Blog Pre Med Process

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Pre-Med Process
Pre-Med Intro
Sat 08Mar2008 03:26
These are posts that involve my experience with the medical

school process. I spent quite a while deciding if medicine was
the right field for me. I sifted through "How To Get Into Medical
School" essays, articles with statistics on getting in, website
forums, journals on what life is like as a doctor, etc. I'm putting
this together as a compilation of the process, at least the
process I went through. I hope that it can help others by
pointing them in the right direction.
The main reason for compiling this site is because I wish it

existed when I went through the pre-med process. Also, I found
many forums in particular to be filled with poor information,
bad anecdotes, and students hiding behind their anonymous
forum handles. That being said, look around forums because
there is some great information but be cautious to believe
anything without evidence. Also, there is some great
information in non-pre-med forums, such as current medical
student or resident forums. Hopefully you will find my write-up
useful, and if not (or if so) please leave comments.
For M.D. schools, many people suggest picking up a copy of the

Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), which is
published by the AAMC. For D.O. schools, get the College
Information Book (CIB), which is published by the AACOM. They
are considered the "bibles of medical school guides." It lists
application procedures, deadlines, selection criteria (scores),
costs, class profiles, dual-degree programs, graduate's specialty
choices...basically everything you need. Personally, I found most
of this information on each school's website and the information
differed from the guides.
Here are a couple more pre-med guides if you are interested:
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Pre-Med Process http://premedprocess.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
The Not So Short Introduction To Getting Into

Medical School
(436 KB) - Portable Document Format
Pre-Med Planner 2005

All of my documents for this process are here:
Pre-Med Process
Documents
Website Link
Grades & GPA

Sat 08Mar2008 03:25
Getting good grades in college is absolutely necessary. Your

GPA (grade point average) is one of the most important factors,
along with MCAT score, in being accepted into medical school.
Most medical students have GPAs of 3.5 to 4.0 (on the standard
4.0 scale used in the U.S.).
When you apply to medical school, the standard application

requests your GPA for your science courses, your GPA for
non-science courses, and your overall GPA. For those students
who entered medical school in 2005, the average science GPA
was 3.54, the average non-science GPA was 3.68, and the
average overall GPA was 3.60. If you do poorly on one of the
required courses it is probably a good idea to take another
course in that field to improve your grades and show that you
can handle that subject.
It is also important to do well in college from the beginning.

After all, if you only get a 2.0 in your first year and then get a
4.0 the next 2 years your GPA will still be under 3.5. However,
medical schools do consider the fact that you are improving.
Doing well at a college with an outstanding reputation goes a
long way. Try not to fall behind in your class work. This leads to
cramming, poor grades and, more importantly, poor learning.
The sciences courses, in particular Organic Chemistry, are
traditionally the "weed out" courses that eliminate students who
will not make it into medical school. I remember my first major
exam in Organic Chemistry. Many students failed. As a result, a
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large percentage of students dropped the course, stopped their

pursuit of a medical career, and changed majors.
Don't be completely discouraged if you get a C or fail a course.

Re-taking a course is usually, I feel, not advised. Take a
different course that is similar and do well in that. At the very
least, it will be new material and not bore you to death. Getting
a C, or even a few, won't keep you out of medical school. Failing
classes and having a poor GPA will. As long as you are doing
well overall, there is not much to be worried about.
Here is a plot showing GPA and MCAT scores and their

correlation to being accepted into medical school:
MCAT & GPA Plot

(24 KB) - Image Format
Simply, you have to do really well, so shoot for a minimum of a

3.5 science GPA and 3.6 overall GPA. Statistically, you can get in
with lower, but don't push your luck.
College Courses
Fri 07Mar2008 09:12
Medical schools in general required the following college

courses:
Biology with Laboratory (one year)

Inorganic Chemistry with Laboratory (one year)
Organic Chemistry with Laboratory (one year)
Physics (one year)
English (one year, usually with writing focus)
Calculus or College Level Math
Biochemistry*
Statistics*
Genetics*
Social & Behavioral Sciences/Humanities*
Schools vary to their requirements so start considering which

schools you might apply to. The courses I have starred (*) are
sometimes not required, optional, or strongly recommended.
You will absolutely need Biology, General Chemistry, Organic
Chemistry, and Physics. These are the courses that are covered
in depth on the MCAT. Here is a requirements worksheet as an
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example:
Requirements Worksheet 2006

A note on Advanced Placement courses from high school. These

courses may count as credits for college but they will likely not
count toward medical school requirements. They will, however,
accept advanced course work of comparable length in the same
discipline in which the student has an AP score. Thus, if you
have AP credit in Chemistry and decide not to take General
Chemistry, you should plan on taking advanced course work in
Chemistry (or perhaps Biochemistry) equal to a full year with
laboratory. Organic Chemistry does not count in this case (as a
substitute for 1 year of General Chemistry) since it is already
one of the courses required for admission to medical school.
The courses you take in college (especially science courses in

this case) may be more difficult than you expect. If you do not
take the time to study you will not do well enough to get into
medical school. It's that simple. It is possible to do well and
have fun - I sure did. However, it is a balancing act that must be
mastered. Going to the library to study is not synonymous with
studying. Many people go there and waste time.
A major decision you must make early on in college is choosing

a major. There are no required majors for acceptance into
medical school. The most common major is biology (or a
biology related major). However, medical schools accept
students from many backgrounds. Sometimes it is better to
have a major outside of the usual so that your application is
more unique. Some medical schools are looking for more
diversity and want some students with liberal arts degrees.
However this places more emphasis on how well you do on the
courses required for medical school admission. Whatever major
you choose should be something you enjoy. However, you
should also take a wide breadth of courses to experience other
fields because it may be your last opportunity.
Cost of Medical School

Fri 07Mar2008 09:11
Unless you have incredibly rich parents or won the lottery,
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you're going to need student loans for medical school. Tuition

these days ranges from $10,000 for in-state residents at state
schools up to $30,000 (and beyond) for private schools. At
private schools, your overall debt could surpass six figures,
even up to the quarter-million dollar range. Now, this might
seem like an incredible amount of money. However, physicians
make good money mostly due to their long hours and vast
responsibility. Today, primary care physicians make about
$150,000 on average with the low being a little over $100,000
and the high being a little under $200,000. Specialty physicians
make quite a bit more at about $250,000 average.
Here is a loan calculator I made:
Amortization & Loan Worksheet

(104 KB) - Microsoft Excel Format
Enter the loan amount, the loan rate, and how many months you
want to make payments for. It will give you back the monthly
payment amount along with the total interest you'll pay.
Here is an article that discusses the effect of student loans:
Effect of Medical School Debt & Loans

