Muilenburg Offers Innovative Mock Application Process for Medical Applicants
This process now takes place across the entire school year, with each student being challenged to create their strongest application, resulting in strong results.
Posted by Meghan Kita on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 12:32 pm
Karin Cordon Waldman, director of health professions advising, talks with students. Photo by Joe Romano ’23
Rajvat Shah (Class of '23), a biology and anthropology double major hoping to get into medical school, has been accepted to the University of Michigan Medical School, Emory University School of Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, and Rowan University Cooper School of Medicine. He's waiting to hear back from a few more schools before deciding where to attend this fall. “I really wouldn't be in this position without the mentorship I received at Muhlenberg,” he says.
Shah credits Director of Health Professions Advising Karin Cordon-Waldman and her unique mock application process as a major factor in his success. At many institutions, pre-med students complete a mock application and receive a letter of recommendation from the school's review committee. At Muhlenberg, “the goal is different,” Cordon-Waldman says. “It's not about getting a committee letter, although that is one outcome. It's about creating a really strong application. My focus is, [students] They need to create an app that best represents who they are and what they can offer.”
And it's worked: 92% of graduates who applied to medical and dental school in the past five years have been admitted.
Shah will present his undergraduate research in summer 2021
Cordon-Waldman designed the curriculum around the mock application, which is aimed at all medical aspirants, including students interested in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant programs and graduating students who have taken a gap year (or years). Starting in the fall 2022 semester, he expanded the curriculum to cover the entire academic year.
The curriculum's first goal is to help students assess whether they're ready. “Our philosophy is that applicants apply when they're the best applicant they can be,” she says. Because all pre-med applicants must apply one year before they plan to enroll, students considering going directly from Muhlenberg to these programs should apply at the end of their junior year. Students' senior-year accomplishments — research and shadowing experiences, leadership positions in campus organizations, capstone projects — can only be included on their application if they plan to take a gap year after Muhlenberg.
“The goal is to build really powerful applications. My focus is [students] They need to create an app that best represents who they are and what they can offer.”
—Kailin Cordon Waldman
Cordon-Waldman's curriculum begins with a fall presentation that details what a strong application looks like. The semester continues with assignments to break down mock applications into manageable pieces. Students are asked to write an autobiography that tells their entire story, not just the “why do I want to be a doctor” story that will serve as the basis for the letter of intent they submit to each school. In the second assignment, they reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, what attracted them to a career as a physician, and why they feel prepared to apply. Students then fill out a grid that asks them to consider how their experiences in class, on campus, and on the job align with the core competencies expected of students in the health profession.
“Never underestimate the rigor of the medical school application process,” says Shah. “As someone who went through Kailyn's ordeal, I can attest to the wisdom of her process. By spending several months breaking down each element of her application into more easily understandable chunks, she was able to identify her weaknesses and thoroughly develop those areas.”
He found writing his statement of purpose particularly challenging, but ultimately rewarding. “While I love science and serving others (as do all aspiring medical students), I needed to portray my journey into medicine in a compelling, authentic, and thoughtful way,” he says. “I learned that such personal realizations can only come with careful self-examination and time. Forcing myself to start brainstorming months before applying, plus incorporating Kailyn's insights, helped me craft a statement of purpose that garnered many compliments during my interview.”
In the past five years, 92 percent of graduates who applied to medical and dental schools were admitted.
To help students create their list of preferred schools, Cordon-Waldman has them write a personal mission statement that details their values, the people they want to serve, and their overall vision for their professional life. She then has students compare their mission statement to those of the five schools. “In my opinion, it's much better to narrow your list and narrow your list to the schools that are a real fit,” she says.
With the mock application due in February, students are given the time they need to create the strongest draft possible. Between March and May, Cordon-Waldman meets with each applicant to provide final feedback and explain the application process. This is also when Muhlenberg's evaluation committee does its work, and working closely with applicants allows Cordon-Waldman to personalize their own portion of the recommendation letter, just as faculty do.
“Our faculty are fantastic recommendation letter writers; it's clear they know the people they're writing letters to,” she says. “Our process produces stronger applications than those at other universities.”
“Never underestimate how rigorous the medical school application process is. As someone who went through Kailyn's rigorous review process, I can attest to the wisdom of her process. Breaking down each element of the application into more easily understood chunks over the course of several months helped me identify my weaknesses and thoroughly develop those areas.”
—Raivat Shah '23
Shah would agree, and the fact that he's already received acceptance letters from top medical schools is proof of that.
“The Mock Application process forces you to think deeply about your core values, your purpose in life, and your place in humanity. It has given me a deeper understanding of who I am,” he says. “In my case, the Mock Application process gave me the opportunity to consider how I can use my skills and interests for the benefit of humanity and society at large, and for that I am grateful.”