Overview of med school application process

[orthomyxo]

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Before you ask, I'm actually a college student, but I posted this in hSDN to avoid a few of the BS responses from pre-meds. I have a limited understanding of med school, so I'm looking for a brief outline of the application process. For example, when is the best time to take the MCAT, when should I start MCAT prep, in which undergrad year do I start applying to schools, etc. Thanks.

 

[organdonor]

Before you ask, I'm actually a college student, but I posted this in hSDN to avoid a few of the BS responses from pre-meds. I have a limited understanding of med school, so I'm looking for a brief outline of the application process. For example, when is the best time to take the MCAT, when should I start MCAT prep, in which undergrad year do I start applying to schools, etc. Thanks.

Most people take the MCAT at the end of their Junior year, by then they have (nearly) finished physics, organic, and many biology courses which cover material which is on the MCAT. I took my in the summer right after I finished my junior year. If you take it later you are definitely running a risk of if you getting a low score you may not be able to take it again and get your application complete until very late in the game. By taking it early, you can still retake if you need to. I believe the aplication process opens the beginning of June, like June 1st. The earlier you can get all the information to them, the better. Ask your letter writers as soon as possible. The bulk of the application process occurs the summer after junior year, before senior year, with interviews during beginning/mid senior year. You should meet with your pre-med advisor at your university, he/she should be able to tell you in greater detail.

 

[orthomyxo]

Most people take the MCAT at the end of their Junior year, by then they have (nearly) finished physics, organic, and many biology courses which cover material which is on the MCAT. I took my in the summer right after I finished my junior year. If you take it later you are definitely running a risk of if you getting a low score you may not be able to take it again and get your application complete until very late in the game. By taking it early, you can still retake if you need to. I believe the aplication process opens the beginning of June, like June 1st. The earlier you can get all the information to them, the better. Ask your letter writers as soon as possible. The bulk of the application process occurs the summer after junior year, before senior year, with interviews during beginning/mid senior year. You should meet with your pre-med advisor at your university, he/she should be able to tell you in greater detail.

Isn't it possible to apply to a later cycle? Do med schools see that as being strange?

 

[MilkmanAl]

You can apply whenever you want. At least do something you can talk about during your year(s) off, though. Even if you just sit around, punch it up somehow.

Moved to Pre-Allo.

 

[mdeast]

I think the best way to apply to medical school is when you're ready. If you don't think you'll be accepted, just wait a year...explore medicine or other career paths and see if you want to apply again the next year.
When you do choose to apply....get it done early, because if you're going to be spending so much time and money on this process you're going to want to get it done right, and right the first time. There's a sense of fear of waiting, but I can honestly say that taking time off after college has been a wonderfully enlightening experience...and placed the sacrifices and benefits of medicine in a much more realistic light.

Again, I took a year off after college before applying, mainly because I was juggling other career options and not completely sure if I wanted to do clinical medicine. I personally would recommend taking the MCAT the spring/summer following your completion of the pre-requisite classes (which usually falls at the end of your Junior Year). I took the MCAT during the spring a year following my graduation from college. I hadn't seen Organic Chemistry or Gen Chem since I was a college sophomore and had forgotten almost everything...forcing me to re-learn it. Your MCAT scores are good for 3-5 years at most schools, so taking it early not only keeps the material fresh in your mind....but also gives you ample time to re-take if you don't end up with the score you want. If you're taking the MCAT in the year you're applying to medical school, be sure to take an early exam (January or March) so that you can retake in May, June or early July if you feel uncomfortable with your score. Anything past July risks delaying your application (again, in this process, you don't want timing or preparedness to ever be a factor in whether or not you're admitted to a particular school).

Once you do choose to apply, the best route is to apply early.

Early June, before July 1st: Submit AMCAS (like college Common App)
July and August: Complete secondaries (within 2 weeks of receiving)
September-December: First round of interviews, Rolling Acceptances
December- March: Second round of interviews
March-April: Non-Rolling Acceptances
May 15: Pick a med school
August: Begin your very long journey through the world of medicine.

Good luck!