Road to Medical School

The path to applying to medical school looks different for everyone, especially because there is no “pre-med” track to follow at the UW, but it can certainly be helpful to have an idea of what it might look when going through the process for the first time. Below are some recommended steps to take each year leading up to med school. Keep in mind that this is not the best or right way, and if you have any questions about your own path, we recommend meeting with a Career Coach!

Four or More Years Before You Plan to Attend Medical School

In the classroom:

  • Take Pre-Health 101 , an Introduction to Careers in the Health Professions, as part of a FIG or on its own
  • Meet with your assigned academic adviser to clarify degree requirements and identify majors of interest

Outside the classroom:   

  • Explore RSOs related to health and whatever else you are interested in (such as MAPS, Pre-Pharm Club, Delta Delta Sigma, etc.)
  • Identify volunteer or paid clinical experiences that you think would help confirm skills
    • Consider earning a healthcare credential and working in an Allied Health position, such as a phlebotomist, certified nursing assistant (CNA), emergency medical technician (EMT), medical assistant, etc.
  • If interested, explore research through the Undergraduate Research Program
  • Keep a journal about your experiences to refer to later for essays and interviews
  • Consider participating in the Summer Health Professions Education Program

How UW Career Coaches can help:

  • Make an appointment with a career coach to discuss how to complement your coursework with activities outside the classroom that help you build and confirm skills and interests.

AAMC Resources, Services and Tools:

 

Three Years Before You Plan to Attend Medical School

In the classroom:

  • Continue to develop relationships with faculty, advisors, and mentors. Advisors can help you combine major requirements with pre-health requirements

Outside the classroom:

  • Pursue or continue meaningful medically-related activities, including volunteer roles, paid work, research positions, and/or leadership opportunities in health organizations.
  • Consider returning to your previous summer position or applying for a new summer volunteer, paid, allied health, or research position in a health care-related environment.

How career coaches can help:

  • Meet with a coach to fine tune your resume as you apply to internships, scholarships and research opportunities
  • Identify future letter writers  
  • RSO exploration          
  • Connecting to volunteer opportunities and allied health training programs
  • Leadership development

AAMC Resources, Services and Tools:

 

Two Years Before You Plan to Attend Medical School

In the classroom:

  • Meet with an adviser in your major to make a plan for graduation, and to identify how you can complement your coursework for your major with the coursework and activities for medical school.

Outside the classroom:

  • Review the list of medical schools you’re interested in; you can use the “Favorites” feature in the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) platform to email your list of favorite schools to your advisor.
    • While 35 Questions I Wish I Had Asked is primarily to help prepare for medical school interviews, you can also use these questions to help identify influential factors when deciding what schools to apply to
  • Consider when it’s best for you to take the MCAT exam; visit the MCAT website to find test dates and locations.
  • Determine eligibility for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program. The benefits of the program are not retroactive. You should not submit MCAT registration materials, an AMCAS application, or  purchase MCAT Official Preparation products or an MSAR Subscription until your fee assistance request has completed processing and has either been approved or denied.  
  • Identify, pursue, or continue leadership opportunities with pre-health opportunities on campus.
  • Think about which faculty, work/experience supervisors, research PIs, and mentors you’ll approach to write letters of evaluation for your applications.
  • Continue participating in meaningful clinical experiences, other medically related activities, allied health roles, volunteer work, research, and/or leadership roles on campus; if possible, take on a more substantial role.
  • Continue to research medical schools you labeled as favorites in MSAR. If available, apply to their premed pipeline programs.

How career coaches can help:

  • Strategize about your application timeline; determine if you’ll apply to enroll immediately following graduation or after one or more gap years.
  • If you are considering a gap year, investigate a meaningful, medically-related paid or volunteer experience to complete during that time.
  • Strategize how to approach writers for your letters of evaluation.
  • Identify more salient criteria for identifying good target schools

AAMC Resources, Services and Tools:

 

One Year Before You Plan to Attend Medical School

In the classroom:

  • Ask instructors, mentors, and advisors to write letters of evaluation for you.
  • Depending on your timeline, you may not be in classes at this point, and that’s okay! You can consider reaching out to professors

Outside the classroom:

  • Seek new meaningful clinical experiences, other medically related activities, volunteer work, and research and/or leadership experiences. 
  • Complete the AMCAS application.
  • Complete and submit secondary applications.
  • Prepare for interviews and campus visits.

How career coaches can help:

  • Enroll in GEN ST 297: Applying to Health Professional School, in the winter or spring before you plan to apply
  • Meet with a career coach for an “Applying to Graduate School” appointment to get feedback on your application materials, decide where to apply and how to demonstrate enthusiasm and excitement in their secondary applications.
  • Meet with a coach to prepare for an interview
  • Utilize Standout, a virtual mock interviewing tool

AAMC Resources, Services and Tools: