Your pre-med advisor can be instrumental in helping you decide
if medical school is right for you and assessing your chances for
admission. In addition, he or she will be particularly helpful in
guiding you to the right schools, both in terms of the best
curriculum for your interests and the most likely schools that
will accept you. Finally, your pre-med advisor will have specific
data about medical school requirements, how students from your
school fared in the admissions process, and where students with
similar academic backgrounds and MCAT scores were accepted.
Recommendations
In many undergraduate institutions, the pre-med office handles
the letters of recommendation. In some cases, they simply relay
the letters to the medical schools. Yet in other cases, the
pre-med advisor — or committee — writes a letter to the
admissions offices on your behalf. It's imperative that you get
to know these people and that they know you.
Going it Alone
With the number of applications to medical schools at an
all-time high, pre-med advisors are extremely busy. It's possible
that if you're not a particularly strong candidate, you may find
your advisor less than enthusiastic. He or she may have
legitimate concerns about your competitiveness and may try to
dissuade you from applying. At that point, it's up to you. You
may have to go it alone without the full support of your school's
pre-medical office. Be realistic. If everyone agrees your chances
are slim, have a backup plan just in case you're not
admitted.
