Fall Preparation of Application Year
To Do List: August - December
This page refers to the tasks you need to complete between September - December of the year before you want to apply to medical school.
To DO LIST
If you are reading this page, then it is fall and you are planning to apply to medical school next June/July. This is an important year to gather the pieces of the application, fill any gaps, take the MCATs, and secure recommendations. You need to aim to submit by JUNE 5th, pre-write secondary essays in June, then complete secondaries in July and August and interview fall and winter.
As you begin the application cycle, remember to stay organized and stay on top of deadlines.
How competitive do you look at this point? Meet with your Premed/Prehealth Advisor if you have one. Receive constructive feedback and implement the changes you need to be more competitive. Newport Premedical Consulting has many resources to support you in the application process even if you don't have a Premed/Prehealth Advisor. Contact us for an appointment.
Do you (or you advisors) see any weakness that need attention before you apply? Some weaknesses can be addressed in a short amount of time while others need an action plan.
Make sure you have all the prerequisites for your target school list. If you have questions about your English requirement, you might want to refer to the following chart from the Health Professional Advising Office at Princeton University. For the Math requirement, please check the following chart from the Health Professional Advising Office at Princeton University.
Purchase the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) ($28 for one year or $36 for two years) and review prerequisites for each medical school you would like to apply to. Take lots of notes. This is the base research that you will build upon in the coming months. At this point you are focusing on prerequisites but in the future you will use the MSAR to conduct a more comprehensive review of each medical school for your secondary essays and eventual interviews.
Start an excel spreadsheet with all of your findings. This will be an important, living document throughout the application process.
You will need a total of 5 letters of recommendation so please refer to the following page for specifics on letters.
If you have not so already, sign up for an MCAT review class and schedule an MCAT test date. Many dates fill quickly so plan ahead to get the most convenient location for you. Visit the AAMC MCAT page for specifics on sign up, dates and resources.
For information on financial assistance to pay for the MCAT and AMCAS application, please visit the Fee Assistance Program page on the AAMC website.
For information on requesting test accommodations for the MCATs, please visit the MCAT Exam with Accommodation page on the AAMC website.
As far as the MCAT, Pacific Medical Training published an article (April 2018) Preparing for the MCAT by Sarah Gehrke, MSN, RN giving a great overview of the test including tips for success.
The AAMC has many free resources to assist you with MCAT prep.
TO DO SUMMARY
Start making a list of unique prerequisites at your target schools. When will you fit these in?
Do you have 4-5 faculty who could write you STRONG letters or reference? If not, cultivate these relationships NOW.
Determine how your school processes letters. See your Career Center/Prehealth Advisor for specific instructions.
Sign up for AMCAS Twitter (@AAMCPreMed) and/or Facebook (www.facebook.com/AAMCPreMed) accounts to get application updates.
Request an official copy of your transcript. Review it for any mistakes and correct them ASAP.
You are now ready to tackle the next phase of the application process. Click here.