First Year.
Where your journey to medicine begins:
What are some major options?
Generally, students will major in Biology or Chemistry, however that is not required. In fact you can major in any subject you wish. Though each medical school has a set of requirements that you have to meet in order to apply to their particular medical program. Thankfully, lots of these minimum requirements are the same! Below are the requirements for most schools in the United States (please follow up with some of your first choice schools to see if they prefer other classes too):
- General Biology I & II (plus labs)
- A 200/300 level biology course
- General Chemistry I & II (plus labs)
- Organic Chemistry I & II (plus labs)
- Biochemistry
- Mathematics courses ( Calculus I and Statistics)
- Physics I & II
- Two courses of English
- A course or two in Psychology and Sociology ( Highly recommended as there is a section dedicated to this subject on the MCAT).
What are the benefits of choosing a different major?
What is Shadowing?
The most important thing everyone tells a pre-med student: shadow physicians! Although it can be overwhelming to contact physicians for shadowing oppurtunities, this is on of the most important activities that can be done to gauge your interest and passion for medicine as a profession.
What is the timeline for shadowing typically?
How to make each shadowing experience unique?
What are the hours and expectations?
What Physicians should I shadow? Allopathic or Osteopathic?
What is the difference between Allopathic vs. Osteopathic?
Both are licensed physicians that can treat any illness and provide care.
Allopathic (MD) focuses on diagnosis and treatments, whereas Osteopathic(DO) has a more holistic approach and includes osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). More detailed information can be found at:
What is the impact of research?
When is the best time to get involved with research?
How do you reach out to a professor that you are interested in doing research with?
Can research count as credit?
Am I limited to research just at my university?
What to look for when searching for Summer Research Programs?
Why is a strong GPA foundation important?
Where to look for help when struggling?
I have a C or a D in a class and can’t seem to improve, what do I do?
If your predicted grade in the class is a C or a D and you would rather not have that on your transcript, then you could withdraw from the class (depending on your university policy). However, this means if you retake the class in the future, you must show improvement. It’s not the end of the world to receive a bad grade in a course, you will have your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on bouncing back in a related class or when you retake the same class.
The most important aspect of your GPA is the trends that medical schools want to notice. An upward trend is important in establishing yourself as a qualified candidate. If you have further questions or want to seek advice on how to succeed in certain courses, please email [email protected]