Some students arrive at Villanova knowing that medicine is their goal, while others discover an interest through coursework, research, service, clinical exposure, or personal experiences with healthcare. You do not need to have everything figured out before beginning to explore the profession.

Medicine may appeal to you if you:

• Enjoy science while also appreciating the human side of healthcare.
• Find fulfillment in serving and advocating for others.
• Are curious and enjoy solving complex problems.
• Communicate well and value teamwork.
• Are adaptable, resilient, and willing to learn from challenges.
• Value lifelong learning and professional growth.
• Enjoy building meaningful relationships with patients and colleagues.

What do physicians do?

Physicians diagnose, treat, and help prevent disease and injury. Depending on their specialty and setting, they may evaluate patients, order and interpret diagnostic testing, develop treatment plans, prescribe medications, perform procedures or surgery, counsel patients, coordinate care, and educate patients and families.

Physicians practice in hospitals, private practices, community health centers, academic medical centers, outpatient clinics, government agencies, public health organizations, research institutions, and many other settings. Some combine clinical care with research, education, administration, policy, advocacy, or healthcare innovation.

Questions to consider as you explore:

• Why am I interested in becoming a physician?
• What experiences have influenced that interest?
• Do I understand both the rewards and challenges of practicing medicine?
• Am I interested in caring for patients during difficult or emotionally demanding situations?
• Do I enjoy working with people from different backgrounds?
• Am I prepared for the educational and professional commitment required?

Students can become physicians in the United States through either an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) program.

Both MD and DO graduates are fully licensed physicians. Both complete four years of medical school, complete residency training, prescribe medications, perform surgery when appropriately trained, and may practice across medical specialties.

What distinguishes osteopathic medical education?

DO programs provide the same foundation in biomedical science, clinical medicine, and patient care while incorporating osteopathic principles and additional training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM/OMT). Osteopathic education has historically emphasized whole-person care, prevention, and the relationship between structure and function.

Should I apply MD, DO, or both?

There is no universal answer. Some applicants apply only to MD programs, some only to DO programs, and many apply to both. Your strategy should consider academic preparation, clinical experiences, mission fit, geography, professional goals, and overall competitiveness.

There is no required “pre-med” major. Medical schools admit students from a wide range of academic disciplines, provided they complete the necessary prerequisite coursework and demonstrate readiness for rigorous biomedical science.

Medical schools commonly consider:

• Overall academic performance
• Science GPA
• Performance in prerequisite courses
• Upper-level science coursework when appropriate
• Academic trends and growth over time

Common prerequisite areas include:

• Biology with laboratories
• General Chemistry with laboratories
• Organic Chemistry with laboratories
• Physics with laboratories
• Biochemistry
• English and/or writing-intensive coursework
• Statistics
• Psychology, sociology, and other behavioral sciences

Prerequisites, recommended courses, and policies for AP, IB, and dual-enrollment credit vary among medical schools. There is no single prerequisite list that guarantees eligibility for every program.

Choose a major that genuinely interests you and work with your Faculty Advisor and HPA to integrate medical school prerequisites into your degree plan without unnecessarily disrupting major requirements or course sequencing.

Medical schools evaluate far more than GPA and MCAT scores. Admissions committees consider academic preparation alongside your experiences, attributes, motivation for medicine, professional development, and alignment with the school’s mission.

The AAMC Premed Competencies provide a framework for many of the qualities medical schools seek, including service orientation, teamwork, communication, cultural humility, reliability, resilience, ethical responsibility, scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and capacity for improvement.

Meaningful preparation may include:

• Clinical experience that provides meaningful exposure to patients and healthcare delivery.
• Physician shadowing that helps you understand the profession, different specialties, and practice settings.
• Community service reflecting sustained engagement with people and communities.
• Leadership demonstrating initiative, responsibility, collaboration, and influence.
• Research when it aligns with your interests or intended schools.
• Employment, athletics, teaching, hobbies, and other activities that meaningfully contribute to your development.

Clinical experience and physician shadowing serve different purposes.

