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The latest version of CLAS notes is available for download in the newsletters section.

Example Timeline

Freshman Year:

• Talk with you Advisor to schedule your first semester classes
• Meet with Pre-Professional Advisor to learn premed requirements
• Think about major and minor
• Plan a tentative degree plan for the next 3 ½ years
• Develop study skills and maintain excellent GPA
• Begin extracurricular activities and participate in premed club
• Get AAMC’s MCAT Student Manual for subject outlines
• Work/volunteer in medical area
• Subscribe to medical student journals or websites and read interesting books about medicine
• Challenge yourself to get a summer internship/volunteer job working with patients

Sophomore Year:

• Work/volunteer in medical area
• Meet with Pre-Professional Advisor to discuss your progress
• Fine tune your schedule and degree plan with your academic advisor
• Maintain excellent GPA
• Check medical school’s entry requirements
• Consider participating in research
• Work/volunteer in medical area and consider what you will do this summer
• Apply to MMEP (minorities only)
• Study for MCAT (summer before junior year only if Physics with a Lab is completed)
• Apply for MCAT (if you will take it early)
• Plan for any special junior-year program (ie. Junior year abroad)

Junior Year:

• Study for MCAT (if not yet taken)
• Apply for MCAT (if not yet taken)
• Take MCAT by mid-June, scores are reported about 30 days after test is taken
• Meet with Pre-Professional Advisor again and maintain the best GPA you can
• December → Check websites for application procedures and begin personal statement
• Gather information about medical schools to which you may apply
• Learn about AMCAS/AACOMAS/other application services. Plan for the finances needed to apply.
• February-Request at least 5 letters of recommendation from faculty (2 science, 1 non-science, 3 work/volunteer)
• Complete Must/Want Analysis forms for schools in which you are interested
• Work/volunteer in medical area and consider what you will do this summer
• Fill out questionnaire about yourself and submit it with transcripts, personal statements, and c.v. to the pre-professional committee
• Meet with pre-professional committee and submit letters of recommendation no later than May
• May-AMCAS opens for data entry but submission is mid-June
• June-AMCAS starts accepting applications
• June-Premed committee writes cover letter and attaches all letters
• If not happy with scores, register for upcoming MCAT
• Visit nearby schools in which you are interested
• Apply for Early Acceptance Program (optional)

Senior Year:

• October 15-All schools vary on final deadline but earliest would be middle of October to apply to AMCAS (which governs medical school application process)
• Work/volunteer in medical area and maintain the best GPA you can
  
• Take MCAT to improve scores if needed
• Confirm that schools have received your application materials and letters
• Complete secondary medical school applications and inform Career Services on where to send your letters
• Interview at medical schools and complete financial aid forms
• If wait-listed, send letter confirming interest
• Consider what you will do this summer (keep options open)
• ACCEPT OFFER (by May 15)
  
• Accept additional offers if higher on your Must Want Analysis list: withdraw previous acceptances
• Write thank you letters to medical school interviewers, references and all advisors who helped you
• If you do not get accepted consider Post-Bac, Summer Enrichment, and Masters Programs to strengthen your application

Formula to predict competitive applicant: Science GPA X 10 + MCAT = >65