Medical School

Medical School Admissions

Getting Started

Hundreds of thousands of students apply to medical school annually. According to U.S. News & World Report, in 2019 nearly 900,000 students applied. Only 22,000 actually matriculated.

The medical school application process is long and tedious. We have worked with numerous medical school applicants and do our best to make their application stand out!

M.D. vs. D.O.

There are two routes to the traditional “doctor”: allopathic medicine (M.D.) and osteopathic medicine (D.O.).

D.D.S vs. D.M.D.

A D.D.S. is a Doctor of Dental Surgery, while a D.M.D is a Doctor of Dental Medicine.

D.V.M, O.D., Pharm.D.

We are also familiar with requirements for veterinary medicine (D.V.M.), optometry school (O.D.), and pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

Applications

Medical school applications come in all shapes and sizes. We can help you during the application process to ensure you get everything done within the deadlines.

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS)
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)
Veterinary Medical Application Service (VMCAS)

Essays

At Lizard, we listen to our student’s stories and work with you to consider possible topics. We help you devise a plan to write the essay, provide samples to review, and guide you through the entire process.

Course Selection

Different medical schools have different prerequisites to gain entry into their school. You must be on top of these requirements early on in your undergraduate career so that you can plan accordingly.

We help you research what courses you should take to maximize your chances of success.

Interview Prep & Resumes

Medical school interviews often accompany a school tour and a whole day of mingling with staff and current students. The interview is a critical part of the admissions process. At Lizard, we help you present your best “you” and give you tips on how to succeed.

In addition, many medical schools today are requiring students to take the CASPer test. This test acts as an aide to the interview and informs the school about your communication skills, professionalism, and ethics.

Standardized tests

Depending on which type of medical school you are applying to, you may have a different standardized to take. For instance, M.D. applicants take the MCAT while veterinary applicants take the GRE. At Lizard, we provide study resources and advise you when you should take these important tests.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
Optometry Admission Test (OAT)
Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer)

USMLE Pass Rates

When you are a medical student, you must take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) test at 4 different stages.

Step 1 (the first test) occurs at the end of your second year of medical school.
Step 2 (Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Science) involves two tests that are taken in the fourth year of medical school
Step 3 (the fourth test) typically occurs after one year of post-medical training.

We provide our students with resources that indicate the USMLE pass rates at each school they are applying to.

If you are studying to become a D.V.M., O.D., PharmD, or D.D.S/D.M.D. there are different tests to take.