12 Tips on Getting Into Medical School

Getting into the medical profession is noble and many of us are unsure of how to go about this. It is important to work towards getting high grades as that is the only way to get into a good university. If you have scored well in school, persevere through college. Take time to have fun with your friends but pay attention, concentrate and try to improve your knowledge and top your grades.

You will be interviewed by a committee of administrators and physicians who are also interested in finding out your other curricular activities. The school looks for leadership qualities, if you have worked as a volunteer in any health care facility and if you have a compassionate nature. If you are only interested in the profession because it pays well, you may find that the interview has not gone as you planned.

Few guidelines to help get into medical school.

1. It is important to fulfill the requisites of medical schools in order to get into the university. This includes majoring in any field of science. The normal subjects that one takes are chemistry physics and biology though medical schools are now looking for degrees in other fields such as humanities to diversify their programs.
2. Getting good grades is your priority when you are trying to get into med school. The GPA should be high and it is important to focus on BCMP (Biology, chemistry, math and physics). The grades you get in these subjects with be calculated separately and you will get an additional GPA that will be reviewed with the total marks secured in the GPA.
3. In order to become a doctor, you should strive hard in your younger years and start excelling at college level. Take part in many activities that are related to your major. Learn to develop skills of leadership as well as clinical and research. Improve your personal skills while you are still studying.  Try to get involved in community health activities and talk to children about health topics or helping them to get interested in health care careers.
4.  Volunteer in free health clinics or approach your community center to get some hands-on experience. It is important to familiarize yourself with clinics in order to get more experience. It is important to let your school know that you are caring and interested in communicating and offering your services to less deserving people. When you volunteer it is not necessary to restrict yourself to health care facilities alone. You can opt for Red Cross or any deserving medical association that accepts volunteers.
5. Try to get an internship after deciding your choice of getting into research or looking to get clinical experience. Student interns can get into health care organizations when the doctors of medical schools recommend them. Apply early to avoid disappointment. Applications are accepted in June so start applying in May.
6. Get help from older students or professors and review the places for internships. Discuss your chances with former students who have studied in the school that you wish to enter. You will get more information on the faculty and coursework to help you firm up your decision.  If you can apply to the right centers before they advertise you can get a better deal in selecting the place of your choice.
7. In order to get your scores up, take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). You can complete this half day test when you decide that you wish to become a doctor. It will determine your mastering skills in relevant subjects.  If you take the junior test, you can check your score and take another one six months later to improve the score. Do the MCAT tests when you are not pressurized or tense. These tests are completed to help you get better scores and in turn increase your chances of getting into med school.
8. Start applying to medical schools very early. AMCAS opens every year in May and applications are accepted as early as June.  Try to be realistic even as you aim high. Medical schools reject many applications and the best way to know which ones to apply to is to enter your scores into a database and then compare with the average marks from each school. This will give you an inkling of your standing.
9. Take into considerations the costs involved. Medical schools are expensive and many of them offer scholarships to bright students. Though you try to aim high you should also ensure that you are able to afford such universities. Alternatively you may try to check out institutions that offer loans for financing the education.
10. Make sure to apply to many medical schools before the deadline. Try not to apply to schools where you are least interested. Expect many rejections but play safe in case your only choice is a school that does not suit you. Do not be upset at getting rejected as this is highly possible considering the universities get 10,000 applications every year. That is the reason many people apply to as many schools as possible.
11. You should be able to secure strong letters of recommendation from clinicians or science faculty. You should have been involved with them when studying and made a good impression. If you can get a research recommendation from the clinic where you have worked it will help you secure entry into a good medical university.
12. Try to get some practice interviews. Doctors may ask you probing questions about how you would react in a particular situation. You will be asked these questions in front of a panel of judges and you should be able to answer clearly and focus on the subject. Check out sites such as mmi and you will find many scenarios that you can study. Get someone to ask you questions and reply as if you are being interviewed at the med school. This will help you get over any anxiety attack or getting tongue-tied when asked a question.