses during your 1 year program? [6:05]

Yes!

We also have partnerships with Wharton in the US and Tsinghua in China.

Do you have tips for applicants considering this global program? [7:00]

Think about where they want to go – where do they want to work 5, 10, 20 years after INSEAD? We offer a lot of options to match people’s interests/profiles.

Should applicants show international experience? [8:20]

They should show open-mindedness and an interest in other cultures. There will be many cultures in the classroom.

We believe that global leaders need multicultural, international exposure.

Applicants don’t need to have traveled the world already – but they should at least have international interest.

How can you fit the full MBA curriculum into a 1-year intensive program? [9:40]

A 1½- or 2-year program usually includes an internship. Our students gain a lot of problem solving skills fast – we want to instill skills in our students.

Students collaborate with each other to get the most out of opportunities.

The pace of the program is similar to the pace of the professional world. You have to set priorities, just like in your professional/personal life.

43% of the class of 2015 was placed in consulting jobs. To what do you attribute this success in placing consultants? [12:09]

We talk to consulting firms about what they’re looking for – adaptability (skills, geography, language), people who have an idea of finance and strategy, etc – and our grads are really a perfect fit. About 29% of our applicants come from consulting pre-MBA, and we send 43% of our grads to consulting positions. We send about another 40% to the corporate sector, and about 15% to finance positions.

At some point, over half of INSEAD grads will start their own company. What does INSEAD offer aspiring entrepreneurs? [13:55]

Entrepreneurship is our biggest area of electiv...

This is our first podcast dedicated to the osteopathic student experience. Today’s guest is Ashley Roxanne Peterson. She’s currently a 2nd year DO student. As an undergrad, she attended UNC Charlotte, where she majored in Anthropology and minored in Sociology. She’s now in her second year at the Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Welcome, Ashley Roxanne!

Can you give us some background on your path to medicine? [1:35]

When I started at UNC Charlotte, I originally wanted to do something else, but through taking classes and volunteering I discovered that I loved medicine and helping other people in their journeys. Through shadowing, I realized medicine was the right path. I went straight to med school with no gap year.

Which experiences helped you see that medicine was right for you? [2:40]

Shadowing physicians – seeing how they interact with patients, how they use science. I saw that medicine was the marriage between science, different cultures, lifelong learning, and being a leader.

How did you fit science classes into your curriculum, given your social science major? [3:30]

I came in with some credit from high school, which was helpful.

I also took a heavy course load – at least 18 credits every semester (most people take 15).

At what point did you decide on medicine? [4:48]

Sophomore year. At one point I considered majoring in Chemistry, so I’d already taken some pre-reqs for med school, which helped.

Is your background in the social sciences helpful to you as a future physician? [5:37]

Yes! I feel I’ve been exposed to more social aspects of medicine – cultural competency (which is increasingly emphasized in medical training!), and how social determinants affect health.

I took a course on medical anthropology as an undergrad, where I studied how learned behaviors affect your health. I think that really helps me as a future doctor – understanding how my patients live every day: how culture and medicine meet.

Understanding people’s beliefs is also important, since people’s religious and cultural beliefs affect medical care, compliance, etc.

Did you apply only to DO programs, or to both DO and MD? [8:45]

I applied to both. I applied to schools whose missions fit my goals: a primary care perspective. In other words, whether they have a lot of primary care grads, put a strong emphasis on primary care rotations, etc.

Why did you choose the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine? [9:50]

The biggest thing then was the location – I have a lot of family in GA and AL, and lived here for a while when I was growing up (my father served in the military and was stationed nearby). It’s also not too far away from North Carolina. And one of my mentors went there for med school, and spoke really highly of it. And I chose it because of the mission – the emphasis on primary care.

What were the things your mentor told you? [11:25]

She highlighted the osteopathic integration in the program; the diversity of the class (background, age, experience, etc). She also said she was happy here, and that was meaningful to me.

What was the hardest part of the application process? [12:45]

The hardest part was realizing my weaknesses.

