Tell us about your academic performance during your undergraduate program. Where have you excelled, and where could you improve?
You will submit your official transcripts as part of the application process for any medical school. Going beyond your actual grades, the interviewers want to know how your undergraduate program has prepared you for attending medical school at their university and where your strong points and weak points fell during this part of your educational path.
"I am very proud of my achievements during my undergrad education. Those courses added so much value that I will bring to my graduate program. My best courses included kinesiology and advanced English. I feel that I excelled in these because they are related to the medical specialty I plan to pursue. I think I can improve my time management. I overextended myself last semester with volunteer opportunities, and my study time suffered slightly. Now that I have identified the reason behind my time management challenges, I will only see improvement moving forward."
Discuss what interested you the most and where you had the biggest challenges during your undergraduate studies. While earning your bachelor's degree, you likely learned some core skills that would be transferable to your time in medical school. Some skills to consider discussing are time management, creative thinking, public speaking, presentation building, and academic research.
"I graduated at the top of my class with a BS in chemistry. I excelled in the laboratory setting and spent multiple summers doing benchwork synthesizing organic compounds. I was very disciplined in the lab and was able to incorporate my classroom knowledge into laboratory work. One area of improvement would be capitalizing on this experience by writing and publishing articles in scientific journals."
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Anonymous Answer
I did fairly well in my undergrad classes; however, there is always room for improvement, and I learned that in my freshman year. I didn't do as well in the early science classes (gen chem, bio, etc.) as I had hoped, but with adjustment of college and being away from home, I learned how I best learn and study. I excelled in what was considered the harder classes because I prioritized them higher. I wanted to prove to myself that I deserved to be in this field.
Rachelle's Feedback
It sounds as though you excel where you put the most attention, and it's great that you are aware of this. Moving and starting school is a big adjustment. How will you continue to excel? (Be sure to include action steps)
