On Wednesday evening, March 30, the Premed Society and Health Professions Advising brought Robert Witzburg, MD, Associate Dean for Admissions at Boston University School of Medicine, to campus. Dean Witzburg talked about what students should think about as they choose a medical career. He then discussed the admissions process, the information that admissions committees receive and evaluate, and what they consider important. With three actual case studies, Dean Witzburg appointed all attendees to his admissions committee and had us consider which of three applicants we would choose to admit to medical school.
One attendee said, “I really enjoyed listening to Dean Witzburg today. The case study was very informative as was his discussion on the criteria that admissions committees use to consider applicants. I have been thinking about his ‘homework assignment’ and reflecting on what he had to say.”
Dean Witzburg’s “assignment” was to really question why you wanted to pursue medicine because it is a lousy job – long hours, often frustrating or disappointing results, the need to constantly keep up with the newest research and never know it all. But it can be a wonderful calling if you truly know who you are and why you are choosing it.
A holistic admissions review process – of which Dean Witzburg was a leading developer with the Association of American Medical Colleges – considers every aspect of a student’s application. In our session the student with the highest GPA and MCAT was not admitted, but one with a lower science GPA but significant commitment to what she believed, leadership and initiative got the offer to medical school.
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