Dr_Dave,

In addition to the previously stated text, I've been looking at the annual class matriculation and demographics, the school receives roughly 6,000 applications per class, though only admitting 200 students, and a clear 1:1 acceptance ratio of in-state applicants v. out of state; is this a small medical school? I've also been looking at the faculty, should I contact MEDICAL SCHOOL admissions currently and inform them of my plan to transfer from their Undergraduate school to Medical school within next 2-3 years? (would this matter?)

I have notified the undergraduate school of my goals, and completed all the necessary steps I can right now in regards to taking the required prerequisites. All that exists now is my commitment to these standardized tests, should I start to study for the MCATS and GRE's in conjunction over the next 2 years as I finish my Bachelors?

So as to not get burned out on life, and medical sciences I'm opting for a Baccalaureate focus of either Liberal Arts, Psychology, though these interest me. As I know I want to pursue an M.D. , while maintaining a realistic attitude toward success and failure, would Accounting be a fruitful minor concentration compared to the other applicants? (statistically speaking, it has been previously stated this may not even make a difference) (Do not bother elaborating if it is a simple No.)

My goals for the next 2 years prior to my application to Med- School, studying for the GRE's and MCATS, and attempting to form a relationship with an individual within the industry, or any interaction that could result in a letter of recommendation. Would volunteering at a local hospice help? Do similar programs exist like the previous that can aid me in my attempts to promote my image, and overall character within the community

Thank you,
Anon

Dr_Dave,

Should I also start clearing social networking sites of my information as of now?

Sincerely,
Anon

S. Ibanez / Anon,

There are no mandatory courses that would improve your application. If the courses are mandatory, then everyone takes them. As for courses beyond the mandatory that would improve your application - I'm not aware of any.

I don't see any reason to submit scores/test results proving you are bilingual. While it is a good thing to have for you career, I don't know that medical schools put too much weight in someone being bilingual. It can't hurt, but I don't know that it helps much. I would guess it may give you an advantage when applying to some residency programs if they are located in an area with a high Spanish speaking population. I don't think that would apply nearly as much to the medical school.

If the medical school asks for references from areas outside of the sciences, a character reference could be helpful, but I doubt it would make the difference between being accepted and rejected. So many applicants have volunteer experience, unless you did something really out of the ordinary, I'm not sure how much it would set you apart. It is definitely a good thing to do and put on your application (as it would be a good topic to discuss during interviews).

I'm not familiar with PMGC programs. It sounds like it is different from a post-bacc program for people who still need to take their pre-med courses. I am not sure exactly what the program could consist of, as I assume you would already have taken your required pre-med courses. That means the program is either retaking those courses, or taking higher level courses in those fields which isn't really necessary. I did find one website that talks about a Premedical Graduate Certificate Program. It seems like one of the main purposes is to help you study for the MCAT and improve those scores. Obviously, a higher MCAT score will make you a stronger applicant. I'm not sure that having additional science courses on your resume would make any difference. I have no idea if this type of course is geared towards people who didn't get accepted the first time around or not. I would think that if you have completed all of your pre-med courses and taken the MCAT, you could always apply to medical schools and see if you get accepted, unless you know your GPA and scores aren't competitive. In other words, I would guess that most people who do this as a post-bacc program would be people who didn't get accepted (or knew they wouldn't) the first time around.

I would guess the average medical school has around 150-200 students per class. 200 is not small as there are some medical schools with only 100 students in each graduating class. 200 may even be on the bigger end of the spectrum, but I haven't looked at those statistics before.

There is no reason to contact the medical school admissions at this point. They don't need to hear from you until you are ready to apply to medical school. You can contact them if you have specific questions you need answered about what they require in order to get accepted. You won't be "transferring" from their undergraduate to their medical school. You would be graduating from one and starting at the other.

Major/minor fields won't make you more or less appealing as an applicant. Pick the fields that interest you and will give you the best options for a career if medical school doesn't pan out.

Doing well in your pre-med courses is the best way to study for the MCAT. The MCAT will be testing you on those subjects. I wouldn't spend extra time studying specifically for the MCAT beyond studying for your pre-med courses until a few months before the actual MCAT exam. As for letters of recommendation - hopefully you'll have some smaller courses in the area of your major which will allow you to know a teacher well enough they would write a letter of recommendation.

Volunteering at a local hospice won't hurt you any, but again, most applicants probably have some experience like that and it won't help you if your grades and test scores aren't adequate.

Interesting question on social networking sites. This is the first time I've seen this topic raised on this website. Hopefully you have nothing public out there that portrays you in a negative light. If so, the sooner you can get rid of it the better, but I doubt you can really get rid of information that is already out there on the internet.