Timetable to apply to medical schools: How to start the process only!!!

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
21

<p>Secondaries:</p>

<p>Yes, they are short or long essays.</p>

<p>The TMDSAS/AMCAS/DO etc all do a single primary online app where you fill in all your info in one central location (TX & AMCAS are similar, but different word counts etc).
This is usually a list of coursework & grades; ECs, etc.</p>

<p>From there that primary is disbursed to the schools you choose.</p>

<p>Some of those schools send a secondary to every one, some screen and reject you rather than asking you for a secondary. They usually run anywhere from $35-$100+ each!</p>

<p>Some schools ask for nothing more than the check, others have several questions.</p>

22

<p>Updated Timetable with additional posters (somemom, curmudgeon, bludevilmike) input. Did we forget anything else?</p>

<p>FIRST YEAR:
-You need to know and be aware of the requirements: 1 year bio, 1 year chem, 1 year ochem, 1 year physics, 1 year calc, 1 year English (Other additional courses may be required by different schools)
-Volunteer in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience, that can be bench or clinical.
-Continue with your favorites ECs.
-Develop networking you will need letter of recommendations.</p>

<p>SECOND YEAR:
-Volunteer in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience, that can be bench or clinical.
-Continue with your favorites ECs.
-Develop networking you will need letter of recommendations.
-Plan to make time to study for and take the MCAT such that you have your results no later than June at the end of year 2.
-November (Second year):
–You should have a quick list of your extracurricular activities put together.
-December (Second year):
–You should have a first draft of your essay</p>

<p>THIRD YEAR:
-Volunteering in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience, that can be bench or clinical.
-Continue with your favorites ECs.
-MARCH & APRIL (Third year):</p>

<p>– You should have a rough list of schools.
–Read “MCAT essentials”: <a href=“http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/mcatessentials.pdf[/url]”>http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/mcatessentials.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
–Take MCAT: Consensus that you should take your MCAT during your sophomore-junior year. Many schools do not accept MCAT exam scores that are more than three years old.
—“Medical school admission officers usually suggest that you take the test in the calendar year prior to the year in which you plan to enter medical school… An earlier test date is also recommended because it permits examinees who feel that their scores do not accurately reflect their abilities to retest in the summer or fall. Later scores may then be submitted to medical schools in the same application year as the earlier scores.” [Preparing</a> for the MCAT Exam FAQ - MCAT - AAMC](<a href=“http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/prepfaq.htm]Preparing”>http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/prepfaq.htm)
–Letter of Recommendations - Develop networking you will need LOR:-Spend spring term requesting and gathering “Letter of recommendations” so you have them in hand by June 1.
– Personal Statements (PS) - Begin writing the PS, have it read and edited by others.
–You should be finalizing your essay.
–Go to “student doctor network” (SDN) forums to be familiar with school’s prompts or E- mail an older student to get as many secondary essay topics as possible.
–Read SDN sample secondaries (school prompts) and begin outlining your answers for potential secondaries. </p>

<p>MAY:
-During May 2011, you should open up a TX or AMCAS account. This will be quite easy if you’ve already taken the MCAT, which I hope you have.</p>

<p>JUNE & JULY:
–Ideally you’d have an MCAT score by June.
–On June 8: Apply AMCAS or TX- This includes a list of schools, a list of EC’s, your grades, a TRANSCRIPT REQUEST, and your essay…
–Begin secondaries, turn them around in a few days each and be ever so grateful if you spent time in the spring coming up with ideas for answers.
–On June 15: Many schools with “Open” secondaries (non-screening) you should look carefully through the website of every school you applied to see if the application is open yet. You should take no more than two weeks to fill out any secondary. Otherwise they accumulate. Rumors – which I find credible – also say that schools use secondaries as an indication of your interest.
–You should be completely done with all primaries and secondaries by the time school starts.</p>

<p>Fourth year:
-Volunteering in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience, that can be bench or clinical.
-Continue with your favorites ECs.
–Best wishes!</p>

23

<p>

Freshman year’s a little early to begin looking for LORs.</p>

<p>

  1. =) Year 3.</p>
24

<p>Summer research programs and post bac programs:</p>

<p>These are the program listings I have referred to frequently. Keep in mind that my daughter and the other students I have been aiding are all minority students. However, the programs listed may be of use to whites and asians as well as the programs often include students who are economically disadvantaged. Apply to several summer programs as they can be very competitive!</p>

<p>This is a link to the biology page. You can noodle around and find the chemistry, physics, etc pages as well.
[US</a> NSF - REU - List Result](<a href=“Search Results for REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation”>REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation)</p>

<p>A different site:
[minority</a> co-op/internships](<a href=“http://people.rit.edu/gtfsbi/Symp/mcoop.htm]minority”>minority co-op/internships)</p>

