University of Georgia

Getting Started

Have you decided to pursue a career in medicine? These resources will answer many of the questions you may have about pursuing a career in medicine and the process of applying to medical school.

Building Your Credentials

To prepare for a career in medicine you will need to build credentials in scholarship, leadership, humanitarian / community service, research and shadowing in the various settings of the profession. Many students do not get into medical school the first time that they apply. The traits that predict success in the profession include, high academic aptitude, hard work, the ability to work well with others, and good judgment.

There is no “best” major for pre-med students nor are there majors that will make students “stand out.” You are encouraged to pursue majors in which you are most interested in.

What do medical schools look for when reviewing applicants?

Medical schools consider the following credentials when evaluating applicants for admission:

  • Academic record (both overall and science GPA)
  • MCAT scores
  • Letters of Evaluation (including faculty and physician letters)
  • Exposure to doctor-patient interaction (“shadowing”)
  • Volunteering, as well as charitable / altruistic endeavors
  • Research experience
  • Leadership abilities
  • Interpersonal communication skills

Note: Medical schools may also require background checks of applicants before matriculation.

Allopathic Medicine vs. Osteopathic Medicine

If you plan to apply to medical school, you have a choice between allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) programs. While there are differences in curriculum and pedagogy, in the state of Georgia both a DO and MD will receive the same medical license and privileges to practice medicine.

Allopathic medicine refers broadly to medical practice. The term allopathy was coined in 19th century by Samuel Hahnemann to designate the usual practice of medicine as opposed to homeopathy. Allopathic medicine is defined as “a method of treating disease with remedies that produce effects different from those caused by the disease itself”.

If you are interested in practicing medicine as a MD, the most authoritative resource is the Association for American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The AAMC is a not-for-profit association representing all 141 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools, nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 51 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, and 90 academic and scientific societies.

For many pre-med students, the AAMC’s website is the best place to begin learning about the process for becoming a physician.

There are 5 allopathic medical schools in Georgia:

  1. Emory University School of Medicine
  2. Medical College of Georgia
  3. Mercer University School of Medicine
  4. Morehouse University School of Medicine
  5. University of Georgia Medical School

Osteopathic medicine involves a holistic or “whole-person” approach to healthcare and osteopathic physicians receive specialized training involving the musculoskeletal system. Specifically, osteopathic treatment usually involves a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Osteopathic physicians are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine in all 50 states. They practice in all types of environments, including the military, and in all types of specialties, from family medicine to obstetrics to surgery. However, the primary focus of osteopathic medicine is primary care.

If you are interested in learning more about osteopathic medicine, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) serves as a valuable resource.

There is only 1 osteopathic medical school in Georgia with two campus locations:

  1. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Georgia Campus)
  2. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (South Georgia Campus)

Osteopathic medical school prerequisites and the application process, including the MCAT, are similar to M.D. schools. Their centralized application is AACOMAS.

Podiatric Medicine

If you are interested in entering a more specialized field, you could consider podiatric medicine (DPM) which focuses specifically on the lower extremity.

Podiatrists (Doctors of Podiatric Medicine or DPM) are qualified by their education and training to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg, i.e. the lower extremity.

Podiatrists are a vital member of the healthcare team. They are often the first to detect symptoms of diabetes or cardiovascular disease because of the human foot’s interrelation with the rest of the body. DPMs are licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and practice in a variety of settings.

If you are interested in learning more about podiatric medicine, the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) serves as a valuable resource.

Podiatric medical school prerequisites and the application process, including the MCAT, are similar to M.D. schools. Their centralized application is AACPMAS.

There are no podiatric medical schools in Georgia.

Extracurricular & Leadership Activities

Involvement in extracurricular activities is viewed very favorably by a medical school admissions committee, for if you can maintain a competitive GPA and still have the time and energy to actively participate in extracurricular activities, both your aptitude and motivation must be rather high.

That said, there is no particular benefit in being simply a member who never participates or becomes involved in an organization; instead, if you have been very active, particularly if you have held office or in some other way present evidence of your leadership, you will usually be considered as the most competitive and attractive candidate for medical school.

You do not have to be involved in variety of different organizations or only those that are geared towards careers in healthcare. On the contrary, it is advised that you find a couple of extracurricular activities or student organizations about which you are very passionate and try to get as deeply involved as possible. Consistency and active participation are prized by admissions committees over simply the number of things you are involved in.

