College of Arts and Sciences: Health Advising
Medical School Application Process
General Preparation Sequence: A Pre-Professional Health Checklist
Freshman Year
- Visit and register with the Director of Pre-Professional Health Advising.
- Begin investigating potential health careers.
- Develop strong study skills (for tutoring and help in developing better study techniques visit the Learning Assistance Center!)
- Maintain an excellent GPA.
- Participate in volunteer work, internships or employment in the health field. For a listing of various health and human service volunteer opportunities in the Greater-Cincinnati area, click here.
- Begin participation in extracurricular activitieswhich interest you.
- Participate in Xavier University's Pre-Med Society.
- Read interesting books and articles about healthprofessions.
- Review medical (or other professional health schools)admission requirements.
- Use your summer in a constructive way.
- Talk to premed upperclassmen to get a reality check.
Sophomore Year
- Research admission requirements for health professionsschools.
- Participate in volunteer work, internships or employment in health field/medical area. Interested in an international service volunteer opportunity? Click here
- Participate in extracurricular activities that developand demonstrate your maturity, compassion and workethic.
- Devise plan for intensive MCAT (or other admissionstest) preparation.
- Continue reading interestingbooks and articles about health professions.
- Meet with the Coordinator to discuss your program,questions, and plans.
- Maintain an excellent and competitive GPA.
- Check medical schools (or other health professionschools) entry requirements.
- Consider participating in research.
Junior Year
- Continue admissions test preparation.
- Maintain the best GPA you can.
- January - Turn in your autobiography and signed Buckley Amendment Waiver to the Coordinator of Pre-ProfessionalHealth Advising.
- February - Pick up admission test registration packets or register online at the test's web site. The deadline to register is usually mid-March and the testing services encourage you to register early to ensure that you get the testing site that you request.
- March - Sign up for a mock interview with the Health Sciences Committee. Remember - the mock interview is required if you are using the Committee for a letter of recommendation!
- April - Take the MCAT (or another admission test).The 2004 MCAT dates are April 17 and August 14.
- May - Online application services (such as AMCAS, AADSAS etc.) are usually available at this time.
- June - Complete your application and once it's perfect,submit it as soon as you can. Submitting your applicationearly is good, but submitting it ERROR FREE is evenbetter! Remember that many schools use a rolling admissionprocess, so it's to your advantage to apply as earlyas possible.
Senior Year
- Begin receiving secondary applications. Completeand return them PROMPTLY! Follow all directions!
- RequestHealth Sciences Committee letters of recommendationfrom the Coordinator of Pre-Professional Health Advisingas schools ask for them. For the first request, makesure you give the Coordinator your summer update andto fill out completely the letter request form!
- Go on interviews.Do your homework on each school! Be prepared for theinterviews.
- Make your decision about which of your acceptances you plan to attend or regroup and plan for next year's application process. Either way, keep the Coordinator of Pre-Professional Health Advising informed about your decisions.