Undergraduate & Transfer Students
Tips and advice:
Seek out a pre-health advisor who is supportive, knowledgeable, and can direct you to the right places to get answers.
Talk with medical schools and attend pre-health conferences. Conferences are a great way to get exposure to many medical schools all at once so you can ask those burning questions amd compare answers.
If you're not going directly from high school to a four-year university, read the section for community college students. If you have already transferred, some of that advice may still be helpful. Transferring means getting used to a different environment, sometimes a different timeline (quarter vs. semester), and new people.
If you made mistakes your Freshman or Sophomore years, it's not the end of the world, BUT, you must change your direction and try a different strategy. Get help. You have to prove to medical schools that you can handle challenging courses and get the best grades possible (A’s).
Find your resources around campus and talk to people. Think about joining clubs, but always remember to focus on grades first. If you are not doing well academically, all the club participation in the world will NOT get you an interview.
Get to know your professors well (science AND non-science). Visit during office hours, make a good impression, let them know your goals, and use this time to get help on homework or topics you are not understanding. Ask for feedback. You will need professors to write you letters of recommendation down the road, so make those personal connections and keep them updated on your progress.
When you're ready, start thinking about applying. Do you have the grades? Are you feeling good about your basic sciences? Think about the MCAT. This is a big test, so do not underestimate it. There are prep courses you can look into, and scholarships to help cover some costs. Talk to people who have taken it (your mentors) and come up with a plan that works for you. Do not study for the MCAT if your schedule is overloaded with extracurriculars, work and school. Be realistic about your time commitments. You should be doing practice questions throughout your studying. Give yourself plenty of time (weeks) to do timed, full-length tests and review your answers.
If you need to finish up prerequisites for medical school, did not major in science and need more upper-division science courses, or need to improve your GPA, it may be time to consider a postbaccalaureate program, or second Bachelor’s degree. Talk to your mentors and a pre-health advisor about whether this approach is right for you. Do some research on programs before you decide and make sure you have met the requirements. Post all deadlines on your fridge.
