Information provided by www.kaptest.com
The key to medical school admissions success is planning based
on correct information. Research the schools in which you are
interested. What are their admissions requirements? And, keep in
close contact with your pre-med advisor. Are you taking the
proper classes now?
By knowing all of the information before hand, you will avoid
the extra scrambling and aggravation upon finding out that you do
not meet all of the necessary prerequisites.
Required Coursework
Most schools agree on the basic elements for pre-medical
education. Minimum course requirements for most U.S. medical
schools include one year of each:
Biology
General (inorganic) chemistry
Organic chemistry
Physics
Related lab work for each science course
In addition, many schools require English and math
courses.
KAPLAN QUICK TIP: The best sources for admissions requirements
for specific medical schools are the Medical School Admissions
Requirements (MSAR) and the College Information Booklet.
Selecting a Major
While science majors are certainly more common, medical schools
stress their interest in well-rounded students with broad-based
undergraduate backgrounds. In fact, regardless of your major,
your undergraduate transcript is a vital part of the admissions
decision.
If you are not majoring in a science, your work in both
science and non-science courses will be evaluated. However, with
fewer courses on which to judge your science ability, your grades
in the core science subjects will take on greater importance.
Bottom line? Don't choose a major because you think it will
get you accepted to medical school. Choose a major in a subject
in which you are really interested. You will probably get better
grades.
The MCAT
For nearly all schools, the MCAT carries significant weight in
the admissions process. Administered by the Association of
American Medical Colleges, the MCAT is a relatively objective way
by which admissions committees can compare you with other
applicants. Medical schools use MCAT scores to assess whether you
have the foundation upon which to build a successful medical
career.
Health Care Experience
According to a recent survey of medical schools, knowledge of
health care issues and commitment to health care were among the
top five variables considered very important to student selection
(the other four were med school interview ratings, GPA, MCAT
scores, and letters of recommendation).
You should consider being active in health care activities as
much as possible as a premed student. If nothing else, these
experiences will help you articulate in your personal statements
and interviews why you want to pursue a career in medicine.
More Information
Learn more about med school admissions at
www.kaptest.com/premed.
Learn about Kaplan's MCAT programs at www.kaptest.com/mcat.
Enroll in a Kaplan course at www.kaptest.com/enroll.
Copyright ©2002 by Kaplan Inc. Medical College Admissions Test
and MCAT are registered service marks of the Association of
American Medical Colleges, which is not affiliated with this
site.
