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First Year
- Start taking the appropriate science courses: BI 150/152, CH 161, MA 110
- Meet with the pre-med advisor(s).
- Join the pre-med/science club.
- Sign up for GE 151, Seminar for Health Science Professions.
Sophomore Year
- Become active in the pre-med/science club.
- Sign up for GE 151 Seminar for Health Science Professions (if not taken 1st year).
- Keep taking science courses to stay on track: CH 271, PS 151 in fal.l
- Get involved in the medical field: Use your own contacts or visit the career center or use the list of locations with volunteer opportunities in the area.
- Get involved in a group or activity that you’re passionate about (orchestra, Habitat for Humanity, tutoring in a middle school, etc.).
- Start reading medical sources at least monthly:
Junior Year
- Stay active in the pre-med/science club
- Finish your science prerequisite courses needed for the MCAT
- Meet with the pre-med advisor(s) to select and prepare for med schools
- Sign up for GE 351: MCAT strategy course
- Take the MCAT exam in spring
- Continue to gain medical experience by keeping up your position you started last year
- Take a leadership role in the group or activity that you’ve become involved in.
- Start reading medical sources at least weekly (see list above).
Summer After Junior Year
Apply to at least 15 medical schools chosen in consultation with the premed advisor(s). (See Suggested Medical School list as a starting point.)
Senior Year
Schedule an on-campus “mock” interview with the premed advisor(s) when you receive word from the med schools that you’ve been granted an interview there.
Some General Advice:
No single formula guarantees acceptance into medical school. A practicing dermatologist may need different personal and academic qualifications from a research pathologist, for example. But here are five things we've noticed that many successful applicants do:
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They do well in the required premedical science courses.
Whether their major is in science or non-science, they have ability and genuine interest in scientific understanding that shows in their work in the required premed courses.
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They do well on the MCAT exam.
Whatever your major is, it is essential to do well on this exam. It is suggested that you take many practice exams, study your class notes, take our strategy course, GE 351, and perhaps take a somewhat lighter class load in the semester in which you sign up for this exam.
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They show accomplishment and leadership outside the classroom in an activity that shows their compassion for humanity.
They get involved in a sustained way doing something worthwhile that they love doing and are good at doing—volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, tutoring disadvantaged middle-school students, and/or many other activities.
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They have significant medical experience with doctors and hospitals.
During the two or three years prior to applying to medical school, they shadow, intern, work, or volunteer with doctors and/or in hospitals.
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They often apply to enter medical school later than the fall immediately after graduation.
Applying for admission a year or two after graduation enhances their qualifications, and they're not behind in their career -- the average age of all first-year medical students in the U.S. is now 25. If they are prepared and motivated to plunge right into the premedical science courses when they arrive at Whitworth, that’s great! But many who are later successful in being accepted don't feel so prepared, motivated, or financially ready to apply immediately following graduation.
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