The Truth About 5 Common Medical School Admissions Myths

By U.S. News & World Report
December 15, 2025 | 7:00 PM

The medical school application process comes with its fair share of stress. When you add in the rumors, half-truths and outdated advice floating around premed subreddits and online forums, it’s no wonder premedical students feel overwhelmed.

Whether it’s about GPA cutoffs, research expectations or what medical schools “really” want, it’s time to clear the air.

Believing in myths can lead students to waste time chasing the wrong goals, panic over unnecessary details or feel discouraged when they don’t need to be. That’s why understanding what truly matters and what doesn’t can bring clarity and confidence to your application journey.

Here are five of the most common myths about getting into medical school, debunked.

Myth 1: You Need a Perfect GPA and MCAT to Get in

Let’s start with the most persistent myth of them all. Yes, GPA and MCAT scores matter, especially to get your foot in the door, but they aren’t everything. Medical schools absolutely care about academic performance because they want to be sure you can handle the rigors of medical school. But they’re not looking only for test-taking savants.

A strong upward trend, performance in upper-level science courses and resilience in the face of academic setbacks all count. Likewise, an MCAT score that’s solid but not stellar can still land you interviews if the rest of your application tells a compelling story.

[Read: Why It’s Still Hard to Get Into Medical School Despite a Doctor Shortage]

Admissions committees are increasingly looking for well-rounded applicants who have demonstrated maturity, communication skills and service to others, not just academic excellence. They want future doctors, not just good test-takers.

The truth: Holistic review is real, and numbers are just one part of the bigger picture.

Myth 2: If You Didn’t Major in Biology, You’re at a Disadvantage

This one is easy to believe because many medical school applicants follow a traditional science path, but it’s simply not true. In fact, med schools appreciate academic diversity.

As long as you complete the required coursework in biology, chemistry, physics and biochemistry, your major can be anything. English, economics, engineering, public health, fine arts, it’s all fair game. What matters more is your performance, your curiosity and how your major shaped your thinking.

In fact, nontraditional majors often bring unique perspectives that help applicants stand out. Admissions committees value students who can think critically, communicate effectively and draw from a variety of academic experiences.

The truth: You don’t have to be a biology major to get in. You just have to be a strong, well-rounded student who meets the prerequisites.

[Read: 7 Skills to Develop Before Medical School]

Myth 3: You Must Do Research to Be a Competitive Applicant

Research can absolutely strengthen your application, especially if you’re applying to research-intensive schools or interested in academic medicine. But it’s not a universal requirement.

If your passions lie in clinical care, community service, public health or advocacy, that’s more than OK. What matters is that your activities reflect a thoughtful commitment to medicine, not that you checked every possible box.

That said, if you do participate in research, make sure you can talk about it clearly and reflectively in your interviews. Remember that it’s not just about what you did in the lab, it’s about what you learned from the process, how you collaborated with others and how it influenced your understanding of medicine.

The truth: Research is one way to demonstrate curiosity and discipline, but not the only way.

Myth 4: If You Apply to Too Many Schools, it Looks Desperate

Absolutely not true. Applying to a reasonable number of schools is not only common, it’s smart. Medical school admissions are unpredictable. Casting a wide but targeted net increases your chances of landing interviews.

That said, applying to 50 schools without researching their requirements or making sure they are a proper fit isn’t strategic, either. Build a balanced school list based on mission alignment, location, competitiveness and your own preferences.

[READ: 5 Key Characteristics of Successful Medical School Applicants.]

Most applicants apply to somewhere between 15 to 25 schools. The key is to focus on quality over quantity. Use resources like MSAR or the TMDSAS directory to help build your list, and keep track of deadlines, secondary prompts and school-specific requirements in a spreadsheet or document.

The truth: Applying broadly doesn’t hurt your chances but apply intentionally, not randomly.

Myth 5: You Need to Have a Dramatic Personal Story to Write a Strong Personal Statement

Stories of major illness, family tragedies or personal setbacks can be powerful but they’re not required. What matters most is that your personal statement is authentic, well written and helps the reader understand why you want to pursue medicine and who you are becoming.

Focus on clarity, reflection and a sense of direction. Thoughtful insight will always resonate more than theatrics. Admissions officers are moved by honesty, introspection and a clear connection between your values and your motivation to become a doctor. Don’t try to force drama; focus instead on meaning.

The truth: You don’t need a movieworthy plot line for your personal statement. You need a genuine, focused story that reflects your motivation and values.

Misinformation can add unnecessary anxiety to an already high-stakes process. Be wary of anonymous posts on forums that claim to know how “the system really works.” The best way to protect yourself? Rely on trusted sources, ask thoughtful questions and surround yourself with advisers or mentors who are up to date on how medical school admissions really works.

Focus on building your story, one grounded in service, curiosity and a genuine commitment to the field. And remember, every applicant’s journey is different. Don’t compare your timeline or experiences to others. Focus on growing as a future physician and trust that if you build your application with intention and honesty, it will show.

