new to site.....

[Chris609]

HI-
Im new here and i just had a couple of questions? Im in my second year of college and I am really think of going to medical school. My question is what do you need to do to apply for med. school? Also what are the requirment? I do volunteer work at a clinical and I am a EMT(emergency medical technician), does this help in anyway?Thanks for everything.

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[robotdancing]

in brief: volunteer work is essential, especially in a clinical capacity, so you sound like you're well on your way in that regard. beyond volunteer work, you'll need to take your pre-med pre-reqs (1 yr each w/ lab of chem/bio/orgo/physics) and the mcat.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by Chris609
HI-
Im new here and i just had a couple of questions? Im in my second year of college and I am really think of going to medical school. My question is what do you need to do to apply for med. school? Also what are the requirment? I do volunteer work at a clinical and I am a EMT(emergency medical technician), does this help in anyway?Thanks for everything.

fresh meat.... haha jp.

well basically all you need to do is take the med school prereq classes for admission.
basically (i think you should check for each school slightly varies...)
1 year of bio with lab
1 year of gen/phys chem with lab
1 year orgo with lab
1 year physics usu with lab
1 year math
1 year english
i think these are basics. other people will correct me if im wrong or will add accordingly...

some schools require biochem others dont...
some (well only ucla i think) req stats...

its good that you are doing volunteer work and as an EMT. These are all experiences you will need to help you get into a medical school. Any and all experiences that give you experience in the medical field will be helpful. But basically if you do well at school, mcat and are a well rounded person in all aspects....then you should be fine.

and welcome to sdn.
we are funny, sarcastic, and enjoy a good political fight once in a while....
you have been forewarned .

 

[smc927]

This is a good place to find answers. Start doing some searches here and read through lots of posts. When you find a post with a topic you are interested in, read it. You'll glean all sorts of useful info.<br><br>
And find yourself a local doctor to get info from, ask questions, etc.

 

[asama527]

Volunteering, especially if it's clinical work, is a big plus. Just BEING an EMT is not very helpful. You actually have to be working in the ER or on a rescue squad. When you're invited to interview, they will probably ask the extent of your activities and if you're an EMT, they're going to ask you to what extent you participated in the associated rescue squad. A word of advice regarding your schedule. Don't take all of the natural science courses at the same time. I was really anxious to get them out of the way and found out the hard way that the workload is completely overwhelming. Good luck!

 

[Heal&Teach]

Welcome!

Just remember that you need your prereqs, but you don't need to have a science major. You don't get any extra brownie points for your major. It's all in how well you do in your science courses. If you're interested in something different, like English or Sociology, go for it. Just remember to take a challenging curriculum that is well-rounded and makes you happy.

Best of luck!
H&T

 

[tygrwds]

Originally posted by Chris609
HI-
Im new here and i just had a couple of questions? Im in my second year of college and I am really think of going to medical school. My question is what do you need to do to apply for med. school? Also what are the requirment? I do volunteer work at a clinical and I am a EMT(emergency medical technician), does this help in anyway?Thanks for everything.

Buy yourself the book entitled Medical School Admissions Requirements (a.k.a. the MSAR). Get an idea of where you'd like to go and an idea of what those schools look for in their applicants. Start studying for the MCAT when you become a junior by reviewing class notes, review books, taking practice exams, etc.

Also, be sure to set aside lots of $$$ for the application process. It can get very spendy. This year, AMCAS (the common application service) charged applicants $150 for the initial school and $30 for each additional school. Add to that the secondary app fees from each school, postage costs, and travel expenses for interviews, and the cost really adds up.

If your school has a premedical committee, work with them closely - they'll be writing you a letter of recommendation. Otherwise, work with your premed advisor, and think about who you'd like to have writing LORs on your behalf.

Best of luck!