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Now that you are at Centre, it is time to start thinking seriously about what you need to do to get into medical school or another health professions graduate school. If you have not done so already, you should schedule an appointment with the appropriate HPAG member so that they can give you some general advice about the career you are interested in. Most of you have probably only considered allopathic medicine. You should look at other fields in the health professions like osteopathic medicine, nursing, physician assistant, or dentistry. Most of this page emphasizes allopathic medicine, but the guidelines are equally applicable to other health professions. This page is divided into three sections:
What does a medical school look for in an applicant?
The typical successful Centre applicant
How should I be preparing for medical school as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior?
The Numbers
A medical school looks first at two numbers: the GPA and the MCAT score. If you do not have the minimum numbers for that medical school, you probably will not get in; regardless of what you have on the rest of your application. First time, successful applicants from Centre have an average GPA of 3.54 and an average MCAT total score of 29.5. The graph below shows the MCAT vs. GPA for all Centre applicants in the last five years. Obviously, you want to be in the upper right section of the graph. Some of the successful applicants with lower GPA's took some advanced coursework before applying. Some of the successful re-applicants (blue triangles) had to apply several times before being accepted and also generally had to raise their MCAT. You need to be realistic about your chances!
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Experience in Medicine
The next most important factor for medical schools is your experience in medicine. Basically, this comes down to how well you can answer the question: "Why do you want to become a physician?" You cannot answer this question in the abstract; you must have some practical experience that has shown you why you want to enter the field. Most students shadow a physician or volunteer in the hospital for an initial experience. Ideally, you should go beyond that by trying to get some actual contact with patients. You can get a job in a physician's office, or work as a nurse technician, phlebotomist, or patient transporter to name a few. You may be able to do clinical research at a medical school.
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Research
A majority of successful Centre applicants have done scientific research at Centre, a large university, or both. You should not assume that you MUST do research in order to be accepted since there have been plenty of successful Centre applicants who have done no research. Nor should you assume that you MUST do SCIENTIFIC research. The more prestigious private medical schools like Vanderbilt put more emphasis on research experience. You should do research if you have a true desire to learn about a discipline in a more practical setting (compared to lecture and lab). Medical schools view research experience favorably because it teaches students valuable problem-solving skills. Furthermore, medical schools are packed with scientists who are looking for potential researchers on their own projects. Most medical students will do some sort of basic science or clinical research.
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Service Activities
Besides demonstrating experience in a medical setting, you also need to demonstrate a commitment to service. The medical professions are definitely service-oriented. Many successful applicants from Centre are members of CARE and LIFT, participate in Habitat for Humanity, are resident assistants, or have siginficant leadership roles in their fraternity/sorority philanthropic programs. The deeper your level of commitment, the more attractive you will look. Working on one house for a couple of hours for Habitat for Humanity is not impressive.
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Other Activities
Medical schools do look for well-rounded students (who have good enough numbers). They are interested in students who have dedicated participation in non-academic activities. Many successful Centre applicants have been varsity athletes, musicians, and campus leaders. Students who have studied abroad also tend to stand out.
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Personal Comments
The most important part of the actual application to medical school is the personal comments section. This section is an opportunity for you to tell the medical school something about yourself, your motivations to become a physician, and your qualifications for medical school. The medical school treats it as a very important part of your application. See the Application Process page under the personal comments section.
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Evaluations
Medical schools are also very interested in what other people have to say about you. Specifically, how do your professors and employers evaluate your qualifications for medical school. The HPAG constructs a composite evaluation for all current Centre students applying to medical school. Most medical schools require a composite evaluation if the college or university has an advisory group. The composite evaluation is a collection of evaluations from science professors and non-science professors, staff members, coaches, or administrators. Usually the HPAG will solicit evaluations from five science professors and two non-science people. The evaluations cover academic potential, personal attributes, and professional promise. The HPAG also interviews all applicants and includes comments on the composite. A completed composite can be viewed here. Centre's composite evaluations are well-respected by medical schools because they present such a thorough and honest protrayal of the applicants.
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Interview
After reviewing all of your numbers, application materials, and composite evaluation, a medical school will determine if you should be granted an interview. Practice interviews with the HPAG or the career development office are essential preparations for the real thing. If you perform well in the interview you have a good chance at acceptance.
