Applying to medical school begins long before you open an application with the American Medical College Application Service or American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service.
As early as freshman year of college, students may begin checking off the many boxes necessary for a successful application to medical school: the prerequisite courses, volunteer work, extracurriculars and other components.
While submitting medical school applications may seem light years away during your freshman year, developing a timeline now for applying to medical school can help expedite and organize your future application cycle. As a first-semester premedical student, focus on completing these three tasks alongside your coursework to put you on track.
[Read: How Premed Students Can Avoid 4 Common Academic Mistakes.]
Create a multi-year academic plan for when you will complete both premed courses and your major. Some first-semester premed students are shocked to discover that there is not a true premed major and that planning to complete both premed coursework and an undergraduate major thus requires much foresight.
As you begin your academic path toward medical school, plot your coursework by semester. Determine how many classes are required to complete your intended major and note when core requirements for your major are offered.
You might find that these core requirements are only offered to students in certain years or semesters or that these fundamental courses span two semesters. You might also identify areas of overlap between your major and your premed prerequisites, allowing you to plan for more elective time or advanced coursework.
In addition to planning to complete your major, consider when the standard premed courses are offered at your school. Many of these classes — including biology, chemistry and physics — have lab components that can make scheduling other courses tricky, and many must be taken sequentially, such as General Chemistry I followed by General Chemistry II.
Some medical schools also require courses in the humanities and social sciences, so be sure to save space in your schedule to fit these in.
Finally, keep in mind that though you may have completed Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses that cover similar material to that in premed classes, medical schools may either not accept this credit or may require you to take more advanced classes in that given discipline to demonstrate your preparedness. Speak with your premedical adviser to determine which courses are essential for your application.
[Read: Choose the Right Undergraduate Major for Medical School.]
Consider your extracurricular activities. While your undergraduate years are certainly a time to diversify your interests, choosing your extracurricular activities with some intention can help avoid a scramble to squeeze in research or clinical volunteer hours right before you apply to medical school. Take a look at all of the student organizations available at your college or university.
Many schools have a list of student activities, sports and clubs on their student affairs websites, and many also have fall or spring activities fairs where you can meet members of these organizations and gather more information. Aim to balance new interests outside of medicine with more traditional premed activities like health-related interest groups or hospital volunteering.
Be sure to think about the time commitment involved in your extracurriculars, remembering that premed coursework can be quite challenging. If you are interested in joining a fraternity or sorority, for example, ask current members how many hours they devote weekly to the organization.
If you are planning to participate in a sports team, consider reserving summers for more intensive clinical or research exposure, as in-season athletes may find their athletic demands to be similar to a full-time job on top of coursework.
Remember that participating earnestly in a few extracurriculars makes you a better applicant to medical school than overextending yourself and participating half-heartedly in many activities.
Familiarize yourself with the application process, including the MCAT and letters of recommendation. Medical school applications have many moving parts, and it is essential that you understand the individual components long before you apply.
Become familiar with the MCAT in your first semester as a premed student. Know what subjects the test covers, when you will complete the coursework necessary to take the test and what score will make you a competitive applicant to medical school.
Plan a tentative time to take the MCAT, thinking about how long it will take you to prepare and whether it is realistic for you to study for the exam alongside a full undergraduate course load. Research what preparation materials are available, which ones will likely suit you best and how much both the test and the prep materials will cost.
[Read: Why the MCAT Matters Beyond Medical School Admissions.]
Also begin familiarizing yourself with the process of seeking letters of recommendation for medical school. While students usually do not begin asking for such letters as freshmen or sophomores, knowing what to look for in a recommender can help you identify people who might be strong recommenders moving forward.
Professors or advisers who assume the role of a mentor and who are familiar with both your work ethic and academic capacities are often good choices, as are supervisors from research positions or jobs you may have held during your undergraduate years.
Take the time to get to know the faculty members with whom you work, allowing them to put your academic performance into the context of your personality. These personal relationships generally lead to strong letters of recommendation.
Finally, familiarize yourself with the timeline for applying to medical school. Know when you will begin asking for letters of recommendation, when you will open your application, when you will write your personal statement and the time period in which you will submit your application to schools.
General familiarity with the process of applying to medical school can help alleviate confusion later on and can allow you to adjust your schedule as needed throughout your undergraduate years.
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3 Tasks to Complete as a First-Semester Premed Student originally appeared on usnews.com
