Pre-medical undergraduate pathway

A successful pre-medical undergraduate pathway takes a lot of planning. As soon as a student becomes interested in medical school as a career, he or she should start the planning. Medicine is a highly competitive field. Medical schools receive hundreds or thousands of applications every year for a limited number of openings. All candidates are considered for their academic performance, extracurricular experiences, medical career exposure and more.

Applicants must find a way to distinguish their accomplishments from those of their peers in order to make themselves an attractive candidate.

What are the best undergraduate degrees for getting into medical school?

There is no particular major that will make a student a more competitive applicant in the eyes of admissions experts.

While many applicants with a strong foundation in the sciences feel better prepared for success in the MCAT and in the medical school curriculum, some medical schools find that students with humanities or other non-medical backgrounds are often more effective at communicating with patients.

What is the process for getting into medical school?

Applying to medical school is a multistep process:

Step 1. MCAT

The Medical College Application Test (MCAT) is a four-part exam that tests applicants’ problem solving and critical thinking skills and knowledge of scientific concepts and principles.

Step 2. Primary application

The AAMC’s American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) and the Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS) are the two main primary application services for MD-granting programs in the U.S. The AMCAS application has nine sections that include candidate’s background, coursework completed, extracurricular experiences, Letters of Evaluation references and personal essays.

Step 3. Secondary application

In addition to the primary application, candidates also complete a series of secondary applications for individual medical schools that explain why they are interested in each institution.

Step 4. Interview

Applicants that a medical school are considering for admission will be asked to come for an in-person interview that will allow the school to assess how suitable a candidate is for their institution and program. It also provides an opportunity for applicants to learn more about the school.

Step 5. Background check

Because medical students care for patients, each candidate will be subject to a broad-ranging background check that will investigate personal records like social media activity, criminal records and financial history.

Can people without a pre-med major still get into medical school?

Yes! Medical schools take a holistic look at candidates. As long as all prerequisite coursework has been completed, medical schools will consider applicants of any academic background.

How important is the MCAT to getting into medical school?

Though only one of several factors considered when applying to medical school, success on the exam shows that applicants have the problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine.

 

What is a good MCAT score?

The MCAT is graded on a curve where 500 is the average for all four sections of the exam with scores ranging from 472 to 528.

When should I start to prepare for medical school?

While there’s no official right or wrong timing, many students start to prepare for medical school in their sophomore year of undergrad and apply to an MCAT preparatory program for the summer in between sophomore and junior year. That should give you plenty of time to take practice exams before taking the MCAT.

How do I evaluate medical schools? Which medical schools are the best?

Every year, several publications release rankings of the top medical schools in the nation, based on varying criteria. But applicants should dive deeper to ensure schools of interest are a good personal fit. For example, look at where graduates are placed for residency, and consider the competitiveness of specific programs and specialties. Additionally, some schools offer specialized tracks based on specific career goals, such as accelerated primary care pathways.

 

Note: Major references are from AMA( American Medical Association)