Advice for Pre-Med students

[SarahFoxyBell]

I’m new to SDN & am looking for Pre-Med advice. My college is in the process of merging, so my advisors don’t have as much pre-med advice as I would like. I have tons of questions! Can anyone help?
1) How much chemistry & Physics do I need to take before taking the MCAT?
2) Do most Med-Schools want you to have taken 2 calc classes, or is 1 sufficient?
3) Can I take the MCAT & apply for schools in my senior year & then start med school the following fall, or do I have to take a lag year?
4) What makes a med student stand out? (other than grades, MCAT scores, & letters of recommendation)
5) Do med-schools look down on small state schools that aren’t as well known?
6) What type of “hands on” experience should I be getting before I apply?

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[tarheel1408]

I’m new to SDN & am looking for Pre-Med advice. My college is in the process of merging, so my advisors don’t have as much pre-med advice as I would like. I have tons of questions! Can anyone help?
1) How much chemistry & Physics do I need to take before taking the MCAT?
2) Do most Med-Schools want you to have taken 2 calc classes, or is 1 sufficient?
3) Can I take the MCAT & apply for schools in my senior year & then start med school the following fall, or do I have to take a lag year?
4) What makes a med student stand out? (other than grades, MCAT scores, & letters of recommendation)
5) Do med-schools look down on small state schools that aren’t as well known?
6) What type of “hands on” experience should I be getting before I apply?

1) You'll want both semesters of introductory physics and 2 semesters of general chem as well as 2 semesters of orgo.
2) It varies by each school, you should check the schools' websites
3)If you want to start med school immediately after undergrad, you'll have to take the MCAT in the spring of your junior year or the summer before senior year.
4)The answer is obvious, the ECs - uniqueness is good, passion about them is great
5)No
6)As LizzyM says, if you can smell patients, it's clinical experience

 

[SarahFoxyBell]

I was hoping to take the MCAT in the summer before my senior year. I will have completed 2 semesters of general Chem, 2 semesters of general Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, College Algebra, Pre-Calc, 1 semester of Calc & Physics. Will this be enough to do well on the MCAT or does it look like I'll need to take it later? What do you do with a lag year?

I hope I'm not asking stupid, or "obvious" questions. The college I attend used to transfer out all the pre-med students after 2 years. In January we will be merging with another school & become University of North Georgia. Furthermore, I just made the decision to become a Doctor about 4 months ago. I have a lot to learn.

 

[tarheel1408]

I was hoping to take the MCAT in the summer before my senior year. I will have completed 2 semesters of general Chem, 2 semesters of general Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, College Algebra, Pre-Calc, 1 semester of Calc & Physics. Will this be enough to do well on the MCAT or does it look like I'll need to take it later? What do you do with a lag year?

Without any organic chemistry classes you should not try to take the MCAT. I heavily advise against it. In a gap year you can do a number of things: take post-bacc classes to boost GPA (if needed) or bolster your ECs, such as clinical employment for a year or another year of research, etc.

 

[wizedw]

No. There is plenty on 2nd semester physics on there. The application process takes an entire year pretty much, so submitting the primary in june means you wish to matriculate in august of the following year

 

[SarahFoxyBell]

Thanks guys, I was afraid that would be the case! It looks like I'll be taking the MCAT my senior year, then applying to med-school after I receive my bachelors.

 

[tarheel1408]

I hope I'm not asking stupid, or "obvious" questions. The college I attend used to transfer out all the pre-med students after 2 years. In January we will be merging with another school & become University of North Georgia. Furthermore, I just made the decision to become a Doctor about 4 months ago. I have a lot to learn.

Don't worry about stupid questions. It's good that you're here and you're asking questions at all - it means that you're serious about it. But congrats on making the decision to pursue medicine. It is a long and arduous road ahead of you but if you're determined (and intelligent doesn't hurt either) then you'll make it.

Don't be discouraged about having to take a gap year. I think that in many cases, admissions committees will look favorably on a gap year like yours. It will prove to them that you have maturity and you are serious about your desire to study medicine.

One more piece of advice, since you're new to SDN. The premeds here are neurotic, but many of them are very smart. On here, it seems like the average applicant has a GPA of 3.9 and an MCAT of 36, and that's simply not the case. Don't let the posters here get to you. SDN is but a small sample of a large ocean of medical school applicants, and I promise that not everyone is the perfect applicant that SDN leads you to believe. Stay strong, and stay determined.

 

[SarahFoxyBell]

Thanks, you're sweet. As for experience, I'm 28 years old & never went to H.S. I have a lot of "life" experience. I suppose I can use the extra year to take some classes I'm interested in that aren't required. I started college at 25 & soon realized I really love science. I've got a 3.9 now, but who knows what it will be in 2 years. I'm nervous about Calculus & Physics. I was excited to see that the average students that get excepted to Med Schools have around a 3.7 GPA, this leaves room for a few mistakes.

 

[SarahFoxyBell]

@ tarheel1408 I just saw you're GPA & MCAT scores. They look good! Have you apply anywhere yet?

I'd love to hear about your experiences w/ med-school & get more advice in the future.

 

[TheShaker]

OP, you're 28 so you might be rooted down somewhere but if you're willing to move around then you should do the NIH IRTA program for your year after college. It's a year long program aimed at pre-healthcare students applying on the year of their internship. It's a great source of research experience, adcoms love it, and it gives an ok stipend. Just something to consider.