Four-Year Timetable for Medical School Application

1. Choice Of Major
    
   A science major IS NOT a prerequisite for medical school, and students should not major in science because they believe this will increase their chances for acceptance. Medical schools are most concerned with the overall quality of undergraduate work. Follow your true interests and work toward a goal of achieving the academic standing necessary for admission to medical or dental school. Due to the strong competition for medical school admission, it is important to be aware of other career alternatives.

2. Four-Year Timetable For Premedical/Dental Students
    
   

   Freshman Year:

   1. Register with Pre-health advisor (Mrs. Fallon, 309 Olin, x-2145).
   2. Begin premedical courses: consult with your academic advisor. It is recommended you begin with Biology 105 and 106 and Chemistry 103 and 104. Use the peer-mentoring program to help you learn how to be successful in Freshman Biology and Chemistry.
   3. Visit the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) Minorities in Medicine web site. http://www.aamc.org/students/minorities/start.htm. This will give you valuable information and opportunities to enhance your chances for a career in medicine.
   4. Attend all pre-health orientations and workshops.
   5. Choose extracurricular activities that will provide medically related experience.
   6. Prepare tentative schedule for required premedical courses throughout the next four years.
   7. Continually assess your motivation for a career in medicine.

   Sophomore Year:

   1. Gather information for application to the SMDEP (Summer Medical and Dental Education Program) http://www.smdep.org/start.htm. This is a Minority Medical Education Program established to increase the number of highly qualified medical school applicants from minority groups that were underrepresented in medicine. It is a free (full tuition, housing, and meals) six-week summer medical and dental school preparatory program that offers eligible students intensive and personalized medical and dental school preparation. Most programs require this to be done between your sophomore and junior year. Application deadlines are March 1.
   2. Continue to take premedical courses.
   3. Meet with your advisor if you did not do well your freshman year. Discuss some options (i.e. summer school, meeting regularly with a tutor. Transition from high school to college can be tough; this does not mean you cannot become a physician!)
   4. Continue to gain medically related volunteer experience.
   5. Get to know faculty, particularly in areas related to premedical requirements. You will need at least two recommendations from science faculty to complete your medical school application.
   6. You are beginning to invest much of your time and effort into the pursuit of a medical career. Continue to assess your motivation for a career in medicine.

   Junior Year:

   How are you doing? Take an honest look at your G.P.A. Did you have to drop a course? Are you falling behind schedule? Can you say you are prepared to take and do well on the MCAT? This is the time to think about a Postbaccalaureate Program. In an effort in recent years to increase the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing the medical profession the federal government and the AAMC have developed Postbac programs to work with minority students after their college graduation to enhance their application and make them competitive for admission. Research the programs for groups underrepresented in medicine and economically and educationally disadvantaged students on the AAMC web site http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ .

   1. Complete premedical required course if you are planning to enter medical school in the fall following graduation. Physics 103 and 104 and Chemistry 223 and 224. One year of English.
   2. Purchase a Medical School Admissions Requirement handbook (published by the Association of American Medical Colleges). Available at our bookstore. Or on line at http://www.aamc.org.
   3. Open a credentials file at CELS during the spring of your Junior year or eighteen months prior to when you plan to enter medical school.
   4. Request academic recommendations. Most medical schools require two recommendations from science faculty and one from non-science faculty.
   5. In the fall set up a spring interview with the Health Professions Advisory Committee (See Mrs. Fallon).
   6. Write your personal statement which will be required for inclusion in your medical school application and for your interview with the Health Professions Advisory Committee.
   7. Sign up for the Kaplan Educational Center prep course. The Kaplan course is conducted on the Connecticut College campus starting in November. Contact Kaplan at 1-800-kaptest or kaptest.com for further information. Tuition discounts are available at Kaplan for students who can demonstrate financial need.
   8. Prepare to take the MCAT's (Medical College Admission Test) Registration materials are available on line. http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm.
       
      During the MCAT, students from racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine or are economically disadvantaged may choose to take part in a self-identification registry, the Medical Minority Applicant Registry (Med-MAR). The free registry provides basic biographical information and MCAT scores for medical-school applicants from groups that are underrepresented in medicine or who are economically disadvantaged to all AAMC-member institutions. For more information go to: http://www.aamc.org/students/minorities/resources/medmar.htm.
   9. File AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application (not before June 15). http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/. For non-AMCAS schools, write directly to each school by June requesting an application.
   10. Continue to be involved in extracurricular activities that will provide medically related experience.

   Senior Year:

   1. Prepare to attend interviews at medical schools.
   2. If you have not already done so, file applications through AMCAS (check individual schools for deadlines).
   3. File secondary applications as they arrive. Have references sent by Career Services. Since most medical schools have rolling admissions, early completion of all your applications is advantageous. With timely completion of your application the first acceptance notices may arrive in November or December.
   4. If you plan to apply to a Postbac program, check deadlines, most are February- March.