Pre-med??? what does it take? what do i do??

Question

Okay, so i am pre-med.. i think. i am currently at a junior college i am transferring this fall to an university. i once read that if you plan on going to medical school you should take your mcats your junior year. But that is about all i know on how to go about this. my advisors at school suck and i cant seem to get any help from them so if anyone can help it would be very much appreciated!!!

Answer 1

Most med schools require:
General Chemistry and Lab
Organic Chemistry and Lab
Biology and Lab
General Physics and Lab
Math - check with different schools to see if they require calculus
Good grades are important - try and keep your GPA as high as possible.

A prep course is a major help for MCAT - I'd suggest Kaplan if it's available in your area.

Get at least 3 academic reccomendations, at least one should be a professor who has taught you in a science course.
Your advisor should compile these and combine them wiith a composite letter that outlines your academic performance, emphasizes your strengths, and explains how you overcome your weaknesses.

Write a good personal statement - if your school has a writing center, get their help. Input from teachers, peers, and advisors is also helpful.

You should have laboratory or clinical work to supplement a strong academic background - for example, working in science labs, volunteering at hospitals, or EMT training.

Go to AAMC.org for more information on medical schools.

Most premeds apply to an average of 20 schools.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Take your mcat as early as possible. You can write again if you aren't satisfied with your results.

Make sure you find out the exact requirements of all the schools you think you might apply to, some have different courses or outside activities that they want. It's best to know at least a year before you start applying so that you have time to take any courses that you didn't think you would need.

Answer 3

you can take your MCAT on your junior or senior year, if as you say your advisors suck then you can write to the admissions department of the particular med-school you are interested in, send them your current curriculum, ( with your MCAT results ) you will received a response stating if your current curriculum ( and MCAT results ) are adequate or they may state that you lack some units in certain fields...

and oh... dont limit your application to just one 1 med school... apply to several...

Answer 4

Most med schools require a year of calculus, two years of introductory chemistry class with labs (the ones they offer for majors, not "Chemistry for liberal arts" or something like that), one year of biology, and one year of physics. That is, they require College Chemistry I, College Chemistry II, Biochemistry, Physical Chemistry, Elementary Biology I, Elementary Biology II, Intro to Physics I, Intro to Physics II, Calculus I, and Calculus II. Your school may have different names for these classes, but it should be easy to figure out what the introductory class is for Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Math majors are (instead of the non-major classes). Also, if you want to make yourself look more knowledgable, take more biology and chemistry classes. Consider a bio/chem double major. If you want to make yourself stand out, take as many math classes as you can. Finally, study almost non-stop to get the best grades you can. If you don't have at least a 3.5 gpa, it'll be tough for you to get into med school anywhere. Then get together with a group of pre-med students to prepare for the MCAT. If you do well at every required class, and get above the 70th percentile on the MCAT, you can feel safe about getting into med school.

Answer 5

Once you get to university, try to get the best grades you can preferably a 4.0. Medical school is very competitive, and you should set yourself as a very good candidate. Prepare for the MCAT early, and get to know your professors for recommendation letters. Also you should consider doing volunteer/internships that are related to the medical field. Its good that you are starting to prepare early though.