You’ve decided to apply to medical school. Now what?

Congratulations on your decision to pursue becoming a physician. The process can feel daunting, so this post breaks down the major areas to focus on before you apply — so you can build a competitive application with intention rather than guesswork.

First — Academics

To apply to medical school, you must complete the following prerequisite college courses. For almost all schools, that means taking the course at a college level — it’s best to approach your undergraduate coursework as if AP credit does not count for these:

• 1 year of Biology
• 1 year of General Chemistry
• 1 year of Organic Chemistry
• 1 year of Physics
• Biochemistry
• English or a Writing course
• Calculus I and another math

You can also refer to the MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements), where each school’s specific requirements are listed.

Next — Timing

It’s imperative to determine your timeline for when to apply. If your goal is to matriculate the summer or fall following your undergraduate graduation, you will be applying in May of your junior year. If you plan to take a single gap year, you’ll submit in May of your senior year — typically a very busy time with finals, senior week, graduation, and moving.

An important point: the application process is long. Primary submission to matriculation spans 14 months. Any activity you begin after you submit your primary in May will only be included as “anticipated hours.” So if you’re thinking, “I’ll just get all of my clinical (or research, or volunteer) experience during my gap year,” recognize that your application will not show any of those experiences as completed by the time you apply.

Now — The MCAT

Once you’ve decided when to apply, schedule your MCAT accordingly. The latest I recommend taking it is April of the cycle you plan to apply. You can certainly take it earlier.

Finally — Extracurricular Activities

In the Work and Activities section, you’ll list any activities from the beginning of your freshman year through the time you apply. High school activities are generally not included. There are four main categories admissions committees look for, with a baseline goal of 250+ hours in each:

• Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer)
• Non-Clinical Volunteering
• Research
• Leadership and/or Teaching

Clinical Experience

These activities involve face-to-face patient interaction in a clinical environment: EMT, Medical Assistant, CNA, hospice volunteer, medical camp counselor, caretaker, clinic or hospital volunteer. Applicants often ask which experience is most valuable. The honest answer isn’t clear-cut — any experience can move an admissions committee if it’s written about insightfully, intelligently, humbly, and with purpose. That said, a good rule of thumb: the more time interacting with patients, the better.

Non-Clinical Volunteering

Also known as community service, these experiences showcase a desire to serve people and communities in need: soup kitchen, homeless shelter, under-resourced school, volunteer sports coach, and on. Choose something you’re genuinely excited about and be consistent. A four-year commitment of weekly hour-long sessions tends to say more about your character than a dozen one-off volunteer days for different organizations.

Research

Clinical, bench, wet lab, epidemiologic — really anything where you asked a scientific question, formulated methods, collected data, analyzed results, and drew conclusions. Undergraduates typically assist with one or two of those steps, so publications or presentations can be rare. If you have an opportunity to publish or present, take it.

Leadership and/or Teaching

Relatively self-explanatory: Teaching Assistant, president of a campus club, captain of a sports team, manager of an on-campus dining establishment, tutor.

Shadowing

While not one of the “big four,” it’s important to show you’ve seen what a career in medicine actually looks like by shadowing a practicing physician. Aim for around 50 hours, and — if possible — with a few different specialties to show you recognize that practice types differ.

After making the decision to pursue medicine, you’re now well on your way to understanding what a competitive application looks like. Good luck — and if you’d like a physician in your corner, that’s exactly what we’re here for.