(20 KB) - Text Format
There are three sources of financial assistance: loans,

scholarships, and grants. Loans must be repaid and have
varying interest rates, deferment options, and repayment
periods. Some may require making a minimum payment while in
school. Some loans taken as an undergrad may not defer during
graduate school, forcing full payments to be made each month
or else suffer the consequences of poor credit. Scholarships and
grants are considered gift aid, thus you don't have to repay
them. They are usually award based on financial need,
outstanding academic merit, and/or a promise of future service.
Some provide scholarships to minority groups and women.
Here is a guide for funding your graduate education:
Graduate Funding Guide

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To become eligible for financial aid, you need to fill out the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is located here
www.fafsa.ed.gov. Most schools start looking at this right after
January 1st, so get it in early.
To get student loans, you need to meet the following basic

qualifications: you are a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S.
resident and you have not defaulted on student loans in the
past. Again, some loans might not defer through medical school
forcing you to make payments. If you don't make payments and
end up with bad credit or defaulted loans, you won't get any
more loans.
There are five basic sources of aid: federal, state, private,

institutional, and alternative, and three types of money you can
find: loans, scholarships or grants, and obligatory scholarships
or ones that require you to repay them with service.
This information was found at The Princeton Review website. To

be fair, the Kaplan website is also worth looking into.
Federal Loans: Federal loan programs are funded by the federal

government. The amount available each year is based on the
national budget and is affected by the priorities of the executive
and legislative branches of the government. Federal loan
resources have been in decline for the last several years, and the
downward trend will probably continue. Even so, federal loans,
particularly the Stafford Loan, are usually the first resort for
borrowers. Most federal loans are need-based, but some
higher-interest loans are available to a student or his family
regardless of financial circumstance. The federal Pell Grant and
SEOG Grant are not available to medical school students.
State Loans: Students who are residents of the state in which

they attend medical school may be eligible for state loan
programs. Like federal loan funding, state funding is
decreasing, but it's still available and cheaper than many of the
commercial loans. Eligibility is usually based on need; often the
money is more readily available to minority or disadvantaged
students or those interested in practicing family medicine in
under-served areas of the state. Some states also have
scholarship programs that pay your full way with the
understanding that you'll work in the under-served areas once
you graduate. Individual schools can provide you with
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information about these programs. Also, you do not necessarily

need to be a state resident to get these loans.
Private Loans: Private loans are funded by contributions from

foundations, corporations, and associations. A number of
private loans are targeted to aid particular segments of the
population. You may have to do a good deal of investigation to
identify all the private loans for which you might qualify. The
best place to begin your search is in public, undergraduate, and
med-school libraries. There are also numerous commercial
financial-aid search services available, but beware: financial aid
officers warn that sometimes hefty fees are charged for
information that, in the majority of cases, students can obtain
on their own.
Institutional Loans: The amount of loan money available and the

method by which it is disbursed varies greatly from one school
to another. Private schools, especially those that are older and
more established, tend to have larger endowments and
therefore can offer more assistance. To find out about the
resources available at a particular school, talk to a financial aid
officer.
Alternative Loans: Alternative loans are, simply put, loans

offered by banks and private lending institutions. These loans
are dependent on enrollment status but are not offered or
subsidized by the federal government. If you still need more
loan money, look into alternative loans from our partner
lenders.
No-Strings Attached (Tough To Get, But Worth Trying): Some

grant or gift money comes with no strings attached; these are
called nonobligatory scholarships. Some are based on
outstanding academic merit alone; others are based on a
combination of merit and need. In fact, all federal,
nonobligatory scholarships are based on need and may also
require that you fit a particular demographic profile. The
amounts of scholarships vary, and they are administered by the
same groups that provide loans: federal and state governments,
private foundations, and institutions.
Obligatory Scholarships: Some federal scholarships are available

to students who agree to serve at the Public Health Service, at
the Veterans Administration or in the armed forces. These
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scholarships provide full tuition and fees, some or all expenses,

and a monthly stipend. Service-based scholarships are based on
academic merit and carry an obligation to serve at least one year
for every year of support. The advantage - a "free" medical
education - is obvious, but repayment can be harsh. You will
begin repaying your debt in service after your residency, so you
may be out of medical school as long as seven to twelve years
before you are free of your obligation. In addition, some states
and counties have service-based scholarship programs or
tuition-remission programs available.
Here are some related files:
Loans - Time Line

(1.3 MB) - Portable Document Format
Loans - Glossary
Loans - Resources
Loans - Web Sites

Loans - Leticia's Story: A Medical

Student
(20 MB) - Adobe Flash Format
Loans - Judy's Story: A Mother & Student

(14.7 MB) - Adobe Flash Format
Choosing Medicine
Fri 07Mar2008 09:10
The very first question you have to ask yourself is "Should I be a

physician?" This is the question I feel is the most important and
should be re-evaluated over and over again throughout college.
This doesn't have to apply just to medicine; you should ask
yourself what you want to do for any profession. Do some true,
honest soul-searching.
Choosing a career as a physician is not a decision to be taken

lightly. Most of all, choose a career based on what you are
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interested in and what you enjoy.
So, is medicine right for you? There is a common acronym for

what it takes to be a doctor in the 21st century:
Compassion - a critical part of healing

Advocacy - for your patients and for those without health
care
Leadership - in improving health care, at the team,
hospital, and policy level
Lifelong learning - there will always be more to know
Interpersonal skills - communication with patients and
among providers is key
Negotiation - to work around bureaucratic constraints
Grasp - of a health care system in flux
Becoming a physician is an incredible commitment. On average,

most people graduate college at age 22 and medical school at
age 26. Then you need to complete an internship/residency,
which is usually 3 more years. On average, most physicians
begin their career at age 29. Some specialty training can lead
you into your mid-30s. This can obviously delay plans for
marriage and starting a family.
Being intelligent and scientific are important characteristics to

becoming a physician. Medical schools choose candidates who
they feel can become competent physicians. However, do not
decide on a career in medicine simply because you're good at
science. As a physician you have an opportunity to improve the
lives of others. Actually wanting to help people and enjoying
helping people are integral components of a good physician.
Another characteristic that I think is very important is

communication skills. Having excellent communication skills
will help you absolutely everywhere in life and I feel it is key to
being a good physician. Here are two documents from medical
school secondaries discussing certain sought-after
characteristics:
Essential Capacities 2006

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Minimum Technical Standards 2006

