THE MAP

TO MED
SCHOOL
Michael Kenny, M.D.
Matthew Kenny, M.D.
 Who is this guide for?
About Us:
This is a guide for U.S. based pre-
Hey! We're Mike and Matty. We both
medical candidates looking to apply
graduated from the Medical College of
Virginia, and served on the admissions medical school through the American
committee. To pay it forward and help Medical College Application Service
pre-meds get into medical school, we
(AMCAS) to earn a doctor of medicine
built this guide. For study and learning
tips, check us out at Cajun Koi degree (M.D.).
Academy.

What will you find in this

guide?

This guide will help you plan out the

entire application process, step-by-
step. We will cover all the requirements
Michael Kenny, M.D. you need to become a strong
candidate.

What will you not find in

this guide?

We will not be going into detail on

how to get good grades or how to
Matthew Kenny M.D.
study for the MCAT. However, we
cover study skills extensively at
Cajun Koi Academy and in our free
WEB www.mikeandmatty.com
course :
EMAIL info@mikeandmatty.com
Table of
Contents

01 TIMELINE

02 STRATEGY

03 FRESHMAN YEAR

04 SOPHOMORE YEAR

05 PRIMARY APPLICATION
 The Timeline
This is the general road map. The "Applying Year" is the year that you decide to submit
your AMCAS. For most applicants, Applying Year is either junior or senior year of
college. If you apply during junior year, then expect to start medical school immediately
after graduating college. If you apply during your senior year, then you will have a "gap
year" between graduating college and starting medical school. There is no advantage to
applying earlier or later. The most important thing is to make sure you are ready before
you apply.

Coursework Extracurriculars
Freshman year

Learn how to study effectively Join clubs 

Start volunteering
Take pre-requisite courses
Start shadowing

Take more pre-requisite

Sophomore

courses Join a research lab

Take the MCAT at the
Start clinical experience
end of summer before
Junior Year

Submit AMCAS on 1st week

Retake the MCAT if necessary
Applying year

of June

Secondaries starting summer

Start writing personal
statement at beginning of year Interviews summer to winter

Ask for letters of Acceptances and Waitlist in

recommendation the Spring
 The Strategy
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WHY IT'S NOT
BE READY? RECOMMENDED TO APPLY
Your success is largely determined by your
numbers and your story... and a bit of luck. BEFORE YOU'RE READY?
Your job is to remove chance from the equation Weak applicants can expect to pay an
as much as possible. Don't apply to medical 01 upwards of $5000 or more for all the
school if your numbers are too low. There is no administrative fees and travel expenses.
hard and fast rule here, but generally if your This is nonrefundable.
overall GPA is way below 3.5 and your MCAT
score is below 500, then you should highly
reconsider waiting until next year to apply and 02 You must disclose on your application if
you are a re-applicant.
to improve your scores.

What are Med Competence: Will you survive?

Medical school is hard. Which is why your grades and
Schools Looking MCAT are the most important objective evidence that

for? you will be able to handle the rigorous training.

Commitment: Do you love

medicine enough to persevere no
matter what?
If you aren't willing to sacrifice 10 years of your life to
training and decide to quit halfway through, then you are
wasting your time, their time, hundreds of thousands of
dollars in student loans (or your money), and a seat in
school that could have been filled by another student.

Compassion: Will you Make a

Good Doctor?
Medical schools look at each applicant as an entire
package. They want someone who is well rounded,
compassionate, and a self-driven life-long-learner. These
will be apparent not only in your extracurricular
activities, but also in your ability to speak about them.
 Freshman Year
Main goals for Start meeting
this year specific key
1. Learn how to study effectively. This skill will pay people:
for itself in dividends. If you master smart study
1. Other students in your class
habits, you will dramatically reduce your stress
who plan to apply to medical
levels and save time
2. Find clubs you enjoy and get involved. Become a
school. Applying with other
leader or an officer, a role that carries people will keep you
responsibility. Being a member is not helpful for motivated and accountable
your application. 2. Upperclassmen who are
3. Find volunteering opportunities for your applying to medical school.
application. It's best if you have patient exposure They can tell you which
and or work with an underserved community. classes to take and how to do
4. Find balance! Adapting to college is difficult. To well. They can tell about how
get good grades, make sure you aren't to find the extracurricular
overwhelmed with too many classes or
activities.
responsibilities. You also need a good support
3. Professors who you may want
system with friends. Balance work and play!
to do research with or receive
letter of reccomendation. You
don't have to start research
Start taking your your freshman year, but at
pre-requisite courses: least find some labs you may
be interested in applying to.
1 YEAR OF BIOLOGY WITH LAB 4. Doctors you may want to
1 YEAR OF GENERAL CHEMISTRY shadow.
WITH LAB
1 YEAR OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 5. Med school advisor to help
WITH LAB with your class schedule. But
1 YEAR OF PHYSICS WITH LAB be careful on taking their
1 SEMESTER OF MATH advice on applying to medical
school, because they may have
MOST SCHOOLS ALSO REQUIRE:
WRITING, BIOCHEMISTRY, no formal training or may
PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY never have applied
themselves.
 Sophomore Year
Main goals for
this year
1. Focus on getting good grades in your pre-
reqs. you will need to start adding more
extracurricular activities this year, so don't
overload your course schedule.
2. Start working in a research lab at the
beginning of the year. Aim to continue
even after submitting your application.
3. Start a medical clinical experience at the
beginning of the year. Aim to continue
even after submitting your application.
The MCAT
The earliest and best time to take
it is in the summer between your
sophomore and junior year.
Why?
If you've done well in all of
your pre-req courses, the
information will still be fresh in
your head.
It is also much harder to study
for the MCAT while you are
taking upper division courses
in junior and senior year

