FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions about the medical school applications and admissions process
Extracurriculars are another way for you to express yourself during your application! Do not feel pressured to volunteer in a certain NGO or field if you feel like everyone else is heading in the same direction. What you can do is pinpoint something you are interested in and passionate about, then search for NGOs in that field. There will be a high probability that they are accepting volunteers, and you will be equipped to answer any questions about it during your interviews since you are genuinely interested.
Extracurriculars are a commitment on their own and can feel like an additional pressure sometimes. Thus, we recommend you start volunteering during your 2nd semester at university. It would have given you plenty of time to adapt to university and it is still a relatively light semester. Try not to push them till your final semesters since it will be hectic and it would be obvious that you’re only doing it for your resume.
No! It is all relative. They take the best 64 applicants at LAU based on gpa, MCAT results, interview and extracurriculars. Consequently, the average accepted gpa depends on each year’s applicants. This does not mean that you should not aim for a 4.0 gpa, the higher your stats, the more competitive your application is! A rule of thumb is that a 3.8 gpa is always considered a good one.
While biology is the most common path, it certainly is not the only available one. Other less common ones are chemistry, bioinformatics and psychology. Students go for biology because the major requirements overlap with the premed requirements, which makes things relatively easier. If you’re not interested in biology you can always switch to other majors, but you will still have to take the premed requirements.
Even though it is tempting to forfeit your personal life and focus on your studies, it is by no means sustainable. We all need to have fun from time to time, and depriving yourself from that will only lead to burnout. Start using planners if you have to and develop your time management skills. Everyone works out a different system so try not to copy others, focus on yourself and find what works for you.