Preparing for Medical School

What You Should Do When...

First-Year:

• Keep your grades up!
• Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
• Check out the Roanoke College's HPAG web site.
• Join Students Interested in Health Careers.
• Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
• Explore the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Considering a Career in Medicine web site.
• Identify medical schools that you might like to attend. Check out the web site for each of these schools and note specific requirements.
• Investigate summer paid or voluntary medically-related experiences.

Second-Year:

• Keep your grades up!
• Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
• Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
• Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
• Investigate shadowing opportunities with physicians. Investigate summer paid or voluntary medically-related experiences.

Third-Year:

• Keep your grades up!
• Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
• Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
• Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
• Investigate shadowing opportunities, placements, and internships with physicians.
• Explore the following AAMC web sites: "Applying to Medical School," "Medical Schools in the U.S. and Canada," "Medical Colleges Admissions Test (MCAT," "AAMC Fee Assistance Program," and "Minorities in Medicine."
• Prepare to take the Medical College Admissions Test. Consider taking a preparatory course for it.
• Take the MCAT in spring semester.
• Complete the online application form through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) web site and/or the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) web site. Submit on the first day possible.
• Conduct a practice interview with members of HPAG.

Fourth-Year:

• Keep your grades up!
• Make sure your name is on the HPAG's Blackboard list.
• Participate in Students Interested in Health Careers.
• Attend health-related programs on campus (including the Hylton Lecture) and visits from representatives of health professions schools.
• Investigate shadowing opportunities, placements, and internships with physicians.

What If You Don't Get In? Try Again!

• Contact schools and ask an admissions counselor what your weak areas are and how you can strengthen your application in the next round.
• Apply again.