You want to be a top applicant with stellar MCAT, GPA, extracurriculars,

The most popular post of the last six months is “Focus on Fit,” and since Linda is taking a brief vacation, we are reposting it for this week. In this show, she shares the four not-so-easy steps to make sure you show you belong at your target programs.

Whether you heard it the first time or not, this podcast is a must-listen if you want to show fit in your application and get accepted!

You can listen to it here. To review the show notes, please see Focus on Fit.

Related Links:

• Get Accepted to Harvard Business School

• Get Accepted to Columbia Business School

• Get Accepted to Stanford Graduate School of Business

• Secondary Application Strategies for Essays That Score Interviews

• Multiple Mini-Interview Webinar

• Are You Asleep When You Apply?

• Business School Selectivity Index

• Law School Selectivity Index

Related Shows:

• Sophie Davis School Of Biomedical Education

• Baylor College Of Medicine: A Holistic Approach To Admissions

• Attn Med Applicants: A Class Is Matriculated Every Single Year

• 3 Ways Temple Can Help You Become an MD

• How to Think Like A Dean of Admissions

• MedhounD Hunts the Right Med School for You

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Tags: Admissions Consulting, Admissions Straight Talk, College Admissions, Grad School Admissions, Law School Admissions,

At the AIGAC conference in June, I spoke to a couple of people on the HBS admissions staff and asked them how applicants with less than stellar records can show they are “new and improved” – focused, mature, and ready for business school. They responded that while HBX CORe doesn’t guarantee admission, completing it with high marks does show that you can perform in an HBS kind of environment. They clearly saw it as a credible credential.

I wanted to learn more about this innovative program and credential. So I invited HBX CORe’s director to join me. Fortunately he accepted the invitation. Today’s guest is Patrick Mullane, Executive Director of HBX CORe. Patrick served as a captain in the USA Air Force in the early 90s, earned his MBA from HBS, and then moved into the world of business. Today he is back at HBS as the director of HBS’ exciting new online learning program. Welcome!

Can you give us an overview of HBX CORe? [1:48]

It’s a 3-course program: economics, accounting, and business analytics. The courses were chosen by faculty as foundational areas people needed for business. The program was originally created to be directed at people late in undergrad, studying the liberal arts, or people preparing for b-school who needed to refresh their knowledge in these disciplines.

How do students learn in HBX CORe? [3:10]

It’s an asynchronous, online program. HBS built it from scratch rather than using existing online platforms. And we use case content, rather than having lectures and texts.

There’s no textbook – it’s fully self-contained. Students can download study sheets.

If there’s no textbook, how are fundamentals taught? [6:00]

Students get everything through the case. Fundamental concepts are given real world structure that makes them easier to grasp.

We also have a closed Facebook group connected to the experience.

How long does the course last, and how many hours? [7:15]

It’s 170 hours of on-platform time, and students report that they spend extensive time off-platform studying. We have courses that last varying lengths of time, as little as 8 weeks or as long as 18, but the number of hours required is the same.

We gate the material and we have quizzes so students work through the course in a cohort.

Do some people have more background in a particular area of business? [9:15]

We use people with background in disciplines for benchmarking: on final exams, those who had previous experience only outperform new students by a few points, which shows us that students are learning new material well.

Study groups are very important at HBS. Is there anything similar at HBX? [10:13]

On the platform, we try to approximate this through the “peer help” function. It’s very different from a bulletin board – it’s very contextual. And students interact through the Facebook group.

Students also coordinate getting together in the city they’re in – in person – to form a study group, just like on campus at HBS.

HBX CORe doesn’t require GMAT/GRE, but does have an application process: what are you looking for? Who do you want to admit? [12:40]

A big part of HBX has to do with the HBS mission: educating leaders that make a difference in the world. The advent of technology has helped us extend that mission. There are more than 900 people (the approximate size of the HBS class) who can excel in the content here and benefit from it.

The purpose of having an application is that we want to be selective but not exclusive.

In the application, we want to test

Johns Hopkins Medical School is ranked #3 by US News for Research and #17 for Primary care. Last year, JHU received 6090 AMCAS applications and 4327 secondary applications, and interviewed 623 MD candidates and 63 MD/PHD applications. It accepted a total of 271 very lucky and happy candidates.

