Admission to U.S. Medical Schools

Medical school admission requirements vary from school to school. Each school's specific prerequisites are detailed in the Medical School Admission Requirements (Contact GMA should you wish to view a copy), an annual publication of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The MSAR™ is highly recommended to all prospective applicants and is available at most school libraries and premedical advising offices.

The MSAR aims to help students approach their goals realistically and to plan their education carefully. The book contains information on choosing a school, the admissions process, financing your education, opportunities for minorities, the nature of modern medical education, as well as the detailed admission requirements of each medical school in the United States and Canada.

In general, most medical schools will expect applicants to have taken the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), and to have completed the following types of courses:

• One year of Biology
• One year of Physics
• One year of English
• Two years of Chemistry (through Organic Chemistry)

Applicants should consider volunteering at a local hospital or clinic to gain practical experience in the health professions. A well-rounded sampling of extra-curricular activities or work experiences, both related and unrelated to medicine, will help broaden an applicant's knowledge and development.

Students interested in medicine are encouraged to research the wide variety of jobs available in the health professions, to discuss the nature and demands of medicine with a pre-medical advisor or health professional, and to ask a lot of questions before embarking on the application process.

How do I know if a medical career might be right for me?

First ask yourself what kind of future appeals to you. Do you want challenges, opportunities, a chance to make a difference? Many bright and motivated college students describe a "dream career" with the following characteristics:

Service: Allows you to help people and advance knowledge.
Action: Doesn't tie you to a desk all the time.
Respect: Your work and contributions are an important part of your community.
Security: Enables you to earn a good living with a secure future.
Excitement: Changes daily, so it's hardly ever boring.
Mobility: Your skills and knowledge are in demand, wherever you choose to live.
Flexibility: Offers you lots of career options from the same education base.

Few occupations meet all of these standards. None meets them better than a career in medicine.

What is a doctor's career like?

Few fields offer a wider variety of opportunities. Most doctors' professional lives are filled with caring for people and continuously learning more about the human body. Every day in communities around the country, doctors work in neighborhood clinics, hospitals, offices, even homeless shelters and schools to care for people in need.

But physicians also do many other things. Physician researchers are at work today developing exciting new treatments for cancer, genetic disorders, and infectious diseases like AIDS. Academic physicians share their skills and wisdom by teaching medical students and residents. Others work with health maintenance organizations, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, health insurance companies, or in corporations directing health and safety programs. People with medical skills are in demand everywhere.

Would medicine provide me with a good living?

Medicine has many rewards—personally, intellectually, and financially. On average, doctors make about $160,000 a year, but this amount can vary depending on where physicians live and what type of medical specialty they practice. As the American health care system changes, fewer doctors are working for themselves and more are joining health care systems, often as salaried employees. In these organizations, physicians often can command salaries comparable to executives in other occupations.

I've heard a lot about primary care doctors lately. What are their careers like?

About one-third of the nation's physicians are generalists—"primary care" doctors who provide lifelong medical services for the entire family. General internists, family physicians, and general pediatricians are all considered generalist doctors. They are the first doctors people consult for medical care. And they are trained to provide the wide range of services children and adults need. When patients' specific health needs require further treatment, generalist physicians send them to see a specialist physician.

Specialist physicians differ from generalists in that they focus on treating a particular system or part of the body. Neurologists who study the brain, cardiologists who study the heart, ophthalmologists who study the eye, and hematologists who study the blood are just a few examples of specialists. They work together with generalist physicians to ensure that patients receive treatment for specific medical problems as well as complete and comprehensive care throughout life.

*Resource:  AAMC

*MCAT INFORMATION click HERE