On the other hand, you don't need to have excellent

communication skills. Although verbal communications skills,
for example, would be very helpful for a clinical physician, it
might not be as useful for a research physician. Maybe you don't
like emergency situations. You can teach medicine instead. As a
researcher, you can work in whatever specialty you choose with
the potential to make a breakthrough in preventing and/or
treating illness. As a teacher, you can help mold students into
competent physicians. In research and teaching, you can work in
a clinical setting as well.
Again, ask yourself, is medicine right for you? Medicine is a

career that is honorable and held in high esteem. It also allows
you to live just about anywhere and provides great job security.
There are some drawbacks: many years of preparation,
discipline, incredible responsibility, working in a regulated
system (HMOs), malpractice lawsuits, and long hours.
"One doctor suggested to me that you all should

spend a 36-hour day with a resident on call to know
what you’re getting into. The ‘residency’ is the 3-10
years you will spend after medical school working
70-115 hours/week training in one field. You will
earn $25,000-$35,000/year during this time and
have almost no free time off.
While the work is arduous, there is no other
profession where, even in the training, you can deliver
babies, hold a living heart, or comfort a frightened
child as she goes off to surgery. You will see the best
and the worst in human nature and directly witness
the consequences of life choices. You will partake the
full range of joy and suffering, integrally involved in
both. No other profession affords you the privilege of
helping people in such a profound and simultaneously
hands-on way.
Few professions give you this window into humanity,
and few will require you sacrifice more of your young
adulthood and lifeblood for the privilege of training to
do so." ~ Michael McCullough, MD
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Medicine is not so much a career as it is a lifestyle. You don't

need to rush into it even though it will be a long road once you
start. Maybe you want to be a teacher or a biomedical engineer
for a couple years first. The skills you will learn will help you
better explain issues to your patients, or teach other doctors, or
give you a better understanding of medical devices.
One thought I heard come up over and over again throughout

my college experience was money. My wisdom on this is that
you absolutely do not make a decision to go into medicine for
the money. It will not make you happy. So for the sake of
yourself, and maybe more importantly your patients, don't let
money be the driving force of your decision. There are many
other fields (example "Engineering Versus Medicine") where you
can make money and deal with the responsibility and effort it
takes to be a physician.
I feel that people who are interested in health care migrate

toward becoming a physician. Whether it's the prestige, the
challenge, the reward of helping people, or some other factor.
Maybe becoming a physician is not right for you. Or, more
importantly, maybe you won't get into medical school. Striving
toward medical school takes a lot of commitment in college, but
you should always have a backup plan if things don't work out.
Medical school students often say that "helping others" is their
primary motivation for becoming a doctor. However, there are
many other altruistic health care careers available, most that
involve less schooling and less debt. Here are some:
Physician Assistant
Website Link - Wikipedia
Dentistry
Optometry
Pharmacy
Podiatry
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Psychology
Veterinarian
Nursing
Nurse Anesthetist
Paramedic
Biomedical Engineering
Something else to consider is that as a profession, medicine has

the highest rate of suicide, depression, drug abuse, alcoholism
and divorce. Surveys have shown that a little over half of
physicians would go into a different profession if they had it to
do over again. I don't mean to turn you away from medicine, but
it helps to be realistic about the difficulties you may face.
Depression In Physicians
(232 KB) - Microsoft PowerPoint Format
Depression In Medical School

Physician Suicide Statistics 2003

Physician Suicide Meta Analysis

Physician Depression & Suicide

Prevention
Physician Divorce Article

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Survey On Prevalence Of Alcoholism

Analysis Of Health Of General Surgeons

M.D.s & D.O.s (Allopathy & Osteopathy)

Fri 07Mar2008 09:46
Some people, at least a lot that I grew up with, do not realize

there are two medical degrees in the United States. They are:
M.D. Doctor of Medicine

D.O. Doctor of Osteopathic

Medicine
Both M.D.s and D.O.s work side-by-side doing the same jobs
and making the same money. D.O.s statistically are more
primary-care focused. D.O.s learn a form of hands-on
musculoskeletal medicine called Osteopathic Manipulative
Medicine (OMM) that is used to treat common problems such as
back pain, muscle pain, and headaches. D.O.s are also taught
from the beginning to provide care for the whole person and not
just the disease: a holistic approach. In the end, a D.O. doesn't
have to do OMM and can practice medicine that is not distinct
from M.D.s.
As long as there have been D.O.s, there has been an ongoing

M.D. vs. D.O. debate. This criticism mostly arises due to the
score difference for matriculants. In 2004, osteopathic
matriculants had an average GPA of 3.46 and allopathic
matriculants had 3.64. MCAT scores were 24.6 osteopathic and
30.4 allopathic.
Whatever you feel, here are some things to consider:
As a physician, you and your colleagues will be too busy to

care about where you went to medical school.
Most physicians, and professionals for that matter, judge
each other by the quality of their work, physician feedback,
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and patient feedback. I worked at a very good medical

device company and found that no matter where my
coworkers went to school or what letters were behind their
name, the individual person mattered the most.
As a physician, patients will come to you based on other
patient recommendations and physician referrals, not likely
the letters behind your name.
Your residency and fellowship training are more important
than where you went to medical school.
If you are smart and work hard, you will be a good
physician. If you are lazy and don't make an effort, you will
be doing a disservice to your patients. I'm sure you can
find stories of both M.D.s and D.O.s who are excellent and
stories of those that should not be practicing medicine.
Whatever you feel about M.D.s or D.O.s, bashing either group is

not going to solve any problems. You may end up working with
both M.D.s and D.O.s, and you will need to work together to
provide complete health care to your patients. For that matter,
people work very hard to obtain their degrees regardless of
what they do. So please respect nurses, nursing assistants, and
even the janitors. You are all working together to improve the
health and lives of your patients.
I would highly recommend applying to both M.D. and D.O.

schools.
Here are some documents and links to more information:
About Osteopathic Medicine Presentation

Osteopathic Medical School Option Email

(4 KB) - Text Format
Compendium of Osteopathic Workforce

Studies 2005
Association of American Medical Colleges
(MD)
Website Link - AAMC
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American Association of Colleges of

Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
Website Link - AACOM
Engineering Versus Medicine

