Freshman Year ... Sophomore Year ... Junior Year ... Senior Year
As you can see from the basic requirements, students may choose any major. At medical school, you'll find students who majored in literature, economics, music, history, psychology, biology, chemistry, and pharmacy. The most important factor is that you choose something that interests you and in which you excel (i.e., getting mostly A's and B's).
In your freshman year, make completing General Chemistry one of your high priorities. Taking General Chemistry early allows you to take Organic Chemistry the following year. This strategy allows you to retake the course if you do poorly, and it also allows you to get it out of the way so that you can take interesting upper division courses in your major (and study for the MCAT or DAT in your Junior year) without being overworked. Admissions committees look at a student's performance in Organic Chemistry as an indication of that student's ability to handle the course work in medical/dental school. So if you did poorly in Organic (i.e. less than a B-), you may want to consider retaking the course in the summer between your Sophomore and Junior year, or in your Junior year. You may have to retake the course at another school.
It's also a good idea to get PreCalculus and Calculus out of the way in your freshman year, so you can take Physics in your sophomore year. Same logic applies here as above for Organic Chemistry. Remember, it takes a total of two years to complete the chemistry sequence, and a total of two years to complete the math/physics sequence (assuming that you don't need any developmental math courses). Plan ahead, and start these sequences early!
As you take your courses, begin to establish good relationships with your professors. Professors who know you and your abilities will be better able to provide you with the vital recommendation letters you'll need later on. Also, make it a point to introduce yourself to Dr. Vassiliou, the Chair of the Premedical/Predental Advisory Committee, and to come to meetings of the Premedical/Predental Society.
You should decide during your Freshman Year what extracurricular activities you would like to pursue during your undergraduate career. This includes volunteering, summer research, and being involved in organizations. Think about what you like to do. Pick a couple of activities and stay with them throughout your undergraduate program. Try to stay away from being too spread out and not being able to contribute significantly in any of your activities.
Some students work to put themselves through school. In that case, pick at least one extracurricular activity that is important to you. Working and paying your way through college is admirable, as it demonstrates your ability to assume responsibility and stay focused on your goals.
Towards the end of this year, begin thinking about what you want to do for the summer. One or more summers spent in research laboratories are a major bonus. Most of the competitive schools look to see whether applicants have worked in labs.
By now, you should have completed your General Chemistry requirement, your PreCalculus and Calculus requirements, and perhaps Bio 2200 (Cell Biology). Plan to tackle Organic Chemistry and Physics this year and to take Bio 2400 (Genes, Organisms, Populations); therefore, you should have all your science premed requirements out of the way, giving you more time to study for the MCAT/DAT in your Junior Year. If you do poorly in any of these courses (less than a B-), you should consider re-taking them in the summer or in your Junior Year.
Send away for catalogs during your sophomore year so that you can be familiar with specific requirements or visit the school web sites. You can access the web sites from the "Useful Links" web page. You can also get the information from the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) or the ADEA's Dental School Admissions Requirements (DSAR).
Continue to develop relationships with your professors. If you do very well in a class, give the professor a recommendation request form, and ask them to complete it and forward it to Dr. Vassiliou. That way, your professors can write the letters while your performance is fresh in their minds, and you will have good letters already on file when you are ready to apply to medical or dental school. Also consider contacting admissions offices and scheduling visits to favorite schools to begin to develop a relationship with them.
You also want to demonstrate that your educational interests extend beyond science. Take literature, humanities, or foreign language courses. Students who are not majoring in science have an advantage here -- your educational interests are already diverse. Just keep in mind that the breadth of your education is just as important as the level of difficulty.
For the Summer, plan on pursuing your research, volunteer, and extracurricular interests. Start to develop a leadership role in one of these areas. You should also start to study for the MCAT. Some will say this is slightly early in the game, but you should plan on taking the MCAT in April of your Junior Year. Take as many MCAT practice tests as you can (full-length ones if possible). If you are unable to structure your time to study effectively for the MCAT, consider taking a prep course.
This is the big year. You are completing the remainder of your premed courses, studying for and taking the MCAT/DAT, and preparing your application to medical/dental school, in addition to doing well in your course work. This may seem difficult. It is. However, with some organization and careful planning, you will be able to accomplish these goals.
Start writing your personal statement during the Winter. Make sure you write, re-write, and then re-write some more. The personal statement is one of the most important elements in your application since it allows the admissions committee to get a better sense of you as an individual.
When the applications are available in the Spring, start your applications. Use the on-line applications; your materials will be processed more quickly and there will be less chance of errors.
If your MCAT/DAT scores are low, you may consider applying for the August MCAT/DAT. (Ed. Note: That is, the August exam prior to your Senior year. See my note in the Sophomore Year section.)
Send in your application to AMCAS and AACOMAS (if you are premed) or AADSAS (if you are predental) in June or July. Remember that 90% of US applications are submitted in August-September; get yours in early!! Be sure to keep a printout for yourself. At this time, also meet with Dr. Vassiliou to request that a composite letter of recommendation be sent to the schools from the PreMedical/PreDental Advisory Committee.
Aim to have your application materials (i.e. MCAT or DAT scores, secondary applications with fee, letters of recommendation, transcript, and your photographs) completed and submitted to the schools by August. This means your application is ready for review in August. This is important. The sooner you have your application completed, the better. This considerably increases your chances of becoming accepted.
Your hard work and preparation in the previous year will pay off. If you have submitted all your application materials by August, you just need to relax and wait for interviews. Do consider taking Biochemistry; it will be helpful to you when you start medical or dental school to have taken it as an undergraduate.
Enjoy your final year in college and start preparing for the interview. Invitations for interviews will generally come in October and later. The invitation may also come sooner if you completed your application before August. Before your interview, prepare by visiting www.interviewfeedback.com and looking at other students' experiences interviewing at that school. At your interview, inquire about the notification process for that individual school. After the interview, be sure to write a thank you letter to the people who interviewed you. It's a good way to leave a favorable last impression! Then return to www.interviewfeedback.com and add your experiences to the database, to help other students to prepare for their interviews.
Search for sources of financial aid using the Internet, as well as the guides available through the medical schools that you are considering attending.
Acceptances, waiting lists, and rejections are sent out at different schedules, depending on the school. Some schools have rolling admissions, where offers for admission are sent out after each admissions committee meeting. At other programs, offers may not be sent out until after a set deadline. Contact the admissions officer at the schools you applied for more information.
If you are placed on the waiting list, there are several things you can do. First, update your application by sending in your first semester grades from your Senior year, recent publications or awards, or even a letter stating your interest in attending that school.
In the event that you are not offered an acceptance, you should review your application with your premed advisor and determine your strengths and weaknesses. You may want to consider a post-baccalaureate program, to strengthen your credentials.