1. Undervaluing the Data

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Many individuals can fall prey to confirmation bias
- Deciding on a belief first and then searching for data that confirms that belief or bias
People can start focusing on anecdotes rather than focusing on the entire data set
For example: South or East Asian descent applicants have to score substantially higher in their MCAT and GPA to be considered for medical school
MD and DO schools are not the same
- For example, a DO graduate will have a far harder time becoming a plastic surgeon than a MD graduate
So if you have a specific specialty in mind already take a careful look at all of this data before you decide on whether you want to go to a MD or DO school

2. Choosing Political Correctness Over Truth

Sometimes people allow their insecurities to flare up and get offended over truth
It’s important to be stay true to yourself and acknowledge the truth for what it is
For example: not all level of healthcare professionals are qualified to be physicians. There is a different level of training that a nurse does and doesn’t qualify them to do the job of a physician
Another example: MD schools applicants have higher average GPA and MCAT score than DO school applicants

Humans create more simplified version of concepts, things and examples to better understand a new concept or understanding a complex concept
However, it’s important to understand that this lacks the nuance and granularity of reality
For example: MCAT and GPA are one of the top predictors for getting accepted into medical and the data truly backs up their importance
- But they are not the end all be all
- It’s important to be a well rounded applicant regardless of whether an applicant is a 100th percentile scorer or 80th percentile score