Its common knowledge that getting into medical school is tough.

Now, its tougher than ever.

More than two dozen schools reported a 25 percent increase in applicants in late 2020 over the previous year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

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Consider this: Normal year-over-year growth is about 3 percent, the AAMC said.

That trend has caused admission rates at 10 of the toughest schools to drop to 2.6 percent or less. The newly-formed Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine has an admissions rate of only 0.5 percent.

Those additional applicants are motivated, in part, by the Covid-19 pandemic and are part of what experts are calling The Fauci Effect. Its the notion that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic has driven interest in healthcare careers.

Aspiring doctors should take more care in building their medical school list, creating a strong ... [+] resume, and distinguishing themselves from other applicants in the competitive process.

Why Covid-19 Ignited Passions And Motivated More Applicants

The increase in medical school applicants has been spurred, in part, by those motivated by the Covid-19 pandemic, said Geoffrey Young, Ph.D., AAMC senior director for student affairs and programs. Young compared their motivation to pursue a medical career with the increased interest in joining the military shortly after 9/11.

Physicians are being hailed as heroes; students feel inspired and energized by this, said Moon Prep Counselor Lindsey Conger. Plus, because of quarantining, many students have more time on their hands and are applying to more schools.

Other factors in increased competitiveness include earlier pre-med schooling (STEM programs as early as elementary school) and higher GPAs and MCAT scores.

To deal with the influx of applications, some schools are enlisting the help of additional reviewers to comb through and select the best-fit candidates. Most schools have no plans to expand enrollment in any meaningful way, according to the AAMC. Meaning, competition truly is as steep as it appears.

Though the prospects of getting into medical school appear daunting, Conger has a few tips for applicants wanting to boost their chances.

More Applications, Passion Projects Can Up Your Chances of Getting Into Med School

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In a typical year, Conger recommends applicants apply to at least 20 to 25 schools.

Now, shes urging applicants to submit 30 applications or more. This is also true, regardless of the pandemics impact, for students with below-average MCAT scores or GPAs. The more applications sent, the more chances there are to get accepted, she said.

Another way to improve chances of being accepted into medical school is to apply to both DO (osteopathic) and MD (allopathic) medical schools. At the end of the day, you are becoming a doctor, even if the letters after your name are slightly different, said Conger. ...DO schools tend to be slightly less competitive, so they can be good options for students.

To surviveand thrive inthe increasingly competitive med school admissions landscape, students are also exploring more innovative ways to show their passion and stand out among the other applicants, said Conger.

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Students now have to take a few extra steps to stand out from the crowded field, and every aspect of the application matters, she said. Those extra steps often include pursuing a passion project. But with pandemic limitations in place over much of the past year, many in-person opportunities, especially in volunteer and clinical work, have been hard to come by.

Since many hospitals aren't accepting in-person volunteers, my students are having to work a bit harder than usual. However, opportunities are out there. My students have done volunteering online through platforms like Crisis Text Line or virtual medical scribing. Virtual physician shadowing has also become a popular alternative, said Conger.

Students have had to adapt and pursue virtual opportunities in lieu of real-world experience to help them get noticed in the application process.

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Slimmer Admissions Chances Mean Doubling-Down On Effort

In a world thats still reeling from and dealing with the widespread effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, medical school admissions have not gone untouched. Although the admissions landscape looks grimmer than usual for med school hopefuls, there are still ways to put in extra effort and stand apart from the crowd.

Increasing the number of applications and being resourceful in finding volunteer opportunities are two ways an applicant can increase the odds of making it into med school, including those with the lowest admission rates.

Moon Preps 10 Toughest Medical School Admission Rates for 2021

10. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

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9. Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

8. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

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7. Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (tie)

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7. Yale School of Medicine (tie)

5. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (tie)

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5. Duke University School of Medicine (tie)

3. University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences Pritzker School of Medicine

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2. New York University (Grossman)

1. Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine

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The Real Reason Why Its Harder Than Ever To Get Into Medical School And What Aspiring Physicians Can Do To Improve Their Chances - Forbes