Best way to get into med school

Getting into med school is a highly desirable achievement. As much as there is demand for more doctors, there are only a limited number of slots for med school students, this is compounded by top ranked schools with even heavier demands. What this results in is that not everyone who wants to become a doctor can.

But if you’ve set your heart on becoming a doctor, there’re a lot things you can do to improve your chances. Although there are areas of subjectivity in the selection process, a lot of it is objective, and if you do the right things, you can guarantee yourself a spot in a med school, whether this is the one you want or not is a topic for another discussion.

The earlier you decide you want to study medicine, the easier it is to plan, but there is relatively predefined route you take to getting into med school:

* Complete a pre-med degree.
* Write the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).
* Apply to med schools.

Fairly straightforward, right? Well yes, but you have to work hard along the way to ensure you’re among the best at each step.

Pre-med

There’s a lot of discussion about what the best schools are for pre-med, or what your majors should be. There may be several small gains to be made here, but on the whole you have a fair amount of leeway. Every year people get into med school even though they may have a major in the liberal arts. You do need to do science classes though, and having them as one of your majors helps keep it in focus during your course.

Regardless of your major, you need to work hard. Your undergrad GPA is one of the big influences of whether applicants are invited for interviews. Some schools may even separate your science subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths) to calculate a separate GPA. A GPA of 3.5 is generally considered the cut off for applications with some systems automatically ignoring any applications with a lower GPA. In addition to your sciences, a semester of psychology as well as sociology is basically a requirement to give you the knowledge to complete the relevant section of the MCAT.

Your med school application won’t only be based on academic prowess; they want people who can balance academics with other activities. Look for societies at your school, or community organisations which may be of assistance. If you are able to find opportunities to assist in a health field, e.g. volunteering at a clinic, all the better. Taking on leadership roles will further strengthen your application.

From this you get direct experience for your application, but you have the potential to form relationships with community leaders who may be able to support with letters of reference for your application. Other people to interact with are faculty at your school. If you show interest in their work, are able to assist with research or in other ways impress on them how you would be an asset to the field, they can write strong letters of recommendation. Don’t go out specifically with the idea that you want a reference though; faculty have a lot of experience and knowledge to impart which can help you more than a piece of paper can.

This kind of preparation can start in high school already if you know you’re planning on going to med school. Helping out in your community or in clubs is beneficial to society, your application and for general well-being.

The MCAT

On your way to completing your pre-med, you’ll learn all about the MCAT. The MCAT is the nationally recognised entrance examination for getting into med school and is compulsory to gaining admission to a school in the US. It is not easy, and is designed to show who is able to put in the hard work necessary to complete med school.

There are a couple ways though to improve your performance.

The first thing you’ll want to do is create an account on AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). You’ll need an account later to apply for med schools, but having an account gives you access to study material, practice exams and the dates for writing the MCAT.

Know the process that you must follow. While there are a number of guides and summaries, read through the 70+ page document provided to ensure you don’t miss something. If you’re able to, take a class or find yourself a tutor. These sessions will be able to give you advice on what to expect, will be able to identify your weaknesses and may offer practice exams.

Your goal for the MCAT is to score as high as possible. A score of at least 30 is recommended to ensure your application is considered. You are able to retake the MCAT, but schools will have access to all your results.

Application

Now you need to apply. Identify all the schools you’d be interested in attending. Try apply for a range of schools. You are able to check the average MCAT results for applicants at different schools. Accept that you probably won’t get into the school you want. Regardless of the number of applications you put in, ensure that you have one or two safety schools listed. But remember that each application costs money, and applying to many schools can add up quickly

Put effort into your motivational essay. This is one of the few opportunities you can control what gets read about you. Use this opportunity. Once you’ve got an interview, practice. Some people don’t interview well, but you can work on this. Different schools have different processes, but most are looking for a balance between people skills and emotional intelligence.

Other than that, speak to people who have been through the process and good luck!