The gatekeeper and head of admissions at Johns Hopkins is Paul White, one of the most respected and experienced medical school admissions deans in the country. He became Assistant Dean for Admissions at Johns Hopkins first in 2000, went to the University of Minnesota for a few years and returned to JHU as Asst Dean for Admissions in 2012. Welcome, Paul!

What is one thing that you want applicants to know about Hopkins? [1:50]

People often think about us in terms of the amazing research at Hopkins. But we want people to know that we’re a phenomenal place for patient care.

What is JHU’s approach to physician training? [2:20]

It integrates all aspects. Right away when they get here, students learn how to do physical exams – their clinical exposure starts right after their orientation. (From Day 3.) Clinical rotations occur earlier than in other programs, so students get 2 ½ years of clinical rotations in addition to that early exposure. And we have world class hospitals – patients come from all over the world for care here.

What is the goal of the Genes to Society curriculum and approach to medical education pioneered by Johns Hopkins? [4:50]

We want students to approach health as a continuum – from the cellular level, to disease, to society. We approach health disparities as part of the continuum.

In terms of that social aspect of the continuum, are there classes or is it more experiential learning? [5:50]

Both. In addition to courses, there are intersession programs.

Turning to admissions now. How are you adapting to the new MCAT? Is it still a transitional phase? [6:50]

I think it will take a little time to complete the transition and get comfortable with the new exam. We’re still seeing people with scores from both the old and new tests.

We’re relying more on grades, looking at the rigor of the coursework, and recommendations. But we’ve always done admissions holistically, anyway.

The MSAR data shows that the average MCAT of your matriculated students is actually slightly lower than the average score for applicants. What would cause you to turn away an applicant with a higher MCAT score and admit someone with a lower score? [9:20]

(The MSAR data that Linda cites is from the 2014-15 application cycle. After the podcast, Paul White provided 2015-16 data, and we have his permission to share it here: 6,618 AMCAS and 4,799 secondary applications received. There were 569 applicants interviewed for the MD program and 66 for the MD/PhD program; 277 were admitted and 118 enrolled. )

Well, again, it’s a holistic process. Our average GPA is very high.

If a high MCAT score is all someone has, then that doesn’t inform the committee of anything other than that they test well.

We’ve always done holistic review: we’re looking for students with leadership, involvement, etc. We’d rather see someone who’s done well overall and has all the qualities we’re looking for in a student and who we think will make a good physician.

You mentioned leadership. What are some other things you’re looking for? [10:50]

People who are team players – who work well with others.

Our guest today is Peter Johnson, Assistant Dean of the Full-Time MBA Program and Admissions at Haas School of Business. He has been on the admissions team almost continually at Haas since 2004, becoming the director in 2006 and the Assistant Dean of Admissions in 2012. Welcome, Peter!

Can you give us an overview of the full-time MBA at Haas? [1:30]

It’s a traditional two-year full-time MBA, with an internship between the first and second year. We’re located in Berkeley, which if you’re not familiar is 12 miles NE of downtown San Francisco.

We have a special focus on developing entrepreneurial leaders who can make a positive impact on their organizations. We’re one of the smaller programs in the top-10 – we just welcomed an incoming class of 252 students.

Haas’s mission is “leading through innovation.” What does that mean, practically, to students? [2:55]

“Purposeful differentiation” is what makes organizations successful. We give students a strong b-school foundation (fundamentals of management, etc), plus opportunities to explore areas of specialization – an understanding of the changing dimensions of business and changing technology, so that they can explore ways to become entrepreneurs (or intrepreneurs, within established organizations).

You don’t become successful by doing what’s always been done – the key is to bring new ideas into your organization.

How does Haas take advantage of its connection to UC Berkeley and Silicon Valley? [5:35]

When people talk about Silicon Valley, they’re really talking about the Bay Area innovation ecosystem, which encompasses San Francisco and the whole area, both established tech companies and disruptive startups. We have faculty and adjunct lecturers who come from that environment; we know what those companies are looking for in employees.

