PRE-MED TIMELINE What I wish I knew as an undergrad… Tips from Katya Adachi
1st Year All Year • Don’t take all your GEs at once, and don’t do a GE cluster! • You want to save your GEs so that you can use them over time. That way you can balance your science classes with North Campus classes. Also, do a little research and figure out which GEs you really want to take. Figure out when they are offered and plan ahead. Then you can take something you want to take—and you’ll probably do better. This is how to get the most out of UCLA! 2nd year All Year • Go to professor Office Hours. • Especially for classes that interest you/relate to your major/what you want to do. Ask them about their own research/interests. But don’t be fake!!! You want to begin to build a rapport with your professors so that when they write you letters of recommendation, they can honestly say something meaningful about you as a student as well about you as a person. • Start saving money for next year. • You will likely need close to $1000 up to several $1000 (if you apply to a lot of schools) for the entire process, especially if you don’t get the fee waiver. You will need money for MCAT fees, AMCAS application fees, Secondary application fees, travel costs for interviews, and a suit. Fall/Winter Quarter • Begin extracurricular activities (if you haven’t already) • Start your clinical and/or volunteer experiences by winter your second year. That way, by the time you do your applications you will have at least a year experience. Also, find something that will be meaningful to you and relevant to what you want to do. Anyone can just volunteer at a hospital, but students who have unique, meaningful experiences will learn and develop more and will clearly stand out to Admissions boards. • Some ideas: o UCLA Medical Center (somewhat generic, unless you can get into the dept. you want) o Care Extenders o Community Programs Office (105 Student Activities Center…excellent if you want to work in the community) o Venice Clinic o LA County Summer • Participate in a summer research program (if you haven’t already) • If you are not big on research, a summer program is a great way to get research experience while not worrying about school. Also, it is a great way to make connections. • Doing research before your 3rd and 4th year will also help when you get into your upper division classes and are reading papers that are research based. →If you are a research person, you can do research during the year and do a clinically based program in the summer. 3rd year All Year • Choose your Upper Division classes wisely • Plan ahead and pick classes that you find interesting. These classes should be the reason you chose you’re major. So make the most of it! Figure out when they are offered and plan ahead. Then you can take something you want to take—and you’ll probably do better. This is how to get the most out of UCLA! • Don’t take more than 2 Upper Division science classes (if you’re a science major) in a quarter, if you can help it. • They are a lot of work. To do well, you need to invest the time. You want Med Schools to see that you can perform at the higher level. • Consider picking up a minor • Only do this if you have the room for it and know you can handle it. This is a nice way to balance out your course load so it is not ALL science. This is important this year (see next bullet). Pick a minor in another field, but try to relate it to your career. • Suggestions: Public Health, Spanish/other language • Go to professor Office Hours. See above. • Ask your professors at the end of the class, but early in the year, if they will write a letter for you. Let them get to know you a little before doing this, though. January • Apply for AAMC Fee Assistance Program (if applicable) • This reduces the MCAT fee from $210 to $85 and you receive 11 free medical school applications. By May • Take MCAT → computerized takes 30 days to process score →you want to have your score by June, for when you submit your AMCAS app. • Important classes for MCAT: • Chem. 14 A-D • LS 1-4 ***especially LS 2 • Physics 6 A-C • Biochem. 153A June • Begin working on personal statement • 1st ¬– the first day you can submit an AMCAS application • Submit AMCAS application as early as possible →AMCAS verification processing can take up to 4 - 6 weeks from the time that your application and all required official transcripts are received, and can take significantly longer during peak processing times 4th Year August-December • Deadline to submit AMCAS application to med schools • Deadlines vary by school—make sure you check this!! But don’t wait until the deadline to submit…submit early! August-January • Submit Secondary Applications, again, as early as possible. • Deadlines vary by school October-April • Interview at schools • Buy a suit and nice, but comfortable, shoes! • Consider doing a mock interview. The Career Center offers these specifically for pre-med interview. Sign up early in the quarter! Also, ask a med student if they would be willing to do a mock interview. Some med students sit on admissions boards and would be good resources to use! • What really matters: The thing that makes an applicant strong is being unique. You want to set yourself apart from the 100s or 1000s of other applicants. You do this by being passionate about what you’re doing, which means being true to yourself and not being generic. A strong applicant has unique experiences, a unique perspective, strong ability, and evident passion! APPLICATIONS BROKEN DOWN: 1. Take MCAT 2. Primary Application—AMCAS 3. Secondary Applications—School Specific 4. Interviews 5. Responses—Acceptances!!! MCAT SCORES BROKEN DOWN • There are 4 parts to the MCAT • Physical Sciences (Physics and General Chemistry) • Biological Sciences (Biology and Organic Chemistry) • Verbal • Written Sample • The first 3 are scored on a scale of 15. The writing sample is scored using letter scoring from J-T. • You want at least a 9 in each section (but especially in the Science sections). Writing you want an O or above. A composite score of 30 or above is considered a “competitive” score by most schools (including the top schools). Scoring 12 or above is amazing. Getting a 15 means you’re a genius or you are WAY too serious about this and need to start breathing! • The science sections are most important. They can either back up you’re grades if you’ve done well, or compensate for areas your grades may be weak in. THE LOGIC TO THE PROCESS: The earlier you submit your AMCAS application, the earlier you get invited to do secondary applications. The earlier you submit your secondary applications, the earlier you can get invited for an interview. You want to be an early interviewer because most schools do admissions on a rolling basis. If you interview early, there are more spots that they are trying to fill, so they may be less stringent and more likely to give offers! THE KEY FOR BEING PRE-MED is to be doing something that is meaningful and fulfilling to you. If this is so, then you will be willing to work hard and make the necessary sacrifices to accomplish your goals. Passion makes people good at what they do.
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