The Admission Video

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine what a video could tell you?! Well, now you’ll be able to find out with a feature that is unique to UMCAS! The Medical School Admission Video! The UMCAS admission video is an entirely new feature and concept to the medical college application. But it’s not a new concept to general college admissions. In fact, check out this funny law school admission video from Elle Woods HERE.

So why have admissions videos? Well, with the advent of the internet and a plethora of admission essay consultants and sample essay forums, students are finding it much easier to concoct an admission essay (personal statement). That in turn, makes it somewhat difficult for an admissions officer to truly grasp an applicant’s academic, extracurricular and intellectual abilities. If you speak to any medical school Admissions Officer, they’ll quickly tell you that the personal statements from candidates often sound very similar and instead of showcasing what makes a candidate worth accepting, they tend to read stories about the motivation for the medical degree.

The benefits of creating an admission video.

Having an admission video provides admissions officers greater insight into your UMCAS application. Plus, if you don’t present well on paper (i.e. your marks aren’t the greatest) then having an incredible admission video can help showcase your other talents to identify a ‘diamond in the rough’ type of talent so-to-speak. Alternatively, the admission video will also allow admissions officers to assess your communication skills and that’s a very crucial skill to have as a physician!

So before you get started, let’s get something clear. You don’t have to be George Lucas or Steven Spielberg to create an incredible admission video. You don’t even have to be a YouTube star with a million followers. As long as you have a decent smartphone with a good camera and/or a good laptop with some decent video editing software like iMovie or Final Cut, then you can put together a great admission video. And don’t make this a chore. Have fun with it. Get a friend to help you out and make it an experience worth remembering down the road!

Getting Started

First things first. Before you even start planning locations and wardrobes, ask yourself this question – “What is the purpose of an admission video?” If you haven’t figured it out, realize that an admission video is similar to your personal statement in a way; as it attempts to allow the admissions officers to get to know you outside of your academic scores, etc. In a sense, these videos are a pre-interview screening device. But unlike the interview, where you’re expected to answer questions, the admission video allows you to tell the story in your narrative.

So capture various elements around you and your life that paint a great picture as to who you are and why you’d make a great doctor! Feel free to talk about your likes and dislikes, achievements, dreams, goals, and challenges.

The best way to go about doing this is by using our little guide.

Here is our guide:

1. Brainstorm & write down the answers to the following questions.

This will be your script.

a. Why do I want to be a doctor?

b. What makes me unique? (i.e. hidden talents)

c. What are my hobbies?

d. What do I do for fun?

e. What are my aspirations?

f. Any notable achievements?

2. Think about how you want to tell your story.

Do you want to record the whole thing at home? Perhaps record some clips at your favorite hang-out spot, workplace, school, etc. Note down some cool visual locations and backdrops to help tell your story. (Refer to the Elle Woods Video if you need some inspiration)

3. Practice what you’re going to say.

Remember, the admissions officers want to see you in this video so don’t narrate a video collage of different scenes. And don’t worry if you make mistakes. That’s what editing is for!

4. Dress professionally.

You’re trying to come off as a future physician, not a Hip Hop artist. And keep your language clean – no profanity!

5. Avoid saying “uh…uhm…like” between your thoughts.

Hence, why we suggest practicing your script. And record your admission video in small clips, so you don’t have to strain yourself to memorize everything.

6. Keep the final video within 3 minutes.

Studies have shown that people tend to lose interest after that. And the last bit of advice: Medical Schools want to accept students who reflect well on them, so this is your chance to shine and impress!

Once you’ve recorded and edited your video, upload it to YouTube or Vimeo and then share the video link on your UMCAS application! It’s that easy!

All the best! You’ll do great!

If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us at info@umcas.com. Ready to apply to Caribbean medical schools? Sign up for our service today.