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Undergraduate Preparation for Medical School
Begins on Day One
Advice primarily intended for first year students
by Howard B. Duncan, Premedical Advisor at Norfolk
State University, Norfolk, Virginia
All too often premeds wait too long to get serious. Their belated self appraisals
usually begin around the middle of their junior year: a time when the realization
of "one more year before graduation" looms ominously in students minds.
Unfortunately, at this time, some premedical students are just beginning an overall
evaluation of their academic, personal, and medical experience credentials. Often,
they find numerous deficiencies in many categories and what seem like irreparable
mistakes in others putting them hopelessly behind.
Students who are serious about attending medical school understand
there is no real window of opportunity during undergraduate years to "float
along" for a semester or two (or three or four) in a sea of "C"s. Additionally, it is essential to remember that many preparatory tasks must be accomplished
on a fairly rigid schedule to enter medical school the fall after undergraduate commencement.
Of all the criteria used by medical schools to evaluate students,
the one that should be of immediate concern upon arrival on campus as a freshman
is your cumulative and BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics) grade
point averages (GPA). Not only will diligent study, beginning at this point, prevent
early "blemishes" on your record, but it will also afford you the opportunity
to establish a high GPA at a time prior to the undertaking of more challenging courses.
Some medical school applicants retake courses that they have barely
passed with the intention of improving their grade. Retaking selected freshmen or
sophomore courses during upper-class semesters will only add to an already heavy
course load, while the original grade remains on the academic transcript. Additionally,
by junior year the student's GPA is fairly entrenched and often cannot be raised
significantly by retaking courses. It is more advantageous to work optimally in every
course the first time.
Not surprisingly, many premedical applicants often lack real medical
experience. Medical schools desire applicants with some firsthand knowledge of medicine
and medical school. Many medical schools offer summer medical enrichment programs
which provide undergraduates with various experiences including medical lectures
and laboratories, research opportunities, MCAT preparation, medical specialty rotations,
and insight into application and admissions procedures. Medical experience may also
be garnered through volunteering in hospital emergency and operating rooms, homes
for the elderly, public health clinics, and other health facilities. Medical experience
should begin with the freshman year.
Early undergraduate semesters are a time when students can commit
a portion of time to campus and community volunteer activities. However, such volunteerism
should be undertaken with an attitude of sincere contribution and worthwhile experience
rather than merely a necessary requirement. Serving as a tutor or mentor at area
schools, church organizations, youth community centers and athletic leagues can reflect
social conscience as well as enhance leadership and interpersonal skills.
Research has always been an essential component of medicine. Having
performed research during the summer or during the academic year is always a plus
to a student's credentials. Most universities offer undergraduate research oriented
courses and some present select students the opportunity to join a professor's research
team.
Joining organizations that are supportive and informative to medical
interests is also a step that can be taken at the beginning of the freshman year.
These would include premedical societies and campus and national premedical student
organizations. Additionally, induction into honor societies and other organizations
that reflect academic achievements should be a priority soon as you become eligible.
Letters of recommendation are an important tool used by medical
schools in evaluating applicants. Premedical students may find that when they need
to approach professors for individual or collaborative letters of recommendation,
those persons know nothing about the student other than the grades earned in their
classes. This is especially true on larger campuses. Therefore cultivating relationships
with professors through organizations, research, campus volunteerism, and even exceptional
classroom or laboratory activity is quite essential in establishing identity beyond
an alphabet in a professor's roll book. This effort should be started in the freshman
year.
Premedical students, who are on schedule in preparation for application
to medical school, begin studying for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
in the fall of their junior year at the latest. The examination is administered in
April of the following spring. Then the application to medical school is mailed in
that June. Such scheduling allows response from medical schools concerning interview
and acceptance in late summer or the fall of the senior year.
The challenge faced by premedical students is clear. Obviously
there are very definitive steps that must be taken in preparation for medical school.
It is never too late to decide on a career in medicine. But for students who wish
to enter medical school in the fall after spring commencement, these preparatory
steps must be taken in a timely manner. The bottom line: be a committed and diligent
premedical candidate from the first day of arrival on campus and stay on schedule.
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