Being a doctor is a great and rewarding career, but if you want to
go to medical school, you will need to prepare. Although there are 125
medical schools in the United States, it is still very tough to get
into medical school. You will need to make sure you have done
everything you can to compete with all the others hoping to enter.
Most
people apply to medical school at the end of their junior year in
college. However, some finish college and work for a few years before
starting their medical education. The American Medical College
Application Service (AMCAS) has made it easier to apply to medical
school. You fill out an application with them and send them your
transcripts. AMCAS then sends your information to the schools you have
chosen.
Visit the premedical advisor for your college or
university for help with the medical school application process. What
are the medical schools looking for to determine if they will offer you
acceptance? They will check your college grades, extracurricular
activities (such as volunteering at a local hospital), and personal
characteristics. The medical schools will want to check that you have
complete all the mandatory undergraduate courses, have an exceptional
grade point average, finished the MCAT (Medical College Admission
Test), and done some type of voluntary public or health related
service. The medical school admissions staff will also look closely at
letters of recommendations you have from physicians, community leaders,
and faculty members of the undergraduate college you attended.
If
you are among the applications narrowed down by the medical school
admissions committee, you will then be called for an interview.
Getting into medical school is going to be tough, but if you start
preparing ahead of time and make sure you meet or exceed all the
requirements, you should do well.