July 1, 2025
Written By
Michael Minh Le
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Most premeds only realize what truly matters after they've applied and gotten rejected. You’re balancing classes, research, and clinical hours, so it seems like you’re doing enough, but are you? The truth is, getting into medical school isn’t just about checking all the boxes. It's about knowing what AdComs actually care about, and building your journey around that from the start.
In this article, we’ll break down the real medical school requirements, from academic and extracurricular boxes you must check to what degrees and courses are necessary. We’ll cover how your GPA and MCAT stack up, what kind of clinical and research experience makes you stand out, and how to handle letters of recommendation.
Getting into medical school is predictable if you know what AdComs are really looking for. That’s why, at Premed Catalyst we created a completely free resource to help you meet all medical school requirements: the 4-Year Plan Template and Workshop. It’s a step-by-step breakdown of exactly what to do and when, from your first semester all the way to your application.
Get your free resource here.
Every year, thousands of premeds put in 16-hour days, chase every leadership title, and hope their 510 MCAT will open the doors to their dream med school. Most won’t get in. Not because they’re not smart. Not because they didn’t try. But because they didn’t know what really mattered.
This isn’t just a numbers game anymore. It’s a mission match.
Medical schools want people whose passions align with their values. If their school focuses on serving the underserved, they’re not just looking for someone who volunteered once at a shelter. They want someone who lives that mission. If they prioritize research, they want to see you in the lab, chasing questions no one’s asked before. They want to know what wakes you up in the morning, and they want to see you’ve been chasing that purpose long before you wrote your personal statement.
The best applicants aren’t the ones who checked the most boxes. They’re the ones who connected the dots. Who built a narrative around what mattered to them and backed it up with action.
Let’s keep it simple: You need a four-year degree. BA or BS. Doesn’t matter which. Med schools don’t care if it says “Bachelor of Arts” or “Bachelor of Science” on your diploma. They care that you made intentional choices.
A BA with a minor in Global Health and a history of organizing mobile clinics? That’s compelling. A BS in Biology with two years in the lab working on cancer therapeutics? Also compelling. What’s not compelling? Choosing a degree because it “looks better” or because someone on Reddit said it was easier.
Pick the undergrad path that makes sense for your interests, your learning style, and your long game.
What about graduating early? Totally fine if you’ve done the work. Took community college classes in high school? Transferred with credit? Great. Just make sure your clinical, volunteering, and personal development haven’t been shortchanged.
What about nontraditional students? Post-bacc programs, career-changers, and nontraditional applicants are more common than ever. Med schools love maturity when it comes with purpose. Switching from finance to medicine? Show them the pivot wasn’t random. Show them what you learned about yourself along the way. Use every experience to reinforce the story you’re now telling.
Before you can convince a med school you belong in a white coat, you have to prove you can survive the academic workload. That starts with your core courses.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Can I use AP credits?
Sometimes. Depends on the school. Some will accept them, others want you to retake the class in college, especially for core sciences. Use AP to skip intro only if you’re following it up with upper-division work in the same subject.
Can I take community college classes?
Yes, but cautiously. If you’re a traditional student at a four-year university and you’re stacking your sciences at the local CC every summer, AdComs might wonder why. If your entire degree is from a community college and then a transfer, that’s different and totally fine. Context matters. But always aim to take your hardest science courses at the most rigorous institution available to you.
Big red flags to avoid:
Grades matter. More than you want them to. And while they’re not everything, they’re the gatekeeper that determines whether your application even gets read.
Med schools look at two GPAs: your cumulative GPA (everything you’ve ever taken) and your science GPA (just your biology, chemistry, physics, and math). Of the two, the science GPA carries more weight. It tells schools how you’ll handle the academic firestorm that is med school. A 3.8 in Psych with a 3.3 in Orgo? That’s not the flex you think it is.
You need a 3.7+ to be competitive. Period. That’s the baseline for most MD programs. Top-tier schools? You’re looking at 3.85 and up.
If your GPA took a hit early on, you’re not done, but you must show an upward trend. That means a clear, consistent rise in your grades semester after semester. Post-bacc programs can help rebuild your academic profile, especially if you’ve been out of school or your science GPA is below 3.5. Just make sure your post-bacc isn’t just more of the same.
The MCAT isn’t just another exam. It’s a full-on mental crucible designed to separate the casually interested from the fully committed. It's long (7.5 hours), brutal, and unforgiving. But it's also your chance to prove you can think like a doctor.
This test isn’t about rote memorization. It's about stamina, problem-solving, and applying knowledge under pressure. Each section is designed to stress a different part of your brain:
The MCAT is scored out of 528. The national average is around 501, but that won’t cut it.
