Steps

-Pre-requisite courses: taken during undergraduate eduction or in a post-bac program, these course requirements vary depending on the medical school your applying to. Medical schools will typically have these requirements on their website. In general schools will require:

-2 semesters of Biology + lab

-2 semesters of General Chemistry + lab

-2 semesters of Organic Chemistry + lab

-2 semesters of Physics + lab

-1 semester of Biochemistry

-1 semester of English

-1 semester of Math/Statistics

*These are definitely not universal to all medical schools, please check that you are meeting the specific  prerequisite requirements of the schools you wish to apply to.

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-Undergraduate degree: while majoring in a natural science, such as Physics, Biology, Neuroscience, Chemistry, etc. will help to knock out prerequisites, it is not necessary to major in a science or medicine related major so long as you also complete the relevant prerequisite courses. We suggest meeting with an academic advisor to decide on what major is best for you. It is very much okay and in some instances, even an advantage to major in the humanities, engineering, business, or some other focus.

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-MCAT completion: taking the MCAT is a strategy game- it is important to take the MCAT when you feel comfortable and prepared, so long as you get your final score before your application*, which can be submitted as early as beginning of June or end of May depending on the year (*if you must, you can even send out applications before you get your MCAT score, but this requires sending in your application before you even know your score and is not recommended). The MCAT is a beast of a test but it can be defeated if you give yourself ample time to prepare! While many undergraduate students manage to study for the MCAT throughout undergraduate education, many students spend time after college studying for the MCAT. Please refer to our MCAT Content Review Archive, MCAT Resources, and MCAT Best Study Practices page for more information on studying, scores, costs, and more concerning the MCAT.

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-Primary Application (personal information, personal statement, and activities section): can be submitted as early as early June or late May depending on the application year. It is best to submit the primary application as soon as possible. It is best to start preparing for your personal statement in January (5-6 months prior to submission so that you can work to finalize drafts and have sufficient time to revise writing). Please refer to our Application page for more information.

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-Secondary Application(s): unique to each school. Some schools will automatically send secondary essays immediately following primary application submission, some schools will send secondary essays automatically but not immediately (days to weeks) following primary application submission, and some (although the vast minority of) schools will send secondary applications to selected applicants only. Please see our Application page for more information.

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-Interviews: the earlier you submit application materials, the earlier you may get an invitation to interview. The time of interviews vary depending on schools procedures, but typically begin in August or September and can occur anytime from then until the end of applications. Stay hopeful!

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-Decision: depends on the school. Some schools alert you of decisions soon (days) following interviews, while others alert you weeks or even months after. Schools will reject you in similar fashion, occurring any time throughout the application cycle.

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