what to do and when to do it

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WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT A Brief Guide for the Perplexed Premedical Student Freshman Year  Join the Health Careers Advising Group on my.WM.edu. This is your online source for premed advising information. To join, click on the “groups” icon at the top right on the my.wm.edu home page; click on “Groups Index”; click on “Academic”; click on “Health Careers Advising”; and follow the instructions to join the gro up. Once you have jo ined, take the time to read the News articles: they will provide lots of useful background information for you.  Join the Health Careers Club. Attend Club meetings in order to get first-hand information on health career-rel ated fields and opportunities and to become acquainted with other health career students.  Get to know your freshman advisor, your instructors, and Professor Beverly Sher, the College’s Premedic al Advisor. Schedule an appointment with her duri ng your first year on campus! (email: [email protected])  Talk to medical college representatives when they come to William and Mary. You’ll be on the notification list for these discussions after joining the Health Careers Advising Group on my.WM.edu.  Talk with upperclass men who have been through the program. They will frequently have insight (maybe they just had an interview) not available fr om your advisor. You can meet them at Health Careers Club meeti ngs.  Get involved in extracurricular, se rvice, and clinical activities. Semester break is a good time to do some volunteer work in a clinical setting.  Buy (or borrow) a copy of Dr. Kenneth Iserson’s book Get Into Medical School: A Guide for the Perplexed (2 nd Edition): it is an excellent guide to the premedical process. Inexpensive used copies can be found online.  Start reading the medicine-related articles in a good daily newspaper, such as the Washington Post or  New York Times . Sophomore Year  Continue your membership in the Health Careers Club.  Continue contact with Professor Sher – r eview your progress to date.  Get involved in extracurricular, service, and clinical activities.  If you are interested and qualified, apply to the EVMS and V CU early acceptance programs. Applications will be available from Dr. Sher in December (EVMS) and February (VCU.) Junior Year  Decide when to take the MCAT, and think about how you will prepare for the exam; give yourself at least four months to study. MCAT registration information is available at www.aamc.org. Note that that test center spaces are limited, so plan to register early. Also note that the sooner (after June 1) your MCAT scores are available, the earlier the medical schools will be able to consider your AMCAS application.  Schedule an appointment with Professor Sher in the fall semester to review yo ur program and plans.  Set up an Interfolio account through the Career Center to manage your letters of recommendation. Finish asking your recommenders for letters by the end of the final exam period in the spring of your junior year.  Continue membership in the Health Careers Club and your extracurricular, service, and clinical activities.  Make sure your personal application file is complete at the end of the year. You should have collected the following items: o Letters of recommendation (you’ll nee d 3 or 4, a t least 2 or 3 science) o A brief summary of extracurricul ar activities and honors o A statement answeri ng the question, “Why do you want to become a doctor ?” Many medical schools will a sk this question, either on supplemental applications, or during the interview.  Have a passport-style photo made. It will be used on many forms.  Visit the AMCAS section of the AAMC web p age (www.aamc.org), and familiarize yoursel f with the AMCAS application process. Learn about the application procedures for the non-AMCAS schools.  At the end of the year request a tra nscript be sent to AMCAS and to each non-AMCAS school. Get a copy for yourself. Make certain spring semester grades are included before it is sent.  Complete a Letter of R ecommendation Background Information form, if you want Professor Sher to write a letter for you (highly recommended by medical schools).  Apply to medical schools over the summer (earliest date is about June 1 for AMCAS schools). Most schools will have already filled a majority of interview spaces by the time of their official AMCAS d eadlines in mid- to late fall. Senior Year  Discuss your applicati on progress with Prof. Sher. She will be happy to answer your questions.  Continue membership in the Health Careers Club, and extracurricular activitie s.  Maintain your academic standards – it’s not over yet!  Complete all supplemental applications as soon as they arrive (be prepared for more essays).  Prepare for personal interviews wit h medical school admissions officers. You may want to participate in the ‘mock’ premed interviews that are sometimes available through the Career Center.  Keep up your HOPE. You may be accepted as late as the summer after graduation.

