Advisement Guides for Pre-medical Students

There are no valid excuses for being an uninformed pre-medical student at Missouri State University.

Pre-medical society notices

For general advisement in the health professions

Advisement documents for freshman and sophomore pre-medical students

  • Recommended Reading List for Pre-medical Students. Although this is an extensive listing, future physicians should be able to choose appropriate books matching their interests and needs.
  • Seeking a medical doctorate? What kinds of doctors are there?
  • Professionalism in the Health Professions - Definitions, Rights, and Responsibilities. An important topic for any future health professional also covered in BMS 195, Introduction to the Health Professions.
  • Performing a Professional/Personal Attribute Evaluation and Assessment. Do you have the attributes suited for success in medicine and are the characteristics of a successful physician suited for you? Medical school admissions officers expect applicants to know themselves and to know what medicine is all about.
  • The Importance of Maintaining a Pre-medical Career Journal and Diary. Successful applicants to medical school report that maintaining this career journal and diary was an important aspect of their preparation for, and success in, admission into medical school.
  • Special notice to international students without green cards who are interested in a medical education in a U.S. medical school. You must familiarize yourself with Obstacles facing International Pre-medical Students
  • Beginning second year medical students find the list of Suggested Undergraduate Courses for Medical School Preparation helpful. It is an excellent resource for the savvy pre-medical student who is aware of differences between coursework preparation for the MCAT and coursework preparation for medical school.
  • Timeline Checklist for Freshmen Pre-medical Students.
  • Defining Responsibilities in the Health Advisor/Advisee Relationship; a BMS 195 (Introduction to the Health Professions) document .
  • For a list of books and tapes that may be borrowed, pre-medical students should see Reading List and their pre-medical advisors.
  • Timeline Checklist for Sophomore Pre-medical Students.
  • Practice Specialties and Subspecialties for Physicians. See lists of medical subspecialties in Pathway to Medicine and List of Careers in the Health Professions.
  • List of Careers in the Health Professions - Plan B for pre-medical Students. All pre-medical students must have a viable "plan B" alternate career path.
  • The Value of the Liberal Arts in pre-medical student preparation. When someone refers to the fact that medical schools prefer applicants with a broad liberal arts background, what does this mean in the choice of a major, minor, or electives?

Advisement documents for junior and senior pre-medical students

  • Timeline Checklist for Junior Pre-medical Students.
  • List of MCAT Preparation and Source Materials. See section in Reading List for Pre-medical Students.
  • See tips on Preparing for the MCAT. Students at many universities start their preparation for the MCAT as freshmen. How far along are you in your knowledge and preparation for the MCAT? You should know that the MCAT score is a good predictor of your success in medical school and in your ability to pass the USMLE boards in medical school.
  • Preparing for Your Medical School Interview This is often the "bottom line" in being accepted or rejected to medical school. This document contains sample questions, tips, and the formats of typical medical school interviews.
  • The PhD/MD route: this route to medical school combines the student's interest in biomedical research and medicine. You need to be good and prepared for both to be initially accepted into these types of programs.
  • Evaluating Your MCAT Scores. This information is found in the "During the Month of June" section of the Timeline Checklist for Junior Students. Also see the chapter in the most recent issue of the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) manual about "Applicant and Accepted Applicant Data."
  • Preparing and Writing Your Personal Statement is an extremely important document, with tips on how to write a personal essay that delivers the information about you and conveys the message that admissions committees are looking for.
  • Timeline Checklist for Senior Pre-medical Students.
  • The "Early Decision" Option for Medical School Admission document discusses the early decision option (which is not for every applicant) and offers guidance in asking if it is the right option.
  • Medical School Interview Format. Different formats are used by different schools. Be prepared for the format used at the schools for which you plan to interview.
  • AAMC "Traffic Rules", Applicant Responsibilities, and Acceptance Procedures. See "Applicant Responsibilities" on the AAMC website. Traffic rules have been established to protect applicants from medical schools vying for your selection. It requires a knowledge by the applicant to work for everyone's advantage. Applicants who ignore or violate their responsibilities are placed at a disadvantage in the admissions process.
  • Acronyms and Abbreviations in the Health Sciences is a document for students in pre-medicine and medicine to help them know the jargon. Everyone throws around acronyms at various stages of the admissions and educational processes. Do not be in the dark.
  • Handling a Medical School Rejection. Several tips are also found at #9, Receiving a rejection, in the Senior Pre-medical Student Timeline Checklist. Last year, only about 60% of medical school applicants were accepted. This means that 40% were rejected by all schools to which they applied. What options should a rejected student consider next?

Advisement documents in preparation

  • Opportunities for Minority Students in Medicine (See pre-medical advisor for details.)
  • List of the Most Common Mistakes Made by Medical School Applicant
  • The Value of an Undergraduate Research Experience: A Recommendation for Pre-medical Students
  • Do's and Don'ts in Preparing Your AMCAS or AACOMAS Application
  • Soliciting and Obtaining Meaningful Letters of Recommendation
  • Scholarship Programs and Early Admission Opportunities for Pre-medical Students
  • Summer Program Opportunities for Pre-medical Students (See Summer Programs Bulletin Board and Premedical Bulletin Board on the third floor of Professional Building)
  • The Importance of Reading for the Medical School Applicant

Occasional hard copies of web-posted Biomedical Sciences Pre-medical Student Guide Sheets are available on rotation on the Biomedical Sciences Pre-medical bulletin board located near Room 329 in the Professional Building. Check weekly for new postings. Pre-medical students in other majors should bookmark and may copy website materials directly from the Biomedical Sciences Department's Pre-medical Student Advisement website, as well as this current page, for updates and new additions.

Students interested in health professions other than medicine should bookmark the Biomedical Sciences health profession's index page for advisement updates and new additions.

For more information

Contact one of the following pre-medical advisors:

Dr. Colette Witkowski* 417-836-5603, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 404

Dr. Scott Zimmerman* 417-836-6123, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 353

Dr. Richard Garrad* 417-836-5372, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 345

Dr. Lyon Hough 417-836-6485, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 409

Dr. Jianjie Wang 417-836-6140, Kampeter Health Sciences Hall, Room 339

* indicates current member of the Pre-medical Committee

Biomedical Sciences Programs
Missouri State University
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65897
417-836-5603