Kaplan Test Prep Survey: 90% of Medical School Admissions Officers Say It’s Common for Applicants to Reference Personal or Family Illness in Their Applications, but Most Say It Makes Little Difference in Helping Them Get In

Also in Survey: While Emphasizing Personal Background Has Little Effect
on Admissions Officers, Nearly Half Say MCAT Needs to Focus More
on Personal Traits Such as Empathy and Integrity

Available for Interview: Medical School Admissions Expert

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (October 6, 2010) – Many aspiring doctors are drawn to medicine because of a personal connection with illness, according to a Kaplan survey of admissions officers at 83 medical schools across the United States, which found that 90% report that it’s “somewhat” or “very” common for applicants to include in their application a story of personal illness or illness in their family. Also a running theme among medical school applicants is having other doctors in the family – 69% of admissions officers report it to be “somewhat” or “very” common for applicants to include in their application mention of a family member who is a doctor. For the most part, though, referencing a personal connection with medicine makes no difference in an applicant’s chances – only 24% of admissions officers say highlighting a personal or family illness in an interview or essay helps an applicant’s cause. 75% say mentioning a family member who is a doctor makes no difference.

“Our interpretation is that talking about a personal or family illness or about your family medical profession pedigree is a bit like eating chicken soup to treat a cold – it probably doesn’t help much, but it doesn’t hurt either,” said Amjed Saffarini, executive director, pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. “What’s ironic is that while medical school admissions officers are much more focused on the MCAT score and GPA than on personal stories, nearly half want to see the MCAT focus more on qualities like empathy, integrity and ethics.”

Other key Kaplan survey results:

Admissions Killer: 45% report that a low score on the MCAT – the exam for medical school admissions – is the biggest application killer.
Med Schools Like the MCAT: 87% express confidence in the MCAT’s ability to measure a prospective student’s success in medical school, though the MR5 – a study to broadly change the MCAT – is underway. Though confidence in the MCAT is high, 47% say the exam needs to focus more on applicants’ personal attributes like empathy, integrity and ethics.
Nothing But The Facts?: 81% of medical school admissions officers say they’ve discovered claims on an applicant’s application to be exaggerated or untrue – compared to 73% of law school admissions officers saying the same about their applicants.
High MCAT score = Money: 85% say a strong MCAT score will help a student receive merit-based scholarships.
Are Medical Schools the Only Ones Not on Facebook?: Only 24% of medical schools use Facebook to recruit students – far less than the 70% of law schools who do.

For more information about Kaplan’s annual survey of medical school admissions officers or to schedule an interview with a Kaplan expert, please contact Russell Schaffer at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com

*The survey was conducted by phone in August 2010 as part of Kaplan’s annual survey of admissions officers at AAMC-approved medical schools. Kaplan also conducts surveys of admissions officers at colleges, business schools, graduate schools and law schools.

About Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.