I will start my pre-med junior year this August. So basically I have completed psychology, sociology, general bio, inorganic chem, organic chem, and biochemistry. All that’s left is the year of Physics I am completing in my junior year. When would be the best time for me to take the MCAT and when do applicants typically submit applications to medical schools? Super confused about this. Thanks!
There’s only one answer to both questions: when you’re ready.
Neither taking the MCAT nor applying to med school is something that should be rushed or entered into carelessly, thoughtlessly or hastily. You want to to take the MCAT only once and you want to apply to med school only once–if at all possible.
Adcomms do not view having multiple MCAT scores as a positive thing. And unlike the SAT or ACT, there is no selective score reporting allowed. Med schools will see and average all MCAT scores --even if a prior score is 10 years old. And being a re-applicant puts you in a bad position since re-applicants are judged more harshly than first time applicants and have a higher bar to jump to gain an admission. Also many med schools have a limit on the number of times you can apply to them.
Once you’ve completed your pre-reqs, then you are good to take your MCAT anytime you have the time to put in some dedicated study time preparing for it. You could certainly take it early next spring if you’d feel comfortable doing so.
The formal med school admission process takes a full year. You’ll summit your application early next summer and won’t start until the following summer/fall.
If you intend to move directly from undergrad to med school without taking any gap years, you’ll need to take the MCAT in April, May or early June so that you’ll have your scores back before you start applying.
If you intend to move directly from undergrad to med school, you’ll open you AMCAS application next spring (May) and submit your application in June-July. This means you’ll need to get all your application materials ready next fall-spring–personal statement, LOEs, EC hours & contacts, etc. If your college uses a committee letter, then you’ll need to follow its deadlines; many colleges have mid-March deadlines for applying for a committee letter (and for which you’ll need all of the same stuff you’d need to apply to med school–LOEs, transcripts, list of ECs w/hours & contacts, PS, interview).
If you intend to apply to osteopathic med school programs, you can wait a little later to apply (July, August, Sept) since the DO application season seems to run longer than the MD does.
If you’re not quite ready to apply next spring–don’t sweat it. More than 1/3 of all new med school matriculants (even more at some med schools) take one or more gaps years between undergrad an starting med school.
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When would be the best time for me to take the MCAT
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Depends on YOU.
Many who are on a schedule like yours take the MCAT during April or May of Junior year.
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and when do applicants typically submit applications to medical schools? Super confused about this. Thanks! <<<
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Students who are on a traditional path, should submit their application to AMCAS or TMDSAS in early summer…June if possible.
If you’re not ready, then plan of a gap year or two.
What is your current GPA?
Have you taken any practice MCAT tests?
People who are prepared take the test when they feel they are hitting their target scores in practice or have determined that is the best they can do.
Theoretical recommendation is to meet all the prereqs. In practice, some don’t finish the required classes until the end of the 4th year. In your case, you seem to have finished most classes other than physics but whether it is necessary to finish a whole year depends on how you do on practice tests.
Have you been in contact with the pre-med (or pre-health) department at your college? If not, you really need to be making an appt and talking with them pronto to see how they like things handled on their end. This doesn’t change a thing about the MCAT advice above - it just adds to it.