The decisions you make in your first two years shape everything that comes later: which courses you take and when, how you spend your summers, and when the MCAT fits. This working session is for students who want a plan before registration and summer applications open, not a lecture. Bring your transcript and your calendar; leave with a draft four-year plan and a short list of things to do this semester.

What we’ll cover:

Mapping prerequisites to your major — Which courses most schools expect, how to sequence them around your major, and where people get stuck.

When to take the MCAT — The real tradeoffs between spring of third year, summer, and a gap year, and how to decide early enough to study well.

Summers that count — Research, clinical work, community service, and plain jobs: what each one teaches and how to choose.

Finding clinical exposure in Charlottesville — Where undergraduates actually get patient contact here, and how to start before you feel ready.

Building your plan — A one-page four-year plan you fill in during the session, with a mentor looking over your shoulder.

Questions:

I’m a third- or fourth-year. Is this for me? — You’re welcome, and the MCAT and summer sections will still help. The planning exercise is built for students with two or more years left.

Do I need to have decided on medicine? — No. If you’re deciding, this is a good place to see what the commitment actually looks like.

What should I bring? — An unofficial transcript or a list of courses taken, and whatever you use as a calendar.

Details:

Type: Workshop

Series: Road to medical school · 2 of 5

Audience: First- and second-year UVA undergraduates (older students welcome)

Cost: Free

Led by: SOY Academy mentors who are current UVA School of Medicine students

Datasheet: (paste the sign-up / intake sheet link here)