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Getting into medical school is one of the most competitive academic journeys a student can undertake. Beyond the test scores and transcripts, there's a wealth of practical wisdom that only comes from those who've actually walked the path. We spoke with 25+ practicing doctors, psychologists, and admissions experts across specialties to gather their most candid insights about the med school application process, MCAT preparation, handling rejection, building a standout application, and protecting your mental health along the way.
Whether you're just starting your pre-med journey or preparing to submit applications, these insights from real physicians offer a refreshing dose of honesty and practical guidance.
From Dr. Revée Barbour (Dr. Ray), ND — Naturopathic Physician and Founder of an award-winning private practice
"I wish I had known there were various fields of medicine available. When I first applied to medical school after college, I only knew about allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. I initially applied to osteopathic medical schools, thinking that the curriculum offered opportunities to learn more nutrition and lifestyle medicine, but I quickly realized those skills would not be emphasized. It required extra due diligence to learn about naturopathic medicine as an option, but once I did, I applied, and the rest is history."
From Dr. Jane M. Orient, MD — Internist in Tucson, Arizona
"I was accepted for the first class at the University of Arizona College of Medicine despite their very discouraging comments about how much harder it would be for me than college. So, I decided to pursue my other first love, teaching, for a time. U of A rejected my second application, I think because my political views weren't liberal enough for them. So, I applied elsewhere. I didn't get advice on the application process, but I just went as I am."
From Dr. Ashwin K. Sabbani, MD — Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Doctor and Medical Director and Founder of Nüvo You
"I did spend a summer working with and shadowing my aunt, who was in Anesthesia and pain management; that was very helpful to get an idea of what to expect with clinical practice. I shadowed a few different family friends, many only for one or a few days but even one-day experiences were very helpful in providing different perspectives on medicine. Overall, I would say shadowing the different specialties was very helpful in preparing myself for medical school and beyond."
From Dr. Ben Reinking, MD — Board-Certified General Pediatrician and Pediatric Cardiologist, Founder of Developing Doctor, and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics-Cardiology at the University of Iowa
"I applied to medical school more than 30 years ago. Back then, just like today, it was very competitive, but the application process was quite different. One thing I didn't realize was how much time it would take to apply to schools. I also didn't understand how important the secondary essays were. Looking back, I was lucky to get into my state school. I don't think I spent enough time and effort on the secondary applications for other schools to be a really strong candidate."
From Dr. Christopher Van Schenck, MD — Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Founder of Nolensville Psychiatry
"I didn't get any interviews during the first round of med school admissions. I decided to keep going anyway and use the time to attend a Master's Program in Biomedical Sciences at Barry University in Florida. While at this program I was introduced to someone who had gone to medical school in Ireland though a program called 'Atlantic Bridge.' They were able to go to school over there for 5 years and had returned successfully. It was a breath of fresh air. I ultimately applied to the medical schools in Ireland, was accepted, and went to University College Cork instead of an American school. It was a great experience."
From Dr. David S. Feldman, MD — Pediatric Orthopedic and Spinal Deformity Surgeon, Associate Director of the Paley Institute, and Leader of the Spine Deformity Center and Hip Pain Center
"Few, but yes, and unfortunately one has to be aware of who is interviewing and what they want to hear and what they want to be asked. They may not want to hear the truth about their program nor be asked about it."
From Dr. Emil Shakov, MD, FACS — Board-Certified General Surgeon and Owner of Specialty Physicians NJ
"Don't waste your money on all the primary and secondary applications if you do not meet the minimum requirements for their program. The whole process is corrupt with how expensive it is to just apply to medical schools."
From Dr. Kimberly Rogers, MD, DipABLM, DipABOM — Internal, Lifestyle, and Obesity Medicine Physician and Owner of RestoreMD Medical & Wellness
"Obtaining strong, personal letters of reference was a significant challenge, especially coming from a large undergraduate institution with limited one-on-one professor interaction. My advice to prospective applicants is to find a mentor who can provide such a reference. My pre-medical experience consisted mainly of volunteer work, like candy striping and working in mental health clinics in Anguilla. Leadership roles, such as being President of the Caribbean Student Association, were more prominent in my application than traditional shadowing or clinical research."