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The Truth About 5 Common Medical School Admissions Myths originally appeared on usnews.com

Asia’s next great gourmet destination? Inside Indonesia’s fine-dining revolution

By CNN
August 11, 2026 | 5:44 AM

More than 120 years ago, Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, National Geographic magazine’s first female writer, photographer and board member, chronicled her travels through colonial Indonesia in her book “Java: The Garden of the East.”She was particularly fascinated by a feast known as the rijsttafel (rice table), a multi-dish banquet that was served in the grand Hotel de Nederlanden in Batavia, as Jakarta was known then.Scidmore vividly recalled a “conglomerate mountain” of food, including bits of fish, duck, chicken, beef, omelettes and onions piled alongside steaks, salads, curries, chutneys, spices and tropical fruits.The sumptuous spread had something to satisfy everyone amongst the 100 or so guests that filled the grand dining hall — even the “squeamish folk, unseasoned tourists and well-starched Britons with a small sense of humor.”Like Scidmore, most early Western documentation of Indonesia’s flavors focused on the opulent colonial feast. Little else was known about the diverse and rich flavors found across the enormous archipelago, in spite of it being home to the fabled Spice Islands, which sparked a 16th- and 17th-century “spice rush” for cloves, nutmeg and mace by Portuguese, Dutch and British traders.In more recent decades, the world has become better acquainted with some of the beloved humble foods found in Indonesian homes and warungs (street-side eateries), with satay, nasi goreng and beef rendang among the most familiar dishes beloved by travelers.But now, there’s a rising number of contemporary chefs who are elevating the national cuisine on the global stage by reimagining its famous spices into fine-dining experiences, while sharing the sophisticated stories of Indonesian flavor through a different lens.Made up of thousands of islands dotted across two oceans, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic country. It would be an understatement to say the country’s cuisine is wildly varied.As a result, “the existing understanding of Indonesian food culture is very shallow,” says William Wongso, an Indonesian culinary expert and author.Boasting an enviable array of regional ingredients and flavors, the country’s chefs have been working to educate international gourmets — and even locals — about the beauty of Indonesian cuisine.And Jakarta, its capital city, has become a breeding ground for the movement. Wongso compares it to the dining scenes in New York or Shanghai, which draw talent from all over their respective countries. “Everybody wants to come here to make a thing,” he says. “So people from different regions bring flavors and food cultures.”Some open humble warungs and serve their home cooking. A few look beyond recipes and focus on elements that make Indonesian cuisine unique for a wider audience, reinventing the whole experience.A modern, fine-dining blueprintEnter August, which opened in 2021 inside a gleaming skyscraper in Jakarta’s central business district.The duo behind the concept, Jakartan Hans Christian and Budi Cahyadi from the Indonesian island of Lombok, were definitely not the first people to promote Indonesian flavors — Christian emphasizes figures like Wongso, for example, who have been championing gastro-diplomacy abroad for decades.But August has spearheaded a new format and standard for the country’s fine-dining restaurants: a modern, Indonesia-inspired tasting menu operating at a world-class level of culinary execution and service.The industry has already noticed. August became one of the few Indonesian restaurants to achieve international recognition, placing 42nd on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 and earning accolades at The Best Chef Awards.“When I came back to Jakarta, you either had classic French fine dining or very casual bistros, mostly run by expat chefs,” says Christian, who sharpened his skills in Malaysia and the United States before returning to Jakarta in 2016.“There were no locally grown chefs doing their own thing with their own roots or interpretations. For me, August is about the pride of telling our own story … and a responsibility to not only embrace our roots, but also relearn them.”Cahyadi, with more than a decade of hospitality experience in a luxury hotel, agrees. He currently helms the front of house in August’s dining room.“In Jakarta, you either had to pick a place where the food was good but the service was lousy, or a casual place where service was bad but food was decent. When I met Hans, I knew it was time for a place where food is excellent and hospitality is delivered at the exact same time,” he says.In 2019, the two started August as a private kitchen concept before turning it into the current restaurant in 2021.Inside August’s intimate dining room — warmly lit with dark wood accents and a bright, open stainless-steel kitchen at the end of the dining room — the restaurant’s two tasting menus blend familiar Indonesian flavor profiles into completely unexpected forms.Their daikon dish is inspired by the format of Japanese agedashi tofu — silken tofu coated in starch, deep-fried until golden brown and traditionally dressed in dashi sauce.August’s version is served with a cuko sauce — a sweet and sour reduction made with tamarind and palm sugar featuring a tangy umami taste.It reminds locals of eating pempek, the Indonesian fishcake. A drizzle of andaliman pepper oil, Indonesia’s version of Sichuan peppercorns, gives the dish a unique, numbing spicy kick.Another highlight features Japanese Kimendai fish cooked by pouring hot oil over the scales until it crisps up while keeping the flesh tender. It sits in a kuah garang asem (yellow sour curry sauce) from the Central Java region.The sourness comes from a native green fruit called belimbing wuluh (or bilimbi), which looks like an oblong tomato but tastes extremely acidic, while ginger flowers provide a touch of freshness.The curry base is made from a yellow bumbu — made of aromatics such as turmeric and lemongrass. Often compared with France’s mother sauces (a group of five master sauces, such as Béchamel and Hollandaise, that are said to be the foundation of classical French cooking), Indonesian bumbu are spiced sauces that take hours to caramelize and form the base of many different dishes.Christian says that August has slowly evolved over the years, with more Indonesian flavors being incorporated into his menu as the team gains confidence and the demand grows.