A "when to apply" question

[Alphadorian]

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Here is the scoop. I'm looking at the MSAR timeline on the AAMC website (http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/msartimeline.pdf).

It looks like they advise you to apply to medical school in the spring of your junior year. I assume that's after taking the MCAT.

Is that the normal time to begin applying?

Also, I will have 3 more classes to complete after finishing the spring semester of what would be my senior year. I don't need them for credits but to satisfy the requirements of my degree. I would take one of these classes in the spring and two of the classes in the fall. Does this mean I should wait until spring of what would be my senior year to apply?

Hopefully that's not too confusing, and I apologize if this is a dumb question.

 

[DrMidlife]

I think my junior year was in 1989, and I applied in 2007, so I can't speak for normal.

If you want to start med school in fall 2010, you apply as early in summer 2009 as possible, or May for Texas. It's called an "app year." You want to take the MCAT well before you apply, so that you have a strong score in hand at the time of application. You don't have to worry about having classes to finish for your degree during your app year. You want to have LORs on their way, or preferably in hand, at the time you apply, because these need to be part of your secondary applications, which start to come immediately.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Alphadorian]

Thanks for the quick reply!