🗺️ Timeline Tips: Year-by-Year Guide to Staying on Track
Welcome to the Pre-Med Highway + A Re-Introduction
Happy Monday!
Before diving into today’s post, I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself, since you'll be hearing a lot about my experiences, reflections, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Hi! I’m Beza :) I recently wrapped up my second year of my MPH at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and I’m currently in the process of applying to medical school. I’m originally from the Maryland area, and I’m deeply passionate about medicine, social theory, education, policy, and—of course—public health.
As someone from a family of immigrants, none of whom are in the medical field, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate this path. Even with online resources and support from my advising office, it often felt overwhelming to figure out the right steps forward. If you’ve ever felt the same way, I hope that sharing what I’ve learned can offer some guidance, or at least a small light, on your own journey toward medical school.
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With that in mind, let’s dive into a year-by-year guide to help you stay grounded and on track throughout this long, winding process.
🧑🎓 Freshman Year: Explore + Establish
Goal: Get your bearings, build a strong academic foundation, and start testing the waters
✅ Academics:
Take core science/math prereqs: Gen Chem I , Orgo I, Bio I, Calculus/Stats
Get used to college-level workload
I personally went to my department’s academic center to make a 4 year plan with an upperclassman student representative (template linked at the end)
Don’t sign up for 8 a.m. Organic Chemistry unless you hate yourself or are an unnatural morning person
🩺 Activities:
Join pre-health organizations
These clubs can provide valuable insights into the pre-health process and help you build connections with like-minded peers
That said, they aren’t essential for everyone. Some students may find them overwhelming or anxiety-inducing, so prioritize your well-being and engage at your own pace
Begin volunteering (e.g., hospitals, clinics, or service-learning organizations)
It’s often best to ease into college life before taking on additional commitments. Consider spending your first semester researching opportunities and getting acclimated, then start volunteering in your second semester when you feel more settled
Freshman year is like the appetizer sampler — try a bit of everything before you commit 😂
🧠 Tips:
Find a mentor (advisor, older student, cool TA who isn’t dead inside)
Start a journal for shadowing/volunteering experiences
🧑🔬 Sophomore Year: Engage + Explore More
Goal: Deepen your interest in medicine and build your resume
✅ Academics:
Orgo II, Gen Chem II, Physics, Psychology/Sociology
Start planning for upper-level bio courses
🩺 Activities:
Shadow a physician + Start a clinical job (no Grey’s Anatomy or the PITT does not count—10/10 shows btw)
Here are some ways to find clinical experiences:
Get involved in one or two meaningful extracurriculars
I loved tutoring at elementary schools, which made me consider working with the pediatric patient population in the future
Apply for summer research/clinical internships
There are many summer research programs geared towards pre-med students, but you can also do more focused research with a professor
And you need to stop comparing how much you get paid with the frankly unnecessarily amount of money tech interns get and no I am not still bitter about it…
🧠 Tips:
Start thinking about MCAT prep timeline (next year you will thank you)
Get to know at least 2-3 professors well (future letter writers!)
🧑⚕️ Junior Year: Execute + Excel
Goal: This is your most important prep year — time to get serious about the MCAT and application
✅ Academics:
Finish all core prereqs ideally before the MCAT
If you are NOT planning to take any gap years, I’d recommend taking the MCAT the summer between sophomore and junior year OR the winter/spring of Junior year
Medical School Applications open in May, so having your desired MCAT score by then will set you up for success
Take upper-division science classes to prove you’ve got the chops
Junior year is when your planner cries itself to sleep 😂
🩺 Activities:
Study for and take the MCAT
If you struggle with testing anxiety or are understandably overwhelmed with a big test like the MCAT, read my recent post on overcoming the emotional sides of the process:
Start writing personal statement and compiling activities for AMCAS/AACOMAS
Some universities have a pre-health committee process to apply to medical or PA school, so do your research on what your school offers
Secure letters of recommendation (please ask at least 2 months ahead of time—please 😭)
🧠 Tips:
Consider taking a light spring/summer course load if you’re taking the MCAT during that time
Create a realistic study schedule (and stick to it 80% of the time…that’s a win)
🩻 Senior Year (or Gap Year): Apply + Adapt
Goal: Apply, interview, and plan your future. Or take a gap year and breathe a little
✅ Academics:
Finish any outstanding courses
Consider fun electives or burnout-prevention classes (e.g., art, ethics, sleep)
🩺 Activities:
Submit your AMCAS/AACOMAS early (May/June)
Prep for interviews (MMI practice, mock interviews)
Continue volunteering/research (med schools don’t want to see you drop everything right after applying)
🧠 Tips:
Gap year? Use it wisely: research, postbac or master’s program, work as a scribe/MA, travel with purpose
Someone once told me that applying to med school is like dating — lots of rejections before you find ‘the one’
Yeah, it didn’t make me feel better either…
🧰 Pre-Med Survival Toolkit
💡 Takeaway
Remember that everyone’s path looks different and detours are okay
You’ve got this! And if not, at least you’ll have enough stories to write a killer personal statement 😉