Applying to Medical & Dental School

Fall Semester

Academics

• Meet with pre-health advisor to set goals, discuss grades, assess current strength/weaknesses, review application procedures, etc.
• Plan a review strategy for taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or the Dental Admission Test (DAT)
• Check dates & registration deadline for the admissions exams (Plan to take the MCAT or DAT in the spring or early summer):
  • MCAT
  • DAT

Co-Curricular

• Compile a list of your activities, work and volunteer experiences, research publications, clinical and community service experiences, etc.
• Look at Spring Semester credit load, work/volunteer commitments – make adjustments as necessary to allow for ample admission test preparation
• Update your email account and/or phone & voice mail messages NOW so that they are professional and appropriate. Check your privacy controls on ALL SOCIAL MEDIA – we recommend putting them at the highest level because schools can and do check.

Application

• Establish a dossier at Interfolio. Interfolio provides electronic collection and distribution of letters of evaluation.
• Start requesting letters of evaluation. While you must pay careful attention to the guidelines of each of the professional schools to which you apply, we recommend that you have the following letters in your Interfolio account:
  1. Two science faculty who know you from a class or research experience
  2. One non-science faculty
  3. One or two additional individuals who know you well from a work or volunteer experience
  4. One individual working in the profession you wish to pursue (ie: dentist, osteopathic physician)
• Begin working on your personal statement – consult the following for guidance:
  1. Writing the Personal Statement
  2. Your pre-health advisor
  3. The MSU Writing Center
• Research medical and dental schools and their admissions criteria – utilize your pre-health advisor as well as the following:
  1. MSAR – Medical Schools Admission Requirement (MD schools)
  2. Choose DO Explorer
  3. ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools

Spring Semester

Academics

• Continue your preparation for the MCAT or DAT. Plan to take practice tests available at the sites provided above.
• Continue meeting with your pre-health advisor to discuss initial list of schools to which you may apply, personal statement revisions, etc.

Co-Curricular

• February - Plan to attend Michigan Medical Schools Night

Application

• Continue working on your personal statement – see key resources above
• March – Read the explicit instructions for the Centralized Application Services now to become familiar with the entire application before you can begin to fill it out.
  • AMCAS Instructions – for most MD schools
  • AACOMAS Instructions – for most DO schools 
  • AADSAS Instructions – for most dental schools
• Continue collecting letters of evaluation – verify at Interfolio that your letters are received
• May/June – access the Centralized Application Services and begin completing your applications on-line. Refer to web sites above. Contact medical and/or dental schools directly that do not participate with these services.
• Arrange to have ALL college transcripts sent to the application services and/or directly to schools not participating. Students are advised to send grades AFTER spring grades are posted.

Summer Semester

Co-Curricular

• Record ALL application activity in a notebook/spreadsheet – helpful items to keep track of include: date of primary & secondary application submissions, confirmation of receipt of all documents, etc.

Application

• May - Submit AMCAS, AACOMAS, & AADSAS applications. Students are strongly encouraged to submit this primary application early in the summer.
• Begin receiving secondary applications from the professional schools to which you have applied. Secondaries may arrive anywhere from a few days to up to 6 weeks after submission of the primary application – the timeline varies from school to school. Secondary applications should be submitted 2-4 weeks upon receipt.
• Carefully read and follow the directions specified in the AMCAS/AACOMAS/AADSAS application about submitting letters of evaluation. Some schools will require you to send letters from Interfolio directly to the application service at the time of the primary application. While other schools will require that you have Interfolio submit letters directly to the health professional schools upon their request. Stay on top of the letter submission piece for each school to which you apply.

Fall – Spring 

Academics

• Plan to complete any remaining prerequisite coursework

Co-Curricular

• Update your pre-health advisor, letter of evaluation writers, and ALL individuals who have helped you on this journey with your progress in the application process

Application

• Look forward to scheduling interviews at the health professional schools. Schools may contact you via phone, email, or regular mail to schedule such interviews.