# Pre-Med Advising ## expand\_more ![pre-med_header_resized.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum7656/files/kirkland/files/pre-med_header_resized.jpg) **Main Contact Email** for the Kirkland Pre-Med/Health Team: **Sign up for our NEW email list** [**here**](https://web.lists.fas.harvard.edu/mailman/lists/kirkland-premed.lists.fas.harvard.edu/)**.** **Email List:** **Kirkland's 2025-26 Pre-Med Tutors:** [Ahmed Ahmed](/people/ahmed-ahmed), [Yoseph Boku](/people/yoseph-boku), [Austin Gregg](/people/austin-gregg-0), [Alisia (Si Hui) Pan](/people/alisia-si-hui-pan), [Siona Prasad](/people/siona-prasad), [Benjamin T](/people/benjamin-teasdale) **General Information:** Choosing medicine means you'll have a long road ahead of you (i.e. 4 years of medical school, 3-5+ years of residency, 1-3+ years of fellowship), so make sure you do your homework and know what you are getting into! Read about the profession, get involved in shadowing or volunteer experiences in medicine, and have conversations with your family, friends, and advisors about the decision. Be sure to explore our links on the right for helpful handouts and tips for completing pre-medical course requirements and navigating the application process. More than anything, please don't hesitate to ever reach out or swing by our **weekly Office Hours from 8-9pm in the Kirkland Dining Hall**. We are happy to connect virtually as well. Sort**Academics** - Premed [coursework](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/resources/premedical-information-for-harvard-students-timelines-courses-resources-2023-2024-blue-book/) includes: Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Math, and English - [MCAT](https://students-residents.aamc.org/about-mcat-exam/about-mcat-exam#:~:text=The%20Medical%20College%20Admission%20Test,to%20the%20study%20of%20medicine.): many dates to choose from, aim to do well the first time (especially if your GPA is not that strong)! Remember to *respect the test*; it takes *practice* to do well, so give yourself enough time to prepare. - Research: It can be in any field, and it can be in the classroom (e.g. senior thesis) or outside of it, as long as you demonstrate your ability to think independently and develop hypotheses, etc. - **More Tips**: Remember that you can concentrate in any field/department. While you're in college, showing an upward trajectory in your grades is *always* helpful. You can take some of your premed requirements after graduation if you need to. You certainly don't need a perfect or even near-perfect GPA to go to med school, but showing that you can handle the academic coursework is an important component of your application. **Personal** - Make sure medicine is for you! If you're unsure, think about starting with shadowing experiences. Email for a list of Kirkland non-resident physicians that you can shadow. - Get involved in service/volunteer opportunities - they don't necessarily have to be inside the hospital. Check out the list of [clinical opportunities](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/getting-experience-premed/) on the MCS website. - Do the things you love (these will make you stand out from the crowd), and pursue leadership opportunities as they arise in your extracurricular activities. It's also good to demonstrate long-term commitment, whenever possible. **Application Year** - **MCS (Mignone Center for Career Success):** - MCS is a valuable resource for prospective and current medical school applicants. Please refer to the MCS website for [advising opportunities](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/channels/pre-med-students/) and a central repository with up to date information about [applying to medical school](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/applying-to-medical-school/). - If you are a current applicant or an alumni planning to apply in a future cycle, be sure to subscribe to the [MCS Medical School Applicant Listserv](https://web.lists.fas.harvard.edu/mailman/lists/harvardocs-medschool-applicants-list.lists.fas.harvard.edu/) to recieve important reminders and updates. - **MCAT:** - Take the MCAT (aim to do well the first time!) before or by June of the year you plan to apply (i.e., the latest recommended MCAT date for those applying in summer 2026 would be June 2026). - Review the MCS Website for [additional information/guidance regarding the MCAT](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/applying-to-medical-school/) - [Test dates and registration](https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/register-mcat-exam/) - **Letters of Recommendation:** - You will need 3-6 total letters of recommendation in your final application packet. - [Tips](https://www.aamc.org/download/349990/data/lettersguidelinesbrochure.pdf) to share with new letter writers on how to write recommendations letters for medical schools - Tips from MCS on [asking for letters](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/applying-to-medical-school/) - Ask for letters to be written and signed on official letterhead, addressed as follows: "Dear Medical School Admissions Committee". - Every letter must be returned with a [Kirkland Confidentiality Waiver](/file_url/677) signed by you and your letter-writer. - Letters and waiver forms should be emailed to both and . - **AMCAS Application:** - AMCAS is the medical school analogue to the Common Application. Start filling it out early, and use the MCS's step-by-step PDF for completing AMCAS. We strongly recommend submitting AMCAS by early June, given that most medical schools conduct rolling admissions processes. - While AMCAS is the most common application service for medical schools, please adhere to similar guidance for AACOMAS, AADSAS, TMDSAS, etc. - **Personal Statement:** - Make sure to get plenty of feedback from your friends, family, advisors (including your Kirkland Non-Resident Pre-Med Tutor), and even strangers! - Be sure to review the MCS guidance for [personal statements](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/applying-to-medical-school/). - **Situational Judgment Tests:** - At this time, a number of allopathic/osteopathic U.S. medical, dental, and veterinary schools require applicants to take an online situational judgment test (SJT). - Aim to take one of the SJTs (Casper, AAMC PREview), by the end of June, even if your preferred school does not require it. - See the MCS website for [additional guidance](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/applying-to-medical-school/) (AMCAS tab). - **Preparing for Interviews:** - Look at [sample interview questions and guidance regarding interview prep](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/applying-to-medical-school/) from the MCS website. ## PRE-MED LINKS - [Sign up for our email list](https://web.lists.fas.harvard.edu/mailman/lists/kirkland-premed.lists.fas.harvard.edu/) - [MCS Pre-Med and Pre-Health Advising](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/channels/pre-med-students/) - [MCS Pre-Med Course Requirements Handbook](https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/resources/premedical-information-for-harvard-students-timelines-courses-resources-2023-2024-blue-book/) - [Kirkland Letter of Recommendation Confidentiality Waiver](/file_url/677)