Customer Reviews

Getting In: How Not To Apply to Medical School (Medical Student Survival Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is a bit expensive for what it costs. It does give some insider information from a former 'admissions advisor'. Let me save you some money, ready?... don't do the same thing everyone else does. Seperate yourself from the same things that every other 'pre-med' student does to get in... be unique... volunteer at a soup kitchen rather than a hospital, consider majoring/minoring in something other than science, do something out of the norm etc etc etc... That's it in a nut shell... you'll get a lot more of the same thing in different ways for $30 more, but hey, I'll admit that not every 'pre-med' student knows that they should try to be unique. So, it offers some good advice, but you just got it all (above) for the low low cost of nothing. So, if you're pre-med, be unique... and get a better book.

I will admit that this book does have the occasional bit of, as far as I can tell, good information. But mostly it just gave hyper-paranoid advice in insulting language. Take chapter 15, for instance, titled "Deadline Dummies". The "dummies" to which it refers is anyone who gets their application in past June 1st. He even states that there's 'no reason' to get it in past that date. No reason? Really? So he knows my life, does he? And don't even get into April vs. August MCAT. He leaves the reader, or at least he left me, with the overall feeling that those August MCAT losers are just plain screwed. Thanks.

And then there's the downright unhelpful advice, like 'don't volunteer at a hospital if that doesn't interest you, instead spend time doing things you truly enjoy.'. Well 1) if you don't like spending time in hospitals, I have some bad news about your future in medicine, and 2) what are you supposed to tell med schools when they ask about your medical experience? These days it's nearly impossible to get into any medical without a little clinical experience beforehand. This is just bad, bad advice.

Don't buy this book. Especially not for this much money. Honestly, almost any other book is better. I recommend Kaplan's "Get into Medical School; A Strategic Approach" instead. Good luck!

Author Jung must have been well aware of how many nervous, neurotic premeds will throw money at anything if they think it will give them ANY sort of edge. Cha-Ching!!

Okay, so I'm already in medical school, but I had to flip through this yesterday when I saw it on a friends' shelf. Jung advises you to be original. (think "Legally Blonde" and Elle's video application to Harvard... I guess).

The best thing you can REALLY do, is make friends with the classmates AHEAD of you in undergrad, and keep communicating with them as they move through the application cycle (this works for application to ANY graduate-level course, not just medical).

Internet sources like this abound... tailor-made for students to give advice to their peers and for the people coming up behind us to read as well. Google for Student Doctor Network and you'll find FAR MORE advice, in a searchable format, readily available, for free free free.

The author is right, incidentally. Being original is a good idea. It's just neither an ORIGINAL idea (ironic!) nor one worth $30.

Now... stop reading about getting in, and go get in!!! :-)

While the author provides unique recommendations about pre-med coursework, I think there could have been more in depth information.

Perhaps the most helpful information within the book regards the coursework and majors of pre-med students. Dr. Jung presents the idea of "setting yourself apart from the other [med school] applicants" by NOT doing the cliche Biology BS degree and candystriping or other mundane volunteer work. I think that was the most insightful and refreshing information I've read regarding the med school application process.

Dr. Jung also provides BRIEF information about some unique programs at different medical school, like MD/PhD programs and the like.

The only criticism I can provide regards the comprehensiveness and depth of the book. I think it is definately a good book to start with, but it is definatly NOT comprehensive start-to-finish work. Its a very quick and easy read at only 128 pages, and left me wanting more; but, overall it was helpful.

For $30, I was disappointed in the amount of information in this book; I expected much more.

Most chapters covered the topics at a rather trivial level. There were a couple of useful anecdotes provided, but they provided only limited insight into the medical school admissoins process. It would have been really useful to provide some information from current or former admissions officers at US medical schools, but that was missing.

In many examples, you could find the same information for free just by looking at web sites for AAMC or the AACOM. For example, nearly 40 pages of the 160 pages of this book are dedicated to providing the mailing address and web sites for US medical schools (MD and DO). Why pay $30 for that, when you can get that for free from aamc.org? Plus, since the book is a few years old, some of that information is already out of date.

The book does merit the two stars for at least advising applicants to avoid "following the herd". But that hardly justifies the exorbitant price tag. The MSAR is a much better value, and provides much more useful information.

If you're smart enough to get in to med school, you're smart enough to figure out what the title of my review means, and also smart enough to know you don't need this book.

I happen to be the S.O. of a recently accepted med school entrant, and I can tell you from a ton of research that this book will not help you any more than you can help yourself. If, perchance, you DO find this helpful, you aren't going to get in, or you are just so lazy that you haven't bothered to figure out that most of this is worthless and the few bits of info that are useful are easily available by just a few mouse clicks.

So take the 30 odd dollars and put it away for 35 years at 7% and you'll be much better off. PJ isn't helping any one but himself here.

This is a well written book, but its all stuff you already know or should know. I ended up going to law school =/

I used Dr. Jung's book as a guide and I got into one of the best medical schools in the country. Without it, I'm not sure I would have gotten in, with it, I received 7 offers from all over the country. He understands the medical education system better than anyone I've spoken with.