Advice about submitting primary application next cycle

[josegorgeous]

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Hi everyone!

I'm currently a senior and just recently decided to switch from pharmacy to medicine. My current GPA is a 3.8 and I have yet to take the MCAT. My current plan was to shadow doctors throughout winter and summer break along with working as a medical assistant part time over the summer. I was planning on taking the August or September MCAT and wanted some advice about what to do in terms of submitting primary applications.
For pharmacy, we were told to submit as complete an application as soon as possible even if it wasn't fully complete so that schools could have your application on file. Is it similar in medicine? Should I submit my application as early as I can after the open date and just wait on the MCAT scores to come in or should I submit my application once I have my MCAT scores (which would be late September/October)?

Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[MrTobiasFunke]

I say take your MCAT earlier. You can submit your primary before you get your scores, but getting them that late I think would put you at a disadvantage.

 

[ThunderBear]

Take your MCAT earlier, like in April or may. Submit your amcas early June. It takes at least 6 weeks for amcas to verify your application after submission during peak submission times. Most importantly, make sure your app is perfect before you hit that submit, because once its submitted, you can't go back and edit

 

[josegorgeous]

I was originally planning on taking the MCAT so late because I wanted to give myself ample time to study. Seeing as how August/September is deemed pretty late, would early July be a better option? I say July instead of April or May because I feel like I need some time to prepare for the MCAT because I haven't done any as of now and don't know how much I can manage to do throughout the school year. Even though earlier is better, what would you all say would be the latest that you think I could take the MCAT and still be in the running for interview invites?

 

[ThunderBear]

I was originally planning on taking the MCAT so late because I wanted to give myself ample time to study. Seeing as how August/September is deemed pretty late, would early July be a better option? I say July instead of April or May because I feel like I need some time to prepare for the MCAT because I haven't done any as of now and don't know how much I can manage to do throughout the school year. Even though earlier is better, what would you all say would be the latest that you think I could take the MCAT and still be in the running for interview invites?

Generally the earlier the better but you also have to be ready to take it too. I'd say early July would be the latest for me, personally, because it takes a month to l get your score back, and if you submit your app in June and wait for the score to come out, you end up being verified around the time your MCAT score comes out, which is sometime in early August. And if you pre-write your secondaries, your file can be complete at most schools you apply to by end of August.

 

[josegorgeous]

Perfect that's what I was looking for! Thanks for your input man!

 

[ThunderBear]

Np! Good luck man!