We are on the Berkeley campus, and we’re fully part of the grad environment there. We have ties with engineering, etc. One example of that is our Clean Tech to Market program, where our students work directly with students in the sciences. Another collaborative project is the Blum Center for Developing Economies – our students work with students from Public Policy and other programs.

What does “global focus” mean at Haas? [8:30]

Cases in class connect to a global focus; businesses’ growth strategy is a global strategy.

Some things that are most impactful are experiential, such as our International Business Development Program. Through this program, over half of our full-time students work on a project for an international company or organization – they spend a semester on the ground in Berkeley and then go overseas to produce a deliverable for the client company.

Students can also spend a semester abroad with a partner school, and can go abroad during breaks. We also offer joint programs in business and International Area Studies.

“Leading Through Innovation” – what does it mean to applicants? [10:50]

People assume it means they need to be planning to launch a startup, but that’s not the case. We’re looking for people who challenge the status quo – who can become innovative leaders.

We have a course called “Problem Finding/Problem Solving.” We’re interested in students who are interested in developing themselves as this type of leader.

And what does the mission (“leading through innovation”) mean to alumni? [14:37]

You’re connected with a network of people who have a similar “innovation” skillset. Fellow alumni can become partners for cross-company collaboration ...

The goal of this podcast is to help you get accepted to your top choice program. If that is medical school, one of your next steps will be preparing for the challenging USMLE or COMLEX exams. Today’s guest, Dr. Marcel Brus-Ramer, is joining us for a discussion about how to prepare for the USMLE.

As an undergrad, Dr. Brus-Ramer studied economics at Rutgers. He completed his MD/PhD at Columbia, then did a residency in radiology and biomedical imaging at UCSF, and a fellowship in neuroradiology, also at UCSF. He began tutoring in 2009, and helped launch Elite Medical Prep about a year ago, in August 2015. He’s here to share his advice for success in med school and the Step exams.

What were some decision-points in your own career? [2:03]

I knew I wanted to go to med school and that I wanted to do a year of research. When I looked into it, I decided to do the MD/PhD.

While doing my PhD research after the first two years of medical school, I worked with neurosurgeons, and realized that the lifestyle didn’t fit with my family life and goals. So I decided to pursue radiology: I was attracted to the Sherlock-Holmesian aspect of the diagnostic process. People don’t realize how much treatment you get to do in radiology – you’re not just working in a room by yourself.

How did you get involved in tutoring and test prep? [4:20]

I finished school a little off-cycle, and I was looking for opportunities. I had a family. And I didn’t want to do more research. I saw a flier for a small test prep company – ultimately, I helped them grow their business, and I started spending a lot of time thinking about medical education.

In 2015, Dr. Rubin asked me if I would join his venture – and we launched Elite Medical Prep.

What services do you offer for pre-meds? [6:11]

We offer some strategy and advising – guidance on course selection, etc. And we do some MCAT prep and science tutoring. We’re both MDs, and we bring that experience.

MCAT prep isn’t our main focus at this point, because there’s a relatively greater need for tutoring at the medical level (ie USMLE tutoring) – but some of our clients need MCAT tutoring, and we work with them.

All of our tutors are MDs.

What services does Elite provide for MDs and DOs? [8:20]

Osteopathic schools have a different test (COMLEX). But the USMLE and COMLEX are very similar, and DO students often also take the USMLE. Most of our tutoring is for the USMLE.

What does Elite Medical Prep do differently from other services? [10:15]

Both Dr. Rubin and I started at Med School Tutors, and have years of tutoring experience.

There are couple of fundamental differences. One is that the company is run by (and all the decisions are made by) MDs. Everything is designed from the perspective that we were once medical students.

We give our tutors extensive training. They’re excellent to start with (and have records of high achievement), but that’s just the beginning: we really focus on teaching/tutoring skills.

We always emphasize hospital terminology.

And we recognize that tutoring is a major decision, and an expensive one. Because of that, any unused time is refundable. We stand behind the quality of our product.

Your website mentions “evidence based” tutoring. What does that mean? [14:15]

We were really affected by the book Tutoring Revolution. Tutoring is a major part of our modern world.

From the book,