<p>besides having a high GPA, what does a pre-med student have to do to get into med school? can someone break it down for me or direct me to a website that breaks it down? </p>
<p>if i gather research, volunteer and shadowing experiences, and medically related ECs throughout my undergrad years, how can that really set me apart from other students who've done all of the same things? is the personal statement? when i think about writing my personal statement, i can't think of anything special. my reason is very honestly really simple - i want to use the opportunities given to me in order to help others. i want to use my medical degree to serve people for lowcost/free in poor areas in the U.S. and overseas, but i doubt that would make for a terribly unique personal statement that adcoms have never seen before.</p>
<p>also, what happens to people who don't get into med school? (i'm sure this has been asked already - can someone give me the link to the thread if it exists?)
i am currently a sociology major, but i really enjoy chemistry, so if i don't get into med school, i would consider a chemistry grad program, but i would have to stay at least a year more in undergrad to take more chem chourses. if i change my major this late in the game (i'm currently a junior) it would be worth it to stay an extra year or two, right?</p>
<p>thanks! i probably should have given those a good read before i posted my questions… :)</p>
<p>i do have another question though… i took two years of AP English in high school, so I skipped out on freshman year college English. However, i did take two semesters of poetry - would these count as 1 year of English on my transcript?</p>
<p>also, since i’m thinking about staying an extra semester in case i decide to switch from a sociology major to chemistry, when would i apply to med schools? what are the application cycles for med school? i know some are rolling admissions, but i’m not very clear on the aspect of deadlines/when to do what.</p>
<p>If the poetry slasses were offered by the English department, these would likely count.</p>
<p>Ideally, you should submit your application in June. July is a little bit late, but should not submit your application in August or later (unless you are really an exceptional applicant, e.g., winner of a really major award, cure the cancer, 41 MCAT.)</p>
<p>OP,
You do not need to “set apart” from other applicants. Be like everybody else, have high college GPA, decent MCAT score, medically related EC’s, possibly other activities reflecting your own interests, do not try too hard to tailor your life to Med. School application. Make sure to enjoy your college life, spend time with friends. Anti-social hermits are not what Med. Sschools are looking for, they like well rounded people who enjoy what they do and connect easily to others with various backgrounds. yes, submitting as early as possible definitely helps as well as great pre-med advisory.</p>