a small list of things you absolutely NEED to do.
Now let me preface this, did I personally apply to medical school with my name and my social security number, no. But in a sense I did. My husband applied the first year we were married and then had to reapply after getting his Masters. So yes, I did apply to medical school because I put in hours of time assisting and editing his applications. Did I put in the same amount of work as him no, he is the most hardworking person I know so I can't really compare myself to him.
Back to it though. This list does not do it justice how much it takes because it really isn't even a glimpse of what you have to do. Getting into Medical School is HARD WORK.
There is a long list of don'ts but today I am going to focus on the DO's of preparing yourself to apply to Medical School.
ONE: Do get good grades all throughout your undergraduate and graduate school. Dedicate your time to studying, your GPA matters.
TWO: Do lots of service consistently, for example pick 2 programs and volunteer for them weekly on top of studying and all other extra-curriculars you choose, I know its hard and you don't think you have enough time but trust me it pays off big time. Boys and Girls club, Soup kitchens, and local not-for profit medical clinics are wonderful ways to volunteer weekly and make good strong recommendations from supervisors.
THREE: Do stay motivated, it's easy to feel like because you didn't get into medical school the first time you apply that it's impossible to get in the second time. BUT TRUST ME IT HAPPENS. If this was truly your dream to become a Doctor you will do everything you can to make it happen.
FOUR: Do apply early. Apply the first day AMCAS and TMDSAS is available for submission, this is THE biggest piece of advice we didn't receive the first time we applied.
FIVE: Do make sure you submit secondaries the minute you receive them, I know you're a student or your working trying to fill the time before you're a med school student but trust me you need to set aside all the time in the world to filling out these secondaries and submitting them as soon as you can.
SIX: Do make sure you have saved up every ounce of money you've made, they say going to medical school is expensive well getting into medical school is expensive. Each secondary runs around $75 & up one medical school we applied to we had to pay 120 dollars for and it had no secondary that was just for them to review our AMCAS. So SAVE because you don't want to go into debt before going to medical school.
SEVEN: Do make sure you remain close with professors you've had, they will be the ones to write you letters of recommendation and those letters make or break a good application.
EIGHT: Do shadow a physician. pick quality physicians and spend quality time following them around asking them questions, you want to make sure being a doctor is what you want before you jump in head first.
NINE: Do make sure you stay out of trouble no medical school wants to see a history when they ask for your background check, so when friends invite you out for that drink think twice before getting in your car and driving home. I've read countless students don't get interviews because they had a DUI on their record.
TEN: Do spend money on a good MCAT preparation program. Altius Summer Immersion program is wonderful for students who can dedicate their summer to studying for the MCAT. You want a good MCAT score so don't skimp and not study for the test that determines if you get into medical school or not.
ELEVEN: Do research on the schools, MSAR is a program you can purchase and get access to what schools accepted out of state students, average MCAT score and classes required for each school. It is 27 dollars and well worth it, it's a one year subscription.
TWELVE: Do send letters of update/interest to any schools that accept it that you haven't interviewed at. This shows the school that you are genuinely interested in that school and not just applying to them because they were an option.
THIRTEEN: Do become president of some organization or start your own, this will show that you can be a leader and take on many responsibilities.
I'm sure there is more I could add to this list but in all reality I think you'll be overwhelmed if I wrote everything you should be doing. Just make sure you are doing a good job and if this stuff is a breeze for you and this stuff excites you, you'll be just fine. Ask me if you have any questions about it! And GOOD LUCK!
This photo is not mine I found it on Google. All rights are of the owners, not me.
