I am a current 1st year pre-med student majoring in Biochemistry. I would like to get some input on how to have a good background to have a successful pre-med career. In your opinion, what is the order of importance in the following:
-Course Load
-Research
-Internships
-Shadowing
-Volunteer
-Other ECs
I plan to do independent research in biochemistry as well as the research required for my university’s honors program. I have volunteered at the ER department at a local history for about 5 months or so and I plan on continuing that long term. I am planning to job shadow up to 40 hours total next semester. And I do have a few other non-medical ECs I am pursuing. I just don’t know if it matters too much whether I do research or internships outside of my own university.
Do you think a research/internship outside of my university holds more weight than a local one?
Any tips would be appreciated 
No.
Pre-med activities (in no particular order)
1) strong academics/good GPA --this is a gate-keeping item--without this you're not getting into med school
2) course load-- should be full time without a lot of "fluff" classes
3) research--value is often over-rated by pre-meds. Consider that 5-20% (varies by school) of incoming med students do not have any. Adcomms will give many long-term "creative, passionate" ECs the same consideration as research. See: <a href="http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/threads/question-regarding-substituting-creative-passionate-ec-for-research.1202183/">http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/threads/question-regarding-substituting-creative-passionate-ec-for-research.1202183/</a>
[quote]
In a 2013 AAMC survey* where 127 medical admissions offices responded, found research experience is only of medium importance at private schools and of low importance to public schools as an experiential factor in offering both interview invitations and acceptance.
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<a href="https://www.aamc.org/download/434596/data/usingmcatdata2016.pdf">https://www.aamc.org/download/434596/data/usingmcatdata2016.pdf</a>
4) shadowing--You need some so you can demonstrate an understanding of what a doctor's daily work life is like, but you don't need hundreds and hundreds of hours. Try to shadow a variety of different specialties, especially primary care
5) clinical volunteering--absolutely critical. You need exposure to a variety of patient care settings. The ED (emergency department is the preferred term) is fun, but it's not representative of most doctor-patient healthcare settings. If possible try to get exposure to primary care fields. Also consider working with vulnerable patient populations--the poor &homeless, the elderly, the mentally impaired, the physically disabled, the dying (hospice) etc. Get outside your comfort zone.
6) Other ECs--adcomms want to see long-term involvement in altruistic, community service activities
7) Leadership--preferably in something besides the campus pre-med club.
8) hobbies/fun stuff--adcomms do not want "box checkers" (individuals who engage in activities simply it's expected or because it "looks good") or academic automatons. Adcomms are looking for interesting, engaged individuals who are people they wouldn't mind sitting down to lunch with. Find your passion and engage in it, whether it's performing in a jazz quartet, backpacking the Appalachian Trail, intramural sports, or window-box gardening. Hobbies are also great to have since med school and residency are absolute grinds and you'll need something to keep you grounded and sane.
@WayOutWestMom Thank you so much for your help! I am at a private university and research is absolutely required in both my major and in the honors university program so I got that covered. I volunteer (because I enjoy it) at the humane society and I do plan on joining several clubs I love like the ceramics club and the Japanese culture club. I agree with not doing “box checkers”, I work part-time at a bank and I know the importance of doing something to enjoy it and not to look good, so I am glad you brought that up. Besides, it isn’t like I have time or money to spare doing something just to look good haha
I will check on shadowing in different specialties and on doing volunteering outside of my comfort zone!
" how to have a good background to have a successful pre-med career." - Sorry, but nothing you can do at college for this, except for one thing that is missed by many. Pay a lot of attention to your personal growth. Expand your social horizon, find the ways to connect to people with completely different background and personality, develop your “social awareness” in different situations. Couple college classes that D. identified were important for her in medical school were Anatomy and Spanish. But they are not “must haves” for medical school. All the things on your list are done by ALL pre-meds.
Also, forget what " holds more weight " or less in regard to the medical school. Do what YOU prefer to do. Frankly, the good idea is to forget about medical school for now, shoot for an A in every single class, take care of pre-reqs and get engaged in what YOU personally are interested and then see where it will lands you.
@MiamiDAP thanks for the input!! Spanish is actually my first language, I am bilingual