HOSAEMagazineSpring2021

T he phenomenon dubbed the “The Fauci Effect” is attributed to Dr. Anthony Fauci as a result of the dramatic spike in premeds applying to medical school in response to the coronavirus. THE IMPACT ON PRE-MED AND MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICANTS The Fauci Effect propelled the number of medical school applicants in 2020 to jump by as much as 20%. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly has had devastating effects on humanity, with many deaths, economic distress and social isolation being just some of the effects that have been experienced. The silver lining may be that it is propelling a new generation of minds into medicine. Several MedSchoolCoach advisors and deans at various medical schools have given interviews to news outlets about the rise in medical school applicants over the last several months. There has been much discussion about why this increase happened, and what the increased number of applications means for the future of medicine. But also, what does it mean for pre-meds who are applying to medical school in 2021? The Fauci Effect and Medical School Admissions

EXTRACURRICULARS REMAIN A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN MED SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE

A staple in the evaluation of a medical school applicant is their extracurricular activities. The last year has impacted many student’s plans for volunteering, clinical observerships, research, and physician shadowing. While students may not be able to engage in the same extracurriculars as they once could, it’s still important they have solid extracurriculars to create a strong narrative that balances out their med school application. A great medical school applicant takes years to develop. Strong candidates hopefully had some solid experiences before and during the pandemic, and will have additional solid experiences after it. Virtual clinical education programs can substitute for in-person experiences while students are limited in the clinics and hospitals. Participation in these virtual programs show interest for the medical profession, can also go onto a CV, and be discussed in interviews. MedSchoolCoach offers a virtual clinical education with more than 20 of the world’s best doctors to give students a behind-the-scenes look at practically every specialty. Not only do they learn about the range of medicine, but it may also help them to determine which specialty they hope to make a career.

THE MCAT EXAM COULD BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Standardized exams like the MCAT have been an integral part of the application process for medical schools for quite some time. Schools use it to filter through candidates and eliminate weaker ones from the pool of applicants. The “Cascading Fauci Effect” may make this even more true. Schools will have to sort through a larger pool of applicants to make tough decisions. The MCAT is a great equalizer, and a student’s score will be used increasingly to compare students. The 2021/2022 application cycle may be one of the hardest years to gain admission into medical school. Therefore, applicants will need to prepare early to make their application as strong as possible.

COMPETITION TO GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL GOT EVEN MORE COMPETITIVE Several reasons explain why medical school spots don’t keep up with the number of medical students. Just because someone graduates as a doctor doesn’t mean that this doctor can practice medicine. Here’s why. All physicians are required to go through graduate medical education (referred to as GME). These residency and fellowship programs are what actually train doctors in their preferred specializations. Without them, an MD is just a person with two letters after their name, not a physician trained to provide medical or surgical care to patients. GME programs are government funded. A lack of government funding at accredited schools means the schools upstream cannot enroll more students. It’s a simplistic view of it, but it’s true that just because more students are interested in medicine doesn’t mean that more students can enter medicine as a career. Plus, the increased competition means schools can be even more selective with candidates. Today, medical schools reject 60% of applicants. That figure could jump to 70% next year! For 2021/2022 applicants, this means that students who tried to enroll the previous year and were denied will likely be reapplying. This could lead to a “Cascading Fauci Effect” for years as more students are interested in medicine, yet get left out from getting accepted into one of these coveted medical school spots.

MEDICINE HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE

Premed students and medical students are entering medicine at a remarkable time. Researchers developed and rolled out a vaccine in just about one year. What a wonderful feat! This is a testament to the advancement of medicine. Personalized genomics, big data, artificial intelligence and more could transform how healthcare professionals deliver health care. If we could coordinate efforts like we did with COVID, what if we did the same thing with HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other killers? What if we could enlist the best and brightest to fight cancer, or eliminate heart disease. The potential could be limitless. Medical science is poised to undergo considerable change in the next few years. Current med students should keep this in mind as they start a challenging process. I wish them the best of luck as they proceed, though hard work is the largest impactor of luck. MedSchoolCoach MCAT tutors are all 95th percentile scorers who can help students improve their MCAT score. And our admissions advisors are all physicians with experience on admission committees who know how to get students accepted. If you’re a student who could use help getting into medical school , look us up. We can help you along every step of the medical school journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, DR. SAHIL MEHTA

Dr. Mehta is the founder of MedSchoolCoach and has guided thousands of successful medical school applicants. He is also a practicing physician in Boston where he specializes in vascular and interventional radiology.

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