Anything below 505, and you’re facing an uphill battle
Here’s the truth most premeds learn too late: you should not be taking the MCAT the same year you apply. Why? Because writing secondaries, securing letters, finalizing your personal statement, and managing school or work is already a full-time job.
The smart move? Take the MCAT at least a year before your intended application cycle. That means testing no later than the spring of your junior year (or the year before you apply). That way, you won’t be juggling essay writing with MCAT studying.
And when it comes to prep, treat it like a job. You’ll need 300–500 hours spread across 3 to 6 months. Full-length practice exams should be your best friend. Review your wrong answers like your acceptance depends on it, because it does.
Med schools aren’t just looking for checkbox experiences. They’re looking for evidence. Evidence that you’ve chased what matters to you. That you’ve tested your interest in medicine in the real world. That you’ve stepped into patient rooms, research labs, and community spaces, not because someone told you to, but because you wanted to understand what it really means to be a doctor.
Shadowing is a requirement on most applications, but it won’t carry much weight beyond the basics. Think of it as your backstage pass, a way to observe the day-to-day grind of being a doctor.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Focus more on what you learned than how many hours you logged. Reflection is what makes shadowing meaningful.
This is the most important piece. Schools want to see you in the room taking vitals, transporting patients, translating for families, calming someone’s anxiety before a procedure. They want to know you’ve interacted with real people.
What officially counts as clinical experience? EMT. CNA. Scribe. Patient transporter. Hospice volunteer. Clinical research with patient interaction. If you’ve spent time in the trenches with patients, it counts.
Forget the old “100 to 150” rule. That’s outdated. In our most recent 2024–2025 cycle, successful applicants logged 300 to 2,000 hours of real clinical work. The students in that range who applied early received a median of 7 interviews.
If you’re applying to MD, research is a strong “should.” If you’re aiming for T20s? It’s a must. That doesn’t mean you need a first-author publication in Nature. But it does mean you’ve asked a scientific question, worked toward an answer, and learned the slow, messy process of discovery.
The number of research hours doesn't matter. It's about the depth of your involvement and the meaning behind it. Did you just help out, or did you drive something forward? And what was the impact of your work? Presenting a poster, contributing to a publication, or submitting an abstract shows you didn’t just do research. You produced something from it.
Clinical, basic science, public health—this doesn’t matter either. Any research can stand out if you were engaged and thoughtful.
Forget the soup kitchen checkbox. Med schools aren’t impressed by generic service. They’re moved by meaningful, sustained impact. They want to see that you’ve invested in communities you actually care about. Not because it looks good, but because it matters to you.
Maybe you grew up in an immigrant household and spent your weekends helping families navigate health insurance sign-ups. Maybe you mentored first-gen high school students. Maybe you organized mental health workshops at your church. That’s the kind of service that stands out, not just because it’s rare, but because it’s real.
Aim for 100+ hours, but don’t obsess over it. What matters more is consistency and reflection. One afternoon of volunteering won’t move the needle. One year of showing up every week will.
Med schools don’t care that you were “President of the Premed Club” if the club met twice and did nothing. Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about impact. What did you build, what did you change, who’s better because you were there?
Good leadership leaves a mark. It moves things forward. It creates momentum that outlives your involvement. That’s what med schools are looking for, not hierarchy, but hustle. Not the title, but the results.
Taking a gap year isn’t a red flag. It’s often the smartest move you can make if you use it right. This is your chance to shore up weak spots, gain clinical or research experience, improve your MCAT, or just grow up a bit.
One year of clarity, experience, and self-awareness can make your entire application stronger. Don’t rush the process. Arrive ready.
Your extracurriculars aren’t a sideshow. They’re the rest of your life. They show med schools what lights you up when you’re not buried in textbooks. And here’s the key: they don’t all have to be medical. In fact, the best ones often aren’t.
Do you dance? Compete in powerlifting? Run a podcast? Start a small business? That’s gold if you can talk about what it taught you and how it shaped who you are. What matters isn’t the activity. It’s the narrative. How did it grow your resilience, creativity, discipline, empathy?
Avoid the trap of doing things just because other premeds are doing them. Build a life that actually reflects you. That’s how you stand out—by being real, not by being “perfect.”
A great letter of recommendation doesn’t just say you're smart. It proves it with stories, context, and conviction. Med schools don’t want generic praise from a professor who barely remembers your name. They want letters from people who know you, who’ve seen you work, and who can speak to your character, your work ethic, and your potential as a physician.
Most schools want:
But here’s the catch: every med school has its own rules. Some require three letters total. Others cap it at six. Some prioritize committee letters. Others don’t care. Always check each school’s website and double-check before you submit.
