Many aspiring doctors are drawn to medicine because of a personal connection with illness, according to a Kaplan’s annual survey of admissions officers at 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.  To view a PDF version of the survey results, click here.   Below are some key findings:

Which would you most consider to be an application killer?

A low MCAT score: 45%
Unimpressive interview: 26%
A low undergraduate GPA: 23%
A poorly written personal statement: 3%
Poor letters of recommendation: 3%

How common would you say it is for a prospective student to include in their application a story of personal illness or illness in their family?

Very common: 33%
Somewhat common : 57%
Not too common: 10%
Not at all common: 1%

In general, would you say these stories about an illness help or hurt the application?

Makes no difference: 42%
Depends: 32%
Help: 24%
Hurt: 1%

How common would you say it is for a prospective student to include in their application mention of a family member who is a doctor?

Very common: 19%
Somewhat common: 50%
Not at all common: 1%
Not too common: 29%

In general, would you say mentioning a family member is a doctor helps or hurts the application?

Makes no difference: 75%
Depends: 14%
Help: 11%
Hurt: 0%

Have you ever received a negative letter of recommendation submitted by an applicant?

Yes: 87%
No:  13%