Planning to apply to medical school for 2014 or 2015? The UMHS Pulse offers tips for what should be on your “to do” list for the final months of 2013.
Although the application process for some U.S. and Caribbean medical schools can take up to a year, it is not too late to get ready for next September or get a head start if you’re aiming for 2015. Please note that the following are only general suggestions; you should contact the admissions offices of each school to which you’re applying for specific guidelines and deadlines.
MCAT Test Dates Resume in January 2014
It is recommended to take the Medical College Admissions Test (popularly known as the MCAT) the year before you plan to attend medical school. The last 2013 dates for the exam ended in September, but MCAT test dates resume on January 23 and 24, 2014. You might be able to still get accepted for fall 2014 by some medical schools by taking the MCAT in January, but hurry because the registration deadlines are December 23 and December 26, 2013. Visit https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/reserving/261800/registrationdeadlines.html
Note: If you intend to apply for medical school in 2015, consider taking the MCAT in summer 2014. If you are holding off on taking the MCAT until 2015 and plan to enter in 2016, carefully read about the changes for the MCAT in 2015 (the addition of social and behavioral sciences, critical analysis and reasoning skills) on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website at https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015/
Volunteer at Health Care Settings & Shadow Physicians
You need experience volunteering in a health care setting and/or shadowing a physician before applying to medical school. If you haven’t done so already, contact your college’s pre-med office about volunteering and/or shadowing opportunities. If you’ve graduated, ask your family doctor about shadowing or if he/she knows of a doctor interested in you can shadow. For more information and tips, visit http://www.gapmedics.com/blog/2013/10/16/doctor-shadowing-what-to-do-before-during-and-after
Sharpen Your Interviewing Skills
The academic interview is of paramount importance for admittance to medical school. It gives you the opportunity to show medical school admissions professionals why you are a great candidate, regardless of your undergraduate GPA and MCAT score. Generally, interviews begin in mid-September and end sometime in April.
The AAMC website gives useful tips on doing well in interviews.
Letters of Recommendation/Evaluation
Medical schools have different guidelines for letters of recommendation/evaluation, but most require two from basic sciences faculty and one from a doctor or professional in a health care setting for which you have worked. Some medical schools want a “committee letter” from your pre-med advisor (giving a school’s “general evaluation” of you as an applicant), so remember to check the requirements of each school. U.S. News and World Report has practical advice at http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2011/04/25/5-tips-to-get-superb-letters-of-evaluation
Personal Statements & Transcripts
Last but not least, start thinking about what to write on your personal statement for medical school applications. Like the academic interview, this is another chance to stand out among other applicants.
For tips on personal statements, visit http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/medical-school-admissions-doctor/2011/05/30/6-personal-statement-dos-and-donts
Finally, you need transcripts sent from each school at which you studied as an undergraduate (even if you took just one class). Official transcripts must be sent directly to the schools to which you apply, and the process can take three to four weeks. Remember to obtain a copy for yourself to double check for accuracy.
(Top photo) Photo: Deposit Photos.
About UMHS:
Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciencesfocuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, “personalized medical education,” and it’s what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada. UMHS is challenging everything you thought you knew about Caribbean medical schools.
Scott is Director of Digital Content & Alumni Communications Liaison at UMHS and editor of the UMHS Endeavour blog. When he's not writing about UMHS students, faculty, events, public health, alumni and UMHS research, he writes and edits Broadway theater reviews for a website he publishes in New York City, StageZine.com.
