BS MD: Extracurriculars and Activities to Demonstrate Interest in Medicine?

Since the start of second semester of 10th grade (I’m going to 11th in the upcoming fall), I’ve been really immersing myself in a variety of activities relating medicine. I have been volunteering at my local hospital as a nurse assistant, delivering food and beverage to many patients. Along the way, I have even listened to a few patients’ life stories that have changed my personality for the better. I also have been volunteering on the clinical side (checking weight, height, preparing equipment, introducing patients, etc.) in private practices (so far, a pediatrician and in the next few weeks i will begin volunteering at a dentist’s office). I also plan on shadowing an MD, DMD, and DO the summer before 12th grade to get a variety of perspectives in the medical field so that maybe, when the time comes, I can choose the doctor that I want to be. I’ve also been part of my school’s marching band since freshman year, and have learned many life skills / character traits, including patience, determination, punctuality (I used to ALWAYS be late to everything), and teamwork (a bit too cliche, isn’t it?). I plan on participating in HOSA’s Medical Terminology and Biomedical Science Laboratory competitive events in the upcoming year.

I am very interested in BS MD programs (especially Brown’s PLME, Northwestern’s HPME, Washington University St. Louis’s USPM, and UPitt’s GAP), however I feel as though I do not have the core extracurriculars which many successful BS MD applicants have, such as research (I’ve been searching for 2 years here on the Northeast coast and I cannot find a single lab!).

I would love to get a deeper understanding of what it would be like to be a doctor and increase my chance for one of these programs, and so I am asking for advice: are there any activities/programs out there that could help me further demonstrate my passion for medicine? All advice is appreciated.

I think you are doing just fine, just keep up the good work and make sure that your UW GPA is high.

There is very little research opportunities for a 10th grade, so do not despair. In lieu of research in a lab, you could create your own by participating in medical/bio/chem related science competitions.

Brown PLME, etc is a crap shoot, no matter how much you have prepared. Unless you get admission in hand, do not count on it.