10 Things to Know Before Applying to Medical School

As a premed, you have a LOT of things to be juggling. And if you don't have a great premed advisor, it can be hard to even be aware of all the things you should be prepared for. In this video, I'm sharing 10 of the biggest things you need to know as you move toward your med school application cycle.

If you find this video helpful, be sure to subscribe and also check out our Meded Media podcasts at http://premedpodcasts.com.

Here are my 10 tips for applying to medical school:

1. Apply early. The far majority of medical schools in the U.S. use rolling admissions. Of course, don't apply before you're ready—but it's a HUGE advantage if you can have a complete submitted application in June or July.

2. Know the costs of applying, and start saving money NOW for your application cycle. There are primary app fees, secondary app fees, and you need to fly to the schools for interviews (with a suit)!

3. Understand what's on the application. This will allow you to get everything together in time. MCAT, grades, personal statement, extracurriculars. Go check out Application Renovation to see good overviews of what's on the application: http://applicationrenovation.com

4. Know where you're going to apply. Don't choose which schools to apply to based on median MCAT and GPA scores. Be sure to think about where you want to be located in terms of climate and proximity to family.

5. Be realistic about your MCAT and GPA. For most students, a good rule of thumb is to not apply until you've got at least above a 3.0 GPA with an upward trend. Don't apply with a horrible MCAT score, either.

6. Know it's okay to wait an extra year before applying. Applying before you're a strong applicant can cost you a lot of extra time and money. Don't rush to finish this year if it makes you a weak applicant.

7. Reapplying is okay. You can show growth between your first and second attempt. It's not better OR worse to be a reapplicant if you find yourself in that boat. Again, watch Application Renovation for my advice to a bunch of reapplicants on how to improve: http://applicationrenovation.com

8. Be self-aware of your extracurricular activities. Be doing something with your time that allows you to prove to yourself that you REALLY want to be a doctor. That is, get some kind of clinical experience and shadowing!

9. Be aware of the time needed for each extra school you apply to. Although you can send your same primary app to all the schools, you'll be hit with a ton of secondary applications at once, and you'll be swamped if you haven't planned for this in advance. Learn how to pre-write your secondaries, and use the database we built at http://secondaryapps.com.

10. Work with your prehealth office. If they offer a committee letter, follow their guidelines for how to get it. It's not *needed*, but they're there to help you succeed, so be sure to utilize them if you can.

For more great advice on how to make your way through the med school application cycle, check out episode 281 of The Premed Years podcast, "What Does the Medical School Application Look Like?" at https://medicalschoolhq.net/281.

Видео 10 Things to Know Before Applying to Medical School канала Medical School Headquarters