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Medical Team Discussion

Doctor of Medicine

Doctors of Medicine (MDs) diagnose and treat illnesses, prescribe medications, and perform procedures or surgeries. They can specialize in a wide range of medical fields, including internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, and more. Becoming an MD requires completing a bachelor’s degree (4 years), medical school (4 years), and a residency program (3-7 years, depending on the specialty). MDs practice allopathic medicine, which focuses on evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Applying to medical school is a year-long process that occurs through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). This means starting your application in the spring or early summer of the year before you plan to enroll. 

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  • Core science courses

    • Biology (with lab): 2 semesters

    • General chemistry (with lab): 2 semesters

    • Organic chemistry (with lab): 2 semesters

    • Physics (with lab): 2 semesters

    • Biochemistry (with lab): 1 semester

      • Some schools require / some schools recommend

  • Mathematics courses

    • Calculus: 1 semester

    • Statistics: 1 semester 

      • Some schools require / some schools recommend

  • English and writing

    • English / writing intensive courses: 2 semesters 

      • Focus on reading comprehension, writing, and communication skills

      • Can often include literature or composition courses

  • Behavioral and social science courses 

    • Psychology: 1 semester

    • Sociology: 1 semester

      • Both are strongly tested on the MCAT 

      • Some schools require both / some schools recommend both 

  • Additional notes

    • GPA: Strong cumulative and science GPA (usually 3.5+ for competitive applicants)

    • MCAT: Completion of these courses is essential for preparing for the MCAT, which tests biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, sociology, and critical reasoning

    • Shadowing and Clinical Experience: Not academic, but essential for applications

  • Purpose: To provide an overview of the standardized exams required for entry into traditional MD programs and combined BS/MD pathways.

  • Importance: Entrance exams help assess academic readiness, scientific knowledge, and critical thinking skills required for medical education.

  • Tips: Prepare Early, Do what works for you; Typically it’s recommended to take the MCAT the year prior to your application cycle. 

  • Financial Assistance Information for Entrance Exams:

A. MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)

  • Administered by: AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges)

  • Format:

    • Computer-based, approximately 7.5 hours

    • 2 -10mins breaks 

    • 1- 30 min break 

    • Breaks aren't required but are strongly recommended 

    • Remember to return on time or you will lose testing time

  • Sections:

1.     Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

2.     Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)

3.     Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

4.     Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

  • Scoring:

    • Each section scored from 118–132 (total score: 472–528)

  • Purpose:

    • Measures problem-solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts

  • Timing:

    • Typically taken in junior year of undergrad or gap year prior to application

  • Validity: Scores valid for 2–3 years, depending on school

  • Cost for the 2025 Testing year: 

 

B. Additional Requirements

*Things to keep in mind* - while it’s important to have experiences in all these categories, you don’t need to be an expert in every single one. Pick opportunities that you are passionate about so that you can build your narrative, allowing you to weave together experiences and strengthen your application! Schools can tell if you participate in experiences to just check a box, so follow opportunities that will teach you something, answer unanswered questions you may have, etc! This way, your application will be more cohesive and really show who you are as a person! (See AAMC’s “Tips for Completing Experiences” section)

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You want your experiences to answer the AAMC’s core competencies

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Clinical hours

  • Can be through a job (medical scribe, EMT, etc) or through clinical volunteering

    • You will have to differentiate the two on your application

  • This source recommends a minimum of 300 hours

  • These hours can be spread across various experiences if you are getting various types of exposure and clinical experiences

    • Best to have these experience show consistency, growth, and self-awareness

    • Learn about how you can best advocate for patients through different roles

    • See what you can learn through each experience and simultaneously give back

 

Shadowing

  • Recommended minimum hours: ~40-50 across multiple fields

    • More if interested in surgery, due to getting both OR and clinic experiences

  • Every premed is expected to have these hours on your application, but should not be a huge highlight

    • Shows that you understand what the profession looks like, see how to interact with patients and peers, etc

    • Typically does not provide a huge amount of detail about your personality, values, etc so do not need an excess number of hours

  • It is helpful to have experiences in multiple fields so that you see the diversity in specialties 

    • Helps you learn about what type of physician you want to be

 

Research

  • Not required (unless MD/PhD), but highly encouraged especially for research-focused schools

  • Any discipline: basic science, humanities, clinical, etc

  • Any format: wet lab, computational, etc

  • Many schools value the scientific process, allowing you to see how to formulate unanswered and questions, develop methods to address these hypothesis, and communicate scientific findings and their implications

  • Great to have deliverables (publications, conferences, posters, etc) if possible! Ask your PI about these opportunities 

  • Tips on how to find experiences

 

Volunteering

  • great AAMC resource

  • There are both clinical and non-clinical volunteering opportunities - both are important!

    • AAMC recommends that you have at least 1 health care related opportunity that genuinely interests you 

  • Don’t do something just because you think medical schools will like to see it! Stick to opportunities that you are passionate about and that you will be excited to talk about in the future!

  • Resource for volunteer opportunities in the greater Boston community

  • Look at the AAMC guideline on volunteering abroad

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