Fri 07Mar2008 09:45
I realize this may not be a common contemplation, but it was

definitely one I thought about a great deal. My entire undergrad
program was spent driving toward both of these fields. I was
almost always on the fence about which one I really wanted to
do, so here are my thoughts.
What initially spurred me to write this were reactions I received

from people in both fields. In general, engineers seemed much
more happy with their decision mostly because of their lifestyle.
I would mostly hear that I should meld my two passions and
become an engineer at a biomedical company. When I asked
doctors about my dilemma (engineering or medicine) I was
given varied answers, seemingly related to their specialty.
Family practice physicians said they didn't work too hard and
had a good lifestyle and that I should become a doctor.
Cardiologists said they made lots of money (a plus?) but it didn't
make up for the number of hours and time away from their
families. The most interesting of all were Emergency Room
physicians who nearly always told me to stay clear of medicine
(it seemed overnight/weekend/holiday shifts along with dealing
with certain types of patients had taken their toll on these once
altruistic individuals). Anyway, I am not one to make life
decisions based on anecdotal evidence, so I began my search.
At the bottom are articles, stories, and such related to this
search/dilemma.
What helped me the most was experience in both fields. I

worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for three
years in the ER of a local hospital and for four years with a local
ambulance service. I was able to gain a good understanding of
what medicine involves, the interactions of health care
professionals, and the medical system. I also interned and
worked at two medical device companies, a small one and a
large one. At the small company I was able to gain an
understanding for the entire engineering process. At the large
company, I had less responsibility, a more laid-back job, and
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more satisfaction as our mission drove employees to make the

best devices possible for our patients. For me, actual experience
in these fields gave me the ability to think critically about what I
wanted to do for the rest of my life. I don't think merely
shadowing engineers and physicians would have provided me
with any useful insight.
I feel the most important decision for your major and career
should be based on what you are interested in and what you
enjoy. Regardless of work hours, money, etc., your career will be
a major part of your life. For some people, it is their entire life.
So, choose what you enjoy as everyone (almost without
exception) will work most of their life. However, if you can deal
with a normal 9-5 job that you don't enjoy much but pays well,
you can use your money to do things you do enjoy like
vacationing. Yet, how much vacation time will you really get in
comparison to the hours you work at your job? Everyone is
different and it is your decision so go for what fits you the best,
not what will make you the most money or give you the most
prestige or any other superficial benefit.
If you don't want to perform the social role of a physician, don't

go to medical school. If you think medical school will provide
you with an interesting job where you get to expand your mind
and be among intellectual peers, think more. Medicine is a huge
amount of work that demands a little compassion, a little
intelligence, but mostly dedication to being organized, efficient,
and willing to be a slave to your work. Engineering on the other
hand allows you to solve problems every day and be extremely
creative. Will you be happy seeing patients everyday? Will you be
happy designing new technology? Both fields have their pros
and cons. You can be a pioneer in either of them and be happy
in either of them. The clear difference is in the lifestyle. Choose
happiness.
Articles, Stories, Etc. related to Engineering vs. Medicine:
Job Satisfaction - Physician

Job Satisfaction - Engineer

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Best Jobs - Physician

Best Jobs - Engineer

Best Jobs - Software Engineering

Doctor Or Engineer?
Should My Daughter Become An Engineer?

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

Fri 07Mar2008 09:13
Some consider the MCAT the most painful part of the

application process. It is the culmination of years of pre-med
science courses. Besides your college transcript, nearly every
medical school requires you to take the MCAT and supply your
score with your application. The Medical College Admission Test
(MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination
designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, and
writing skills. It also assesses the examinee's knowledge of
science concepts and principles that are prerequisite to the
study of medicine.
Scores are reported in each of the following areas: Verbal

Reasoning, Physical Sciences (General Chemistry & Physics),
Writing Samples, and Biological Sciences (Organic Chemistry &
Biology). Medical college admission committees consider MCAT
scores as part of their admission decision process. Almost all
U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT scores
during the application process. Many schools do not accept
MCAT scores if taken more than three years ago.
I suggest taking the MCAT during your junior year. You will also
need to start filling out your primary application the summer
between your junior and senior year. The application process is
for the entering class an entire year away. So, unless you want
to take some time off you will have to be in the midst of the
application process during your senior year.
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Prior to 2007, the MCAT was available only twice a year (April
and August). It is a day-long, grueling test. Starting in January
2007, the test started being offered via Computer Based Testing
(CBT). With CBT, the test could be administered more often and
at the pace of the test-taker. So, you could finish in half the
time.
Of the students who matriculate into medical school in 2005,

the mean scores were: Verbal Reasoning - 9.5, Physical Sciences
- 10.0, Biological Sciences - 10.1. The essays are graded on a
scale of J to T. The 50th percentile/average is a score of P. It is
commonly said that a score of 30 (10, 10, 10) is recommended
to be competitive. Most schools have a cut-off of around 24 (8,
8, 8). See the AAMC website for recent published results.
AAMC
Website
Website Link
Some students decide to study for the MCAT on their own while
others take review courses. If you do not feel you can study
effectively alone for such an important exam, you should
probably drop the money and take the review course. If you
study alone, I would suggest buying the material/books that the
review courses offer. They run these courses throughout each
year and really have the content down. Be wary of materials by
third party groups. Personally, I found the audio studying to be
useful as I could listen to concepts on my way to and from work.
However, I found the DVDs to be poor.
The MCAT seems to one of the most talked about and debated
topics amongst pre-meds. I've heard people say the MCAT
doesn't prove you'll be a good doctor. The AAMC released a
study to show the MCAT correlated to USMLE Step 1 scores
(your boards to become a physician). I've heard people say that
good test-takers will do well regardless. In general, I hear the
most complaining from pre-meds on the topic of the MCAT.
Maybe the MCAT shows you are intelligent and understand basic
sciences thus proving you will become a competent physician.
Maybe it simply shows you can take tests and has a negative
correlation to other important characteristics of a physician
such as communication skills. Either way, it doesn't matter. You
18 of 37 21/07/08 04:42
will need to take the MCAT and schools will accept or reject you
based on your score. It is not simply another hoop for you to
jump through. It is a simply way for schools to sift through
thousands of applicants, many of whom have good GPAs and
tons of extracurricular activities. Also, schools get ranked by the
average MCAT scores of their matriculants as the MCAT is
standard across schools. So, schools will accept students with
higher MCAT scores. There is no evidence that high MCAT
scores result in poor physicians.
Here is a plot showing GPA and MCAT scores and their

correlation to being accepted into medical school:
MCAT & GPA Plot

Simply, you have to do really well, so shoot for a minimum of a

30 on the MCAT. Statistically, you can get in with lower, but
don't push your luck.
Here is an audio interview discussing the 2007 changes to the

