Nikol
How/When do I apply for medical school or dental school?
I immigrated to the US 8 years ago and I will be the first in my family to be applying to an American college. Unfortunately, I have no experience/ know anyone who has experience with applying to a medical or dental school. I am unaware of how the process works and when I should apply to medical school and what I should major in because I want to do dual major (medical and business) but I am worried if I major in business it would hinder my chances of getting into med/dental school. #medicine #medschool #higher-education #business #college
3 answers
Vickey Manning
Vickey’s Answer
You need to declare your major as pre-med and speak with your counselor, who will give you all the information about when and how to apply to medical or dental school.
Kortnee Burrell, M.Ed.
Kortnee’s Answer
Hello, Nikol!
I recommend you check into some prospective schools to learn more about a timeline for applying for admissions into dental or medical schools.
Best of luck with your educational, professional, and personal endeavors!
Best regards,
Kortnee B.
Kortnee recommends the following next steps:
Richard A.
Richard’s Answer
In the US, to apply to medical school, you need a bachelor's degree. Any 4-year university should suffice.
Pick a major that interests you so you don't mind devoting a majority of your hours to studying. You will need to get good grades in college in order to apply for medical school. At the medical school I attended, the average GPA is reported to be 3.85, so even one or two B's can hurt your chances of acceptance.
Aside from this, any major is acceptable as long as you complete the prerequisite courses.
Typical medical school prerequisites include:
Biology: Lecture – 4 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
General Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Organic Chemistry: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Biochemistry: Lecture – 1 semester
General Physics: Lecture – 2 semesters; Lab – 1 semester
Math: Statistics – 1 semester
English: Rhetoric (Composition) and Literature – 2 semesters
Try to find opportunities to pursue research.
Volunteer at your local hospital or low-income clinic. Ask physicians, PAs or other clinical providers if you can shadow them.
During college study for and complete the MCAT. Devote an entire summer to studying for the MCAT and consider paying for a prep course if you can afford it.
My son used MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review 2019-2020: Online + Book + 3 Practice Tests (Kaplan Test Prep) Kaplan Test Prep
It was about $140 and he achieved his goal score.
Apply to medical schools during your last year of college.
Medical school takes 4 years to complete.
After medical school physicians complete a residency for additional training.