5 Tips to Stay on Track Your Junior Year as a Premed

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Hi everyone! My name is Madeline Kerestman, and I am currently an M1 student at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) in Rootstown, Ohio. I graduated from the University of Georgia (UGA) in May 2024 with a B.S. in Health Promotion and Behavior, along with a minor degree in Health Policy and Management— Go Dawgs! Feel free to follow me on Tiktok! 

At UGA, I was heavily involved in Greek Life and served as my sorority’s Secretary, Vice President, and President. Helping to organize sorority recruitment during this time kept me busy, but it also helped me adjust to having a packed schedule. All this to say: as a college premed student find something that you’re passionate about and get involved in it! It can be a research project, a leadership position, a hobby, literally anything… run with it and keep yourself busy early in your junior year. Starting off on the right foot will only make it easier for you to add MCAT studying and application building as the year progresses. 

TLDR: How to start your junior year as a premed off right! 

• Get organized
• Write out your schedule in a planner
• Solidify your course schedule
• Meet with an academic advisor—make a plan! 
• Have some idea of when you want to take the MCAT, 
• Apply to medical school 
• Begin a new research project

How to Balance Academic Responsibilities 

I am considered to be a “traditional” matriculant to medical school, as I didn’t take any gap years prior to beginning medical school in July of 2024. There’s no doubt that, over the years, medical school admissions have only gotten more competitive. More and more students submit applications every year— they score high on the MCAT and also gather meaningful experiences along the way.

As a junior premed, building and sticking to an MCAT study plan was difficult enough, I was still taking challenging undergrad courses. Some of my longest late-night study sessions and toughest exams took place this year.

Your focus for your junior year should be on maintaining a high GPA and being dedicated to your premedical courses. Here are some strategies to help you succeed and maintain a healthy balance. 

Prepping and Taking the MCAT

Usually, the standard recommendation is anywhere from 3-6 months of dedicated MCAT studying before test day. Pick a test date that’s achievable; this involves thinking about where you’re at in life, any upcoming events you might have, and when you want to begin medical school. Once you have your test date, take the time to sit down and make a study plan. There are several free study schedule templates you can access on Reddit, Student Doctor Network, etc. Another option would be to sit down with a premedical advisor, tutor, or someone who has already taken the MCAT. They can help you create an individualized study plan and set goals. 

Here are more links specifically about preparing for the MCAT, which deserves a whole additional blog (or five).

Tips For Your Personal Statement

The personal statement was another obstacle that gave me a lot of anxiety throughout my junior year. It felt nearly impossible to think about putting why I wanted to become a doctor into a 5,300-character essay. It took me hundreds of drafts and several peer reviews, but I made it out alive!

I began writing my personal statement in January of my junior year and started writing ideas into a notes document. Those ideas or “seeds” eventually turned into sentences and paragraphs. Sooner rather than later, I was tasked with cutting a 10,000-character essay into one that was more concise and within the character limit. 

I recommend watching videos on YouTube from Dr. Ryan Gray. Essentially, he and his Medical School Headquarters (MSHQ) team will read and review all types of personal statements. This helped me better format my own personal statement and gain a better understanding of what medical schools want to hear.

Do NOT put off writing your personal statement until the very last minute. It should be a work in progress that you consistently re-visit and re-work until you submit your application. Medical schools can tell if your personal statement is not authentic or rushed, and this is the part of the application that SHOWS medical schools who you are and what your story is. Take the time to make it the best essay you’ve ever written because it is SO important. 

I found it helpful to get feedback from all different types of people in my life. However, I recommend having people who don’t know you personally read it and give feedback. For example, I asked a few medical students and physicians to read my personal statement and give me feedback. Since they didn’t know my personal story and journey to medicine prior to reading, it gave me a better idea of how a medical school review board might read and interpret my personal statement. I also reached out to family and friends for help with grammar and polishing my essay so that it could fit within the character limit. Getting feedback at all points throughout the writing process is super important and necessary to write a quality personal statement. 

Tips for The Application Process

Start researching medical schools at the beginning of your junior year. Focus on several key factors: location, mission statement, curriculum structure, and residency match lists. You can use resources like the MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements) database from the AAMC and official school websites to gather insights. Make a spreadsheet to track all this information and make a list of schools you think would be a good fit. 

One important piece of advice is to apply broadly but strategically—balancing reach schools with those where your stats align well with their averages. Consider whether you prefer a traditional lecture-based curriculum or a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, and be mindful of tuition and the cost of living in different cities.

When it came time to complete my AMCAS primary application, I treated it like a marathon, not a sprint. I highly recommend submitting your primary application as early as possible to avoid processing delays and increase your chances of getting early interviews. Once secondary applications started rolling in, I created a spreadsheet to track each school's prompts and deadlines. I drafted common secondary essay responses in advance for recurring themes like "Why our school?" or "Describe a challenge you've overcome." This saved me time and allowed me to submit quality responses quickly.

How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation

Choosing who to ask for letters of recommendation was an important decision. Focus on selecting people who could speak to both your academic abilities and personal qualities. It depends on the medical school but typically three are required and some schools allow you to submit up to six. Some schools have specific requirements, like committee letters or a certain number of science faculty recommendations, so I double-checked each school’s policies well in advance.

Once you’ve made a list of who you’d like to ask, schedule a meeting with that person to formally request the letter of recommendation and provide any materials they might need to write it, like your resume, personal statement, your grades, and any specific AAMC guidelines for letters of recommendation. 

A good approach is to give at least three months before your AMCAS submission deadline to give them ample time to write strong letters. If they accept you can share more of the materials mentioned above and when you’d like to have it submitted by.

After they submit their letters, be sure to thank them personally—whether through a handwritten note or a small token of appreciation. My biggest takeaway: establish strong relationships with mentors early on and be proactive about requesting letters—waiting until the last minute adds unnecessary stress!

Conclusion

Now that I’m in medical school, it is interesting to look back and reflect on my premedical journey. There are several things I wish I had known before and throughout my junior year. 

First, things may or may not go according to your initial plan. However, it is OKAY and you will get through it. It’s normal to doubt yourself and feel discouraged, especially during junior year. How you handle these setbacks and push forward is what matters. Pick yourself back up and remember your “why medicine” to stay motivated. 

One thing that my medical school always reminds our class of is that you DESERVE to be here and we selected you for a reason. It is so much easier said than done but don’t compare yourself to others that may also be going through this process. Medical schools want you to be your authentic self; your story is YOUR story for a reason. Own it! Be confident in yourself and all that you have accomplished!