Timetable for Pre-Medical Students

Freshman Year

• Attend Orientation Session for new Pre-Health Professional Students.

• Meet with Pre-Medical Advisor and make sure they know you.

• Attend AED meetings.

• Find out about volunteer activities at hospitals, nursing homes, other facilities.

• Look through a sample MCAT to get an idea of what the test is like

• Read magazines, newspapers, essays, novels, etc., to enhance your reading and verbal skills.

• Get to know your professors. Remember that some of them will be writing letters for you.

• Get off on the right foot in classes; form study groups or ask your professor or T.A. for help if necessary.

Sophomore Year

• Find out about research opportunities and summer internships; check with the Pre-Medical Advisor

• Order the Student Manual from AAMC and begin your MCAT preparation in earnest.

• Participate in AED and other organizations that have service activities.

• Hone your writing skills by drafting a personal statement (as required for your AMCAS application) and ask the Pre-Medical Advisor to critique it for you.

• Make sure that you are on track to finish all required courses for medical school by your junior year.

• Take a good look at yourself. Are you meeting the goals you have set for yourself?

      Fall Semester

• Attend Illinois Medical School Admissions Seminar.

• Remind your professors that you will be asking them to write letters of recommendation for you. Give them a resume or fill out an informational form (available in the Pre-Med Office).

• Increase your volunteer or shadowing activities; maybe do something different from past years.

• Work on MCAT preparation. You will want to have MCAT prep materials and take as many practice exams as you can. Be sure that these are timed exams.

• Participate more in AED activities. Run for office. Act as a mentor to younger students.

• Start researching sources of financial Aid for medical school, and investigate possible medical schools.

      Spring Semester

• Step up MCAT preparation.

• Take the AED Mock MCAT in February

• Send in your MCAT application before the deadline

• Get more information about medical schools and narrow your application choices appropriately.

• Ask evaluators to write letters for you and have them sent to the Chair, Pre-Medical Studies Committee. Use the student information sheet provide them specific information.  They will write a composite letter to be sent to medical schools once you receive supplementary applications.

• Take the MCAT!

• Fill out the AMCAS application and have it ready to mail on June 1 or soon thereafter. Don’t forget transcripts.

• Meet with the Pre-Medical Advisor before you leave campus in May. Ask questions and listen to advice given.

• Complete your reference letter file with the Pre-Med Advisor by September 1 (if you haven’t already) and fill out the reference letter requirements, and the waiver form.

• Complete and return all supplemental applications from medical schools promptly.

• Confirm that schools have received all your application materials, including letters of reference.

• Visit the schools when invited for interviews.

• May 15 - deadline to decide on a medical school if accepted at more than one.

• Make sure that all your work toward the baccalaureate degree is completed by August, and submit final transcripts.

• Celebrate your acceptance to medical school (the Pre-Med Advisor will celebrate with you).