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Your Major Is Not Important
Medical schools have a list of required courses for admission; beyond them, they do not care what your major is. Medical school admissions personnel will tell you to major in what interests you. You will not be able to distinguish yourself by majoring in a non-science discipline, nor will you look better by majoring in science. Double majoring or minoring is something you should do if you are interested, not in order to impress the medical school. They will not be impressed!
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THE TYPICAL PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FIRST-TIME MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICANT FROM CENTRE*
- The average GPA is 3.54 with no significant difference between the science and non-science GPA's. The range of GPA's is 3.2–3.98
- The average MCAT score is 29.5 (~30% took the exam twice, 2% more than twice). The range is 24–38.
- 85% studied abroad at least one term; 86% participated in at least one scientific research project at Centre or another institution; 74% were members of a Greek organization; 32% were varsity athletes in at least one sport.
- 37% took at least one year off before applying to medical school
- The major breakdown was: 37% BMB; 29% BIO; 16% PYB; 10% CHE; 8% other majors.
- The majority attended public medical schools in their state of residence although a few attended private medical schools.
*Data for the last three years, 85% acceptance rate for first time applicants, 46 applicants
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PREPARATION FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL
Freshman Preparation
If you are a first term freshman the best advice is to concentrate on course work. The first term in college is very difficult because of the adjustment from high school. Make sure you are doing well in your courses before you volunteer for a lot of extracurricular activities. Poor grades in one term are not impossible to overcome, but it may be very difficult to raise your GPA. Make sure that you attend all of the pre-med society meetings and visiting speakers associated with medicine. Take the time to get acquainted with the HPAG member in your area of interest. Try to consult with that advisor about scheduling or other concerns--friends or upperclassmen usually are not the best source of information. If you are planning to study abroad for a long term, it is essential to start planning your course schedule for the next few years. You should explore other areas in the health professions (see the Links page). The summer between your freshman and sophomore years is an excellent time to start getting some experience in your chosen health care field. If you are interested in medicine, try to shadow a physician or get a job in a hospital.
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Sophomore Preparation
The first thing to do before you start your sophomore year is to have a reality check. Does your GPA from your freshman year indicate that medicine is a realistic area for you? If your GPA is significantly below a 3.0, the answer is probably no. If your GPA is around a 3.0, you definitely have time to raise it, but you will have to work hard to do so. Remember that it is very rare for a student to get into medical school from Centre with a GPA below a 3.4. Academic matters aside, sophomore year is a good time to get some experience in medicine. You can volunteer at Ephraim McDowell, shadow a local physician, or set up a formal internship with a physician. You should increase your participation in service activities. Planning for summer research can also be a priority, especially if you are interested in attending a research-oriented medical school (read about the differences between public and private medical schools on the Application Process page). Centre students have obtained paid summer research positions at medical schools and in the basic sciences (chemistry, biology, biochemistry).
Junior Preparation
Junior year is the time when many students begin the application process to medical school. Many of you will also be taking the MCAT sometime near the end of your junior year or the summer after it. Before you start the process it is vital to talk to someone in the HPAG to find out if it is realistic for you. Be sure to look at the application web page to fully understand the timing of the process. If you plan on taking the MCAT in your junior year, you should at least look at a MCAT review book in the summer after your sophomore year. It is also very important to start working on your personal statement in the fall. Start reviewing for the MCAT in earnest in the fall. Dr. Workman holds weekly review sessions starting in the fall, but you should supplement those by reviewing on your own. Go to the application web page to get detailed information on the MCAT and application process. There are deadlines that you must meet and meetings you must attend if you are going to apply to medical school. Your junior year will probably be the final time to get some medical experience and volunteer service activities. The summer after your junior year is an excellent time to get research experience at a large research university. Many summer research programs are offered specifically for students finishing their junior year. One excellent site for finding summer research positions is the NSF-REU webpage which is updated every November. A site that has a huge listing of medical summer internships is here.
Senior Preparation
If you are starting the application process during your senior year, you will follow the same directions as the juniors. You might still be unsure about your future--get some advice from the HPAG. If you applied to medical school over the previous summer you should have completed all of your secondary applications before the middle of September, if not sooner. Remember that you are competing for interview slots and the earlier you are the less competition. The HPAG and Career Development Office are available for practice interviews.
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