Cal's Career Center Health Team

English Requirement for Medical School

Here's a common question we're getting from students these days:  "I have only completed half of the one-year English requirement for some medical schools.  Would it be okay for me to take the other half at a community college?" 

The answer is yes.  Most medical schools aren't particularly concerned with where you completed your English requirement, whether or not they are even stringent about it to begin with.   If you are really nervous about this, call a few schools and ask.  Don't worry, they won't blacklist you for it. 

Rachel   

Should I Stay or Should I go?

Is now the right time for you to apply to Medical or Health School?  How do you know if it is?  It seems to us that everybody here at Berkeley is on the fast track to professional school.  However, there is merit to the concept of waiting until you are the best possible candidate. 

You are probably not ready to apply, if....

A major life-altering event has recently taken place.  If any MAJOR pivotal event, such as the death of a loved one, personal illness, a marriage, etc causes you excessive strain, whether the event has a traditionally positive or negative connotation, you may want to consider applying later.  These types of events tend to amp stress levels to stratospheric levels, and applying to Med/Health school is a stressful undertaking, and you need to be able to give it all you've got. 

Your GPA/Test Scores/Activities aren't looking so hot.  Granted, there are students who have ho-hum grades, but stellar scores and activities.  If you consider yourself exceptional in this regard, then maybe this advice doesn't apply to you.  The average applicant, however, has pretty similar experience when compared to his/her peers...so with crummy grades and scores, it is going to be difficult to stand out, at least on paper.  (If you are unsure about how your activities look, make an appointment with a pre-health counselor.)  Also, if you have not complemented your academic experience adequately with roll-up-your-sleeves experience, you will likely be disregarded by many schools in favor of somebody with more"stuff."  Why not spend a year or two beefing up your resume?

That said, if you feel that you have truly done your best on a test or academically, then you might as well apply with what you've got. 

You're not sure why you're applying.  Why now?  If, for example, your folks are pressuring you just to apply and see how well you fare, they may be doing you a disservice.  If your friends are applying, so you think you should apply, you are doing yourself a disservice.  Applications are extremely expensive, particularly for medical school, and the decision to apply should not be taken lightly.  Plus, in most cases you are better off avoiding "reapplicant" status, as you will have to argue your case even more strenuously on the second round.