The daunting process of applying to medical school is a little easier thanks to Indiana University Medical School and a student club on campus.

The American Medical Student Association, or AMSA for short, will host a One on One with an Indiana University School of Medicine Student Thursday in Rawls Hall. The event is open to all students.

Saad Ali, the president of AMSA, said his club wants to provide students with a unique chance to interact with medical students on a more personal basis.

The advice from medical students can be very helpful for pre-medical students, as they have very recently gone through the same grueling process of applying to medical school, Ali said.

Amy Terstriep, Purdues director of pre-professional advising, assists students considering professional careers in law, dental and various medical fields. She previously served as Purdues health professions adviser. Although Purdue doesnt release its undergraduates medical school admission statistics, she said the individual student profile is what matters.

Its based on what youve managed to accomplish as an undergrad, Terstriep said, but we have quite a few students every year that are successful getting in.

The basic requirements for medical school are a small first step among a plethora of suggested preparations.

A lot of it has to do with grades and aptitude test scores There are a number of other things the (medical) schools will look at including volunteer work, observing professionals in the field Terstriep continued. They like to see research. They look at communication skills and leadership.

Ali also stressed the importance of grade point averages, even for an in-state school such as Indiana University.

The average GPA for the 2013 entering class at (Indiana University School of Medicine) was 3.73, Ali said. Typically, in order be considered a competitive applicant, Medical Schools are looking for a 3.6 GPA or higher. There are, however, students who do get into Medical School with GPAs lower than a 3.6. However, the MCAT scores and extracurricular activities need to balance the scale.

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Club hosts one-on-one interactions with IU Med School students