Medical School Admissions

The requirements for medical school admissions will be different for each school but there are a few notable basic requirements that are simply universal for all hopeful med students. You have to have at least taken the required course, maintained the minimum GPA, and passed on the MCAT before you even consider medical school admissions.

The most basic of all medical school admissions would require all applicants to have taken a minimum of one year in the following subjects:

         Physics with lab
         General Biology
         General chemistry with lab
         Calculus
         English
         Organic chemistry with lab

Another common requirement for medical school admissions would be a GPA of at least 3.5. Another important thing to consider would be the scores on the MCAT. To pass this test, a student would need knowledge on biology, organic chemistry, and anatomy just to name a few.

But those of you who don't have what most people would consider as excellent grades or did not do as well as they would have wanted on their school entrance exam should still not give up. There are still chances for you to get into medical school.  Many medical schools take into consideration some circumstances that can have a significant effect on one's life and these would in turn affect your performance during exams.

Many medical school admissions committees know this and this is why they place much importance on medical school admissions essays.  This is a way to show the school the personality of a hopeful student. This is very important because schools of this sort do not only need intelligent students, but also students of good moral character who are emotionally mature. Other than grades, med students must be determined, passionate, skilful, and confident. These are traits necessary to go through the difficulties of medical training. These qualities do not really show on an exam so those of you who did not do very well on the exam have not lost all hope yet.

Those who did not make a very good impression on medical school admissions during their exams or because of their grades can make up for it through their personal statement for med school. The essay you write should be engaging and passionate.  It would also be important to explain why you had performed so poorly during the test. Remember to be as clear as you can in your essay. Do not sound desperate with your personal statement and avoid making excuses. But most importantly: be honest.

While grades and the results of your exams are important, doing poorly in them does not mean you will not make it. Simply offer a valid reason and offer a good personal statement and you may still have a fair chance at medical school admissions.