Spring is when medical faculty close the interview period and send rejection letters to students who were not placed on the alternate list. This is disturbing for good students who are used to achieving their goals and do not understand why they were not accepted.

There are many ways that rejected students can deal with this disappointing news. Some give up when they shouldn’t but just feel too discouraged. What they should do is look for keys to improvement.

There is a great TED Talk by Carol Dweck, a psychologist and college professor, who talks about two ways students respond to failure. The first way is disastrous and destructive because it has what Dwec calls a “fixed mindset.” These are usually students for whom success has become an expectation.

The second type of student has what Dweck calls a “growth mindset.” They know they are on a learning curve and believe they can develop their skills – they just don’t have the skills right now.

This “not yet” attitude, as Dweck calls it, is part of a growth mindset. If students with this attitude failed a test, for example, they would not describe themselves as failures and would run away from future challenges. Rather, they would say that they are not yet successful and embrace the opportunity to try again.

We all understand the difficulty people with fixed mindsets have when they perform poorly in an exam or fail to master a second language. But if they can’t transform their fixed mindset into a growth mindset, they will be crushed by rejection, including rejection from medical schools.

The good news is that they can change.

If you feel like you have a fixed mindset, you can work on developing a growth mindset. First, know that every time you take on a difficult challenge, as Dweck pointed out, you create newer, stronger neurons that boost your intellect and abilities. Second, be honest with yourself about getting into medical school. Take an honest look at your application and more conversations you had.

If you didn’t get any interviews, why did that happen? It was degrees, MCAT, little volunteering, lack of shadowing, or essays that weren’t helpful? Remember that less than half of applicants get into medical school. You have to have all the important ducks in a row. Yes, the screeners read your essays very carefully.

I was recently approached by a student asking for advice to consider why he might not have gotten an interview at his dream school. While not sure, I suggested we check out his essays because everything else seemed to be excellent.

When we looked at his essays, he chose secondary essay that was probably the concern. It sounded overconfident and a bit elitist. He looked at it and said, “That doesn’t sound very humble, does it?” Perhaps if he had read it with an inquisitive eye before submitting, he might have seen a different result.

Since most high school essays are written for a specific school, an oversight in one may not affect other applications.

Think about how well your essays are and activity descriptions are written. Let advisors and colleagues criticize them, and not with kid gloves. If you didn’t do well in a particular class or on the MCAT, is there enough data to indicate how you’ve improved since then? Do your essays show humility and a willingness to learn from others?

If you lucked into interviews but still didn’t get into medical school, explore what might have gone wrong. After you look at the process, ask others for their input. This may include your premed advisor, staff in the medical admissions office, and others who might be able to comment on your interpersonal and communication skills.

Last month I was asked to help some students who were not responding. I specifically asked them to write down as many as possible questions as they could remember from their conversations. Each student wrote down how they answered the questions and then reviewed them individually with me.

The exercise was very revealing. One student had a way of turning conversations toward his gym workouts, which he was passionate about. I found his answers about people matter-of-fact or rather flat. Not that he’s a bad candidate, but he really needs a lot of coaching and practice interviews before the next round.

The second student started to see his mistakes as soon as he started writing down what he answered. During the interviews, he even saw that he had not learned from his previous mistakes and could have prepared much better than he did. This exercise alone seemed to help him and I would recommend it to anyone who has not had success with interviews.

Explore everything about yourself, from how well you communicate verbally with others to how well you show interest in everyone you meet.

There are many applicants asking for advice and many have taken advantage of it. Examples include a student actively taking a public speaking course, others seeking treatment for anxiety, some studying and he conquered the MCAT againsome who practiced interviewing with various faculty, and some who took a gap year to allow for additional science courses, volunteering, or shadowing.

I once spoke with a prospective student who demonstrated a fixed mindset. He wanted to talk to me about why he wasn’t accepted more medical schools. In reviewing his application and interview notes, I identified several points where I believed he had an opportunity to improve his chances for next year.

He argued every point and that’s when I realized he wasn’t really asking for help. He was trying to prove the admissions committees wrong about him. He simply couldn’t accept that he wasn’t ready for medical school yet.

If a candidate is not ready to learn from what didn’t work and try a new approach, they may not be ready to become a doctor. I will never be as good as I can be, but I will continue to learn from my mistakes. If applicants decide not to, it may be time to consider other career options.

In medicine, we are always striving to improve individually and as a group. Lifelong learning is a real joy once you get the hang of it.

Another student was advised to take a course to improve his interpersonal relationships communication. He knew he had to learn how to be a better listener, how to explain his ideas clearly, and how to demonstrate them passion for what really mattered to him.

The following year he was admitted to the Faculty of Medicine. But more important than that was his determination to improve in this area. He realized that his patients didn’t just want a diagnosis and treatment, but also honest communication. This is a great example of a growth mindset. As he continued to improve his skills, he became Chief Resident and later Head of Faculty.

Keep in mind that opportunities are many, even for those who are rejected by one, two, or even three or more medical schools. If I were applying to medical school, I would proceed to rewrite the application and interview next cycle and would be grateful for the opportunity to try again.

Besides, “What are you going to do if you don’t get into medical school this year?” is a frequently asked question I was asked many years ago and some still use it today endurance. During interviews, be respectful, humble—not fake humility—hopeful and enthusiastic.

People with a growth mindset are able to see opportunities, while those with a fixed mindset see defeat. Those with a growth mindset are eager to try again and will try harder. For them, a missed opportunity is not a reflection of their ability or intelligence. Rather, it is an invitation to embrace effort, hard work, and perseverance.