How to Get Accepted Into Medical School
College students who want to pursue a career in medicine may find the process of getting into medical school to be daunting. However, the American Association of Medical Colleges notes on its website that about half of the students who apply to medical school are accepted. Nearly all of them -- 96 percent -- will earn a medical degree. Preparation and organization can help you to achieve your goal of acceptance at medical school.
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Instructions
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Instructions
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Meet academic requirements for medical school. The AAMC explains that medical school applicants generally need to take undergraduate courses in general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, biology and physics. English and math courses are also required. While many aspiring doctors choose premed or science majors, you can be accepted to medical school as a liberal arts major, so long as you take the required science and math courses. The number of prerequisites varies, so be sure to compare requirements for each school you want to apply to.
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Participate in extracurricular activities. Medical school admission committees look favorably on applicants who have volunteered at local hospitals or doctor's offices. Some hospitals have volunteer positions that are geared toward prospective medical school students.
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Compare medical schools that you are interested in attending. The AAMC suggests that you consider factors including class size, location and the types of financial aid that are available to accepted applicants.
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Join a study group, take an online course or sign up for an in-person review course to get solid scores on the Medical College Admissions Test. Also known as the MCAT, the entrance exam for medical school applicants will test you in areas including biological science, physical science, and verbal reasoning. You will also submit a writing sample. You can view your test results online about one month after taking the MCAT and designate which schools you wish to have them sent to electronically.
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Gather the necessary materials for the American Medical College Application Service, or AMCAS. Submit course information, MCAT scores, and information about extracurricular activities. Once this information is compiled, you can then request that it be forwarded to the medical schools you wish to apply to. While information about college courses is entered online, you must also send an official copy of your transcript to the AMCAS.
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Request recommendation letters. Ideal sources of recommendations are college professors and volunteer supervisors if you have volunteered in a health care setting. Recommendation letters should attest to your academic readiness for medical school, as well as discuss the personal attributes that will make you a successful physician. When asking someone to write a recommendation letter, it is helpful to provide them with a resume and a transcript.
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Write your personal essay. The AMCAS website notes that the essay must be one page. The personal essay provides you a space to expound on the information you have submitted in your application. You might wish to talk about why you want to become a physician or personal obstacles that you have overcome. If you want to apply to a joint MD/PhD program, you will need to submit an additional essay outlining your research experience.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to get a letter of recommendation from a faculty member, try to pick someone that you have a professional relationship with -- such as an advisor for a research project.
MCAT scores should be no more than three years old.
References
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