Just curious if anyone has used a consultant and what kind of experience you may of had?
I have consulted with two consultants. One was quite some time ago, when my academic circumstances were better than they are now. The consultant was quite far away, but we did most of our consultations by phone. She did give me some nice pointers about my application and how to get into an Ivy League medical school when coming from a state college. Unfortunately, she retired and moved to a remote part of the state.
Since that time, my science GPA went downhill. More recently, I received some information about getting into medical school if one has a low GPA from an East Coast consultant, a practicing physician. She wanted me to consider her comprehensive package, but I could not and still cannot afford her fee, which is quite high for someone spending their money on school, working part time, and has family obligations.
With all the great info available on this site from people who have succeeded in the premed game, I’d say that OPMs ARE defacto consultants.
As with so many things … it all depends.
Even though I’m a writer, I struggled mightily with both my personal statements and my secondary essays. I got input from two very knowledgeable people, one in an “official” pre-med consulting capacity, the other in a less “official” capacity. I found both very helpful, in different ways.
In general though, getting an outside, objective perspective on your application is a must. There are simply different ways of going about it, depending on your finances, needs, and wants.
I must add, just to be clear – make sure that YOU are the one actually doing the work and the writing, though …
A word of advice…Pick and choose consultants wisely. You are looking for someone who know the back scenes of what takes place with admission committees. Many consultants will only charge you for the time that you need. The comprehensive packages are for the applicant that is totally lost and needs help at every step of the way. Also, some consultants offer an introductory consultation to see what it is you truly need help with.
Dr. Ralph Messo