With respect to Dr. Lanham's recent post, I
offer the following FACTS: 1) My son's best
friend graduated Vanderbilt University in 2012
with a 3.9 GPA. He is a very personable kid. He
scored a 37 on his MCAT, a PHENOMENAL score! He
received one medical school acceptance at UMDNJ
(the state school where he's from) and was wait-
listed at just one other school, which
ultimately accepted him.
12 other medical schools, including Vanderbilt,
where he matriculated as an undergrad, rejected
him! 2) My son graduated Emory University in
2012 with a 3.8. He took one "gap" year and has
applied for the 2013 medical school entrance
class. His MCAT score is lower, but still
respectable. Thus far, he's been granted just
one interview and received 5 flat out
rejections; we await responses from 12
additional medical schools to simply sit for an
interview, a requirement for acceptance. 3)
Vanderbilt and Emory are both among the top 20
universities in the USA.
Stats like the above, in spite of
looming "Obamacare" and our declining health
care system, CLEARLY indicate entrance into
medical school is just as competitive as it has
ever been! I have the utmost respect for Dr.
Lanham, but question the accuracy of his post
regarding the qualifications of students
attempting to matriculate through our country's
medical schools.
The above facts speak for themselves and create
thefollowing perception: a) unless you know
someone very well on a medical school admissions
committee, b) are a minority applicant, or c)
have participated in some incredible research
project that was internationally
published, as a white male in America, it
remains extremely difficult getting accepted
into medical school. If honor students from our
country's elite universities can't get in, then
something remains terribly wrong. MANY spots are
going to foreign medical students. While they
may also be well qualified, isn't it time we
took care of our own? Of course, my sentiment is
biased being white and having a son involved in
the process. the bottom line is he'd make an
excpetional physician if someone grants the
opportunity. I'm confident I'm not alone
regarding this situation, and expressing this
sentiment.
Barry Mullen, DPM, Hackettstown, NJ,
yazy630@aol.com
