Those of you who aspire to be physicians will benefit from my new series: Pre-Med Timeline. It can be really intimidating knowing what’s the best way to improve your chances of getting accepted to medical school after undergrad. However, this pre-med timeline series will provide you with some key things to focus on each year of school.
The first post in this series is for college freshmen. As you are just beginning college, it can be tempting to dive right in and start preparing for medical school. However, you don’t want to become so preoccupied with the goal that you forget to do the steps to reach it. Then you could find yourself like me!
Knowing medical school is the end goal is great. It keeps you on track as you strive towards your goal. However, understand that as a freshman in college, getting into medical school isn’t your priority. Doing well in school and adjusting to college is. Here are 5 things to focus on as a freshman who has a dream of going to medical school!
Locate Your Pre-med Advisor
Your undergraduate institution has pre-med advisors, committees, groups, etc. Whatever your school has, locate them immediately. They will guide you through undergraduate to help you get a medical school admission.
As soon as you familiarize yourself with your school, schedule an appointment with them. It’s never too early to establish this relationship, and in most cases, these individuals are your science professors. Let them know what you’re interested in doing, and ask them for advice. They may connect you with different resources and give you an outline for what classes to take.
These advisors are often the faculty advisors for pre-med clubs as well. Connecting with both will put you in contact with upperclassmen and faculty. These organizations also provide other ways to build your medical school application. Often, medical schools are looking for volunteer hours, clinical experience, and shadowing. By participating in these organizations, you will easily collect the necessary requirements for a solid application. Below are common pre-med organizations at undergraduate universities:
- Alpha Epsilon Delta Club (AED)
- American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
- Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA)
- Minorities in Medicine
- Pre-Student Osteopathic Association (Pre-SOMA)
- Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
- American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
Look at your school’s organization list and see any of these organizations sound appealing to you. If your school doesn’t have any of them, then look into creating a chapter at your school.
Map Out your Coursework and Get Good Grades
Another important thing for the pre-med timeline is to map out your coursework and learn how to get good grades. I don’t care what anyone says, grades matter. I learned that lesson the hard way. Regardless of how great your extracurricular involvement is, if you don’t have the grades, that’s a red flag.
It signals to the school that you may not be able to handle the coursework. Undergraduate coursework is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of work you will encounter as a medical student. Being stellar in undergrad signifies a decent chance of doing well in medical school.
Get Good Grades
As a freshman, it’s important to get a rockstar first GPA. It’s a lot harder to move a GPA around as an upperclassman. You have so many grade points, that each semester is not going to budge your overall average that much.
Therefore, in your first and second semester, try your hardest to get at least a 3.5. As your classes get harder, you will want wiggle room that a great freshman GPA will give you. Medical schools want to see mostly As, some Bs, and very few to no Cs. To get these grades, it requires consistency and focus.
Figure out what your learning style is and what resources your school offers. If there are any classes that give you trouble from the start, get help immediately. It’s a lot easier to address a problem in September than November. Talk with your professors and explain to them the trouble you’re having. See if there are any tutors or study groups as well. Try to avoid “taking an L” this early in the game, because your classes will only get harder.
Getting a tutor does not make you dumb. In fact, it makes you incredibly smart because it shows your self-awareness. You will avoid a lot of frustration if find resources sooner rather than later.
Required Coursework
Before school even starts, look at common medical school class requirements. At the minimum, you should have:
- Biology – 2 semesters (required)
- General chemistry – 2 semesters (required)
- Organic chemistry – 2 semesters (required)
- Physics – 2 semesters (required)
- Biochemistry – 1 semester (required or highly recommended)
- Psychology – 1 or 2 semesters (required or highly recommended)
- Sociology – 1 or 2 semesters (highly recommended)
- Calculus I and/or Math Statistics – 1 semester (required or highly recommended)
- English – 2 semesters (required)
- Foreign language – 4 semesters (not required, highly recommended)
Identify the requirements of some medical programs that you’re interested in. Complete as many of the classes as possible so you are not excluded due to missing a required class. I suggest mapping out these programs before your freshman year.