MCAT:
SDN Interview - MCAT Changes in

2007
(5.7 MB) - Audio Format
Here is a link to some MCAT information I have compiled. It has

topics covered, practice exams, sample questions, writing
samples, study information, etc.
MCAT
Information
Website Link
Activities, Volunteering, and Involvement

Fri 07Mar2008 09:13
College life is not just grades and studying. Your college

experience should be one of the most exciting and enjoyable
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times of your life. The good friends and good times from
college may be some of your fondest memories. Having fun is
very important. However, you must have the discipline to know
when to stop. Remember, chances are you have moved away
from home, are living in a dorm, and have more freedom now
than ever before. However, with this freedom must come the
wisdom to act responsibly for your own sake.
In college you must learn how to manage your time. This is a

skill which will be invaluable as a medical student and for the
rest of your medical career. Some things that are just deadly
time killers such as video games and TV should be curtailed
significantly or banished altogether.
So, now you're studying hard to get good grades and do well on
the MCAT. You're also brown-nosing a little with your
professors in hopes of getting stellar recommendation letters or
at least learning more. Now you'll need to tack-on some
involvement activities.
Although these are not as important as GPA and MCAT, they will
help you stand out during the application process. Most
importantly, they will make you a better and more interesting
person. I attribute most of my communication skills to the jobs
and volunteer work I've had.
When you apply to medical school, you will complete your

primary application. This involves listing your scores, courses,
experiences, and personal statement. Your personal statement
is basically a page-long essay on your motivation for pursing
medical school. Personally, my motivation was driven by my
health care related experiences throughout college. The next
important part of your primary application are your
experiences/activities. You will have a list of things to choose
from, such as:
Paid Employment – Military

Paid Employment – Non-Military
Community Service/Volunteer – Non-Medical
Community Service/Volunteer – Medical
Research/Lab
Teaching/Tutoring
Honors/Awards/Recognitions
Conferences Attended
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Presentations/Posters
Publications
Extracurricular/Hobbies/Avocations
Leadership – Not Listed Elsewhere
Intercollegiate Athletics
Artistic Endeavors
or more simply
Work Experience
Extracurricular, Volunteer, Community Service
Awards, Honors, Scholarships
Take another look at these lists. These are the categories

medical schools are looking at for your experiences. The
experience that I found most weighted are leadership
experiences, volunteer experiences, and health care related
experiences.
Although working through college may be time-consuming and

difficult, I feel it is a great opportunity. It gives you real-world
experience and even some cash you can have fun with. Most of
all, it opens door to experiences you might not have otherwise
had.
One such example is becoming an Emergency Medical

Technician (EMT). This alone does not look too impressive on a
medical school application as it is a short curriculum. However,
it may allow you to work for a local ambulance service or
hospital. You can gain actual health care experience and start to
understand how the medical system works. Plus, you'll have
experiences and stories to write about and talk about. Some
schools require you to have health care related experience as
well.
Volunteering is also very useful. However, use your time wisely

and try to choose your activities wisely. That is, choose
meaningful volunteering experiences.
Start looking into pre-med groups on your campus. Some

schools offer pre-med workshops. Start to meet people with
similar goals so you can share ideas. Look to see if your school
offers some sort of pre-med scholars program. Students can
apply to these early in their college studies and get a conditional
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acceptance to medical school.
Physicians are considered health care leaders and thus have

great responsibility. If you have leadership experience, it shows
you are able to manage a team, communicate, and handle
responsibility. If you're interested in biomedical engineering
club, shoot for an officer position. If you play intramural
volleyball, shoot for team captain.
Some schools are heavy research schools and will look for
students who have related experiences. Your best bet might be
getting a part-time lab job or volunteering for a professor who
is doing research. If you are very interested in research and
spent a few years with a lab/professor, you may get a
publication to your name. You might even attend a national
conference to present a poster or presentation on your research.
Whether you are interested in research or not, try to have one
experience with it so you understand what is involved.
One activity that was important to me was teaching. I taught a

great deal throughout college, mostly EMT classes and AHA
classes (like CPR and AED use). Other opportunities could
include being a teaching assistant. If you do well on the MCAT,
you can teach for a company that does test review courses.
Maybe you know a second language and want to help teaching
in your community. Whether you are interested in teaching or
not, try to have one experience with it so you understand what
is involved.
The last large category is Awards & Honors. Awards are usually
about being in the right place at the right time (and working
hard). These are not usually something you can look at
obtaining, but something that is a result of excellence. So, keep
pushing forward and maybe you'll get rewarded. If not,
hopefully you were having fun along the way.
Here is an audio interview discussing meaningful clinical

experience:
SDN Interview - Clinical

Experience
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Getting To Know Faculty

Fri 07Mar2008 09:12
Letters of recommendation are a significant part of your medical

school application. So, you should spend some time and effort
on this. Most importantly, start early. Each school has different
requirements for letters they want, but most often they want the
following:
Pre-Med Advisory Committee Letter

Science Professor
Other Letter (non-science, work, volunteer, physician)
Some schools do not have pre-med advisory committees and

you can usually substitute this letter for a couple other letters,
likely your academic advisor and another science professor.
Some schools will request a non-science professor. Some want
a letter from someone at a job you had or extracurricular
experience. Some schools, especially osteopathic schools, will
require you to have health care experience and/or a letter from
a physician. Most schools request between two and four letters.
The main point is that you will need to get to know people.
These people should know you well enough to assess your
ability to succeed in medical school. Usually the most important
area a school will want to hear about is your academic ability
and potential. They may also want to know about motivation for
medicine, maturity, emotional stability, interpersonal relations,
empathy, judgment, resourcefulness, communication skills,
perseverance, self-confidence, work ethic, reliability, leadership,
and compassion.
So, start right away on getting to know your professors, faculty,

managers, volunteer coordinators, and anyone else you may
work with. You will likely take your science courses when you
first enter college. Especially at larger schools, your class may
be enormous. You will really need to go out of your way to make
an impression and get to know your professors. You could also
work or volunteer in their research labs (if they do research),
furthering your relationship.
Let these people know you are interested in pursing medical

school and that you may ask them for a letter in the future. It is
important to recognize the quality of a letter you may receive.
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You can also ask straight-out if they are willing to write you a
positive letter that will support your goal of getting into medical
school.
It is also important to get a feel for how busy your letter writers
are. When secondary applications start coming in the mail, you
won't have time to spend waiting on your professors to write
recommendations. Some schools are on rolling admissions and
time wasted may be detrimental to your chances of getting in.
It's best if they have a general letter done so only minor
changed need to be made before mailing.
Here is an example form for pre-medical advisors on how to

write a letter for students:
Pre Medical Recommendation

Letters
As an example, here is a letter written for me by my academic

advisor:
Recommendation Letter 2006

What Are My Chances

Fri 07Mar2008 09:48
No one can tell you for sure what your chances are. Actually, the
best person to ask is yourself. For some people, it is very
reassuring to see some statistics.
Here is the GPA and MCAT scores plot again:
MCAT & GPA Plot

