You do solemnly swear, each to whatever he holds most sacred: That you will be loyal to the Profession of Medicine and just and generous to its members; That you will lead your lives and practice your art in uprightness and honor; That into whatsoever house you shall enter, it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of your power, you holding yourselves far aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice; That you will exercise your art solely for the cure of your patients, and will give no drug, perform no operation for a criminal purpose, even if solicited; far less suggest it; That whatsoever you shall see or hear of the lives of men which is not fitting to be spoken, you will keep inviolably sacred. These things do you swear. Let each candidate raise his right hand in acquiescence.

-Hippocrates

(The Hippocratic Oath)

Is Medicine for You?

Choosing a career in medicine is especially difficult because of the sacrifices involved. It takes many years to become a practicing physician, especially if you go into a surgical specialty. There are voluminous amounts of material to learn. Your family life may be disrupted. The pressures of dealing with the sick and dying can be overwhelming.

However, medicine is extremely rewarding. You get to help others, to relieve pain and suffering, and perhaps find new methods of treating and curing disease. Medicine is intellectually challenging, lucrative, and offers a broad spectrum of opportunity and career options. You can go into research or become a teacher.

Are You for Medicine?

No one path leads people to this career, but certain characteristics are desirable for your success:

• A strong sense of commitment. As a medical student, you will be faced with constant challenges. Being committed to doing your best is the only way to meet those challenges.
  
  
• An interest in science and in scientific investigation. The basics of life can be found in chemistry, biology, and physics, and the study of medicine is founded on these three disciplines. It's also based on methods of scientific investigation for evaluating symptoms, eliminating possibilities, and coming to an eventual diagnosis.
  
  
• A love of learning. New discoveries are being made every day. Therefore, you have to sort through and absorb vast amounts of information, data, research, studies, and articles -- not just in medical school, but throughout your career.
  
  
• Stamina. Being a physician is physically, emotionally, and psychologically demanding. If your health in any of these areas is fragile, it will be difficult to aid others. You'll need strength and energy.
  
  
• Logic and organization. Becoming a physician requires the ability to think clearly and logically, to use critical reasoning processes, and to organize study and work habits. You must be able to manage your time. The easiest way to get through medical school is to develop strong study habits before you get there.

Reasons to Get an M.D. (or D.O.):

Think about why do you want to go into this profession. Is it the financial security, the desire to help others, the intellectual challenge, research interests, wanting to rid the world of plagues, or one of other several reasons that interests you? Make sure to give it a lot of thought because admissions committees look at that keenly. Your motivation to become a doctor will help shape the way you go about achieving your goal. If you do it for the right reasons people will likely recognize that, same thing applies if you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Just remember there are easier ways to make money than to go through medical school and residency. M.B.A.'s take only two years, cost much less than four years of med school, and you get paid a lot better for the first ten years after you get out. Whatever your reasons for going to med school just make sure they are from the heart.

Applications:

The most important thing when applying into medical school is organization. You need to submit every shred of material as early as possible if not earlier, and you need to look ahead to what is needed in the next stage of the game. For example, taking the MCAT in August instead of April of the year you are applying is a huge no-no. Doing things early is a must because admissions committees only review files that are complete and the earlier they get your stuff the more reviews your file will get, therefore the more chances of getting in you'll have.

You need to turn everything in as early as you can. The AMCAS application should be in their office not long after the 1st of June (the earliest date it is accepted). Obtain the forms early and get them in as soon as possible. The secondary applications (most are just to ask you for more money) will come in within the next month to month and a half. Fill them out as quickly as you can. That is one of the advantages of having essays already prepared.

Applying to medical school is an expensive proposition. All told you will probably spend in excess of $1000 in application fees, not including interviewing travel expenses. You should probably apply to a minimum of about ten schools, including all of your province / state's schools. Make sure you apply to a couple of schools as safety schools, some in the middle range and one or two as long shots (you never know, they might like your style). Only apply to schools you are really interested in attending. It is expensive enough to apply to the ones you are sure you would go to.

There is now information on-line about: AMCAS, the centralized application service for medical schools and the AMCASE-E, the new computer version of the AMCAS form (no more filling out those little boxes with an old typewriter).

Special Cases:

What if you didn't get any acceptances? Start making alternate plans for that in May or June. You may want to try a Master's degree or get a job for another year that exposes you to the medical field. Talk to your pre-med advisor to explore your options. Some schools pull people out of the waiting list up to the first day of classes, but make contingency plans much earlier than that.

Older students should give extra attention to those pre-med requirements. Committees look keenly at those grades to see if you have what it takes to perform well in med school. It may not help you that much to get all A's in post-baccalaureate pre-med courses, but it may hurt you a lot if you get mediocre grades in them. Check with schools you may want to apply to see if they'll wave some of the requirements in lieu of advanced studies (such as a Master's or PhD in a science related field). As an older and presumably more mature individual you will be expected to excel in the interviewing process, here again an outstanding interview may not help you that much, but a so-so interview is likely to hurt your chances for admission. Make sure you play up any interesting experiences you may have had in the years after college. Make sure you talk to students in your same (or similar) situation while you visit the schools, they'll probably give you a better perspective than that of people fresh out of college.

Here's Charles Powell's site entitled The Mature Medical Student chronicling his experience as an older med student.

International students face a lot of hurdles in applying to U.S. medical schools. U.S. citizens, especially residents of the state where the medical school is located will be given preference over an equally qualified international student. International students will also have to prove that they have the funds to pay outright for medical school expenses because they will not be eligible for financial aid in most cases. At Penn these expenses are in excess of $35,000 a year (includes tuition, books and living expenses). Studying at a school outside the U.S. is fine, but in order to practice medicine in the U.S. you will need to pass the foreign graduates medical licensing exam or the USMLE steps 1 through 3, as well as doing a residency in the U.S. Your best bet is to consult directly with any schools you may be interested in applying to and give them your specific circumstances.

The Student & Applicant info from the AAMC web site has a whole section dedicated to information for foreign students wishing to study or practice medicine in the U.S.

The advice earlier stands double for minority students: APPLY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Being of minority background (African American, Mainland Puerto Rican, Mexican American or Native American) can confer a couple of advantages in the selection process, but it is up to you to try to show that you have been involved in activities relating to your cultural heritage. By doing this you are showing the admissions committee that you will add diversity to the class, by being more than just a number. For example, get involved and take a leadership role in ethnic organizations, volunteer in inner city neighborhoods, etc. All of this will distinguish you. When applying to med schools make sure you talk to current minority students and also schedule time with administrators dealing with minority affairs, a lot of time these school officials will play a part in the admissions process. Make sure you also ask them for enrollment figures for the past ten years for minority students as well as percentage of those retained and graduated. You don't want to attend a school that accepts many minority students, yet has most of them drop out before graduation.

Here's some info on Minority issues and information from the AAMC

Choosing Your Future Medical School:

Hopefully by the end of this process you'll have several letters of acceptance and be faced with the pleasant choice of choosing your future medical educator. One of the first things to do is to look at financial matters. What kind of financial aid are they offering you and how much debt will you come out with after four years? This should be in the back of your mind, but not the deciding factor. Think about the academic caliber of the schools you get into, the surrounding environment and the things you've heard from the students already there. You may want to visit your top two choices again if you can and talk to as many students and faculty as you can. You may even be able to sit in a class or two.

Good Luck!!