Do you have dreams of going to medical school and having a career in the field? There are several things you need to know before you take the steps to applying to medical school and beginning your career.
1. Which Classes to Take During Your Undergrad Degree
During undergrad, you will to get a degree that will help prepare you for medical school. Some basic elements for pre-medical education include:
- College Biology with laboratory need to know about genetics, cells, and the framework of life. These are the building blocks of medical science and are crucial to succeed in the field.
- General (inorganic) chemistry with laboratory: provides a strong basis for understanding acid-base imbalances with the body and how different medications work. Also, the foundation for understanding biochemistry.
- Biology, Chemistry
- Mathematics (Calculus or Statistics): important for daily life as a physician or any health professional-from determining proper medicine dosage to reading lab results
- General college Physics with laboratory: introduces key medical concepts, such as laws of pressure and volume, which are important for cardiology and understanding how forces operate in the body.
Along with science and math-based undergrad courses, other classes you should take include:
- English: most medical schools want you to have critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
- Biochemistry: increased emphasis on the MCAT
- Psychology and sociology: important since the revision of the MCAT in 2015 that has a section on these subjects
- Medical anthropology/history: know-how medicine has changed over the years and appreciate the evolution of medical knowledge
- Foreign language: broader career opportunities and connect with a more diverse population and be a better medical provider
In addition to the classes you take, medical schools look for well-rounded students, so make sure to show schools you are passionate about something.
2. Volunteer and Look for Internships
During undergrad, it is crucial to do more than go to class. Look for a job and work opportunities related to the medical field. See if you can volunteer at a local clinic or medical office. Participate in extracurricular activities that showcase your diversity and your interests outside of medicine.
Some other outside of class activities you could participate include:
- Research: if you love science, doing a research project is a great way to show it. Choose a faculty member whose research interests you. Work hard, read, and understand what you are doing and why you are 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.
- Physician shadowing: Shadow, a physician, to find out what it’s like and see if it is truly your career path.
- Health care experience: knowledge of health care issues and commitment to health care is among the top five variables that are considered by medical schools.
- Volunteer service: how has it affected you and made an impact. Make sure to commit to your volunteer service that you have made a meaningful contribution to. Medical schools are looking for people who take the time and affect to make a serious contribution.
- Clinical experience: is essential to medical school admissions. Call hospitals or health centers in your community and ask to speak with a representative from the volunteer services office. They will direct you to a department you can work in. Pick a place that interests you and where you might want to focus your medical school career.
- Teaching experience: is one of the most important roles a physician plays in being a teacher when they impart information on their patients. Experience can be done through teaching swimming, a musical instrument to a child, or becoming a teaching assistant.
No matter what you do during undergrad, show that you are willing and capable of working hard enough to accomplish an important goal.
3. Study, Prepare and Take The MCAT
Preparing for the MCAT exam starts at least three months before test day. The Medical College Admission Test is a computer-based standardized exam for prospective medical students that is developed and overseen by the Association of American Medical Colleges is given approximately fourteen times per year at Prometric Testing Centers. You should register early so that you can get the MCAT test dates you want.
The LSAT has recently undergone some changes. The test now takes eight hours to complete (the old one took around five hours). The essay, or Writing Sample, is no longer part of the test. This section was removed because medical education experts said it was no longer useful in predicting success in medical school. A new section has been added to the LSAT. The section was added to find out if test takers have the aptitude and understanding needed to deliver medical services across many cultures and sociological groups. This section was added due to the rapid demographic changes in the United States.
In 2015, the AAMC added a new section called Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior. This section tests your ability to understand sociological, biological, and psychological influences on behavior and social interests as well as how people process stress and emotion.
The MCAT tests physical and biological sciences and verbal reasoning and consists of these four sections:
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills: Similar to reading comprehension sections on other standardized tests. Passages come from a variety of humanities and social sciences disciplines.
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: tests basic biology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and biochemistry
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: tests basic biochemistry, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: tests introductory psychology, sociology, and biology
You will want to set up a study schedule for the MCAT and stick to it. Next, make sure to invest in the right study materials and take as many practice exams as you can. While studying, you will want to make sure you identify your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you know what areas to focus on. To help you study more efficiently, sign up for a prep class either online or in-person. Or look into joining a study group or find a study partner to help you prepare for the MCAT.
4. Apply to Medical School
When applying to medical school, you will want to remember that they admit students on a rolling basis. Medical schools continue to fill spaces in the program. The spots are offered to qualified candidates and continue until all spots are filled. Your primary application is a single application through one of three centralized application services: AMCAS (for MD admissions), TMDSAS (for Texas Medical Schools), AACOMAS (for DO admissions). Submitting your application early means your submitted early application will be viewed first and give you a better chance of acceptance.
Your primary application will provide medical schools with information for the initial screen process, which includes:
- Transcripts
- MCAT scores
- Information about your most meaningful experiences: this is where you would include extracurricular activities, research, volunteer work, clinical work, etc.
- Personal statement: some examples of what you could write about include: an experience that challenged or changed your perspective about medicine
- Letters of recommendation
There are two possible outcomes after you submit your primary application. It will either be rejected, or the school will send you its secondary application. The secondary applications usually include a variety of essays on assigned topics. 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 put on hold until after the first round of interviews. The interview process is another opportunity to stand out amongst your peers.
Final Note
These four things will help you as you prepare for your journey of getting into medical school and having a career as a medical professional.