The latest time to take it would be

the spring right before submitting
your application. It's a nightmare
to take the MCAT after you
submit your application, so avoid
Recommended this at all costs.
MCAT resources:
Most students take between 2-6
months to study. If you study too
KAPLAN, PRINCETON REVIEW
KHAN ACADEMY, SKETCHY little, you may be rushed, and if
LEARNING you study for too long, you will
AAMC AND UWORLD start forgetting information. The
MIKE AND MATTY'S FREE optimal window is 3-4 months
RESOURCES AT CAJUN KOI (which is why taking it in the
ACADEMY summer is the best)
 Primary Application
Extracurricular
When to submit:
categories
Medical school enrollment is first come (with recommended hours)
first serve. Even though you can submit
community and volunteering (150-200
your application any time between June
hours)
and October, your chances are much
physician shadowing (50 hours)
better if you submit as early as possible,
patient exposure (150-200 hours)
preferably in the first week of June.
research (150-200 hours and at least a
publication or presentation)
leadership (2-3 leadership positions)

How to win on the

extracurriculars
Start as early as possible. You can also include activities you did in high school if they
are strong and you continued them in college
Shoot for having at least 10 activities
Make sure you have activities that hit all of the categories above. Some experiences
can technically be listed under multiple categories (i.e. a research experience where
you also interacted with patients). To be more well-rounded, you could decide to list
this activity under patient exposure instead of research if you already have enough
research activities listed.
Make sure you have a competitive number of hours spent in each category. Keep in
mind that medical schools don't have time to verify your exact number of hours. Be
realistic about your numbers.
You will be asked to identify 3 activities that were the "most meaningful" to you.
Be able to talk in depth about these activities and how they have impacted you
Be able to tie these activities into a narrative of how they've helped you on your
path to medicine
Be able to talk extensively about these activities during your interview
It's a good idea to get a letter of recommendation from a superviser in these
activities
 Primary continued
Personal statement
Start brainstorming and writing at the beginning of the school year that you
plan to apply.
Read examples of good personal statements to get started.
Have multiple copies written and proofread.
Focus on writing a strong narrative rather than reciting a checklist of your
activities. Tell your story about how your experiences have impacted you. The
reader should conclude that it only makes sense for you to become a doctor.
This is your chance to show your personality and character traits. Have fun with
it!
Questions that med school is looking to answer while reading your statement:
Are you academically capable of surviving the rigors of studying medicine?
Do you truly have a passion for medicine and science?
Do you have compassion and integrity in your decision making?

Letters of recommendation
Aim to get about 5-6 STRONG letters. You will be allowed to upload
10 letters on AMCAS.

Who should you get a letter from?

2 science professors. Pick the science classes where you got at least an
A-. Go to office hours and participate in class to build a relationship with
your professor.
1 non-science professor. Same strategy as above.
Your research adviser(s).
The physician(s) that you shadowed.
Your supervisor(s) from your most important activities
 Further guidance
We aren't going to sugarcoat anything... medicine is a high risk and high
reward type of career. The path to becoming a doctor is tough, but
applying to medical school doesn't need to be. It requires hard work, and
a some well placed luck. So it's important that we do it right the first time
around. With our experience serving on the admissions committee, we're
here to help you optimize your application and maximize your chances.

Visit us at mikeandmatty.com and let's achieve your dream of becoming a

doctor!