• Take as many AP/IB/honors classes as you can do well in, prioritize science and math classes
• Try to find tutoring if needed or tutor others to emphasize the concepts you know
• Doing well on the AP exam also allows you to pass out of intro courses in college which helps open up your schedule!

• Look for research opportunities (any though ideally cardiology)
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others

• Look for extracurricular opportunities (music, sports, religious i.e.) to balance with academics
• Research college admission requirements and ensure you exceed them
• Seek out leadership opportunities, preferably in cardiology or at least in medicine, but any leadership is a plus

• Take the PSAT and ACT/SAT - doing well on these can help you get more scholarships and college acceptances

• Look for research opportunities (any though ideally cardiology)
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others

• Look for extracurricular opportunities (music, sports, religious i.e.) to balance with academics
• Research college admission requirements and ensure you exceed them
• Seek out leadership opportunities, preferably in cardiology or at least in medicine, but any leadership is a plus

• Take the PSAT and ACT/SAT - doing well on these can help you get more scholarships and college acceptances

• Look for research opportunities (any though ideally cardiology)
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others

• Look for extracurricular opportunities (music, sports, religious i.e.) to balance with academics
• Research college admission requirements and ensure you exceed them
• Seek out leadership opportunities, preferably in cardiology or at least in medicine, but any leadership is a plus

• Work with your counselor to identify appropriate colleges for you
• Apply for scholarships
• Request letters of recommendation early, at least 3 months before you need them. It is important to start building relationships with your teachers so they are willing and happy to write a LOR on your behalf.

• Look for research opportunities (any though ideally cardiology)
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others

• Depending on your commitment to medicine/cardiology, finances, etc. consider applying for direct medical programs (also called BS/MD programs)
• Consider universities with attached hospitals/medical schools. Research and networking might be easier

• Major in what you are passionate about
• Social science and other less hard science majors have the advantage of unique ways of thinking and approaching problems. The downside is slightly less advanced science knowledge when entering medical school, which can initially be difficult though eventually the gap closes and the problem solving skills are retained
• Science majors have a strong science background, which can help with MCAT performance

• Apply to become an ECG technician or Patient Care Aid on a Telemetry unit in a hospital to gain experience working with health care providers and gaining knowledge on how to interpret ECG's
• Look for shadowing opportunities with any physician (cardiologist ideally)
• Look for research opportunities - any though ideally cardiology
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others
• Research medical school admission requirements and ensure you exceed them

• Seek out leadership opportunities, preferable in cardiology or at least in medicine, but any leadership is a plus
• Apply to the American College of Cardiology's Young Scholars Program and join their Student Group on Member Hub

• Major in what you are passionate about
• Social science and other less hard science majors have the advantage of unique ways of thinking and approaching problems. The downside is slightly less advanced science knowledge when entering medical school, which can initially be difficult though eventually the gap closes and the problem solving skills are retained
• Science majors have a strong science background, which can help with MCAT performance

• Apply to become an ECG technician or Patient Care Aid on a Telemetry unit in a hospital to gain experience working with health care providers and gaining knowledge on how to interpret ECG's
• Look for shadowing opportunities with any physician (cardiologist ideally)
• Look for research opportunities - any though ideally cardiology
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others
• Research medical school admission requirements and ensure you exceed them

Decide if you want a gap year, which can involve:

• Working in any field, commonly scribing or working as an EMT or MA though the possibilities are endless
• Research in a medical area (cardiology ideally, if you want to be a cardiologist)
• Volunteering, such as at a hospital
• Shadowing physicians
• Additional classes, studying for MCAT, or completing a post-bac or degree/certificate program

You can do a combination of these - do what you are passionate about and look for cardiology opportunities if you are interested in cardiology

• Prepare for the MCAT using the AAMC resources/practice products and/or enroll in a prep course.
• Take the MCAT - this score is really important to some schools and less important to others, though all schools prefer higher scores. Make sure you only sit for the exam when you are positive that you have prepared to the best of your abilities! Don't rush this step - it is very important!

• Apply to become an ECG technician or Patient Care Aid on a Telemetry unit in a hospital to gain experience working with health care providers and gaining knowledge on how to interpret ECG's
• Look for shadowing opportunities with any physician (cardiologist ideally)
• Look for research opportunities - any though ideally cardiology
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others
• Research medical school admission requirements and ensure you exceed them

Decide if you want a gap year, which can involve:

• Working in any field, commonly scribing or working as an EMT or MA though the possibilities are endless
• Research in a medical area (cardiology ideally, if you want to be a cardiologist)
• Volunteering, such as at a hospital
• Shadowing physicians
• Additional classes, studying for MCAT, or completing a post-bac or degree/certificate program

You can do a combination of these - do what you are passionate about and look for cardiology opportunities if you are interested in cardiology

• Apply for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program which assists those who, without financial assistance, would be unable to take the MCAT exam or apply to medical schools that use the AMCAS. The benefits include discounted fees, free MCAT Official Prep products, free MSAR database, and more.
• Purchase the AAMC Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) online database