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WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT

A Brief Guide for the Perplexed Premedical Student

Freshman Year 

•  Join the Health Careers Advising Group on my.WM.edu. This is your online source for premed advising information. To join, click 

on the “groups” icon at the top right on the my.wm.edu home page; click on “Groups Index”; click on “Academic”; click on “Health

Careers Advising”; and follow the instructions to join the group. Once you have joined, take the time to read the News articles: they

will provide lots of useful background information for you.

•  Join the Health Careers Club. Attend Club meetings in order to get first-hand information on health career-related fields and

opportunities and to become acquainted with other health career students.

•  Get to know your freshman advisor, your instructors, and Professor Beverly Sher, the College’s Premedical Advisor. Schedule an

appointment with her during your first year on campus! (email: [email protected])

•  Talk to medical college representatives when they come to William and Mary. You’ll be on the notification list for these discussions

after joining the Health Careers Advising Group on my.WM.edu.

•  Talk with upperclassmen who have been through the program. They will frequently have insight (maybe they just had an interview)

not available from your advisor. You can meet them at Health Careers Club meetings.

•  Get involved in extracurricular, service, and clinical activities. Semester break is a good time to do some volunteer work in a clinical

setting.

•  Buy (or borrow) a copy of Dr. Kenneth Iserson’s book Get Into Medical School: A Guide for the Perplexed (2nd 

Edition): it is an

excellent guide to the premedical process. Inexpensive used copies can be found online.

•  Start reading the medicine-related articles in a good daily newspaper, such as theWashington Post or  New York Times.

Sophomore Year 

•  Continue your membership in the Health Careers Club.

•  Continue contact with Professor Sher – review your progress to date.

•  Get involved in extracurricular, service, and clinical activities.

•  If you are interested and qualified, apply to the EVMS and VCU early acceptance programs. Applications will be available from Dr.

Sher in December (EVMS) and February (VCU.)

Junior Year 

•  Decide when to take the MCAT, and think about how you will prepare for the exam; give yourself at least four months to study.

MCAT registration information is available at www.aamc.org. Note that that test center spaces are limited, so plan to register early.

Also note that the sooner (after June 1) your MCAT scores are available, the earlier the medical schools will be able to consider your 

AMCAS application.

•  Schedule an appointment with Professor Sher in the fall semester to review your program and plans.

•  Set up an Interfolio account through the Career Center to manage your letters of recommendation. Finish asking your recommenders

for letters by the end of the final exam period in the spring of your junior year.

•  Continue membership in the Health Careers Club and your extracurricular, service, and clinical activities.

•  Make sure your personal application file is complete at the end of the year. You should have collected the following items:

Letters of recommendation (you’ll need 3 or 4, a t least 2 or 3 science)

A brief summary of extracurricular activities and honors

A statement answering the question, “Why do you want to become a doctor?” Many medical schools will ask this question,

either on supplemental applications, or during the interview.

•  Have a passport-style photo made. It will be used on many forms.

•  Visit the AMCAS section of the AAMC web page (www.aamc.org), and familiarize yourself with the AMCAS application process.

Learn about the application procedures for the non-AMCAS schools.

•  At the end of the year request a transcript be sent to AMCAS and to each non-AMCAS school. Get a copy for yourself. Make certain

spring semester grades are included before it is sent.

•  Complete a Letter of Recommendation Background Information form, if you want Professor Sher to write a letter for you (highly

recommended by medical schools).

•  Apply to medical schools over the summer (earliest date is about June 1 for AMCAS schools). Most schools will have already filled a

majority of interview spaces by the time of their official AMCAS deadlines in mid- to late fall.

Senior Year 

•  Discuss your application progress with Prof. Sher. She will be happy to answer your questions.

•  Continue membership in the Health Careers Club, and extracurricular activities.

•  Maintain your academic standards – it’s not over yet!

•  Complete all supplemental applications as soon as they arrive (be prepared for more essays).

•  Prepare for personal interviews with medical school admissions officers. You may want to participate in the ‘mock’ premed

interviews that are sometimes available through the Career Center.

•  Keep up your HOPE. You may be accepted as late as the summer after graduation.