Thursday, March 17, 2011

How do I begin the process of getting into Medical School

How to begin the process of “getting in to medical school”. For some PJ’s this will be easier than others. Those with their bachelor degree will only have to catch up on the pre-med courses and then go into MCAT prep. Those without a degree will have to gut it out and spend the time in college. Preferably at a major university. I wouldn't suggest finishing your degree at an online university. Either way here are some bullet points on the overall process:

• It doesn’t matter what your undergraduate degree is in. In fact, many medical schools are looking for non-science degrees such as philosophy or history. I suggest you major in something that you enjoy because this may be the last opportunity to learn something other than medicine.

• Make sure you work your ass off and get the best grades that you can. You do not need all A’s but the more the better.

• In addition to your undergraduate or as part of a minor you need at least: 2 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of general biology, 2 semesters of general chemistry and 2 semesters of organic chemistry. You need college algebra for all schools and some may require calculus but most don’t. Be sure to check the requirements of the schools you are applying to because some require other courses.

• You do not need to major in physiology, biology or to take a lot of science classes in addition to those noted above. That is what med school is for, to teach you the science that you need to know. They do not expect you to start off knowing it all. However there are some classes that would be helpful. If you have an extra semester or need filler classes I suggest that you take genetics, molecular biology, cellular biology, and statistics. But don’t stress if you don’t have them, they are not necessary for most schools.

• While you are taking the basic pre-med science classes noted above I highly recommend that you purchase the examkrackers study set and use the books religiously during your course work. This will start off your MCAT studying and will make that nightmare a little more palatable.

• During your last year of school (about 6-8 months before you apply to med school) start studying like crazy for the MCAT. Use the examkrackers books, make sure to get the Verbal reasoning books (plural) and use the online Kaplan resources. I tried the Kaplan classes and went to a few but found them to be utterly useless. I suggest using only the online resources.

• About 6 months before applying to med school begin requesting letters of recommendation from professors of your science classes and from some of the Doctors you have worked with in the past. MAKE SURE to establish sound relationships with your professors as you go through your undergrad. They will pay dividends. These guys will write you excellent letters and they will be a huge part of getting accepted to a med school.

• Also, during this time start writing your personal statement. Take this very seriously. Search the Internet for samples and spend as much time as you can to make yours perfect. We all have something that most med school applicants don’t have and that is our experience and training as PJ’s. Write about that. Make your opening statement exciting and fill it with drama. That’s what’s necessary to catch the reader’s attention. A great personal statement can almost single handily get you in the door, assuming that you have a reasonable MCAT score and grades.

• I said reasonable MCAT and grades, this means that you don’t need a 4.0 and a 35 to get accepted but it also doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to achieve those numbers. Give it every ounce of energy that you have and you will be successful.

• Make sure to utilize your University's pre-med/pre-health advisors. Most schools have dedicated staff that specializes in helping students get into med school. You need to make contact with them at the very beginning of your coursework so they can set you on the right path.

• The application process for med school is a huge ordeal and can be tedious. Email me with specific questions on that.

• For the most part if you follow the basics as I have laid them out you will be on the right track. There is obviously much more to it than I have noted above but the rest are primarily nuances that are usually different for each individual.

• Leave comments to this post and myself and others will be able to answer your questions. Also feel free to email us and we will get you set.

• Finally, take a look at the University of Arizona’s undergraduate program and its medical school. There have been two PJs who have went through those programs and another one just got accepted there. I expect to see another two or three get accepted within the next three years. We kind of started something over her in Tucson.

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