• Apply to become an ECG technician or Patient Care Aid on a Telemetry unit in a hospital to gain experience working with health care providers and gaining knowledge on how to interpret ECG's
• Look for shadowing opportunities with any physician (cardiologist ideally)
• Look for research opportunities - any though ideally cardiology
• Look for volunteer opportunities, cardiology setting ideally or at least a hospital setting, though all volunteering is an asset as it shows compassion for others
• Research medical school admission requirements and ensure you exceed them

• AAMC application opens May 1st one year before matriculation
• Apply broadly - not everyone who gets into medical school deserves to be a doctor and not everyone who not everyone who gets into medical school deserves to be a doctor and not everyone who gets rejected should not be. Apply to dream schools as well as realistic schools and safety schools.
• US MDs overall have the least difficulty matching
• DOs have a match rate near US MDs
• IMGs have the hardest time matching (including US-IMGs)
• Keep in mind that no matter where you go to medical school, you can match if your scores and other aspects of your application are strong

Classes

• Focus on doing well in classes
• Work collaboratively with classmates and faculty
• Understand physiology, particularly cardiovascular
• Perform well on exams

• Find a resident physician who can serve as a mentor for you - they may be able to help you with the residency application process, learn about the field of cardiology, etc.
• Look for shadowing opportunities with different types of cardiologists.
• Look for research opportunities - any though ideally cardiology
• Many academic physicians have research projects students can join. Find research that matches your interests and reach out to the lab/PI!

Join organizations you are passionate about:

• Nationally: American College of Cardiology and American Medical Association (general medical policy and advocacy)
• Attend ACC conferences and network/find mentors
• Get involved with:
• The Medical Student Leadership Group
• Your county and state medical society for general medical policy and advocacy
• Cardiology interest group and/or internal medicine and/or pediatrics interest group
• Even better, create a cardiology interest group at your university if one does not already exist. If one already does exist, get involved with it by planning events and joining the executive board.
• Research residency admission requirements and ensure you exceed them
• Take time to learn how to interpret ECGs and heart sounds - some ideas on how include joining an interest group, shadowing a physician, reading an EKG book, or utilizing online resources

Prepare for and take USMLE Step 1/Complex Board Exam

Look for research during the summer between M1 and M2. Look for programs and monitor when applications open. Some may open as early as September. Ask for letters of recommendation early and try to submit early.

Join organizations you are passionate about:

• Nationally: American College of Cardiology and American Medical Association (general medical policy and advocacy)
• Attend ACC conferences and network/find mentors
• Get involved with:
• The Medical Student Leadership Group (hyperlink)
• Your county and state medical society for general medical policy and advocacy
• Cardiology interest group and/or internal medicine and/or pediatrics interest group
• Even better, create a cardiology interest group at your university if one does not already exist. If one already does exist, get involved with it by planning events and joining the executive board.
• Research residency admission requirements and ensure you exceed them
• Take time to learn how to interpret ECGs and heart sounds - some ideas on how include joining an interest group, shadowing a physician, reading an EKG book, or utilizing online resources

Prepare for and take USMLE Step 1/Complex Board Exam

Join organizations you are passionate about:

• Nationally: American College of Cardiology and American Medical Association (general medical policy and advocacy)
• Attend ACC conferences and network/find mentors
• Get involved with:
• The Medical Student Leadership Group
• Your county and state medical society for general medical policy and advocacy
• Cardiology interest group and/or internal medicine and/or pediatrics interest group
• Even better, create a cardiology interest group at your university if one does not already exist. If one already does exist, get involved with it by planning events and joining the executive board.
• Research residency admission requirements and ensure you exceed them
• Take time to learn how to interpret ECGs and heart sounds - some ideas on how include joining an interest group, shadowing a physician, reading an EKG book, or utilizing online resources

• Rotations - focus first on the patient, be a teamplayer, work hard; internal medicine and pediatrics can be important depending on your desired cardiology path
• Shelf exams - study with recommended resources linked here
• Prepare for and take USMLE Step 2 - study with recommended resources linked here; consult with your medical school advisor about the best time for you to take it

• Continue any research projects you have been working on up to this point
• Seek out research opportunities if you have time and don't have many publications

• Rotations - focus first on the patient, be a teamplayer, work hard; internal medicine and pediatrics can be important depending on your desired cardiology path
• Shelf exams - study with recommended resources linked here
• Prepare for and take USMLE Step 2 - study with recommended resources linked here; consult with your medical school advisor about the best time for you to take it

• Continue any research projects you have been working on up to this point
• Seek out research opportunities if you have time and don't have many publications

Applying to Residency

• Utilize Freida service by AAMC
• Utilize Residency Explorer by AAMC
• Talk to residents and attendings where you rotate to get their advice and experiences
• Reach out to anyone in your network for contacts/introductions
• Request letters of recommendation for ERAS early on
• Start working on your personal statement early on and show it to mentors to help you improve it

• Continue any research projects you have been working on up to this point
• Seek out research opportunities if you have time and don't have many publications

Interview!

