Many questions arise regarding when an applicant should actually begin the process of applying to medical school and what steps need to be taken and when. As it is impossible to take into account all possibilities, the following timeline may need to be adjusted. Take the MCAT in April of your Junior year. A M.D. letter from a personal physician who has known you for years may actually be preferable to a letter from a D.O. who has known you for 15 minutes.
Clinical experiences are important.
Emphasis should be on working with people and having an enjoyable experience. Your objective should be to qualify for an interview. If you get an interview, remember how you got there. The panel has already marked most of your background in GPA, MCAT, where you went to school, quality of your letters, personal statement, clinical experiences, etc. Virtually any accredited medical school should be able to tell you that there is enough financial assistance to meet your personal and educational expenses.