Anybody applying to medical school this year? Vol. Class of 2013

[slicknickmd]

Originally Posted by Hodog16

Good luck for the long haul. I graduated from med school in 2005 and just finished my residency and started fellowship last week. My advice to anyone who's considering applying:

1. Unless you are worried about getting enough secondaries/interviews or you plan to go to every interview, I suggest just applying to 10 schools which is the free amount from AMCAS. If you get 15 interviews are you really going to go to each one?
2. Public school > private school. Nothing like graduating from medical school with minimal debt (or none in my case!).
3. Take the MCAT after you take biochemistry. If you got credits to take biochem in your sophomore year (organic chem freshman year) then I'd try to take the MCAT in August at the beginning of your junior year, otherwise just take it in April with everybody else and take biochem your first semester junior year.
4. Make sure you want to be a doctor because of more than just money and prestige. The money can be good, but there are easier/quicker ways to make money, and the prestige isn't what it used to be.
5. Be sure to be extremely nice (but not annoyingly so) to the admissions office coordinator (read: secretary). They can really help you out or sink your application. They're probably the 2nd most important person besides the dean of admissions in terms of your application.
6. Get a major other than pre-med. If you don't get into medical school, a degree in chemistry or biochem will be a lot more helpful than a degree in pre-medical studies.
7. Make sure none of your friends are pre-med. There are no more annoying people in college than pre-medical students. Ugh.

If I think of more I'll post, otherwise feel free to shoot any questions my way.

Most schools dont offer a pre-med major.....I think u can major in anything but need to take the pre-reqs. What did u do your residency and what fellowshipare you pursuing?
About none of my friends being pre-med

. I have a lot of premed buds butmy close ones aren't. A few of them started out pre-med and gave the

after the first intro bio lecture (See AKNAKO now going to Law school

. One of my best friends I lived with Junior year quit cause he didn't wanna do a chem problem set. I came to dudes room to study with him and hewas playing Madden. He was like "Nick I just had an epiphany, I don't wanna do this anymore". I don't know if I could've lived with orbeen friends with another neurotic premed student.