Further, your activities do not need to be strictly medical. In fact, a great many successful pre-med students at UGA join social fraternities and sororities, take an active role in various service and religious organizations, play varsity or intramural sports, participate in debating societies, theatrical groups, the band, etc. Others participate in student advisory and leadership roles on campus, such as the Arch Society. It is your participation and interest in these activities that are important, not the specific focus.

Finally, it must be emphasized, that no amount of involvement in extracurricular activities can substitute for a good academic record and strong MCAT scores.

A list of Pre-Health campus organizations can be found here.

Course Requirements

Each year, the AAMC publishes the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) index, which details admissions requirements and data for every accredited medical school in the US and Canada.

Although requirements do vary from program to program, medical schools generally require the following courses:

  • One year of inorganic/general chemistry with lab (CHEM 1211/L and 1212/L)
  • One year of organic chemistry with lab (CHEM 2211/L and 2212/L)
  • One year of biology with lab (BIOL 1107/L and 1108/L)
  • One year of physics with lab (PHYS 1111/L and 1112/L or PHYS 1211/L and 1212/L)
  • One semester of biochemistry (BCMB 3100 or BCMB 4010 & 4020)
    • Biochemistry is increasingly being listed as a medical school admissions requirement. However, all students are highly encouraged to this course regardless as the content is heavily represented on the MCAT.
  • One year of English (ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102)
  • One semester of statistics (STAT 2000 or BIOS 2010)
    • Not all medical schools require statistics, but Medical College of Georgia does.
    • PSYC 3990 is not deemed equivalent to statistics by the Math Department; therefore, will not satisfy the statistics requirement for Medical College of Georgia.

Additionally, some schools require courses in Calculus, Psychology, English, and the Humanities. Please be mindful of the requirements of the schools you are interested in applying to!

Suggested courses pre-MCAT can be found here.

Most schools have policies regarding advanced placement (AP) credit. Some schools restrict the use of such credit in fulfillment of pre-requisite requirements, especially for biology, chemistry and sometimes physics. In these cases, schools will often allow you to take additional upper-level courses with corresponding labs in the science areas where AP credit was received. The policies for each medical school and their admission requirements, generally, can be found in the MSAR. We also recommend that you double-check requirements on each schools individual website.

If you wish to enter a medical program you will need to have a strong science and overall GPA. Admissions committees also look for trends on your transcript—so all is not lost if you stumble your first semester or two, as long as you show substantial improvement each subsequent year. However, they will also notice negative trends such as consistently withdrawing from or performing poorly in hard sciences or completing them away from your home institution. While an instance or two is not a deal-breaker, a pattern of behavior will be. You must demonstrate the ability to handle difficult scientific content.

Although a life science major such as Biology may offer the most practical route to completing the requirements for admission into medical school, you are not limited to only the life science majors. It is important that you choose a major that best fits your interests. As long as you show proficiency in the sciences (via pre-requisites and the MCAT) and a general pattern of challenging yourself, your major is largely unimportant to admission committees. You can find a list of all of UGA’s majors, minors, and certificate programs on the Bulletin.

Shadowing & Volunteering

As a prospective medical student, you are expected to spend time shadowing a physician. Specifically, this means hands-off observation only. You should not engage in any activity that could be construed as the practice of medicine if you are not licensed and trained to provide such care. You can find the AAMC’s shadowing FAQ here.

The purpose of shadowing is to learn the nuances of patient-care that may not be apparent from what is shown on television or in books. Outside of interacting with and treating patients, physicians have a lot of responsibilities that may include running a business, teaching, or doing research. It is important that you understand the realities of being a physician, so be sure to ask questions and engage with the physician you are shadowing as much as possible. (If you are shadowing a surgeon, try to see more than just what happens in the OR!)

Most medical schools do not require a specific number of shadowing or observation hours; however, competitive applicants usually have around 100 hours. You should aim for getting a variety of experiences with physicians in various fields to gain a better understanding of the breadth of the medical profession. While you should try to shadow specialties that you are interested in, you are not required to have shadowing experiences in any specific specialties. Shadowing opportunities can sometimes be hard to find, so you are encouraged to take advantage of any shadowing experiences.

Ideally, you should build a good relationship with at least one M.D. or D.O., as you will want to request a letter of recommendation once you begin the application process.