“In the beginning, our menu leaned more towards classic European because that was my formal training. When more international guests came, they expected more Indonesian flavor,” says Christian.Now, with half of their guests coming from overseas, the team tries to find the balance carefully without being intimidating.“Finding that balance was crucial — doing modern Indonesian cooking in a way that’s exciting for locals without just putting expensive ingredients in a traditional dish. We want to start from a product or a cooking method and create something new out of that idea,” says Christian.The founders admit that Jakarta has few fine dining concepts compared to fellow Southeast Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila and Bangkok.“We knew we were a few years behind, but we are in progress to catch up. Over the years, the interest from people who want to learn and taste the flavor of Indonesia is growing,” says Christian. “For the past five to six years, we’ve been on a mission to prove people wrong.”It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t just about the menus, but the operation.They were the first restaurant to impose a reservation fee for diners in Jakarta. It also took a few years to educate their diners to be punctual for the tasting menu so the table could start the menu together – an often tricky feat in Jakarta traffic.But August’s success helped set new operational benchmarks for the city, proving that local diners were ready to enjoy high-end tasting menus.In the years since, Jakarta’s fine-dining community has expanded rapidly.ESA, opened in 2023, proudly offers a menu called New Jakarta Cuisine. Kindling, which opened the following year, blends Indonesian-Chinese dishes with French technique. Selera, newly opened this year in the Keraton at the Plaza hotel, emphasizes the nation’s culinary heritage with local ingredients.Outside the capital, things are changing, too, particularly in the country’s tourist hotspots. Bali, for example, has evolved to offer more than just fine resort dining and Western restaurants catering to visitors.Locavore NXT, helmed by Dutch-Indonesian duo Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah, serves a tasting menu that highlights local ingredients. The independent concept also has a farm, laboratory and store.Meanwhile, young, local and independent concepts are slowly increasing elsewhere in the country.Overlooking the historical Prambanan Temple and Mount Merapi, Suwatu in Yogyakarta, the royal cultural heart of Java, is an upscale hillside restaurant with a menu packed with local dishes cooked by local villagers.In Bandung, both MMBS (Mari Merangkai Bunga Seroja) and Plataran Bandung serve local Sundanese cuisine, with hyper-seasonal tasting menus featuring a creative twist.Not just about the price tagAt the same time, classic Indonesian restaurants are reexamining the stories they would like to tell.For a long time, the 1945 Restaurant inside the Fairmont Jakarta has been regarded as the city’s only high-end Indonesian restaurant in a five-star hotel.Taking over as the chef de cuisine this year, Yopi Tumeru has been determined to inject fresh ideas into the 11-year-old establishment — and he was inspired by the traditional rijsttafel concept.His vision of the legendary feast isn’t only a sumptuous buffet but an educational exploration of Indonesian cuisine.“For many years, Indonesian food was presented either as home cooking, street food or part of a hotel buffet… Our Rijsttafel was designed as a culinary journey through the archipelago. We preserve the generous and communal character of the traditional experience while refining the portions, presentation and sequence,” Tumeru says.The menu includes dishes such as wagyu beef rendang, duck leg confit with sambal madura, tuna collar rica-rica (rahang tuna), tempe nachos and es teler cheesecake — all created to shine new light onto old dishes.For chefs like Tumeru, presenting Indonesian cuisine in a haute gastronomic format isn’t just about slapping on higher price tags and using expensive ingredients.They are proudly showcasing the often undervalued Indonesian cuisine — from the ingredients, the knowledge and the labor to the cultural heritage.“Rendang, for example, is not simply beef cooked in coconut milk. It requires patience, careful control of the heat, and an understanding of how the spices develop over time,” says Tumeru, who feels chefs have a responsibility to help guests appreciate that complexity.Despite giving Indonesian cuisine an upscale makeover, all of the chefs insist their roots and hearts remain with the humble, family-run warung. They encourage diners to ask for street-food tips, which might otherwise feel intimidating without a local guide.The movement isn’t about replacing affordable neighborhood joints. It’s about broadening how the world sees Indonesian food, using fine dining as a welcoming gateway into their country’s vast culinary heritage.“There is still a mindset that Indonesian food cannot be expensive — that is not true,” says Wongso.“These high-end restaurants, if they’re doing it right, they’re quite helpful in changing people’s mindsets. Indonesian food cannot be cheap. It takes immense labor and skill. A single sauce or spice paste takes hours of balancing and preparation. You can Google many things, but you can’t Google taste.”The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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