<p>A couple of different pages of post bacs:
[Post</a> Baccalaureate Programs](<a href=“http://www-hl.syr.edu/students/undergraduate/advising_academic_support/pre_health/_supporting_pages/resource_pb.html]Post”>http://www-hl.syr.edu/students/undergraduate/advising_academic_support/pre_health/_supporting_pages/resource_pb.html)
[Undergraduate:</a> Careers in Science: Post-Bac Programs](<a href=“http://www.cse.emory.edu/sciencenet/undergrad/post-bac.html]Undergraduate:”>http://www.cse.emory.edu/sciencenet/undergrad/post-bac.html)</p>

25

<p>Updated Timetable with additional posters (somemom, curmudgeon, bludevilmike, twomules) input. Did we forget anything else?</p>

<p>FIRST YEAR:
-You need to know and be aware of the requirements: 1 year bio, 1 year chem, 1 year ochem, 1 year physics, 1 year calc, 1 year English (Other additional courses may be required by different schools)
-Volunteer in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience, that can be bench or clinical.
-Continue with your favorites ECs.
-Develop networking and good rapport with professors.</p>

<p>SECOND YEAR:
-Volunteer in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience, that can be bench or clinical. (see post # 24).
<a href=“Search Results for REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation”>REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation;

<p>-Continue with your favorites ECs.
-Develop networking you will need letter of recommendations.
-Plan to make time to study for and take the MCAT such that you have your results no later than June at the end of year 3.
-November (Second year):
–You should have a quick list of your extracurricular activities put together.
-December (Second year):
–You should have a first draft of your essay</p>

<p>THIRD YEAR:
-Volunteering in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience that can be bench or clinical (see post # 24).
<a href=“Search Results for REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation”>REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation;
-Continue with your favorites ECs.
-MARCH & APRIL (Third year):</p>

<p>– You should have a rough list of schools.
–Read “MCAT essentials”: <a href=“http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/mcatessentials.pdf[/url]”>http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/mcatessentials.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
–Take MCAT: Consensus that you should take your MCAT during your sophomore-junior year. Many schools do not accept MCAT exam scores that are more than three years old.
—“Medical school admission officers usually suggest that you take the test in the calendar year prior to the year in which you plan to enter medical school… An earlier test date is also recommended because it permits examinees who feel that their scores do not accurately reflect their abilities to retest in the summer or fall. Later scores may then be submitted to medical schools in the same application year as the earlier scores.” Preparing for the MCAT Exam FAQ - MCAT - AAMC
–Letter of Recommendations - Develop networking you will need LOR:-Spend spring term requesting and gathering “Letter of recommendations” so you have them in hand by June 1.
– Personal Statements (PS) - Begin writing the PS, have it read and edited by others.
–You should be finalizing your essay.
–Go to “student doctor network” (SDN) forums to be familiar with school’s prompts or E- mail an older student to get as many secondary essay topics as possible.
–Read SDN sample secondaries (school prompts) and begin outlining your answers for potential secondaries. </p>

<p>MAY:
-During May 2011, you should open up a TX or AMCAS account. This will be quite easy if you’ve already taken the MCAT, which I hope you have.</p>

<p>JUNE & JULY:
–Ideally you’d have an MCAT score by June.
–On June 8: Apply AMCAS or TX- This includes a list of schools, a list of EC’s, your grades, a TRANSCRIPT REQUEST, and your essay…
–Begin secondaries, turn them around in a few days each and be ever so grateful if you spent time in the spring coming up with ideas for answers.
–On June 15: Many schools with “Open” secondaries (non-screening) you should look carefully through the website of every school you applied to see if the application is open yet. You should take no more than two weeks to fill out any secondary. Otherwise they accumulate. Rumors – which I find credible – also say that schools use secondaries as an indication of your interest.
–You should be completely done with all primaries and secondaries by the time school starts.</p>

<p>FOURTH YEAR:
-Volunteering in a hospital, medically related internships or interactive opportunities.
-Get involve in research experience, that can be bench or clinical.
-Continue with your favorites ECs.
–Best wishes!</p>

26

<p>

</p>

<p>Oh, I didn’t see this the first time. These are also for year three.</p>

27

<p>The best source of advice is pre-med advisor who knows specifics of your UG.</p>

28

<p>Miami- one should be careful about pre med advisors, my DDs gave her bad advice, we were able to follow the best path for DD thanks to SDN & CC, but some one not as internet forum savvy could easily be a reapplicant now instead of admitted, had they followed some of the advice my DD received.</p>

29

<p>My D’s advisor was fantastic, as a generalist. What cc and sdn and AAMC and internet sleuthing did for her was to individualize the process to her and her alone. It is my not so humble opinion that it worked quite well.</p>

30

<p>LAC vs big state public ;)</p>