Here are statistics from D.O. schools in 2005 I compiled:
School Stats D.O. 2005

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The columns on the right side are for in-state (IS) and
out-of-state (OOS) percentages. They show the percentages of
those that apply who get interviews, those that interview who
get accepted, and overall who apply and get accepted.
Statistically, for independent events (e.g. med school interviews

to acceptance percentage), the probability of one happening
(getting in) is:
2 Events: P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B)
3 Events: P(A or B or C) = P(A) + P(B) + P(C) - P(A and B) - P(A
and C) - P(B and C) + P(A and B and C)
So say you have interviews at KCOM, TCOM, and PCOM (picked

randomly). The chance you get in with KCOM (69% OOS) and
TCOM (61% OOS) is about 88%.
If you add in PCOM (68% OOS) to this mix, your chance of

getting in is over 96%. This can be calculated using the 3 Event
option or doing the 2 Event option a second time using the
combined 88% and the PCOM 68%.
Your chance of getting in if you apply to every D.O. school (in

2005) and are OOS for all of them is about 60%. It's probably
even a little higher since stats aren't listed for 7 schools. At 2%
for these 7 schools it raises your chances to 65%.
On the other hand, say you had interviews at those 3 schools.

The chance that you didn't get in can be found two different
ways. Getting rejected from all 3 schools would be 1 - 96% or
4%. Another way is multiplying the chances of not getting in. So
(1 - 68%) * (1 - 61%) * (1 - 68%) or about 4%.
I don't know all the factors involved in gaining acceptance after

an interview, but being rejected several times post-interview is
comparatively highly unlikely. Statistically, about 50% of all
applicants get into some school. (See the AAMC website for the
current percentage)
Dual Degree Programs

Fri 07Mar2008 09:47
Many schools offer dual-degree (or joint-degree) programs and

you should at least know what they can offer. Realize that a
second professional degree will take you extra time (and
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money). Traditionally, dual-degree physicians are less likely to

be in clinical practice actually seeing patients. Dual degree
programs are meant to train students to tackle the toughest
problems of the 21st century, the problems that respect no
disciplinary borders and demand fundamentally new answers.
However, the number of acronyms behind your name will not
determine how good of a physician you are. Think hard about
what you want to do when you finish school. For shorthand, I
am using M.D.O. for M.D. or D.O.
M.D.O./Ph.D. (3-4 more years)

The Doctor of Philosophy program is catered to physician
investigators. There are many options for the Ph.D. degree such
as biochemistry, molecular biology, biomedical engineering,
physiology, epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, etc. It is a
very difficult program to get into at some schools, as they will
pay for your education. However, they basically own you for
eight years or so. If you love research, publishing, and
pioneering new medicine, this is the spot for you. Again, it is a
long road though.
M.D.O./J.D. (2-3 more years)

The Juris Doctor degree highlights the relationship between law
and medicine and provides students an important enrichment in
their interdisciplinary studies. There are endless job
opportunities when you finish (like any dual-degree program)
such as health care fraud and abuse, hospital law, intellectual
property, medical technology law, medical school
administration, etc.
M.D.O./M.P.H. (1 more year)

The Master or Public Health degree is for students who want to
be public health care leaders. They may deal with problems like
medical care for the poor, care for the uninsured, the AIDS
epidemic, etc.
M.D.O./M.S. (1 more year)

The Master of Science degree is for students who want to obtain
better residencies and/or work as a clinical scientist. There are
tons of dual-degree master programs available. They can also
help drive you toward a specialty if that is your interest.
M.D.O./M.B.A. (1 more year)

The Master of Business Administration program is for students
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who want a business management background. They may work

for medical corporations such as device companies or drug
companies, manage hospitals, deal with health care financing,
etc.
There are other options as well and still even more if you do not
enter a dual-degree program. For example, you could get your
masters degree or Ph.D. first and then attend medical school. Or
maybe you want to get your pharmacy degree (PharmD) and
then attend medical school. Either way, consider the time
commitment and what type of work you will be doing when you
finish.
Here are some example documents for dual-degree programs:
Osteopathic Dual-Degree Programs

Presentation 2006
M.D./Ph.D. Brochure
M.D./J.D. Brochure
D.O./M.P.H. Curriculum
M.D./M.P.H. Brochure
M.D./M.S. in Bioinformatics Brochure

M.D./M.B.A. Brochure
Shadowing Physicians
Fri 07Mar2008 09:46
Second to hands-on participation in a clinical setting, I think

shadowing physicians is the best extracurricular activity you can
do. It will provide you with clinical exposure, stories for your
interview, and even some recommendation letters. Most of all, it
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will give you an idea of what physicians' lives are like and help
you decide if medicine is right for you.
You can set up a shadowing experience at any time you want;

physicians work around the clock in some settings. Personally, I
felt a week-long shadowing stretch in the summer was best as
you could get an idea of what an entire week involves.
So, how do you set this up if you don't know any doctors?
Simple, find a phone directory, pick a specialty that sounds
interesting, and start calling. Better yet, search the internet for
shadowing databases and email some physicians. Some health
care societies have this information online just waiting for you
to find.
So, you're on the phone with an office specialist. Let them know
you're a pre-med student from whatever University and want to
go to medical school. Ask if Dr. so-and-so allows students to
come shadow him/her. Typically, they've done this before and
everything will be a breeze.
I suggest that you shadow both M.D.s and D.O.s, regardless of

where you will apply. You may just realize they do the same
thing. Some schools, mostly osteopathic, require you to have a
physician recommendation letter and sometimes actual clinical
experience. Also, try shadowing different specialty physicians
and for sure shadowing family practice physicians. If you want
to shadow a surgeon, you may need to contact the hospital or
surgery facility as well. Shadowing experience will look good on
your medical school application as it shows you worked to gain
an understanding of what medicine is really about. Also, you
may get some great recommendation letters from the physicians
you shadow, which is always helpful.
When shadowing, it should be obvious that you show up well

dressed, groomed, and having a professional appearance.
Business casual is recommended, but do not overdo it (formal
dress or suit and tie).
Some physicians will try to get you involved in procedures and

talking with them or the patients. If you feel comfortable with
this, go for it! If you sit there like a wall and just stare, you won't
learn a whole lot. Try to get involved and let your physicians
know you want to help if possible.
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Here are some example documents for shadowing:
Shadowing Physicians
Primary Care Physician Shadowing

