How to Get Into Medical School

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a doctor? Well, before you can get those two little initials after your name, you first have to get into medical school. The process can be a little overwhelming, but thousands of students do it every year, and so can you. Let this article help you take your first steps on the path to becoming a physician.

1

Fulfill specific course requirements. As long as you complete the requirements (mostly scientific in nature), you can major in anything you would like. For example, you must take courses in biology, chemistry, and physics to prepare for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and fulfill medical school prerequisites. As a result, many pre-med students major in a field of science. As it turns out, medical schools are looking to diversify their programs, so they are starting to accept more students with less conventional backgrounds that include degrees in fields such as humanities. As of 2015, you will need the background of one semester of introductory psychology and one semester of introductory sociology to be prepared for the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section of the MCAT.

2

Make grades your number one concern. It is important to have a high GPA in order to be a strong medical school candidate. Whatever major you choose, make your performance in the

classroom your main focus.

• Be an exemplary student.
  
  Attend all of your classes each time they meet, schedule lots of time for reading and studying and do not hesitate to get help from another classmate or a tutor the minute you realize you are struggling with any of your subjects.
• Focus on BCPM. BCPM stands for "biology, chemistry, physics, and math"; these are the core classes for a pre-med major because these courses are prerequisites for any medical school program.
• Your BCPM grades are greatly important that when you apply to medical school, your scores in these classes will be separated out and an additional GPA will be calculated for these classes alone and reviewed along with your cumulative GPA in all of your classes.
• 3
  
  Identify professors with whom you feel a connection or whose classes you particularly enjoy. Do your best to get to know them and learn if they are accessible to offer guidance or answer questions. In a couple of years, you will need letters of evaluation from individuals who know you and your work, and one of your professors might agree to write such a letter if he or she feels they've made a connection with you.
  

  • Attend department and informal functions where it might be easier to talk casually and openly with instructors.
  • Look for opportunities to meet alumni who have gone on to medical school or those who are working now as physicians. You can learn a lot about what to expect in medical school by talking to someone who has been there themselves.

  4

  Have a well-rounded college experience. Plan to get involved in activities both related and unrelated to your major and look for opportunities on and off campus to develop personal, leadership, research and clinical skills.
  

  • Be sure to join any health-career clubs on your campus and get on the mailing list so that you will receive
    
    notices about events and activities. Approach the campus health clinic to look for volunteer positions there, and, if your school has a research facility, check for opportunities to assist in some way.
  • Go off campus to explore ways to get involved in the local community health center, at health fairs or teaching children about basic health topics. See if a local public school might be looking for candidates to take to kids about health care careers.
  • 5
    Get clinical experience. That is a world of difference from learning the fundamentals in a classroom and practicing those skills with actual patients. You must find ways to
    

    

    get hands-on experience in a health care setting. Reach out to your local Planned Parenthood office, HIV clinic or free clinic to volunteer.
    

    • The author of an article that appeared in U.S. News and World Report said several admissions committee members he spoke to referred to clinical experience as "the unspoken requirement."

    6

    Show that you are committed. The occasional one-time volunteer job is fine, but you want to choose a couple of organizations or causes about which you are passionate and make a regular (once-a-week or once-every-other-week) commitment over a sustained period of time.
    

    

    • Seek out under-served populations. Medical schools are not only looking for students with great grades, they want people who are caring and want to make a difference. Working to provide health care and health education to under-served or at-risk populations can help communicate your compassion.

    7

    Be a leader. Being a physician means being in charge of a lot--diagnosis, treatment,
    

    

    medications, follow-ups and on and on. Hone your skills as a leader by heading up a group or a committee and be sure to set, achieve and record your goals for your organization.

  
  
• 8

  Get an internship. Internships for pre med students typically fall into one of two categories: research or clinical. Decide what most interests you and focus your efforts there.
  

  • Start with your adviser. Your adviser or health-career services office should have a list of internships available. 
  • Many times, schools establish relationships with doctors, hospitals, and health care organizations who,
    
    in turn, regularly accept student interns from that school.
  • Apply early. The time to be thinking about summer internships is in the fall of the preceding year. At minimum, start three to four months out, but do not be surprised if there are fewer opportunities available.
  • Be proactive. Talk to older students or alumni to find out about internship sites they would recommend or get and review a list of places that offered internships last summer. Contact those organizations on your own before they post or advertise their upcoming internships for the general pre-med population.
  • 9
    Acknowledge about the future. While you're busy working on your grades, extracurricular activities and internships, you also need to keep in mind about upcoming requirements and deadlines that are a part of the med school applications process.
    

    • Take the MCAT junior year. There are two factors to consider when deciding on the timing of your Medical College Admission Test (MCAT): whether you plan to take the exam more than once and how prepared you feel.
      • If you think you might want to take the test more than once, plan to
        
        make your first attempt before May 1. This will give you plenty of time to get your scores and make a decision about retesting.
      • • Most people do not plan on taking the exam multiple times, and some argue that it will hurt your chances. Like all things in life: if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right the first time. Schools will see your scores from all your attempts, and a great score the second time around will not mean as much as doing it the first time.
      • If you don't feel prepared academically or there are elements in your personal life that are making it difficult for you to focus, put your efforts into your coursework and on getting in a good place mentally for the test. It would be perfectly fine if you waited until June or July to take the exam. Even people who take the exam in August can apply that cycle.