I am going to be a sophomore (undergrad) this fall 2012 at seattle university. I am just curious about what it take to get into medical school. I am interested in a few fields including psychiatry and dermatology. I am currently a sports and exercise science major and I was wondering if that was a good pre-med major that will help me in medical school. I am a D1 student-athlete, i don't know if that helps with admissions. what do medical schools look at when they admit someone? I know they look at GPA and MCAT, but what else is important? I plan on getting and internship in some medical/ sports science related field. I am just wondering if I am on the right track as far as major and ideas for experience go. I know you need a very good GPA and MCAT score to get into medical school, but I am newly interested in this and don't know very much. Also, I am a washington state resident so going to UW medical school would be ideal if anyone knows anything specific about UW. Thanks for your help!
Just Curious
- Thread starter rayray93
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Try getting some clinical experience by shadowing a doctor or volunteering at a hospital. You should also consider doing some research, especially if you're interested in applying to top tier schools.
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Major doesn't matter, just do well in it and get A's in the pre-reqs (or as close as you possibly can).
MCAT is vital, but you don't even think about taking that until the pre-reqs are out of the way.
You will want some clinical experience, either paid or volunteer, that puts you in contact with patients. Paid employment can include working as a CNA, EMT, Er scribe, etc. Unpaid is usually volunteering at an ER, on the floor of a hospital, in hospice, etc. You will want to start that now, or soon at least, and keep it up at least a couple hours a week until you are accepted somewhere. Long term with few hours a week looks better than short term with a ton of hours earned very quickly.
You will want to find a few doctors to job shadow, including someone in primary care (family medicine, PCP internist, pediatrician, etc.). Having I believe around 40 hours is average by the time you apply. A variety of specialties is better than a week with a single doctor.
Research is a highly-regarded EC. Try to find a research opportunity, either paid or unpaid, and do your best to become really involved in the project (not just filling your hours cleaning glassware, for example.) A publication or presentation at a national conference is a huge bonus, but don't worry if you don't get that opportunity.
Other EC's that are valuable are leadership (hopefully something more meaningful than "was VP of the pre-med club"), teaching/tutoring, non-clinical community service, etc. You don't have to have all of them to have a chance, but the more MEANINGFUL experiences you have, the better. Just make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew.
No EC is worth sacrificing your GPA, as the GPA and MCAT are the most important aspects of your application. Those raw numbers get your application looked at, the higher they are the more interest schools will have in you, and once your numbers have the adcom's attention, the rest of your application will convince them to invite you for an interview.