Volunteering is an important portion of the medical school application which should not be neglected. Medical schools are looking for you to show depth of commitment and substantial involvement and leadership in the community. You need to demonstrate that you can excel in rigorous courses, but also that you are compassionate and enjoy working with people. Many students say that they want to go into medicine to help people; you must show direct evidence of your dedication to helping and serving the community. You can find the AAMC’s volunteering FAQ here.

Volunteering can be done in a clinical setting such as a hospital or hospice, but it can also be done with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society, or any other organization (on-campus or off-campus) that you are passionate about.

If you are hoping to volunteer at a local hospital or clinic (e.g., Piedmont Athens Regional or St. Mary’s Hospital), it is important to be mindful of deadlines and requirements. Most hospitals and clinics have a specific time-window each year that they accept and train potential volunteers. Further, most require volunteers to pass background checks and have up-to-date immunizations and tuberculosis testing. It is your responsibility to research deadlines and requirements when seeking out volunteer opportunities.

Many student organizations champion humanitarian and community volunteer activities:

Research

Each year, the number of medical school applicants who have significant medical or laboratory research experience grows. In fact, many medical schools expect students to have some experience with research and over 70% of medical school matriculants have participated in research. You can find the AAMC’s research FAQ here.

While research experience is not a pre-requisite for most medical schools, working in a lab setting will help make you a more competitive applicant and will also help you to determine if a career in medicine or medical research is right for you. In addition, research is a hands-on learning experience which can develop a number of skills that are vital for a career in healthcare such as critital thinking, communication, adaptability, patience, resilience, and teamwork. (To learn more about the skillsets that medical schools value, please review the AAMC’s Core Competencies here.)

Since research settings are smaller than the average UGA lecture class, you will also have the opportunity to build a solid relationship with a faculty member who can then write you a strong letter of recommendation.

If you are interested in pursing an MD/PhD program, you will be expected to have significant research experience as you must demonstrate your desire to become a physician scientist. You should begin seeking out research opportunities as soon as you know that you want to pursue a dual-degree program.

Undergraduate research has numerous benefits even for those students who do not wish to pursue research as a career. However, if you have no interest in research, it may be a better use of your time to engage in activities that you are more passionate about, such as clinical or community volunteering.

You should begin looking for research opportunities as soon as possible. Ideally, freshman or sophomore year. It can be intimidating to reach out to research mentors so early in your academic career, but you will receive training and support when you join a lab.

Due to course scheduling and the lock-step nature of certain majors, it can sometimes be difficult to fit in research prior to junior or senior year. However, you should not put off research until junior or senior year if you can fit it in sooner. Asking early not only means that you are more likely to find opportunities, but it also gives you the chance to remain in the lab for a longer period of time and to get more deeply involved.

The University of Georgia is a very large, research-intensive institution. Nearly every faculty member on campus is conducting some type of research. You can get involved in research in a number of ways: as a volunteer, paid lab assistant or for course credit. If you are looking to get a paid position, keep an eye on your major’s listserv for openings or check in with your career consultant at the Career Center and look on Handshake for any job postings.

If you are looking to simply volunteer in a laboratory or receive course credit (e.g., BIOL 4960) for research, the first step is to make a list of faculty members that are currently doing work you may be interested in. Review departmental webpages or use head to the Integrated Life Sciences page to narrow your search. The UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) provides resources and tips for finding research opportunities. They also offer a limited number of research fellowships and assistantships each year.

Once you have found a lab you are interested in, reach out to the faculty member. E-mail is usually the best way to do this. In your email, express your specific reasons for wanting to join the lab (i.e., what about the research interests you) and provide some details about yourself and your future goals.

Finding a lab does require you to be proactive. Lab openings are limited. You should expect to send out a number of e-mails before you find an open lab. Do not get discouraged!

Our office recommends that you participate in a research lab for at least a year. However, keep in mind that medical schools care more about the “depth” of your research experience than the length of time. In other words, it is important that you are able to talk intelligently and in detail about your role in the lab and the goals / results of the project.

Students interested in a pursuing a dual-degree (e.g., MD/PhD) must dedicate a significant amount of time towards research and, if possible, develop their own project. Competitive applicants will have presented their research at conferences or symposiums and some will have written and submitted manuscripts.