Caduceus Club
@purduecaduceusclub
Medical School Roadmap
The road to medical school is a long one, below is a roadmap to help you navigate this process. The timeline can change if you plan on taking a gap year.
Freshmen Year
Focus: Set on the right track, create goals, and begin forming connections
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Meet with your advisor to discuss prerequisite courses
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Maintain a competitive GPA
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Attend informational events about medical schools
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Get involved in extracurricular and volunteering opportunities​​
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Start shadowing doctors and medical professionals
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Apply and join undergraduate research ​​
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Explore financial aid options for medical school
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Consider starting clinical jobs such as nursing assistant or scribing
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Go to faculty office hours to build connections with potential letter writers
Sophomore Year
Focus: Build resume, prepare for admissions tests and other requirements
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Gain clinical experience as well as volunteering and community service activities
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Develop communication and leadership skills (ex: board positions of clubs, mentoring)
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Create MCAT study plan
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Review AMCAS application process
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Continue:
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Maintaining competitive GPA
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Build relationships with faculty and mentors
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Meet with advisor and pre-med advisors
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Keep record of extracurricular activities and volunteering
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Junior Year
Fall Semester
Focus: Prepare for MCAT and gather application materials
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Meet with advisor to discuss:
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Taking a gap or growth year ​
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Post-bac programs
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When to take the MCAT exam
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Letters of recommendation
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Pre-med and other required coursework
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Begin serious preparation for MCAT exam
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Utilize Caduceus Club's Test Prep Library ​
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Outline and draft your personal statement
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Start researching medical schools using MSAR
Junior Year
Spring Semester
Focus: Take MCAT and put finishing touches on application and supplemental material
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Take MCAT exam (January - May)
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Finalize medical school list on MSAR
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Finalize personal statement getting feedback from advisor and other mentors
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Visit the Purdue Writing Lab for feedback on personal statement ​
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Obtain letters of recommendation with Interfolio, giving writers 4-6 weeks notice before it is needed​​
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Draft activity descriptions and gathering references
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Submit application
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Practice interview questions. Find people to hold mock interviews with.
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Continue:
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Maintain competitive GPA ​
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Stay involved in extracurricular activities and volunteering
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Gain clinical experience by shadowing, volunteering, or clinical work
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May of Application Cycle
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Apply for Fee Assistance Program
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Create a profile and start application through AMCAS or AACOMAS when the application opens
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IMMEDIATELY after spring grades are released, request a Purdue transcript to be sent to the application provider
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Transmit transcripts from any other universities to the application provider
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Transmit letters of recommendation from Interfolio to the application provider
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Copy and paste activity descriptions to the application
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Download your application to check for any typos or errors
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Submit the day the application is avaliable for submission
Summer of Application Cycle
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Prewrite secondary applications using prompts found on student doctor network
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Request secondary fee waivers from schools
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Submit and pay for secondaries
Senior Year
Focus: Continue to maintain competitive academics and extracurricular activities while navigating incoming admissions decisions
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Participate in interviews when invited ​
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Complete loan/financial assistance application
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Complete prerequisite coursework
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Consider post-application plans, whether you are accepted or not
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After receiving letters of acceptance or rejection:
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If accepted: ​
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Decide which medical school you want to attend ​
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Complete FAFSA and financial aid forms
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If waitlisted or rejected:
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Talk with your advisor ​
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Consider a gap year or post-bac program
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After graduation:
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Buy books ​
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Find a place to live
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Attend orientation programs and matriculate
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Gap Year
Primary Changes: ​
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Take MCAT senior year
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Spend gap year doing something productive towards gaining your medical degree such as: volunteering, clinical work, research, grad school, etc.