Some course are only offered in certain semesters. I was in a situation where I needed a specific class that wasn’t offered in that semester and had to wait a whole year. Be proactive and avoid this situation to the best of your ability.
Finally, the most important thing to remember is that all of these courses have material on the MCAT. The sooner you realize that, the more relevant the course content becomes to you. You don’t have to start studying for the MCAT day one. However, after taking certain classes, it doesn’t hurt to do notecards or practice problems to keep that material fresh.
Receive communication from medical school programs and associations
Another great thing to do in your pre-med timeline as a freshman is to connect with medical school programs and associations. It’s never too early to begin receiving communication or stay in the know. In fact, it may be to your advantage to have three years of getting to know programs. This way, when you go to your medical school interview, you have a lot of background on the program. This shows commitment and seriousness of wanting to go to that school.
In addition to that, it’s important to stay in the know for certain changes. For example, if there are any course requirements or new schools, you will be in the know. If there are any informational sessions or Q&As that you can attend, you also are receiving that communication. Due to the high number of undergraduate institutions, you may not be able to rely on your school to know everything happening with medical schools. This is when it’s time to take some initiative and be your own educational advocate.
Follow medical school programs and associations on social media as well. They often do giveaways and make major announcements via those platforms. It also may be a good way to get to know some of the students in the program as well. Some important associations to keep up with are:
- American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS)
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
Talk to upperclassmen and medical students
The best way to begin planning your medical school journey as a freshman is to talk to those who are further ahead than you. If you can, get in contact with upperclassmen who are also premeds. If possible, talk to those who are already finished with the application process. Learn from them, and ask them about their journey. Talk to multiple students so you can get different perspectives. By using their stories to guide your own journey, you can avoid some common pitfalls, and be proactive instead of reactive.
Reach out to medical students
Another way to figure out what to do for a successful application is to talk to current medical students. I have students reach out to me often as they prepare for the application or interview process. Those are some of the best people to talk to in this process because they’ve reached the goal you hope to achieve. Everyone’s story is different, so talk to as many different students as you can.
You can get in contact with them on your campus, if your school has a medical school connected. You can also reach out to them on social media, or via email. With the explosion of medical students available on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, you also have access to their tips. Take what you love, leave what you don’t, and just listen and learn.
Reaching out to students can be intimidating. Most medical students are very open to helping undergraduate students. A few things to keep in mind when you reach out:
- Medical students are busy. Don’t harass them. Reach out, wait a couple of weeks, and gently remind them again. If you don’t receive a response, move on to a new medical student.
- Keep your email succinct and to the point. Ask them pointed questions or send them your availability and ask for a chance to video chat.
- Err on the side of professionalism. These people aren’t your friends, and unless they reply with a more casual demeanor, it’s better to keep it more professional than not. Have a good greeting, spell your words correctly and use good grammar, and sign off with your name and contact information.
Get experience
The last thing to really worry about in your pre-med timeline is getting experience. It’s never too early to begin building your resume. As a Freshman, you’re busy acclimating to campus and figuring out what your school has to offer. When you have a good study routine, created relationships with your advisors and upperclassmen, and feel comfortable, begin to get some non-academic experience.
Because you are a freshman, this experience doesn’t have to be medical. Use this time to experience some other organizations and opportunities on campus, while you can. This includes research, campus jobs, Greek or social organizations, special interests clubs, religion, and leisure.
As you begin to get more involved, you can figure out early what you like and what you don’t. You also can establish your presence as an underclassmen and work your way into leadership positions. This is not the time to be overly serious and limiting in your activity. Your first year is for acclimation and exploration. As you progress closer to graduation, you can begin to narrow your focus and participate in mor science-related activities. However, have some fun your first year, so you don’t become burnt out and jaded when it’s time to apply.
Conclusion
This list is curated based on a little bit of research and a lotta bit of experience. The information on this blog is based on my own opinion, but I did things the right and wrong way, so feel qualified to tell you what to and what not to do. If you are a medical student or a pre-med and have advice not listed on this blog, please drop them below in the comments.
If you have questions about medical school and would like to connect with me personally, please fill out this form and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
3 thoughts on “Pre-Med Timeline: 5 Things to Focus on as a Freshman”