A Student Guide for Medical School Preparation
Year One:
- Meet with one of the pre-med advisors for assistance in planning your medical school preparation; a long-term process requires early planning.
- Subscribe to the Health Careers mailing list to keep informed about campus programs and related off campus opportunities. Sign up here.
- Become familiar with resources. Visit career services and check out the Health Careers website.
- Attend “health care careers” information sessions offered throughout the academic year.
- Establish ongoing volunteer work and physician shadowing for exposure to the field of medicine and to contribute to the community (school year, summer)
- If non-science major, work with a pre-medical advisor to determine how best to incorporate medical school prerequisite courses into your course schedule.
- If science major, plan to take all prerequisites at Reed.
- Keep in close contact with your academic adviser for an honest appraisal of your academic performance and options.
Year Two:
- Meet with your pre-med advisors for assistance in updating your medical school preparation.
- Establish position in medical research and/ or research at Reed. (school year and summer)
- Attend “health care careers” information sessions offered throughout the academic year.
- Expand/continue medical/ community service experience.
- Participate in the mock interview program through career services.
- Arrange for substantive medical experience during summer break.
- Keep in close contact with your academic adviser for an honest appraisal of your academic performance and options.
- Take MCAT preparatory course during the summer to prepare to take MCAT during spring of junior year.
Year Three:
- Meet with your pre-med advisor for assistance in updating your medical school preparation.
- Take MCAT in April or May for June AMCAS application. (MCATS are offered 22 times/year. Register online.)
- Identify target medical schools (6-10) and their admission criterion. The MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements) directory is available in Career Services.
- Start writing your personal statement and submit to your pre-med advisor for review. Allow plenty of time for several rewrites.
- Continue in ongoing volunteer work. Arrange for substantive medical experience during summer break.
- Take responsibility for understanding factors of health care delivery and issues of health care policy.
- Attend “health care careers” information sessions with stress towards developing (1) personal goals in medicine and (2) passion for medicine.
- Participate in the mock interview program through career services.
- Continue medically focused research.
- Submit AMCAS application as early as possible. June 1 is the first day for submission.
- Request non-AMCAS school applications directly from schools.
- Contact/meet with individuals identified for recommendation letters (minimum of 2 Reed tenure track science faculty, internships and research supervisors, other medical doctors that know your work.) See guidelines for letters of recommendation for more information.
- Keep in close contact with your academic adviser for an honest appraisal of your academic performance and options.
Year Four:
- Meet with your pre-med advisor for assistance in updating your medical school preparation.
- During the first month of school, complete any application requirements still pending for AMCAS, etc.
- Attend “health care careers” sessions with stress towards developing (1) personal goals in medicine and (2) passion for medicine.
- Complete and submit secondary applications ASAP (within 2 weeks of receipt).
- Continue in ongoing volunteer work.
- Take responsibility for understanding factors of health care delivery and issues of health care policy.
- Schedule interviews/campus visits as appropriate.
- Participate in “formal” mock interview offered through career services as a way to prepare for interviews.
- Chose between medical school offers by designated date in mid May.
- Finish all academic requirements and graduate!
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