If you are thinking of pursuing a pre-medical or other health-related professional degree in graduate school, there are several key elements to the successful application to these programs that you ought to keep in mind. They are the following:

Academic Requirements and Grades
Most medically-related professional schools require an academic course of study consisting of a minimum of two to three semesters of biology, two years of chemistry, one year of physics, one year of English, one year of behavioral science, and some mathematics. Most competitive applicants to professional schools have grade point averages about 3.50, although applicants with grade point averages as low as 3.20 are occasionally accepted. The grade point average for science and math courses should be equivalent to or higher than the overall grade point average. Students should note that their grade point average as calculated on an application to professional school may differ from their official ONLY grade point average because all grades are averaged, including those for courses repeated. It is not necessary to major in biology or even in science as long as the requisite courses are taken. Students with a strong interest in another subject might perform better by majoring in that subject. It is important for students to set up an academic schedule with a reasonable course load in which courses are taken in the proper sequence in order to produce a good academic record.

Standardized Exam Scores
In order to compare students from different universities with widely varying academic standards and grading practices, professional schools require that all applicants take an intensive standardized test. The successful student should achieve solid scores in all subject areas. Outstanding scores can partially compensate for a weak grade point average. Conversely, outstanding grades can partially compensate for weak test scores. Students may wish to use study guides or take private courses (like the Kaplan course) in order to fully prepare for the standardized exam. If you are applying for medical schools, the standardized exam to take is the MCAT. If you are applying for public health or master of science programs, the GRE and a subject test may be required. To find out more about standardized exams required for your area of interest, we recommend you take visit the Kaplan website and also enroll in one of their preparation courses. The website address is: http://www.kaptest.com/

Clinical or Research Experience
Besides good grades and exam scores the successful student should also have significant clinical exposure and research experience. Clinical exposure can be obtained by volunteering in a hospital or physician's office or in a setting dedicated to the student's desired profession. In addition, there are programs that allow students to "shadow" various specialists throughout the course of a day. Research experience can be acquired by one or two semesters of undergraduate research including work done over the summer. In order for research or clinical experience to have any impact on the student's applications, they must be obtained by the end of the summer following the student's junior year (assuming that applications are made to professional school in the fall of the senior year). Ideally, research and clinical experience should continue until graduation. We suggest you participate in a Summer research program either at the UW-Madison or at another university. For opportunities around the country to conduct research or prepare for a science/medical career, visit the Chicano/a and Latino/a Studies Program website which contains hundreds of links to internships, research and other opportunities. The website address is at: http://www.chicla.wisc.edu/studentinfo.html. For additional pre-medical opportunities go to http://ahana.rso.wisc.edu/resources.html.

Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are an essential component of a successful application to professional school. Letters from course instructors who have had the student in class but who have had no other experience with the student are of little value. The most valuable letters come from people who have supervised the student's clinical exposure or undergraduate research. Letters of this kind are often valuable in that they may succeed in reducing the impact of a semester or two of weak grades or of weakness in one or more areas of the exam. They also serve to present the student's personal characteristics, which are not reflected in grades and test scores. At the time of application to professional school (fall semester of the senior year), students will be interviewed by the pre-professional committee. The pre-professional committee will write a summary letter to supplement the student's application. The purpose of this letter is to present the student in the best way possible, identifying areas of strength that may not be sufficiently emphasized in the rest of the application materials. For further information on how to obtain a letter of recommendation from UW-Madison professors, see our handout which provides you with a step-by-step method on how to succeed in this process.

Non-Academic Experience
Students with good grades, solid standardized exam scores, significant clinical exposure or research experience (or both) and meaningful letters of recommendation will probably be granted one or more professional school interviews. During these interviews, anything that distinguishes the applicant from the majority of other applicants will be an asset. The strongest assets are life experiences from which the student has derived an interest in the particular profession or service to others. These may include (but are not limited to) volunteer work in the community, work experiences, or major medical problems experienced by the student or a family member. Other assets include extracurricular activities pursued with seriousness and dedication (in this case, a letter of recommendation from someone supervising the activity can be helpful). The personal essay supplementing the application is an excellent place to describe life experiences and extracurricular activities that display the applicant's suitability for a career in medicine (or another science or health related field).