Clinical experience provides firsthand exposure to patients and healthcare delivery, while shadowing is primarily observational and helps you understand the physician’s role, workflow, decision-making, and place within the healthcare team. When possible, explore more than one healthcare environment or specialty rather than limiting your exposure to a single area of medicine.

Related HPA Resources

• Clinical & Patient-Care Experience
• Shadowing & Observational Experience

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required by nearly all U.S. MD and DO medical schools. The examination evaluates scientific knowledge, critical reasoning, data interpretation, and problem-solving skills.

The MCAT includes four sections:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)

The best time to take the MCAT is when you are academically prepared and consistently performing near your goal score on full-length practice examinations. There is no universally correct study schedule, and preparation should reflect your coursework, responsibilities, learning style, and baseline performance.

Some medical schools also require additional assessments such as CASPer, Duet, or the AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam. Requirements vary by institution and may change from cycle to cycle.

Applying to medical school is a lengthy process that begins well before matriculation. Most applicants submit their primary applications approximately one year before they intend to begin medical school.

Application services

Most U.S. MD programs use AMCAS, most U.S. DO programs use AACOMAS, and participating Texas public medical schools use TMDSAS. Applicants may use more than one application service depending on their school list.

A typical application cycle includes:

1. Preparing your application. Finalize your school list, written materials, recommendation letters, transcripts, and testing plans.
2. Submitting the primary application. Centralized application services generally open in the spring.
3. Verification. Your coursework is compared with official transcripts before your application is transmitted.
4. Secondary applications. Medical schools may request school-specific essays and additional information.
5. Interviews. Selected applicants may participate in traditional interviews, Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs), group interviews, or hybrid formats.
6. Admissions decisions. Applicants may receive acceptances, waitlist decisions, rejections, or requests for additional information.

Letters of Recommendation & the HPA Letter Packet

Strong recommendation letters come from people who know you well and can provide specific examples of your academic ability, professionalism, character, and development. Requirements vary by medical school, including the number and type of letters expected.

Villanova HPA offers a formal letter packet process for eligible applicants. Detailed eligibility requirements, instructions, forms, and deadlines are communicated separately for each application cycle.

Personal Statement & Experiences

Your personal statement should help admissions committees understand why you want to become a physician and how your experiences have shaped that decision. Your experiences section should move beyond listing responsibilities and communicate what you learned, why the experience mattered, and how you developed through it.

Begin writing early. Strong application materials usually require multiple rounds of reflection and revision. HPA and the Villanova Career Center work collaboratively to support applicants throughout the writing process.

Interviews

Medical school interviews may be traditional, MMI-based, group-based, or a combination of formats. Interviewers commonly evaluate communication, professionalism, ethical reasoning, self-awareness, empathy, cultural humility, resilience, motivation for medicine, and your ability to reflect on your experiences.

Prepare by reviewing your application, researching each school, reflecting on meaningful experiences, and practicing how you communicate your ideas aloud. Avoid memorized or scripted responses. HPA and the Career Center offer interview preparation and mock interview support.

Selecting Medical Schools

A thoughtful school list should consider far more than rankings. Important factors include mission fit, academic competitiveness, research and clinical opportunities, geography, state residency preferences, curriculum, cost, financial aid, and personal support systems.

Applicants should develop a balanced list rather than applying indiscriminately or focusing exclusively on highly selective institutions. HPA can help applicants evaluate competitiveness, mission fit, geography, application timing, and other school-selection considerations.

There is no requirement to apply to medical school immediately after your junior year or matriculate immediately after graduation. Many successful applicants take one or more gap years before medical school.

Students may use a gap year to:

• Gain additional clinical experience.
• Participate in research.
• Expand community service or leadership.
• Complete prerequisite or academic enhancement coursework.
• Improve MCAT preparation.
• Work professionally or save money before medical school.
• Address personal, family, or well-being needs before applying.

An unsuccessful application cycle also does not mean medicine is no longer within reach. Successful reapplicants typically demonstrate meaningful growth or improvement before submitting another application.

Before reapplying, consider:

• What were the strengths of my previous application?
• Where could I realistically improve?
• Have I gained meaningful new experiences?
• Was my school list appropriate?
• Am I submitting a meaningfully stronger application than last time?