Program
Choosing Schools
Tue 17Apr2007 00:33
Pre-med students apply to an average of 12 medical schools

according to the AAMC in 2006. I feel you should generally
apply to all of the schools in your state, some "safety" schools,
and some that you can only dream to get into. However, only
apply to schools that you actually want to attend. State
supported medical schools take a large majority of students
from their own state and it is difficult to get into one if you are
not from that state. The percentage of in-state students
accepted is generally found on the school's website, or in the
MSAR. Some states do not have medical schools but will have a
contract with another state to allow students to apply as
in-state. This information can also be found in the MSAR.
Two good places to start looking at for school information are

the AAMC (M.D.) website and the AACOM (D.O.) website. There
are also options for going to medical school abroad and in
Puerto Rico. Some U.S. schools even have programs where you
can study abroad for some time.
Puerto Rican schools have lower acceptance standards than all

U.S. schools. There has been and will continue to be great
debate on the quality of education at these programs. It is
important to know that the degree you get may not transfer into
the U.S. Also, it may be difficult to obtain residencies in the U.S.
However, you take the same board exams and hopefully are
going into medical school to improve the lives of others. If you
work hard at it you can become a good doctor regardless of
where you went to school.
Make sure you visit a school's website and/or get information

about a school you want to apply to. Maybe even purchase a
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book with information about medical schools. Although

primaries are not very expensive per school, why waste your
money on applying to a school you won't attend. Here are some
things to think about:
What is the curriculum like at the school?

Does the school guide students toward certain areas, such
as rural medicine?
What are 3rd & 4th year rotations like?
How well do the students do on the boards?
What is the class size?
What are the labs like? What about technology?
Do the schools have options for specialization? Are they
the interests that you might have?
Does the school have research opportunities? Teaching
opportunities?
What is the scholarship potential?
What is tuition? (state schools are much cheaper than
private)
What is the surrounding city like? Is rent cheap? Is crime
low?
Does the school have a dual-degree program you want to
enter? (some schools let you apply for these programs
while you are in your first or second year)
Does the school cater to certain groups? (e.g. native
american, african americans, etc.)
Does the school have a mission that fits your goals?
As you can see, there are many different things to think about.
Medical school is a ridiculous amount of work so choosing a
school you will be happy at is key.
Letters of Recommendation
Fri 07Mar2008 09:50
This is an expansion of "Getting To Know Faculty" so please

read that post first.
The reason this post is placed between primaries and

secondaries (and not after secondaries) is due to time
constraints. When you get your secondaries, you will have little
time to do a lot of work. It is important that your letters of
recommendation be ready to send to schools. As soon as you
submit your primaries, contact your letter writers and remind
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them you are applying and may need them to write a letter.
Hopefully they have a general letter already written, and if not
suggest it.
It is important to stay organized throughout this process. If you

start getting secondaries, you will have a great deal of
information to manage. Some schools require certain types of
letters and certain numbers of letters. Some want the envelope
back signed by the recommender to prove it wasn't opened.
Some want your AAMCAS number on the letter. Some want your
Social Security Number on the letter.
Try to make this process easy for your letter writers. For
example, you could print labels to give them with your name
and number (the one that school wants). You could print
address labels or even envelops for each school. This also
ensures that the letter gets to the correct place, so long as you
are doing diligence while creating the labels.
I made some files to help me coordinate this information:
Recommendation Letter
Worksheet
Secondary Status Worksheet

If you receive secondaries and submit them, remember to thank

your recommender for taking the time to write you a letter...or a
dozen letters.
Primaries (AMCAS & AACOM)

Fri 07Mar2008 09:48
The next step is to fill out the primary application. The two
common primaries are the AAMCAS (M.D. through AAMC) and
AACOMAS (D.O. through AACOM). Some schools, for example
Texas schools and North Dakota, do not participate in these
primaries.
The AAMCAS and AACOMAS become available at the beginning

of June, an entire year before you would start medical school. It
is important to fill this out and submit it as soon as possible.
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Some schools also have early-acceptance programs that usually

require you to complete and submit your primaries before
August. You must be an exceptional candidate to get accepted
to these programs.
The AAMCAS and AACOMAS are basically the same except for
word count. If you write your essay and experiences for the
AAMCAS first, you can cut-out information for the AACOMAS.
Your personal statement (essay) asks you to write about your
motivation for medicine. Hopefully you've been asking yourself
this question since you originally decided to pursue medicine.
You get about a page worth of space. For your experiences, you
get about a paragraph to summarize significant and/or
meaningful activities you were involved in.
If you are interested, here are my primaries:
Primary Application
Documents
Website Link
Again, some schools have rolling admissions so it is to your

benefit to complete primaries right away. The cost for 12
schools will run over $1000, at least in 2006. After you submit
your primaries, you get to cross your fingers in hopes of getting
secondary applications.
Secondaries
Fri 07Mar2008 09:50
Secondaries are a lot of work. You will likely receive all your
secondaries at about the same time. Also, they give you about a
month to complete them. Some schools are on rolling
admissions and delaying your application simply hurts your
chances.
Some secondaries are extremely short, maybe a page or even

nothing at all other than money. However, most are not. You
may need to list all your required courses again (like you did on
the AMCAS/AACOMAS). You man need to list your experiences
over again. You will likely need to answer essay questions.
Common questions are "why do you want to come to our
school?", "why do you want to be an osteopathic/allopathic
physician?", "do you have any research experience", and so
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forth. Sometimes, there are odd-ball questions that you can't

reuse for different secondaries.
If you are interested, here are my secondary essays:
Secondary Application
Documents
Website Link
Secondaries will cost you as much or more than your primaries.

