Becoming a Competitive Applicant—Attributes

At some point in your pre-health journey, you may have heard the words “holistic review in admissions,” but students are often confused about what this practically means in the admissions process for health professional schools. Essentially, “holistic review” means admissions committees review applications with the whole person in mind.

There are many aspects of an application that matter to admissions committees. The AAMC’s Experiences - Attributes - Metrics (E-A-M) model explains the various components that make up a competitive professional school application. This blog will focus on the attributes part of the EAM Model.

The AAMC provides a list of professional competencies as a guide for students to know the character attributes they should develop before applying to professional school. Though these competencies were determined by the AAMC, they are still relevant and important for students in all pre-health pathways.

When thinking about how to become a competitive applicant for professional school it is important to remember, “It’s not about what you are doing; it's about who you are becoming.”

While it can be tempting to pursue experiences and opportunities simply to check a figurative “box” off the list of things you need to have on your application, we encourage you to think beyond that to ask yourself, “Am I becoming the kind of person who will make a great healthcare practitioner?”

Reflecting on your growth in the pre-health competencies will help you answer that question. The “checkbox” mentality doesn’t help you grow, but engaging in experiences that are meaningful to you and reflecting on what you learned from those experiences does help you grow.

Your experiences as a pre-health student are the places and spaces where you will learn the valuable attributes and qualities that make a good healthcare professional. Take some time to think about which competencies you already excel in and which areas could use some more focus and improvement. Then, consider ways you can intentionally pursue experiences that will help you develop and demonstrate each competency before your application season.

As you reflect, don't compare yourself to others—everyone always has more to learn and new ways they can grow.

Competency:	Specific Personal Example(s) of How I Have Displayed This Competency:	Plan for Future Growth in This Competency:
Commitment to Learning and Growth
Cultural Awareness
Cultural Humility
Empathy and Compassion
Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
Interpersonal Skills
Oral Communication
Reliability and Dependability
Resilience and Adaptability
Service Orientation
Teamwork and Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning
Scientific Inquiry
Written Communication

(AAMC, The Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students, 2023).

We know that navigating professional school preparation can be a confusing process—please visit with your advisor in the Pre-Professional Advising Center if you have any questions!