This is a general guideline for undergraduates applying to medical school. Not all students can meet all the deadlines outlined here since educational programs vary from individual to individual. The following is only a general outline for a four-year undergraduate student preparing to apply in their senior year. This may help you to better plan a more successful strategy of getting into medical school, but remember that these suggestions are not applicable to everyone.

Good grades are one of the first things med schools look for in a candidate. Med school involves a lot of academic work; it is not that challenging intellectually for the most part, but it is voluminous. The work load is intense and admissions committees are looking for people who can handle that kind of work load. The GPA counts for a lot, but is not the whole story; the school you attend is important as well as your major and the kind of courses you took. Good grades in pre-med courses such as organic chemistry tell the med school that you can handle the work load. The quality and breadth of courses taken is also very important. Higher level or graduate courses are weighted more heavily than intro courses. The school you attend is also important. A college with a tough academic reputation is more likely to impress an admissions committee.

Most people applying to med schools are biology majors. Some admissions officers usually take more of an interest in applications of non-bio majors because of that reason. You can get into medical school from any major, from French to Anthropology to Psychology, just make sure you take all the recommended pre-med courses (1 yr of inorganic chemistry with lab, 1 yr of organic chemistry with lab, 1 yr of physics with lab, 1 yr of calculus, 1 yr of biology with lab and 1 yr of English - this should cover what is required by most med schools). If an interviewer majored in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering, and they review a folder, they're liable to be kinder to an engineering major with a 3.4 than I would to a bio major with a 3.8. When choosing a major go by your intellectual curiosity, you will learn all the biology you will ever need to know in medical school.

Make sure you take a breadth of courses. Med schools like to see a good mix between humanities and science courses. The most important thing in college is to learn as much as you can, in and out of the classroom because you will probably not have an opportunity quite like it at any other time of your life.

Study hard and play hard. If you need academic help ask for it. Many colleges have extensive academic advising programs, use the resources available to you. At the same time try not to stress out too much about school work and have fun. There were too many people in college that obsessed enormously about grades and forgot the importance of just learning and having fun. If you are struggling and feel burnt out you may want to lighten your academic load (no one says you need to graduate in four years, although it may be financially advantageous to do so) or take some time off. Maybe you can do a semester or a year overseas. Special programs during college (like semesters away and co-op programs) can impress admissions officials and also provide a source for letters of recommendation.

Get to know your professors and get involved in class. Professors will be writing letters for you (more about this here) and you want to impress them with your stellar class participation and outstanding academic skills.

Don't get discouraged if you started out slowly in college. Improving your GPA from year to year also counts for a lot at some schools. A less than stellar first two years in college can be made up to some extent with a good finish. Post-baccalaureate programs allow people who have their bachelor's degree to take pre-med requirements. A good show in these courses can also show med schools that you can handle the work.

Remember to do your best and learn the most you can.

First Year

This is an important year since it will determine how an applicant will pursue fulfilling their general premed requirements for the rest of their undergraduate program. Although some schools may require a couple extra courses (look at the AMCAS publication, the MSAR, for the school you are applying to), in general the basic requirements are:

Biology (1 year with lab)
Physics (1 year with lab)
Chemistry (2 years, General and Organic Chemistry with lab)
English (1 year)
Calculus (1 year; some schools require this)

As you can see from the basic requirements, students may choose any major. At Johns Hopkins, for example, there are students who majored in: literature, economics, computer engineering, biology, chemistry, and pharmacy. The most important factor is that you choose something that interests you and that you excel (i.e. getting mostly A's and B's: average science GPA and Overall GPA for those admitted in 1995 were 3.47 and 3.51, respectively).

In the First year, students should complete their General Chemistry and at least one other science premed requirement. Taking general chemistry early allows you to take Organic Chemistry the following year. Why do you want to do this? This allows you to re-take the course if you do poorly, and it also allows you to get it out of the way so that you can take interesting upper division courses in your major without being overworked. Admissions committees look at a student's performance in Organic Chemistry as an indication of that student's ability to handle the course work in medical school. So if you did poorly in Organic (.i.e. less than a B-), you may consider retaking the course in the summer between your Second and Third year, or your Third year. You may have to retake the course at another school.

