|
This information has been compliled by Dr. Jim MacKenzie in the Department of Biological Sciences at SUNY Oswego. It should be used only as a guide and not the only way that a student can prgress towards applying to Medical School.
Timeline
Freshman Year
- Start familiarizing yourself with the Medicine as a career.
- Start looking into the medical schools that you might wish to attend. Pay particular attention to their requirements for admission.
- Consult books and the internet on strategies for successful admission into medical schools.
- Start to consider the costs of going to medical school and how you will finance your education.
- AAMC's Considering a Career in Medicine Web site
- Make sure that you stay well-rounded.
- Consider obtaining a minor in a non-science discipline of your choosing.
- Stay active in extracurricular activities. Don’t overdo it, but having outside interests while maintaining a high GPA shows that you are not just a book-worm.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY - study hard and maintain a good GPA in ALL courses.
- Spring
- Look for a summer job that will give you experience in a hospital, clinc, doctor’s office, etc. Paid jobs are obviously the best, but volunteer if you have to. Most medical schools will not accept applicants without these experiences. See Dr. MacKenzie's Pre-health Science Advising page for more information.
Sophomore Year
- Start reviewing for the MCAT and look into the MCAT review courses that are available.
- Familiarize yourself with the application procedure, but do not apply!
- Continue to study hard and maintain a high GPA in ALL courses.
- Continue to get experience in a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, etc.
Junior Year
- Fall
- Get serious about studying for the MCATs.
- Continue to maintain a high GPA in ALL courses.
- Continue to get experience in a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, etc.
- Spring
- Register in January/February to take the April MCAT. The earlier you register the better. Check the MCAT website for deadlines.
- Take the MCAT in April.
- It is best not to delay until the September MCAT date if you want to start medical school the Fall after you graduate in December or May. The September MCAT is recommended for students who 1) did not perform well on the April exam; OR 2) do not plan to attend medical school immediately upon graduation. Also, if you take it in the fall, it takes up to 6 weeks for the scores to be reported, which will delay the completion of your application. By the time your application is completed, many applicants will have already been interviewed and accepted, reducing the number of spots available.
- Ask professors that you know well to write letters of recommendation for your application to medical school. Provide them with an up-to-date resume of your academic coursework and extracurricular and work activities if they agree to write you a recommendation. Also, contact the Pre-med Committee of SUNY Oswego for a letter of recommendation from them (they will tell you the procedures they require for providing a letter of recommendation).
- Summer after your Junior Year
- File your AMCAS application (and applications to schools that do not use AMCAS) no later than August 1, but not before June 1.
- Take time to thoughtfully produce a good AMCAS personal essay. Many admissions boards place significant weight on the essay. Make sure to have many different people proof-read your essay.
Senior Year
- Early to late Fall
- Complete the secondary applications sent to you by the medical schools.
- Ask professors and the Pre-med Committee to send their recommendations as soon as possible, but no later than dates requested on the secondary applications.
- Fall and Spring
- Prepare for and go to any interviews that you are offered. Research the schools in advance, and look at internet sites and books for tips in giving a good interview.
WAIT TO HEAR WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN ADMITTED!
Majors
Medical Schools don't care what your major is as long as you have the minumum course work that they require (see here for more info). What they care about the most is that you do very well in all your coursework no matter your major. So, pick a major that interests you most and do well. If your major does not incude the required courses for admission, make sure that you still get those classes in addition to your major and general education requirements.
Minors
You are not required to have a minor to get into Medical School, but schools are looking for well-rounded individuals not just scientists. So, having a non-natural science field of expertise is helpful. Possible minors could include Anthropology, Communications, Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. If you plan on obtaining a minor, make your life easier and make sure that some of your minor courses count for General Education credits (see here for details).
Finally, as the world's populations become more heterogeneous it is a strength to have a second language (a U.S. physician may encounter people that speak Spanish or an Asian language depending on where they practice). American Sign Language also counts as a second language.
Additional Courses to Stregthen Your Background
Below is a list of courses that you might be interested in and would increase your breadth of knowledge. Critical thinking, communication, and writing skills are vital and will come into play on the MCATs and in admissions interviews. Of course, you would not take all of these course but samples from different disciplines would be helpful. (General Education catagories, if applicable, are listed next to the course)
ANT 111 - Archaeology and Human Evolution (Social and Behavioral)
ANT 112 - Cultural Anthropology (Social and Behavioral)
CHE 461 - Biochemistry
COM 210 - Critical Thinking and Public Speaking
ECO 101 - Principles of Microeconomics (Social and Behavioral)
ENG 203 - Writing, Rhetoric, and Critical Analysis
ENG 210 - Western Heritage I: Liturature (Western Civilization)
ENG 211 - Western Heritage II: Liturature (Western Civilization)
ENG 302 - Advanced Composition
GRT 385 - Research in Applied Gerontology
HDV 120 - Fundamentals of Gerontology (Tolerance and Intolerance)
HIS 100 - The West and the World to 1500 (Western Civilization)
HIS 101 - The West and the World, 1500-1900 (Western Civilization)
HIS 102 - World History in the Twentieth Century
HIS 368 - Issues in American Medicine (Cultures and Civilizations)
HSC 300 - Emergency Medical Technician
PBJ 102 - Introduction to Human Services
PHL 100 - Introduction to Philosophy (Humanities)
PHL 111 - Valid Reasoning I
PHL 205 - Ethics I (Humanities)
PHL 220 - Theory of Knowledge (Humanities)
PHL 308 - Medical Ethics (Self and Society)
PHY 303 - Beginnings of Science (Explorations in the Natural Sciences)
POL 100 - Introduction to Politics (Social and Behavioral Science)
POL 120 - Race & Gender in the US (Tolerance and Intolerance)
POL 205 - American Gov't & Politics (Social and Behavioral Science)
PST 200 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
PSY 100 - Principles of Human Behavior (Social and Behavioral Science)
PSY 340 - Social Psychology
PSY 350 - Abnormal Psychology
SOC 100 - Introductory Sociology (Social and Behavioral Science)
SOC 250 - Structures of American Society (Tolerance and Intolerance)
SOC 280 - Social Problems
SOC 367 - The World's Modern Poor (Self and Society)
SOC 383 - Sociology of Aging (Tolerance and Intolerance)
|