Additional things to Keep in Mind
Not everyone will complete a college degree in four years; in many cases, it may be advisable to take longer. The following timetable shows what must be accomplished prior to application for professional school, described as if the student is completing a B.A. or B.S. degree in four years. If the requisite goals are not met by a specific point in this timetable, the student should consider delaying application to professional school in a pre-health/science-based field (possibly by a full year) until the goals are met.

At the time of application to a health or science related professional graduate program (fall semester of the senior year), the student should have completed the following courses in science as indicated. Other courses that should be considered as valuable experience in the sciences or mathematical sciences before applying to pre-professional school are marked with an asterisk. These courses should be considered as desirable electives for non-science majors. Many, (but not all) are required for biology or chemistry majors. The courses are: General Biology, General Chemistry, Biochemistry, Elementary Calculus, Organic Chemistry, General Physics, Genetics, General Microbiology, Statistics, Advanced Physics.

We believe that in order to be successful in the graduate school admission process, pre-medical and/or other pre-health students should discuss their academic preparation with their assigned advisor in your major or college. In addition, we urge you to secure letters of recommendation from individuals who have directed your clinical or research experience or supervise your extracurricular activities.

In addition, we urge you to prepare early and to follow this suggested pre-graduate school preparatory schedule:

A Year and a Half Prior to Application:

• Review grades and identify areas of weakness. It is difficult to overcome a poor academic record; students with a poor academic record should reconsider the goal of attending professional school.
• Decide how your Summer will best be spent.
• Course work over the summer can be valuable, but laboratory science courses are not usually available and are poor choices for Summer school in any case. Consider taking courses to fulfill other University general requirements.
• Research or clinical exposure over the Summer, even washing dishes in a laboratory or volunteering at a hospital or clinic, can make it easier to arrange for more meaningful experiences later.
• If not yet engaged in extracurricular activities, try several new activities. Consider volunteer work that serves the community.

One Year Prior to Application

• Determine the remaining courses to be taken in order to be prepared for the standardized exam in your chosen field of interest (i.e, medicine, veterinary school, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, etc). Register for those courses.
• If not already engaged in clinical or research activity, arrange one or both. If currently engaged in research, arrange a limited clinical exposure (shadow a physician, observe surgery, etc.). If currently engaged in a significant clinical activity, a limited exposure to research may be desirable.
• Consider which extracurricular activities are most fulfilling. Focus on these.

Six Months Prior to Application (Spring semester of the junior year)

• If all of the courses most important for exam preparation have been taken (i.e, biology, physics, chemistry, calculus, biochemistry, statistics, etc), prepare for the exam by using study guides or taking a private review course (such as Kaplan). Determine when the test will be taken.
• Decide which individuals will be asked for letters of recommendation. Determine what will be necessary to complete clinical or research experiences in a satisfactory way (e.g. presentation of research results) and arrange to do so.
• Consider which extracurricular activities can lead to success that can be recognized by others and focus on these goals. Because many professional schools begin to accept applicants to their programs soon after receiving completed application packets, it is important to apply early.

Still have Questions about Graduate School?
We are here to help! For further assistance, see Miguel Rosales, Coordinator and Student Advisor. He can be reached via email at mrosales@lssaa.wisc.edu. For additional information on pre-health careers and opportunities, we urge you to connect with AHANA (the African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American pre-health organization on the UW-Madison campus). Their website, which contains essential information for all pre-health students, is at http://ahana.rso.wisc.edu/resources.html. For professional advising on careers in medicine and health, go to the UW-Madison’s College of Letters and Science Advising Center at http://www.lssaa.wisc.edu/careers/career_advising.html