Medical School Admissions Consultant Judith J. Colwell supplies a very short list of things to remember as you prepare to apply to medical school.

The Basics of Applying to Medical School

1) In taking the MCAT (April is better than August IF you think you will do well on the spring exam), assess whether you should be taking a review course. If so, get signed up. And sign up for the exam.

2) It is never too soon to begin requesting recommendation letters. Let your recommenders know that you would like them to write you a letter. But don't catch them by surprise. Ideally, this is a relationship that you have been maintaining over time.

3) Peruse the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) web site (www.aamc.org). There is an enormous amount of information there about applyig to medical school. In the spring, purchase (or get from a library) the updated version of the MSAR (Med School Admissions Requirements).

4) Start working on your personal statement. If you begin now, writing drafts and having others read it, it won't be such a push this spring.

5) Plan to apply to AMCAS in June, if possible, rather than later. Earlier is better.

6) If you don't have the pre-req classes for the school(s) you might want to attend, have a plan for finishing up those courses.

Of course there is a plethora of other things to think about when applying to medical school, but this is just the short "nuts and bolts" of it...things to think about now.

Judith J. Colwell, MA Medical School Admissions Consultant
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: http://www.judycolwell.com

More detailed discussions of medical school requirements and additional medical school admissions resources.