All Access: Med School Admissions Podcast

Sign up for the All Access Med School Admissions Podcast.  These episodes are packed with practical advice whether you're just starting your pre-health journey or are in the thick of an application cycle.

There are a great number of careers in healthcare.  In the next few pages you can explore careers such as medicine (MD and DO), dentistry, nutrition, and even health policy.  

To view an even greater variety of careers, visit explorehealthcareers.org

National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR)

 American Association of Medical Schools (AAMC)

 American Association of Colleges of Nursing

 Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)

 American Dental Education Association (ADEA)

 Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP)

 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

 Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)

Common Course Requirements 

The requirements that follow apply to both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools.

Requirements can vary from school to school; however, virtually all require the following courses or topics. Additional classes can be taken to address specific MCAT requirements Download MCAT requirements.

• Biology 
  • A small number of schools require an additional biology course
• General chemistry 
• Organic chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Physics
• English (two courses)

All these courses must be taken for letter grades. Almost all schools require laboratory participation for all of these science courses except biochemistry. It is assumed, and usually required, that you take the lab concurrently with the lecture.

Standardized Test

The MCATLinks to an external site. is the standardized test required by medical schools. You should plan to take it no later than the April of your application year.

Clinical Experience

Clinical experiences are an important compliment to your academic preparation, and they are available in a wide variety of settings and roles. They provide several benefits to your development as a pre-health student, including helping you determine long-term career goals and if your chosen profession is a good fit for you. Additionally, they help you develop a good "bedside manner" by exposing you to patients with diverse backgrounds and needs, and provide you with exposure to working as a part of a team within a complex healthcare delivery system. All of these are important skills for successful academic and professional careers in health professions.

Look for summer positions in Handshake, Indeed.com, and other job boards, or directly on health organization websites. 

Additional resume-builders

When admissions committees review your experiences, they want to see that you have developed interpersonal skills, can comfortably communicate and interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds, have a strong service orientation and sense of empathy, and are ethically responsible and reliable. Essentially, they want to see that you have developed an understanding what it means to work in health care. These are traits that you can develop in a variety of settings, not just at clinical care sites. Below are some examples:

• Leaderships positions in Olin student organizations
• Volunteering (either in person or virtually; non-medical orgs are fine!)
• Research opportunities (at Olin or other Universities)

Here are two volunteer resoucres maintained by local colleges:

• Harvard Resource for Volunteer Opportunities in the Greater Boston Area
• Tufts University Local Health Profession Volunteer Opportunities

The MCAT

Medical schools (MD and DO) require Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores as part of their standard application. The MCAT is a computer-based test and given multiple times per year. If you will be completing your coursework in the spring semester and plan to apply in the summer, we encourage you to take the MCAT by April of that year.

The MCAT tests your knowledge of premed sciences including biochemistry. It also includes a section on behavioral sciences and tests critical thinking skills, not just memorization. 

You can, and should, study for the MCAT. The AAMC provides information and a number of useful resources.

Support/Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation add a layer of depth to your application. Letters fill in gaps, highlight key attributes that are sought out by medical schools, and provide specific examples that help a candidate stand out.  Most health professions schools require that you submit letters from faculty who have personally taught you. Thus, it is important to be thoughtful in considering who can fill this role and whether you currently have sufficient support to put forth an application with strong letters.   With this in mind, below are some of the HPRC's recommended guidance on obtaining letters: 

• Two letters should be from Olin faculty members who have taught you. At least one should be from a science course, but depending on the programs you are applying to, two science letters may be required.
• The other letters should be from other professors, employers, internship managers, etc. who knows you well, can evaluate you objectively, and have the most extensive and personal knowledge of you and your work.
• The most helpful letters will relate to your academic achievements and potential, as well as your hands on experience such as community service work, clinical or research activities, leadership roles, or internships.
• The most effective letters will provide details about various aspects of your candidacy, including your ability to navigate the rigorous medical school curriculum, ways in which you will contribute to your program, and suitability for a career in the health professions. 

Given the minimum requirement of three letters, we encourage you to ask four or five people to write letters of recommendation for you. Consider alternatives in the case something doesn't work out. 

Time & Motivation

The application process is a long one, running for about 18 months from the time you start prepping for admissions test (MCAT, DAT, OAT, PCAT, GRE) to the time you enroll in your health professions program.  Within that time frame there will be a number of requirements to complete, all time sensitive and crucial to a successful application.  This includes anything from prepping for your admissions test, completing your primary application, submitting secondary applications, prepping for interviews, etc.  With this in mind, consider your own schedule, time commitments and overall motivation for your goals.  Here are some points to consider:

• Will you have completed your prerequisites by the time you apply, or will you still be working on them as you prep for the admissions test and complete your application?
• Do you have the bandwidth to go through an application process that is long, financially and emotionally draining, and demanding of your time and resources?
• Will you have the time to complete your application in a timely manner while also managing other responsibilities?
• Will you have adequate time to prepare to take the admissions test by late April?
• Will you be mentally ready to start your health professions program for the year you are applying? About 80% of applicants nationwide take at least one growth year, which is OK!

Resources

Medical School Admission Requirements

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)Links to an external site. is a good general resource on preparing for medical school 

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)Links to an external site.