You should also decide during your First Year what extracurricular activities you would like to pursue during your undergraduate career. This includes both volunteering and being involved in organizations. Think about what you like to do. If being a camp counselor is appealing, then start inquiring about summer opportunities at summer camps. There are summer camps of all varieties, from helping troubled teen-agers to camps for kids with debilitating disorders or diseases. Many of these programs are in need of volunteers. Try to gain leadership experience by being involved in student government and organizations and running for those leadership positions. The key here, as with picking a major, is you should choose activities and volunteering experiences that are fun for you, otherwise these activities will quickly become a chore and you will not continue to be involved with them. Pick a couple activities and stay with them throughout your undergraduate program. Try to stay away from being too spread out and not being able to contribute significantly in any of your activities. Some students may have to work to put themselves through school. Just pick at least one extracurricular activity that is important to you. Working and paying your way through college is admirable, it demonstrates your ability to assume responsibility and stay focused with your goals.

Towards the end of this year, begin thinking about what you want to do for the summer. Scholarly endeavors in research laboratories are a major bonus. Most of the competitive schools look if applicants have worked in labs. You do NOT have to like it, but at least you should experience this one path in medical science and determine if medical research is for you. Summer is also a good time to be more involved in your volunteering and extracurricular activities, as well as pursuing academic interests. How you spend your summers is important. It looks bad if you demonstrate that vegging and the beach are the primary things you do.

Second Year

By now, you should have completed your General Chemistry requirement and one other premed science requirement. Plan to tackle Organic Chemistry this year and finish another science premed requirement; therefore, you should have all your science premed requirements out of the way. If you do poorly in any of these courses, you should consider re-taking them in the summer or your third Year (i.e. less than a B-). Concentrate on doing well in Organic, but don't let your other courses slip. You also want to demonstrate that your educational interests go beyond science. Take literature, humanities, or foreign language courses. For those not majoring in science, you have an advantage here. Your educational interests are already diverse. Just keep in mine that the breadth of your education is just as important as the level of difficulty..

For the summer, plan on pursuing your research, volunteer, and extracurricular interests. You should also consider studying for the MCAT. Some will say this is slightly early in the game, but you should plan on taking the MCAT during the FALL of your Third Year. Here are the reasons why. First, you have more time in the summer than during your Third Year to study (go to the page on MCATs for more information about how to study). Second, if you do great, then you have the rest of your Third year to excel in your courses and prepare your application to medical school; more importantly, if you do poorly, you can re-take the exam in the SPRING of your Third year. More details are discussed below.

Third Year

This is the big year. You are completing the remainder of your premed courses, taking the MCAT, and preparing your application to medical school, in addition to doing well in your course work. This may seem difficult. It is. Don't worry, however, with some organization and a plan, you will be able to accomplish these goals. If you decided to study over the summer, take your MCATs in the FALL. Begin thinking about who you want to write your recommendation letters. Start writing your personal essay during the WINTER. Make sure you write, and re-write... and then re-write some more. This is one of the most important elements in your application since it allows the admissions committee to know you better. When the applications are available in the SPRING, request an application from AMCAS and the non-AMCAS schools. An electronic version of the AMCAS application is also available.

If your MCAT scores are low, you may consider applying for the SPRING MCAT. Send in your application to AMCAS the FIRST day they will take them, usually in June. Send in your non-AMCAS applications as well. At this time, also request letters of recommendation to be sent to the schools from your premed committee (if you have one at your school), from your professors, research advisor, or individuals you have selected (see the page about recommendation letters to determine who you should ask).

Aim to have your application materials (i.e. MCAT scores, secondary applications with fee, letters of recommendation, transcript, and your photographs) completed and submitted to the schools by AUGUST. This means your application is ready for review in AUGUST. This is important. The sooner you have your application completed, the better. This considerably increases your chances of becoming accepted. For those taking the AUGUST MCAT, they are at a major disadvantage. Avoid taking the AUGUST MCAT if possible.

Senior / Fourth Year

Your hard work and preparation in the previous year will pay off. If you have submitted all of your application materials by August, you just need to relax and wait for interviews. Enjoy your final year in college and start preparing for the interview. Invitations for interviews will generally come in October and later. Possibly sooner if you completed your application sooner than August.

Acceptances, waiting lists, and rejections are sent out at different schedules, depending on the school. Some schools have rolling admissions, where offers for admission are sent out after each admissions committee meeting. At other programs, offers may not be sent out until after a set deadline. Contact the admissions officer at the schools you applied for more information. If you are placed on the waiting list, there are several things you can do. Update your application by sending in your first semester grades from your Fourth year, recent publications or awards, or even a letter stating your interest in attending that school. In the circumstance you are not offered an acceptance, you should review your application and determine your strengths and weaknesses. You may want to spend a year polishing your application for resubmission.