From Dr. Meghan Berkenstock, MD — Ophthalmologist, Medical Director of the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute at Water's Edge, and President of the Drexel University College of Medicine Alumni Association
"Never forget that alumni can make incredible mentors. Especially at medical schools that may not have a clinical department in the specialty you are choosing, look for an alumnus to mentor you. For example, in an ophthalmology residency application, research is key to differentiating your application. Research projects can also lead to presentations at national meetings and opportunities to network. Mentors can reach out to their contacts to help put in a good word for you to also increase the chance of you matching. Remember that mentoring is a two-way street. The mentee should maintain the relationship and reach out to the mentor to schedule regular meetings, follow up if they have not heard from the mentor as planned, and continue to stay in touch after graduation. You will find that you need many mentors in your career. They are like friends—make new ones but keep the old. Form a network of sponsors, mentors, and colleagues that will help form the trajectory of your career as early as possible."
From Dr. Meghan Braun, DPT — Board-Certified and Licensed Physical Therapist and Owner and Founder of Body Mechanics Physical Therapy
"I worked in a physical therapy clinic for about 2 years and shadowed several PTs as well while applying to school and finishing prerequisite courses for a better GPA. Getting the best possible grades on pre-req classes was the most beneficial for the application."
From Dr. Nasiya Ahmed, MD — Board-Certified Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care Physician at Village Physicians
"In highschool I worked as a cashier. In college I worked as a biology and math tutor (my undergraduate degree was in mathematics). I also volunteered in the hospital in the PACU. I think what was more important for me is that I went to a small undergraduate college. The professors were extremely supportive, both academically and in providing future career advice. I also was able to participate in a lot of different associations, such as the International Students Association, Latin Club, etc."
From Dr. Preyanshu Parekh, MD — Family Physician and Weight Management Specialist at Shine Medical Center
"The process is intimidating, but at the end of the day, I wish I knew that there were options. I was intimidated by the fact that if I didn't get in, everything would be a waste of time. You have to look at it as another process, another interview, and fortunately, there are many options in the US. You can apply again in the second year, or you can apply for different programs. I wish we could decrease the intimidation because when you remove that, it makes things a lot easier, and you can actually reflect on your journey. Everyone just follows the same path—these many hours of clinical research and volunteering—but I wish I knew that overall, personality matters too, which will be reflected in your application."
From Dr. Rachel Langley, DO — Family Medicine Practitioner and Owner of Homestead Direct Patient Care
"I attended a high school for science and technology, which allowed me to do some really basic help at the National Institutes of Health in one of their labs. I worked with my mom, an RN, checking blood pressures and glucose sticks at company health fairs. I did additional lab work on larger animals surviving induced cardiac arrest in college. I got a job as an intern and then a CNA at a local home health agency. The latter work as a home health aide was the most helpful—when doing the boring, gross work of cleaning up dirty diapers, the humbling work of scrubbing the back of an old lonely lady in the shower, and the tedious work of cleaning out her coffee maker of grounds that she spilled every day, did I still enjoy this work of caring? In my case, I resoundingly did."
From Dr. Robert C. Bransfield, MD, DLFAPA — Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Owner of Mental Health and Illness private practice
"Enter a field that gives you autonomy away from the control of large medical corporations. Learn something about the business of medicine, and develop a super specialty area that affords you some autonomy from the control of insurance companies."
From Dr. Scott Noorda, DO, IFMP — Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician and Founder of Resolve Medical
"I wish I had understood just how personalized the process really is. Admissions committees aren't just looking for test scores—they want to see that you're well-rounded, resilient, and genuinely passionate about patient care. Building relationships with mentors, gaining hands-on clinical experience early, and pursuing meaningful interests can make a huge difference. Interestingly, being an Eagle Scout became a big talking point in several of my interviews, reminding me that character and service matter just as much as academic accomplishments."
From Dr. Stefanie Simmons, MD, FACEP — Emergency Medicine Physician and Chief Medical Officer for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation
"If you need a break or need to downshift, think about how that time can help you build skills and broaden your experience. Those may end up being the most valuable parts of your journey. When applying or interviewing, be thoughtful about how you present breaks or mental health struggles. Frame them as periods of growth and skill development. Many still view mental and physical health as private and outside the professional sphere, so present your story professionally—without hiding your authentic self. Admissions teams, attendings, and residents are all human too. They've had their own struggles. Don't fear being judged for being human—but be thoughtful about how you share that."
