Timeline for High School Students Interested in Medicine

Grade 9 

• Meet with your guidance or career counselor or a trusted adult to share your future goals and map out your courses for all four years. Tip: Make sure you’ve taken or are taking Algebra I by your freshman year.  

• Learn what Science, Math, AP, or Dual Enrollment (classes that offer high school and college credit at the same time), and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses are offered and when each can be taken.​ You can find a list of AP Courses and Exams that may be offered at your school, here.  

• Explore clubs, study groups, volunteer, and service opportunities at your school and in your community. You may even have an idea about a club or event you can create! ​ 

• See some suggested books you might add to your summer reading list!​ 
   

Grade 10 

• Check in with your guidance or career counselor or a trusted adult at the beginning, middle, and end of your sophomore year to make sure you are on track.​ 

• ​Ask about volunteer or paid opportunities related to service, nonprofits, or healthcare.​ 

• ​Get familiar with the career skills required for incoming medical students. You can start working on these now!​ 

• ​​Start researching colleges. Check out this step-by-step college search guide on BigFuture to get you started! 

• Learn about the entrance exams for college and assess where you are if you plan to take them. ​See what free or low-cost SAT or ACT prep programs may be available through your school, community college, or online. 

• Discuss your junior year coursework with your guidance counselor or teachers to ensure it meets the requirements for graduation and college admission. Ask about opportunities for advanced classes that you might take at school, online, or outside of your school.  

Grade 11 

• Check in with your guidance or career counselor or a trusted adult to make sure you are progressing toward graduation requirements. Bring a potential list of colleges you are interested in. Ask them to review the list with you to see if there are other schools you might want to include.  

• ​Sign up for and attend in-person and virtual college fairs, information sessions, tours, and social media accounts. Don’t forget to Include your family in these events! 

• Attend sessions at your school with college representatives. These are often found on the counseling website for your school. 

• Discuss with your family what their plans are for you attending and financing college. Begin to explore options for scholarships or programs such as QuestBridge, Ron Brown Scholars, Posse Foundation, etc.  

• Check out the AAMC Medical Pathways & Enrichment Opportunities Database and filter for available opportunities for high school students. 

• ​Schedule virtual and in-person college visits. The AAMC has a list of questions, specifically for students interested in medicine, that can be asked when visiting colleges, and BigFuture also has a campus visit checklist to help you. 

• ​Volunteer, work, and expand your reading list to keep honing your critical thinking skills. ​ 

• Request recommendation letters from your teachers before the end of the school year. Select teachers who know you well and can speak to your contributions in the classroom. Provide them with a “brag sheet” and resume so they are familiar with the activities, clubs, jobs, and service commitments you take part in. 

​ Grade 12 

• Check regularly with your guidance counselor to keep up with deadlines and ensure that all materials, recommendation letters, transcripts, and (if appropriate) test and AP scores or honors are sent to schools. Narrow down your college application list. 

• Discuss with your advisor and family which application tracks you want to select for each school (Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Direct Admissions). Deadlines, policies, and financial aid considerations will vary for each of these. 

• Find the right scholarships for you by talking to each college’s financial aid office staff, checking with local organizations, businesses, and hospitals, and using reliable scholarship search sites, such as the BigFuture’s Scholarship Search tool, and others. 

• Review all the financial considerations for applying to and attending college, such as application fees, transportation fees, transcript or test score fees, deposits, housing, books or materials, food, and health insurance, etc.  

• Set up a non-school email account (with your name in the address or something equally professional) and check it regularly for important updates, deadlines, and notifications to your college portals. Consider using a password manager to help save and manage all login credentials for your portals and allowing a parent or trusted adult to help you monitor and review emails and notifications.  

• Apply to colleges and finish campus and virtual visits. Wait for decisions to start arriving in your inbox!​ 

• ​Continue being active in your volunteer, research, and work experiences. Consistency and commitment are important to admissions officers.​ 

• ​Take a deep breath and be proud of all that you have accomplished! You are on your way to a career in medicine.​ 

• Learn about the Summer Health Professions Education Program and how to apply during your freshman year of college.​