College Freshman: MCAT, Courses, Advice?

[HopefullyThisWorksOut]

Hey guys!
So, I'm a freshman college student who hopes to someday to become a doctor! The problem is, I have no idea what path to take, and specifically what must you do to even apply to medical school.

What are specific courses one must take?
Does major have anything to with applying?
What is the breakdown of the MCAT? Is there a thing as "too early" when it comes to taking the MCAT/Preparing for it?
How does one even begin to fathom preparing for the MCAT? (I've looked through several prep books and it all seems so overwhelming. I feel like I know 0 material and have no ides where or HOW to start.)
What other factors come into play when applying for medical school? Do extracurricular activities earn any brownie points like applying to undergraduate schools?
Do medical schools look at what undergraduate college you've attended? Or are GPA and MCAT scores the only thing they look at?
Should one have a backup plan just in case applying to medical school doesn't work out? Or is it a waste of time?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I'm very flustered with the whole idea of medical school and am in urgent need of some answers!

Thanks in advance for all you kind people who answered my questions/ gave me advice.

Hopefully this works out!

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[Thoroughbred_Med]

Go find the premed advisor at your school!

And peruse this website in your free time: http://medicalschoolhq.net

 

[Saxappeal1]

I have a question for you OP: Are you asking what major to take? Or what prereq courses you take to prepare for MCAT/premed? Either way, consult an advisor or your local college premed material/websites.
1. Specific courses vary, but some core classes are found while researching 2015 MCAT. I am not taking the 2015 MCAT so I don't know, but I'm guessing you will need to take Gen Chem 1/2 (and labs) Gen Bio 1/2 (and labs) Gen Orgo 1/2 (and labs) Gen physics 1/2 (and labs), Biochem, Psychology, and sociology.
2. Major has nothing to do with applying, as long as your prereqs are completed for pre-med/MCAT as well as your cGPA/sGPA high, as well as MCAT.
3. The MCAT that you will be taking is comprised of 4 sections, of like 6.5 hours of testing: 1. Biology/Biochemistry of Living systems, 2. Chemistry/Physics of living systems 3. Psychological/Sociological foundations for behavior, and 4. Critical reasoning. Don't worry about the MCAT right now, just take the classes you are supposed to and keep those notes.
4. To study for the MCAT, you just need to jump in and take a diagnostic test to assess realistically where you lie in all of the sections. You will have more knowledge when you go through your prereqs.
5. Holistic approach is a term thrown around a lot. Meaning that medical schools idealistically look at everything, LOR's, EC's, PS, etc.
6. School is looked at but I don't think it is as important as MCAT/s/cGPA. Back-up plans are always nice, reapply, SMP, gap year for clinical work, etc.

 

[ATPsynthase17]

If you want to get into a top med school, you DON'T need a 4.0 and perfect MCAT score. What is more important is to show a consistent interest in a certain field. People like people who know what they want. Try to find an area of medicine you're interested in early on and stick with it. For example, try to join a research lab that studies autism. Try to gain a leadership position in a student org that raises money for after school programs for autistic kids. Then shadow a neurologist. Of course, make sure you are genuinely interested in the topic, or it will show.

Don't even think about formally studying for the MCAT until you have completed nearly all your prereqs. What you can do, that will be very useful, is focus on genuinely understanding the material you learn in your prereq classes. To perform well on the MCAT, you have to have good test taking strategies. However, you also have a developed understanding the content. Review your class notes after each lesson, or at least during the weekend. This will greatly enhance your ability to remember the information months or even years after having taken the class.

Now, note that I did not do either of these things. However, I know several people who were admitted into top schools, and these are the characteristics they had.

Good luck!

 

[AmishExpressWay]

Step 1) Get list of GERs
Step 2) Get general major direction
Step 3) Hammer away

 

[valkener]

Focus on your classes, ace them all. Make good contacts with your premed avisors and make connections from the start. They will be writing your committee letter, etc. Don't even think about the MCAT for another 3 years, just focus on learning the foundations and ace your classes.