Preparing for Medical School: Junior Year

Sophomore Year | Junior Year | Senior Year

At the beginning of your junior year you will begin the recommendation process to get an institutional recommendation letter. You will have dinner with the Health Professions Recommendation Committee (HPRC) during which you will give a short (5-10 minute) talk to the committee explaining why you want to go to medical school. A committee member will be assigned to you to write your recommendation letter. You will be interviewed and evaluated by this committee member in preparation of the letter writing process. Sometimes we use quotes from you in your letter of recommendation, so you should have good reasons why you want to go to medical school. Also be aware that collectively we spend on average 10 hours per letter, including writing the draft and successive committee meetings. It is a process that will takes much time. 

The institutional recommendation letter is written and uses quotes from those who recommend you. You will need to have 5 confidential recommendations sent to the pre-medical program. We require at least 3 from Houghton College faculty and prefer at least one from a medical doctor. If you are applying to an osteopathic school, a letter from an osteopathic doctor will likely be required.  

In the letter you will be given a final recommendation as follows:

Highest recommendation

Highly recommend

Recommend

Offer for your consideration

Do not recommend

The final recommendation is assigned based on all your credentials, including your MCAT score. The director of pre-medical education will speak with anyone not expected to achieve a recommendation of “recommend” or higher.

During your junior year, you will also take the MCAT exam. Generally, you need to aim for a score of 28 or better generally to be accepted to an allopathic medical school of good reputation. Osteopathic medical schools require lower scores. 

Before you leave for the summer of your junior year, you will submit a list of schools to which you intend to apply. Additionally, you need to ensure you have met all the course requirements for those particular schools.  

The summer of your junior year you will fill-out your AMCAS application on-line and write a personal statement. The director of pre-medical education helps students over the summer with this project.  

The ideal candidate for an allopathic medical school (to get an M.D.)  will have:

• GPA of 3.6 or greater (can be lower for an osteopathic school)
• MCAT score of 28-30 or greater (can be lower for an osteopathic school)
• Volunteer experience in the medical profession/shadowing experiences
• Leadership experience with evidence of community involvement
• Very strong recommendations from Houghton College faculty and health professionals, evidencing compassion for others, character, leadership skills, strong work ethic, etc.
• A well-written and well thought-out personal statement.

Sophomore Year | Junior Year | Senior Year