FAQS About Getting Into Medical School What courses or degrees do I need to complete before entering medical school? First of all, it is important to have a good premedical advisor - sometimes getting all of the coursework in within the required time can be tricky. A bachelors degree is required for most schools. A common misconception is that this degree must be in either biology or chemistry. Although these degrees are conventional, they are certainly not required. A four-year degree in any area of study is acceptable and in some schools preferred for the sake of diversity. The best course of action is to go where your interests lie. However, certain courses normally included in the biology or chemistry degree are required for admittance. They are as follows for most schools: General Chemistry: 8-10 credit hours Organic Chemistry: 8-10 credit hours Physics: 8-10 credit hours Biological Sciences: 8-10 credit hours Note that the biological sciences requirement cannot be from a class normally offered in the medical curriculum (such as Anatomy and Physiology). Also, some schools require in addition a semester or two of calculus. Statistics and humanities courses are also strongly encouraged. If you are interested in a particular school, find out the exact requirements for that school when planning your classes. Although the above classes are pretty standard almost anywhere. What GPA do I need to be considered by a medical school? IU School of Medicine requires a minimal GPA of 3.2, but be aware that the GPA becomes much more competitive when applying to an out of state school (more in the range of 3.8) What is the MCAT and what score do I need? T he MCAT, or Medical College Admissions Test, is given in April and August of each year. The MCAT is a 7 to 8 hour test that consists of four sections: Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences (physics and general chemistry), Biological Sciences (biology and organic chemistry), and two essays. It is possible to score a 15 in each section, for a total of 45. The essay section is graded with a letter (J - T). The average MCAT scores for students admitted into medical school are approximately 28-32, depending on the school. A minimum score of 22 is required by the IU school of Medicine to be considered for an interview. Just as with the GPA, you would need an even more competitive MCAT score to have a chance for out of state schools. The MCAT is required for nearly all medical schools and is generally taken at least by the spring of the year that you apply. To learn more and to sign up online for the test online, go to http://www.aamc.org The cost for the 2001 MCAT was $175. When and how do I apply to medical school? Y ou should apply to medical school the year before you would enter medical school. For example, if I wanted to be in the 2002-03 entering class, I would apply in 2001, usually anywhere between June and October (for some schools, the deadline is later). The application for the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) is the one that needs to be completed. You then designate on the application which schools you wish it sent to. The application is now online and can be accessed on the http://www.aamc.org website. How can I find out about different medical schools? An excellent resource for this purpose is located on the aamc website at http://www.aamc.org. An alphabetical and regional listing of Medical Schools can be found here. Simply click on the desired school or state and then follow the link to that school's website. These sites will give you just about everything you wish to know about that school, such as admission requirements, curriculum, faculty, research and pictures of the campus, etc. Any other questions? Email IPFW Pre-Med Club at ipfw_pre_med@yahoo.com and we'll try to find an answer for you!