• Pre-Health Advising
• Before Applying to Med School

Before Applying to Med School

Your years at Oxy are a time of discovery and growth. Take your time to clarify your academic and career goals. Take full advantage of the opportunities that are available both on and off campus while planning for your future career. We encourage you to stay flexible and open-minded when evaluating your goals and selecting your academic and career paths. Meet with your academic advisors and the prehealth advisor on a regular basis to develop your own individualized plans.

Preparation for medical school application: The First Two Years at Oxy

Academics:

• Familiarize yourself with Oxy's core and degree requirements
• Find out the specific course requirements of the medical program you are interested in: Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) by AAMC or Dental Schools Admissions Guide by ADEA, etc. Each medical specialty has an official website with a wealth of information
• Work closely with your academic advisors to discover your academic options, select appropriate courses and balance your workload 
• Develop a strategy to complete both Oxy degree requirements and Medical School Requirements
• Do not overload your schedule.
• Develop good study habits and time-management skills
• Start building good relationships with your professors and advisors in and out of classroom or lab
• Investigate research opportunities and identify potential research mentors
• Meet with the prehealth advisor

Explore and clarify career goals:

• Get exposure to medicine through volunteering and shadowing in medically related field
• Identify a medical field that is right for you by speaking with professionals in various medical fields 
• Meet with the prehealth advisor and discuss options
• Visit: http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/home

Explore self and community:

• Assess your motivation for a medical career by engaging in self-reflection and analysis to determine whether the field of medicine is right for you
• Evaluate your goals based on personal strengths, values and interests
• Participate in volunteer and service activities
• Join student organizations, clubs or teams and seek leadership opportunities 

The Second Two Years

Academics:

• Continue monitoring your academic progress: keep your grades up and assess your competitiveness for admission
• Ensure that you are meeting academic requirements of your major and the professional program of your choice. In addition to meeting the basic (minimum) requirements, we highly recommend Biochemistry courses and upper division Biology courses, especially if you are not a biology major
• Identify your academic strengths and weaknesses, and if necessary, seek help from faculty, tutoring services or Center for Academic Excellence to strengthen your weak areas 
• Check graduation requirements and make sure that you are on track
• Continue engaging in research activities

Explore medical schools:

• Research in-depth to identify the right schools for you
• Check MSAR for mission statements, unique programs, curriculum requirements, and deadlines of each program
• Visit local schools if possible
• Contact Oxy alums in medical schools to learn more about their programs

Co-curricular activities:

• Plan ahead if you wish to study broad; investigate options and plan your academic courses accordingly by consulting with your academic department and advisors. Experiences you gain while studying and traveling abroad will have a positive impact on you. You may want to delay your application to medical school for a year or two in order to fulfill your major and the premed requirements, if necessary.
• Stay actively engaged in shadowing or volunteer activities
• Investigate fellowship opportunities for your gap year *

If you plan to apply the summer after your junior year, please start the following process during the fall term of your junior year:

• Visit: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/ to familiarize yourself with the whole application process
• Visit our website for Applying to Medical School
• Meet with the prehealth advisor to discuss your plans and to develop your personal strategy 
• Start preparing for Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) if you plan to apply during the Summer after junior year
• Register and take MCAT after taking multiple practice tests and thoroughly reviewing the material
• Pace yourself when studying for the MCAT. Start reviewing months before the real test. All of your MCAT scores are reported to medical schools so take it only when you are ready
• Standardized tests for other health professions schools: DAT for dental schools, PCAT for pharmacy schools, GRE, VAT or MCAT for veterinary schools.  Please check for specific requirements of each program to which you plan to apply
• Start drafting your personal statement (essay) 
• Identify your potential letters of recommendation writers both on and off the Oxy campus, and provide them with necessary information for them to write meaningful letters providing insight into your abilities, potential and personal qualities that are desirable for a future medical practitioner
• Continue participating in clinical shadowing or volunteer opportunities

* Gap year(s): Please note that you can take the time off between Oxy and medical school if you would like to; attend a graduate program (special master's or postbaccalaureate program), travel abroad on a fellowship, teach, work, research or perform humanitarian work. The average age of incoming medical students is about 25. Use the time between college and professional school to learn more about yourself and the world, to clarify your short- and long-term goals, and to strengthen your candidacy to professional graduate programs.