How to Get Accepted Into Medical School

Find out how to apply and get into medical school. These tips will answer all your questions about what medical schools are looking for.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• College transcript
• MCAT examination score
• letters of recommendation
• personal statement

1. Major in something you are interested in (not necessarily a science major). Medical schools want to see that you are committed to your interests, even those outside the core premed requirements.

2. Take the required courses in college: 1 year biology, 1 year physics, 1 year inorganic chemistry, 1 year organic chemistry, 1 or 2 semesters calculus (varies with school), 1 semester English. Some schools also want an extra semester or two of biology, and/or a semester of statistics. Medical schools want to see good grades in these courses as they are the foundation.

3. Research the medical schools in your state of residency. The odds of acceptance to a public medical school in your state of residency are highest. Also research the medical schools you're interested in early on so you can make sure to fulfill their requirements.

4. Develop relationships with your faculty advisor, premed advisor, or favorite professors. Request letters of recommendation from people who know you well. Medical schools want to know who you are as a person.

5. Study hard for the MCAT examination in advance and even take a preparatory course (ie. Kaplan, Princeton Review) if necessary. Take the exam once you have completed the courses required by medical schools. These scores will be essential in medical school decisions on acceptance.

6. Find opportunities in the summer to shadow a physician or work in a hospital where you can get first-hand experience about the work of a doctor. Think about why you want to become a doctor, pursue these specific interests and ideas, and write about them in your personal statement in the medical school applications.

7. Apply to medical school with the following: college transcript, MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement. Medical schools will want to interview you after you have applied. Good luck!!!

[mommashopper]

on 8/20/2009 Awesome article, always wanted to know this.

[harvard]

on 8/7/2009 On a bet, my sister's husband said acceptance to Med School is entirely in the application process. He wrote one for her, she was accepted, became an internist and has appeared on TV as a successfull MD who has brought "vegetables" back to living normal lives. Amazing article. Thank you.