In this episode of Ask Dr. S, Dr. Shirag Shemmassian of Shemmassian Academic Consulting answers questions submitted by premed students and applicants about what happens after (or instead of) getting into medical school: whether it's worth turning down an acceptance to chase a dream school, how many letters of intent you can actually send, whether a low GPA is worth fixing with a grad program, what to do with an unplanned gap year, and how to actually choose between multiple acceptances.

Questions answered in this episode:

00:00 Intro

01:20 What actually matters when choosing between multiple acceptances?

09:08 How do you make the most of an unplanned gap year?

15:05 Is a post-bacc or grad program worth it for a low GPA?

21:53 Can you send a letter of intent to more than one school?

26:15 Should you turn down an acceptance to reapply for your dream school?

📌 RESOURCES MENTIONED

👩🏻‍⚕️ Looking for example update letters, letters of intent, and letters of interest? Access our premium library here: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/premium/medical-school-update-letter-premium-content-enrollment

🎤 1-on-1 reapplication strategy and advising: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/medical-school-admissions

✉️ Submit a question for a future episode: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1O-c5L4CEgaStlOBiaHCRctLpHN7BRIh207OpcAF0jMk

🔔 Subscribe for new episodes on medical school admissions.

Who we are: Shemmassian Academic Consulting (SAC) was founded by Dr. Shirag Shemmassian, a medical school admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping thousands of students get into top programs such as Harvard, Mayo, and UCSF. Despite a roughly 40% medical school matriculation rate nationally, our team's approach has resulted in over 90% of our students getting accepted the first time they apply. SAC has been featured on The Washington Post, US News and World Report, and NBC.

In this episode, Dr. S answers questions submitted by high school students and parents navigating BS/MD admissions: what actually differentiates applicants once stats stop being the differentiator, what "guaranteed" acceptance really means once you read the fine print, how to weigh a BS/MD offer against a strong premed track at an elite school, how to write a convincing "Why Medicine" essay as a 17-year-old, and how to sound like yourself instead of a rehearsed script in a BS/MD interview.

Questions answered in this episode:
00:00 Intro
01:04 BS/MD Acceptance: What Actually Matters Beyond Stats

04:51 Is a "Guaranteed" BS/MD Acceptance Really Guaranteed?

07:27 UPenn Premed vs. BS/MD: Which Gives You the Best Shot?

10:30 How to Write a "Why Medicine" Essay at 17

12:27 How to Sound Mature (Not Scripted) in a BS/MD Interview

📌 RESOURCES MENTIONED

📖 BS/MD admissions guide: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/bs-md-programs

👩🏻‍⚕️ 1-on-1 BS/MD admissions consulting: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/bs-md-admissions-services

✉️ Submit a question for a future episode: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1O-c5L4CEgaStlOBiaHCRctLpHN7BRIh207OpcAF0jMk

🔔 Subscribe for new episodes on medical school admissions.

Who we are: Shemmassian Academic Consulting (SAC) was founded by Dr. Shirag Shemmassian, a medical school admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping thousands of students get into top programs such as Harvard, Mayo, and UCSF. Despite a roughly 40% medical school matriculation rate nationally, our team's approach has resulted in over 90% of our students getting accepted the first time they apply. SAC has been featured on The Washington Post, US News and World Report, and NBC.

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian answers key med school interview questions, covering MMI prep, evaluation criteria, and handling unexpected prompts like "Tell me about yourself."

(00:00) Intro

(01:28) How do you answer "Why medicine?" when your family is full of doctors?

(08:13) How do I prepare for the MMI? (Three things that matter most)

(12:34) How much do medical school interviews actually matter?

(15:52) How do you handle an interview question you didn't prepare for?

(20:18) How should I answer "Tell me about yourself"?

📖 How to Ace Medical School Interviews (free guide): https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com...

🎯 MMI Interview: The Ultimate Guide — includes 150 practice questions: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com...

👩🏻‍⚕️230+ Sample interview responses - https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com...

🎤 1-on-1 mock interview and MMI coaching: https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com...

✉️ Submit a question for a future episode: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1O-c5...

🔔 Follow for new episodes on medical school admissions.