This is the core of your application. It’s your narrative. It’s where you stop listing achievements and start showing who you are, what you care about, and the kind of doctor you’re becoming.
This story needs to be rooted in real moments and reflections. Every experience you had during your premed years needs to act as proof that what you’re saying is more than just words.
If you say you’re committed to underserved communities, show how you were there for them. If you say you love science and teaching, take AdComs to the moment that made that real. This isn’t about telling med schools what they want to hear. It’s about telling the truth and backing it up.
Once you submit your primary app, the secondaries flood in. Each school sends its own prompts, and they’re not optional. These essays are where you show that your values, goals, and experiences align with their mission.
Some schools ask five questions. Some ask one. Topics range from “Why our school?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.” You could write 20 to 40 secondary essays in total, often with overlapping themes but slightly different word counts and nuances.
The smart move? Write strong base drafts for common topics early (diversity, challenge, mission alignment), then adapt them. Don’t copy-paste. Customize. Show them you care enough to treat their school like a priority.
Welcome to the world of situational judgment tests where schools try to evaluate how you think, not just what you know. These aren’t about memorizing content. They’re about assessing your professionalism, ethics, empathy, and decision-making under pressure.
CASPer (by Altus Suite) is a 90–110 minute test made up of hypothetical scenarios. You’ll respond in real time with short written or video answers, showing how you’d handle tough interpersonal situations.
AAMC PREview is similar, but instead of open responses, you rate how appropriate or inappropriate certain actions would be in a given scenario.
Not every school asks for CASPer or PREview, but more add them every year. Some schools require one or the other, some give you the option, and others just “strongly recommend” it (which, let’s be real, means you should do it). Always check each school’s admissions site because this changes constantly.
Getting into med school isn’t just about being a strong applicant. It’s about being a strategic one. The application timeline is long, intense, and packed with deadlines that don’t care about how busy you are. But if you plan ahead and understand the system, you give yourself the best possible shot.
The primary app is the common app for med school. Most applicants use:
All three ask for your coursework, GPA, MCAT score, personal statement, work & activities, and letters of recommendation. You’ll enter everything once, then send it to multiple schools.
Timing matters a lot. The application typically opens in May, but the earliest you can submit is late May or early June, and that’s exactly when you should be ready. Med schools run on rolling admissions. The earlier you apply, the more seats are available.
If you’re trying to meet every medical school requirement, you’re likely overloaded with classes, volunteering, shadowing, maybe a job. But no matter how much you do, there’s always the voice in the back of your mind asking, “Am I doing enough? Am I doing it right?”
That’s why at Premed Catalyst, we created the 4-Year Plan Template & Workshop. This completely free resource walks you step-by-step through every semester, every requirement, and every strategic move from day one of college to the day you hit submit.
Get your free 4-Year Plan and Workshop here.
No, you don’t need to major in biology or chemistry to get in. What you do need is to complete the required science coursework and do well in it. If you’re majoring in something else like psych, history, or even art, make sure you’re still knocking out your prereqs and building a clear, consistent narrative. Non-science majors can stand out if they show they can handle the science.
It’s possible to get into med school with a low GPA, but you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. Anything below a 3.5 puts pressure on the rest of your application. If your GPA is low, you need an upward trend, strong MCAT, and real-life experiences that prove your readiness. Post-bacc programs and strategic gap years can help rebuild your academic story.
Competitive starts at 510+. If you’re aiming for mid-tier MD schools, shoot for 512–515. Top 20 programs? 518+ gives you a real shot if the rest of your app is excellent. A 520 MCAT won’t save a weak GPA or a generic personal statement. It’s part of the story, not the whole thing.
For MD programs, research is strongly expected, especially at academic or research-heavy institutions. It doesn’t have to be bench science, and you don’t need a publication. But you should be able to explain your project, what role you played, and what it taught you. For DO programs, research is a bonus, but not expected.
Some do. Some don’t. And some will only accept AP credits if you took additional upper-division courses in that subject. If you’re using AP credits to skip intro sciences, follow it up with advanced coursework to cover your bases. Always check individual school policies. They vary more than you’d expect.
Not at all if you use them well. Gap years are increasingly common, and many students need them to strengthen their application, gain more experience, or simply grow up. What matters is how you use your time. Working, volunteering, doing research, traveling with purpose. It all counts. Just don’t treat it like a year off.
If you’re focused on becoming a physician, and your stats are borderline for MD, applying to both MD and DO is a smart move. DO schools have a slightly more holistic review process and can be a strong fit, especially if you value a hands-on, whole-person approach to care. Just make sure you actually understand and respect the osteopathic philosophy before applying. AdComs can tell when you're just using it as a backup.
