How To Apply To Medical School?
I am a biology major, and I am planning to apply to medical school. I don’t even know where to start! I’m taking all the proper courses, but what do medical schools want from applications? Volunteer work? Great grades? Great MCAT scores? When do you take all these tests and everything? Advice would be appreciated.
Chill. Just check out this website. It really helped me when I was applying: http://www.studentdoctor.net.
Yes, you need to volunteer at a hospital or clinic. Maybe about 5 or 6 months minimum. Though people just do what they can. Yes, you need to have as high a gpa as possible. Best if it’s above 3.5. Yes, great mcat scores (balanced in all sections too) are best, above a 30 total for sure. The timing of the tests depends on when you are planning to apply. If you want to go to med school right after undergrad, then you’ll be applying the summer before your senior year. So, take you mcat in the spring before that or even the summer before your junior year, if you need the summer to study (I did the latter). If you want to take a year off, then you’ll apply the summer after your senior year. So you can take the mcat anytime. Just make sure you have about 2 months between taking the mcat and applying to med school. That ensures that your application isn’t put on hold while the AMCAS (application service) waits for your mcat scores.
Talk to your premed advisor if he or she is helpful. But really, just check out the student doctor website. It’s everything you really need. Good luck!
You should read “The Complete Medical School Preparation and Admissions Guide” by Dr. Andrew Goliszek.
It is SO helpful, one of my favorite things about it was the loooong list of common questions asked during an interview.
What year are you? Have you already taken the MCAT? If you haven’t, its best to take it junior year.
Yes, medical schools want good grades, a decent MCAT score, and volunteer work, but the interview is probably the most important. They want to see what sets you apart from other applicants and they want to see a real desire for why you want to be a doctor.
So, I would look for the book I recommended and read it over, because its really helpful