The Med School Application
This past cycle, 52,577 students applied to medical schools in the US--only 41% of them were successful. With the number of students taking gap years increasing, applicants find themselves competing with people two to three years more experienced and ahead of the process than they were. With this, it’s very important for undergrads thinking about medicine to understand how the application process truly works.
As soon as you realize that you have an interest in the medical field, it’s encouraged students seek out your university’s health professions advising center. Not only do they understand the course sequence required to fulfill the pre-med prerequisites, but they can guide your campus activities, MCAT dates, and process to obtain letters of evaluation. In the first year, though, students are just recommended to get a grasp of the different pieces required in the application and strategize course load, for which you can check out our previous blogs! In the second and part of their third year, however, students are expected to do more. At this point, it’s important to start developing the activities list, getting experience in the field, studying/planning for the MCAT, and considering if you will need a gap year to complete your application.
Halfway through their junior year, students should start getting ready to apply to their selected schools, meeting with their advising counselors regularly. The application systems, for which multiple exist and are medical school-dependent, start opening in May of a junior’s second semester. Regardless, students should be drafting personal statements, brainstorming college lists, and finalizing their application starting in January of that year. At the end of May, the primary application locks, and for those that advance to the secondary application stage, answers are required in July. At the beginning of their senior year, around September, interviews start to open, during which students should write letters of interest/intent, continue preparing, and communicate with schools. This process can last until March or April of the student’s senior year, through which they discover whether or not they were accepted to a school.
The application process is meant to be grueling, long, and exhaustive. However, with proper preparation and planning, you can be on your way to becoming a doctor and finally putting on that white coat.
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Dr. Shemmassian. “Shemmassian Academic Consulting.” Shemmassian Academic Consulting, 22 Dec. 2023, www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-hard-is-it-to-get-into-medical-school#:~:text=Data%20published%20by%20the%20AAMC,52%2C577%2C%20a%206.25%20percent%20increase. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
“What Are My Chances of Getting into Med School? (GPA + MCAT).” Stepful.com, 2021, www.stepful.com/post/chances-of-getting-into-med-school#:~:text=Medical%20schools%20in%20the%20United,attainable%20goal%20for%20many%20people. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
Dr. Shemmassian. “Shemmassian Academic Consulting.” Shemmassian Academic Consulting, 12 Jan. 2024, www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/medical-school-application-timeline#part-1-introduction. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
“Timeline for Application and Admission to Medical School.” Students & Residents, 2024, students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/timeline-application-and-admission-medical-school. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
Kowarski, Ilana. “How to Fulfill Med School Admission Requirements.” US News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 2022, www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/articles/how-to-make-sure-you-fulfill-medical-school-requirements-for-admission. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.
