Core Competencies

Core Competencies and My Application to Medical School

You want to get accepted to medical school and you want to know what to do besides the two things everyone says: get good grades and get a good MCAT score. Well, there is more to it. To be a good provider you need to have it in your core that you want to be a physician – a healer. You have to have a deep desire to help achieve the well-being of others, and that has to be reflected in the acts you do. If you make an informed decision to become a doctor you are more likely to be a good doctor and much more likely to be happy in your career choice.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (the AAMC) Group on Student Affairs, Committee on Admissions has endorsed a series of 15 Core Competencies that every pre-medical student should have when applying to medical school. These competencies are designed to assess your knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes related to being a health care provider.

The AAMC’s 15 Core Competencies recommended for pre-medical students are divided into 4 groups:
1. Interpersonal Competencies
2. Intrapersonal Competencies
3. Thinking and Reasoning Competencies
4. Science Competencies

Let’s walk through this list and see how competitive a candidate you are for medical school. Do some soul searching and see if these competencies actually speak to you and your character. We will then discuss how you can consider showing medical schools how you have met the various competencies.