Preparing to Get Into Medical School

Being a doctor is a great and rewarding career, but if you want to go to medical school, you will need to prepare. Although there are 125 medical schools in the United States, it is still very tough to get into medical school. You will need to make sure you have done everything you can to compete with all the others hoping to enter.

Most people apply to medical school at the end of their junior year in college. However, some finish college and work for a few years before starting their medical education. The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) has made it easier to apply to medical school. You fill out an application with them and send them your transcripts. AMCAS then sends your information to the schools you have chosen.

Visit the premedical advisor for your college or university for help with the medical school application process. What are the medical schools looking for to determine if they will offer you acceptance? They will check your college grades, extracurricular activities (such as volunteering at a local hospital), and personal characteristics. The medical schools will want to check that you have complete all the mandatory undergraduate courses, have an exceptional grade point average, finished the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), and done some type of voluntary public or health related service. The medical school admissions staff will also look closely at letters of recommendations you have from physicians, community leaders, and faculty members of the undergraduate college you attended.

If you are among the applications narrowed down by the medical school admissions committee, you will then be called for an interview. Getting into medical school is going to be tough, but if you start preparing ahead of time and make sure you meet or exceed all the requirements, you should do well.