Make Undergrad a Priority When Preparing to Apply to Medical School

Before you apply to medical school, it is important that you make your time during undergrad a priority. From the classes you take, what you do outside of your course load to the schools you apply to, the path to medical school requires a lot of preparation.

Know Which Classes You Should Take

During undergrad, it is crucial to take the right classes to help you prepare for medical school. The basic elements of a pre-medical education include:

• At least one year of College Biology with a laboratory: You will need to know about genetics, cells, and the framework of life because these are the building blocks of medical science and are crucial to succeed in the field.
• One year of general (inorganic) chemistry with a laboratory: This course will provide you with a strong basis for understanding acid-base imbalances with the body and how different medications work.
• 24 semester hours in Biology and Chemistry
• One year of Calculus and Statistics: Mathematics is important for daily life as a physician or any health professional. It comes into play when you are determining proper medicine dosage or reading lab results.
• One year of General College Physics with a laboratory: Introduces you to key medical concepts, such as laws of pressure and volume, which are important for cardiology and understanding how forces operate in the body.

In addition to the basic elements of your pre-medical education, medical schools want to see that you are a well-rounded student and are passionate about something. Some other courses you should consider taking during undergrad include:

• English: Most medical schools want you to have critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. 
• Biochemistry: With the increased emphasis on the MCAT, knowing Biochemistry is essential to doing well on the test.
• Psychology and sociology: Both subjects are important since the revision of the MCAT in 2015 that added a section on these subjects.
• Medical anthropology or history: You should know how medicine has changed over the years
• Foreign language: Knowing a second language will give you more career opportunities in the future because you can connect more diverse populations.

Join Extracurricular Activities, Do Volunteer Work and Look Into Internships

You should try to volunteer and do as many extracurricular activities as you can while in school. Again, med schools want to know that you have other interests. You will be asked to juggle your personal life with the lives of your patients, and you must exhibit that ability early on. 

While doing well during your undergrad career is vital to getting into the medical school of your choice, you want to show schools your diversity outside of class. You could find work opportunities related to the medical field, volunteer at a local clinic or medical office. 

Look into opportunities on-campus to participate in research. Choose a faculty member whose research interests you. Then make sure to work hard, read, and understand what you and the faculty member are doing and why you’re doing it. You should be able to explain and defend your work to an education scientist in the field of the research you’re doing.

Gain health care experience by shadowing a physician shadowing. Shadowing a physician is a great way to find out what it’s like to be a doctor. Did you know that health care experience is one of the top five variables medical schools consider when admitting students into their programs? So, having knowledge of health care issues and a commitment to health care will give you an advantage over other medical school candidates.

Since having clinical experience essential to medical school admissions, you will want to call hospitals or health centers in your community and inquire about volunteering. Make sure you pick a place that interests you and where you might want to focus your medical school career.

Lastly, teaching experience will help you as a future doctor. One of the most critical roles a physician plays is being a teacher because they have to impart information to their patients in a way they understand. To gain teaching experience, consider teaching a sport, a musical instrument, or become a teaching assistant.

No matter what experience you gain as an undergrad student, you will want to show that you are willing and capable of working hard enough to accomplish any goal you make for yourself.

Study, Prepare and Take the MCAT

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is an exam that is required for entrance into medical school. The MCAT is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students that was developed by and continues to be overseen by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The test is given approximately 14 times per year at Prometric Testing Centers and will test you on physical and biological sciences and verbal reasoning.

The test consists of four sections that include:

• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills: This portion of the test is similar to reading comprehension sections on other standardized tests. You will read passages from a variety of humanities and social sciences disciplines.
• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: Tests you on basic biology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and biochemistry.
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: Tests you on basic biochemistry, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics.
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: This section was added in 2015, and will test you on introductory psychology, sociology, and biology. This section of the tests will gauge your ability to understand sociological, biological, and psychological influences on behavior and social interests as well as how people process stress and emotion.

You will want to complete your MCAT registration early in order to secure the test date and location of your choice. Since you will be taking the test during your junior or senior year of college, you will want to set up a study schedule. A study schedule will help you balance your course load and allow plenty of time to study for the exam. You will want to make sure you invest in the best study materials and take as many practice exams as you can. Practice tests will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, so you know what area to focus on.

Research Medical Schools and Apply to Your Top Choices

As you research medical schools, you will want to read reviews about the schools you are considering applying to. Since you will be spending the next four years of your life at school, you will want a school and life balance. Consider making a trip to the schools you are interested in. Tour the campus and talk to fellow students who attend the school. Use this opportunity to ask questions and meet with the admissions office to find out about their application process.

One of the most important parts of getting to apply to medical school is tuition. Look into what it will cost you to attend the school, housing, and other costs. Find out if the school offers financial help or look into work-study programs to help supplement the amount you will owe upon graduation.

Once you have narrowed down your top choices, you will need to start the application process. Medical schools admit students on a rolling basis, so it is vital that you apply to medical school early. By submitting your application early in the cycle, it will be reviewed first and give you a better chance of acceptance. Spaces in the program are offered to qualified candidates, and this process will continue until all spots are filled.

You will submit a single application through one of three centralized application services: AMCAS (for MD admissions), or TMDSAS (for Texas Medical Schools), AACOMAS (for DO admissions). Your primary application will provide medical schools with information for the initial screening process, which will include:

• Transcripts
• MCAT scores
• Information about extracurricular activities, research, volunteer work, or clinical work
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation

After your primary application has been submitted, there are two possible outcomes. The school with either reject you, or they will send you their secondary application. The secondary application consists of you writing a variety of essays on assigned topics.

Then once your secondary medical school application is reviewed, you will either be rejected, invited to the campus for an interview, or your application will be placed on hold until after the first round of interviews. 

Final Notes

Make sure you are fully prepared before you apply to medical school. Start the process during undergrad and make sure you have a solid plan in place before you start your journey to becoming a doctor.

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