GRADUATE!

• Continue any research projects you have been working on up to this point
• Seek out research opportunities if you have time and don't have many publications

Match!

Adjust to being a new doctor! Focus on adapting to your new responsibilities and building a strong foundation in internal medicine.

* Join the ACC as a Resident Member for Free

Take your time! We recommend using your first semester in training to set up "informational meetings" with many potential mentors:

• It is important to establish a community of individuals that you can go to for mentorship and advice
• Explore potential projects in these meetings and consider the project timeline, your anticipated role in the project, any planned publications, and your general feel for the team you will be working with

Start a rough draft your resume. You will be engaged in projects, conferences throughout the year and you don't want to miss anything. In writing this early draft, make sure to document all projects no matter how insignificant you think they are -- you always have the option to remove things down the line.

As you adjust, begin to seek out clinical experiences in cardiology. Many residents find elective time spent on consultative cardiology and subspecialty services is formative. Make note of the subspecialties which interest you most!

Take your time! We recommend using your first semester in training to set up "informational meetings" with many potential mentors:

• It is important to establish a community of individuals that you can go to for mentorship and advice
• Explore potential projects in these meetings and consider the project timeline, your anticipated role in the project, any planned publications, and your general feel for the team you will be working with

Start a rough draft your resume. You will be engaged in projects, conferences throughout the year and you don't want to miss anything. In writing this early draft, make sure to document all projects no matter how insignificant you think they are -- you always have the option to remove things down the line.

As you adjust, begin to seek out clinical experiences in cardiology. Many residents find elective time spent on consultative cardiology and subspecialty services is formative. Make note of the subspecialties which interest you most!

After learning about many potential projects, you should attempt to identify one key project to work on over the coming months/years.

Establish a mentorship team -- this is an ever-growing community of individuals whom you can turn to for advice throughout your training. Successful mentorship teams include program directors and advisors, cardiology core educators, research mentors, near-peers, and close friends.

Start to build a list of interesting patient cases in cardiology. In addition to being a great educational tool, there is always a chance one of these cases would make a nice case report.

Make note of upcoming conference deadlines, and set near-term goals for poster presentations and abstracts.

Establish a mentorship team -- this is an ever-growing community of individuals whom you can turn to for advice throughout your training. Successful mentorship teams include program directors and advisors, cardiology core educators, research mentors, near-peers, and close friends.

• Continue to refine your clinical skills and team leadership abilities!
• Look ahead at your schedule and consider when would be best to take USMLE Step 3.

Continue to make progress on your scholarly work or research project! Frequent touch points with team members (statisticians, collaborators, etc.) will help to move your project along.

*Begin writing an abstract for ACC Annual Scientific Meeting

Start thinking about who to ask for letters of recommendation. You will ultimately need one clinical letter in internal medicine, one clinical letter in cardiology, and one letter from a cardiology mentor. Your residency training program will also write a departmental letter on your behalf.

Enjoy your clinical rotations and begin reviewing primary cardiology data (ECG, echocardiograms, coronary angiograms) with cardiology faculty and fellows to aid in your education!

Stay up to date with Educational Content from the ACC and JACC Journals

Submit your scholarly work and clinical cases at scientific meetings!

Continue to update your resume as you go!

Enjoy your clinical rotations and begin reviewing primary cardiology data (ECG, echocardiograms, coronary angiograms) with cardiology faculty and fellows to aid in your education!

Stay up to date with Educational Content from the ACC and JACC Journals

Continue to make progress on your projects, but remember; it's okay to take a break every now and then!

Continue to update your resume as you go!

Ensure you have completed Step 3 prior to your Senior Year.

Attend ACC Annual Meeting and share your work!

Meet with residency leadership and your mentorship team to discuss the details of the upcoming fellowship application process.

• Begin to draft a personal statement
• Request letters of recommendation
• Research key deadlines for ERAS and NRMP

Enjoy your senior year! Refine your teaching and leadership skills, and share your passion for cardiology with your clinical teams!

Finalize the projects you have been working on! Consider opportunities for collaboration on your work and how to best carry forward projects as you prepare for fellowship.

Sign up for an ERAS Token, and begin to complete your Fellowship Application!

• Begin to research fellowship programs
• Stay up to date with submission deadlines
• Communicate with letter writers throughout the process to ensure they are aware of deadlines

Enjoy your senior year! Refine your teaching and leadership skills, and share your passion for cardiology with your clinical teams!

Finalize the projects you have been working on! Consider opportunities for collaboration on your work and how to best carry forward projects as you prepare for fellowship.

Interview!

Begin to study for ABIM and set a test date!

Finalize the projects you have been working on! Consider opportunities for collaboration on your work and how to best carry forward projects as you prepare for fellowship.

Match!

GRADUATE!

Finalize the projects you have been working on! Consider opportunities for collaboration on your work and how to best carry forward projects as you prepare for fellowship.

Join the ACC Fellows-in-Training Section and prepare for fellowship!