This one's for the early birds! If you're hoping to attend medical school, it's never too early to get started. Here's a few things that you can do now...
- If you haven't yet connected with your school's pre-health advisor, do it as soon as you can. “[An on-campus pre-health advisor] may be in the academic dean’s office, a science professor, or a counselor in the career services office,” says the AAMC. If they work in a pre-health office,they likely go to the same conferences as medical school admissions officers and can tell you what admissions committees are looking for. They can also guide you on how to land clinical experiences and research gigs. If you don’t know of an advisor on your campus or your school doesn't have a pre-health advisor (it probably does), you can request assistance from the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP). They can help you find a volunteer advisor.
- Investigate the MCAT. The MCAT is offered in January, then monthly from March to September. Taking it in the winter or early spring of your application year gives you some wiggle room if you must retake it. The latest you should retake this test is June.
- Start a journal. You'll raid your journal for details for your Work and Activities entries, Personal Statement, and Secondary Essays. Make notes on your current experiences as they happen and past ones whenever you have a moment to ponder them. You can keep a paper or digital diary or even record audio and text notes on your phone as they come to you, and organize them into a document later. (You will eventually want all of your experiences in one place.)
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