If you apply to dual-degree programs, expect it to cost even
more. Most schools charge a fee to offset the cost of this
process. They have to get together the admissions committee
once a week or so to sift through tons of applications. The small
primary fee doesn't always cover this, which is why some
schools will automatically send a secondary if you simply meet
their GPA and MCAT criteria.
I suggest turning in your secondaries all at the same time. This

is because some schools have acceptance fees that can be in the
range of $1000. If you get accepted to that school, you get
about a month to decide. If you accept, you'll need to drop the
$1000 fee. So, if you get all your applications in together, you
may have more than one acceptance and you can make
decisions instead of losing even more money.
For the schools you apply to, determine what form of status
checking they have. Many allow you to check the status of your
application online. This is important as schools receive an
incredible number of applications and may lose, for example,
one of your letters of recommendation. If they don't have your
complete file, you'll never have your application looked at and
your years of work could be lost. So, my advice is to check up
on your applications a reasonable number of times without
harassing the schools.
Interviewing
Fri 07Mar2008 09:50
Getting an interview is a huge hurdle. Now your chances of

getting in are much higher. The school is telling you that you
have met their acceptance criteria and now they want to get to
know you personally. Here are some tips:
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Dress professionally
Be on time
Be polite and don't interrupt
Make eye contact
Be yourself and be honest
Know as much about the school and curriculum as you can
Many interviewers have been doing it for a long time and can
tell when you are telling them something you think they want to
hear. You can also bet they will ask you why you want to be a
doctor and why you choose their school.
The interview process varies form school to school. Some

schools make the interview a sort of formality; they are planning
on accepting you already. The day turns into an open-house
where you learn about the school and then have maybe a hour
worth of interviewing. Some schools make the interview a big
deal, with up to three hours of interviewing between many
different people. You may get questions meant to make you
squirm. Questions about the state of health care today,
questions about a problem class on your transcript, ethical
dilemmas, etc.
Interviewing is another costly endeavor. As an engineer out of

college, companies were willing to pay to fly me to their
interviews. They would pay for everything, including my meals
for the day. You don't get such luck with medical school
interviews. They tell you a date, time, and place and you have to
be there. Whether you fly or drive, it will cost money to get to
the schools. You may also have to take time away from classes
and/or work, which puts additional burden on you. Be prepared
for these trips. Make sure you know where exactly you need to
be and how to get there on time. Make sure you have a backup
plan if your car breaks down or some other problem arises.
Also, find some time during the day to visit the surrounding city
and see what it has to offer. After all, you might spend four
years or more there.
Although I am not a fan of forums, there are some good ones

available that discuss interviews.
The Student Doctor Network

Website Link - Interview Feedback
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Here are some documents related to interviewing:
SDN Interview - Tips For Medical School

Interview
Understanding The Medical School Interview

100 Medical School Interview Practice

Questions
Sample Medical School Interview Questions

Acceptance & Rejection

Fri 07Mar2008 09:52
Chances are, you're going to get lots of rejection letters. Maybe

you played your cards right and get an acceptance. Maybe you
won't get in at all.
The time between submitting your secondaries, getting an

interview, and the decision letter is painful. You have compiled
your life and sent it to schools. Now you can't do anything to
improve your application. You simply have to wait.
If you've been involved in pre-med activities, you'll start hearing

about people who got accepted and rejected from certain
schools. There is always talk about how a certain school could
reject someone and accept someone else. I heard a great deal of
whining, especially on forums, about how bad this process is.
However, no one provided a means to improve it. The truth is,
the process is very good and very well thought out. Schools
have an obligation to accept top students and create competent
physicians.
As an example, in 2005 the University of Minnesota put

together an admissions task force for the class of 2010. Their
goal was to ensure they would accept students who would
become competent physicians. Here is their report:
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Admissions Task Force Report

In a presentation from this task force, they say a competent

physician should have:
Medical knowledge
Practice based learning and improvement
Professionalism (Excellence, Humanism, Accountability,
Altruism)
Systems based practice
Communication
Patient care
This isn't a random process and there are reasons why people
get accepted and rejected. Even if you get accepted, this type of
process will follow you forever. So, don't be discouraged. Try,
try, try again.
If you get accepted into multiple schools, congrats! Choose the

factors that are most important to you, such as curriculum,
location, cost, etc. and compare schools. Don't worry too much
about making the wrong decision as all U.S. medical schools
provide an excellent education.
Last, but certainly not least, take care of yourself:
Example Workout/Eating Guide

Physical Activity & Heart Guide

(1.2 MB) - Portable Document Format
Example Stretching Guide

Stretching & Flexibility Book

SDN Interview - Maintaining Fitness &

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Pre-Med Process http://premedprocess.blogspot.

These are posts that involve my experience with the medical

The main reason for compiling this site is because I wish it

For M.D. schools, many people suggest picking up a copy of the

Here are a couple more pre-med guides if you are interested:

The Not So Short Introduction To Getting Into

Pre-Med Planner 2005

All of my documents for this process are here:

Grades & GPA

Getting good grades in college is absolutely necessary. Your

When you apply to medical school, the standard application

It is also important to do well in college from the beginning.

large percentage of students dropped the course, stopped their

Don't be completely discouraged if you get a C or fail a course.

Here is a plot showing GPA and MCAT scores and their

MCAT & GPA Plot

Simply, you have to do really well, so shoot for a minimum of a

Medical schools in general required the following college

Biology with Laboratory (one year)

Schools vary to their requirements so start considering which

Requirements Worksheet 2006

A note on Advanced Placement courses from high school. These

The courses you take in college (especially science courses in

A major decision you must make early on in college is choosing

Cost of Medical School

Unless you have incredibly rich parents or won the lottery,

you're going to need student loans for medical school. Tuition

Here is a loan calculator I made:

Amortization & Loan Worksheet

Here is an article that discusses the effect of student loans:

Effect of Medical School Debt & Loans

There are three sources of financial assistance: loans,

Here is a guide for funding your graduate education:

Graduate Funding Guide

To get student loans, you need to meet the following basic

There are five basic sources of aid: federal, state, private,

This information was found at The Princeton Review website. To

Federal Loans: Federal loan programs are funded by the federal

State Loans: Students who are residents of the state in which

information about these programs. Also, you do not necessarily

Private Loans: Private loans are funded by contributions from

Institutional Loans: The amount of loan money available and the

Alternative Loans: Alternative loans are, simply put, loans

No-Strings Attached (Tough To Get, But Worth Trying): Some

Obligatory Scholarships: Some federal scholarships are available

scholarships provide full tuition and fees, some or all expenses,

Here are some related files:

Loans - Time Line

Loans - Web Sites

Loans - Leticia's Story: A Medical

Loans - Judy's Story: A Mother & Student

The very first question you have to ask yourself is "Should I be a

Choosing a career as a physician is not a decision to be taken

interested in and what you enjoy.

So, is medicine right for you? There is a common acronym for

Compassion - a critical part of healing

Becoming a physician is an incredible commitment. On average,

Being intelligent and scientific are important characteristics to

Another characteristic that I think is very important is

Essential Capacities 2006

Minimum Technical Standards 2006

On the other hand, you don't need to have excellent

Again, ask yourself, is medicine right for you? Medicine is a