What Are Medical Schools Looking For? 

There is no one right way to get into medical school. In fact, there are many different ways to
achieve this goal encompassing a wide variety of majors, minors, activities and experiences. There
are, however, some important considerations that will directly affect your ability to achieve your
goal. 

Academic Considerations 

1.   Pre-medical Core Curriculum required by all medical schools:
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Biology with lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Introductory and/or Inorganic Chemistry with lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Physics with lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Organic Chemistry with lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of English (literature and composition)

Recommended and required by a few schools: Calculus and Biochemistry

2.   Major: Any major is acceptable to medical schools; pre-medical students do not
have to major in a science. All students, though, regardless of major, must take the
pre-health core curriculum.

3.   GPA: Medical schools look at your BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics and math)
GPA as carefully as they look at your overall GPA.  In 2004, the mean GPA of
students accepted to MD programs was 3.62 and the mean BCPM was 3.62.

4.   MCAT: The MCAT is the standardized test required for all allopathic and
osteopathic medical school applicants. Beginning in 2007, the administration of the
MCAT will be by computer at commercial test sites across the country.  All core coursework needs to be completed before taking the test.

5.   Research: Research is a highly valued, but not a required experience.  In the sciences
this may take the form of a summer internship or an independent study in the lab.  Public
health and other social science type internships are equally valuable. 

Non-Academic Experiences 

6.   Extracurricular and Job Experiences: Range from performing arts to community
service; from religious activities to varsity sports; from cultural awareness clubs to
sororities and fraternities, these activities help you to develop interpersonal skills,
teamwork, leadership potential and time management skills. Many also allow you to
demonstrate your interest in serving your community. It is easy, however, to get
overextended with activities and you are encouraged to start slowly, adding activities
only as you are sure you have time for them. Medical schools will be far more impressed by a with serious commitment to one or two activities than by a long list with little depth.    
Many students must work for financial reasons and the medical school will recognize                that someone who works extensive hours is likely to have fewer activities.

7.   Health Care Related Experience: It is important that you experience medicine
firsthand, to discover if you really want to spend your life working with sick and injured
people. It is also important that you experience the various setting in which health care is
practiced – hospitals, clinics and offices. The PA AHEC Scholars Program will help you
gain this experience. Experience working with people, though not specifically in a
medical setting, is also very valuable. This might include volunteering as a
Big Brother/Sister, tutoring children, volunteering for Special Olympics, etc. Working
with people whose ethnic, religious, socio-economic, etc. background is different from
your own is also very valuable experience. 

Personal Considerations 

8.   Letters of Recommendation: Before applying to medical school, you will need to
collect letters of recommendation from at least 3 faculty members.  One should be in the
science division, one outside of the science division, and the third is up to you. You may
also want to obtain letters from health care professionals you have worked for. Keep this
in mind during your internship experiences.

9.   Interview: All medical schools require an interview, often two or three, with members
of their faculty and, sometimes, medical students on the admissions committee. In general,
 the more you have dealt with people, the more comfortable you will be in an interview.
So, if you are on the shy side, push yourself a bit socially and try to become more
comfortable talking with other people, especially strangers. Of course, having had a
variety of interesting experiences will help make you a more interesting (and appealing) interviewee.

10.  Academic and Disciplinary Violations: Medical school applications ask if you have
ever received an “institutional action”, and, if you have, you will need to explain your
actions. Institutional actions typically include cheating and plagiarism, as well as violation
of the rules governing your behavior.  If you abide by the rules and take responsibility for your personal conduct, you should have nothing to worry about.

11.  Professional Behavior: Professionalism encompasses a number of areas.  One is your
ability to treat other people appropriately; to understand and honor different beliefs and
traditions, to treat others with respect and courtesy, to be able to work as part of a
group.  A second area is personal accountability.  This includes knowing and adhering to deadlines, arriving on time to appointments, canceling meetings if there is an unavoidable
conflict: in short, acting responsibly.  Finally, professionalism involves being informed
about ethical issues and acting honestly and with integrity. A medical professional is
expected to be altruistic; that is, to place the interests of individuals and society above
their own.

12.  Ability to Care for Yourself: Medical and Dental schools want students
who can take care of themselves.  This means knowing how to relax in a healthy,
responsible way.  This means knowing your limits and knowing when to seek help.  This
means maintaining a healthy life style – eating healthy meals, sleeping a reasonable
number of hours, getting regular exercise, and having a social support system – family
and friends who will listen and help when times are rough.