From Emil Check, PhD — Director of Advising of the Health Professional Student Association/Student Doctor Network
"It's very easy for students to explore their boundaries at the cost of losing their sense of balance or control; arguably, that's what being a teenager is about. But at some point, one realizes that 'working harder' does not mean 'working smarter.' Less sleep or chugging down caffeinated energy boosters to spend more time studying will not get you a better grade. Science has told us how our brains effectively remember information, and many of us have not appreciated the discipline involved in studying uninterrupted (turn off distractions and notifications whenever possible) for brief periods and letting the information settle (Pomodoro Technique) over a consistent, long time. The old rule about setting aside 3 hours of personal study every week for each 3-hour college course is still a good rule of thumb. A medical school curriculum typically has 24 hours of preclinical classes each week, so many schools have adopted a 4-day lecture schedule."
From Dr. James C. Marotta, MD, FACS — Plastic Surgeon and Founder of Marotta Plastic Surgery Specialists
"I did not have any setbacks or rejections in the med school application process. I was accepted from a post bacc program at Columbia University to a fast track (skip the lag year) acceptance at SUNY Stony Brook. I had above a 4.0 in my premed classes and a near perfect score on the MCAT. I know it is even more competitive these days and perfect numbers don't guarantee acceptance any more. I have faced rejection in other spheres in my life and know the only way to counter it is persistence."
From Dr. Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD, FACS — Medical Director of RENU
"The summer after my senior year I started working in a lab and studied about 12 hours a day taking the MCAT course. My scores went up so that I tested into the top 1% in four subjects. Ironically, I was admitted into medical school in early September and the medical schools never even saw my new scores."
From Dr. Ryan Brang, MD, FAAFP — Family Medicine Physician and Owner of NorthCountry Health Direct Primary Care
"I worked full time prior to medical school and I've been told that helped me in my application process. Having significant life experience not only makes for an attractive applicant, it will help manage the rigors of medical school and residency. I did do some volunteering in medical clinics and hospitals, but this pales in comparison to the experience I gained as a manager at UPS for 6 years during college. The bottom line here is that you don't have to focus entirely on medical experiences and opportunities to find success in a future medical career."
From Betsy Schwartz, MSW — Senior Director for the APAF Center for Workplace Mental Health
"Far from disqualifying you from a career in medicine, struggling with your mental health can actually make you a stronger healthcare provider. Having your own lived experiences with mental health conditions primes you to empathize with your patients and provide care that truly meets their needs. Make sure you're relying on the mental health resources available to you as a medical student so you can relay stories of how mental health care worked for you to encourage your future patients."
From Dr. Ronald Lee, PsyD — Clinical Psychologist in private practice, specializing in working with healthcare professionals and people of color
"Every medical student has a 'why' for entering medical school. It could be related to a desire to help people, to realize a family aspiration, and/or to give back to a specific community in need. Being mindful of these reasons by staying in touch with mentors, keeping a journal, and/or having a vision board on your wall will be good ways to sustain your drive towards getting that medical degree. By setting an intention to keep your 'why' as the core reason for your actions, you will push through the rigors of medical school with additional drive, focus, and inspiration. Finally, it is also important that driven students in medical school allow other people to support them during those times when they have hit their limit for effective self-care."
From Dr. Robert Kornfeld, DPM — Podiatrist and Founder of Chronic Foot Pain Center and Institute for Functional Podiatric Medicine
"I was into running in college. I developed really bad heel pain. I went to a podiatrist and he diagnosed me, treated me and set me up with runner's orthotics and it turned my life around. I really was impressed and decided that's what I want to do."
From Dr. Janet Chene, MD — Integrative and Functional Medicine Physician and Owner of dr.chene.com (Integrative Nutrition TeleHealth Clinic)
"I really love to help people because I care about them. And that's the only reason I'd recommend getting into medicine. If someone is after money, I would really suggest doing something else, like business. This career, in order to be successful, demands a lot of your life and energy, more than I anticipated in terms of time. If you really don't care about people much, you'll end up resenting it. You'll feel it as an imposition on your life. And the patients will sense that and that's not really good care."
From Dr. Janet Chene, MD — Integrative and Functional Medicine Physician and Owner of dr.chene.com (Integrative Nutrition TeleHealth Clinic)
"During undergraduate, I worked full time and went to school full time. It was pretty exhausting. I worked as a medical transcriptionist, at least from 3 to 8 in the morning when I could. I also learned to be a paramedic in Detroit. I worked nights, weekends, 24 hours on Friday, and 24 hours on Sunday. That gave me a lot of experience. It's helpful to have that."
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