Hi! I’m a rising senior hoping to major in biochemistry on the pre med track. As a lot of people know looking at college confidential is quite daunting and you can’t help but compare yourself to everyone else. With that being said, I’ve noticed a lot of people wanting to go Pre-Med have a plethora of things they’ve done to show they’re passionate about wanting to persue that. I’ve seen people do hundreds of hospital volunteer work hours etc. I’ve only done science fair, and was awarded honorable mention, job shadowed a doctor, and have done a hands on learning experience at a local medical school in which I talked to doctors and learned really cool stuff like different stitching methods! I’m worried this isn’t enough. What do you suggest/ think? I guess I’ve just gotten a little shocked that 17 year olds are doing so many things like conducting their own research and traveling to help treat sick kids in other countries. In my situation I’m not necessarily able to afford such things or have access to them. People are telling me I need to have these things to show colleges or else getting into programs at more selective institutions (which I have a few on my list) will be much harder.
You can only do what you can do. Don’t worry about everyone else. Focus on highlighting your own strengths the best you can on your applications. FWIW, it’s mostly the students looking for direct admit undergrad/med school that need to show that increased level of dedication to the field. You have your entire undergrad experience to build a resume that will impress med schools.
The people telling you all that… are they IRL or here?
It’s a lot easier to be fabulous online than IRL.
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Actually, those are all great things and will help “show passion”. I don’t think you need to feel bad at all. College AOs know that because an opportunity was available in one area, it was not necessarily open in every area or across the board. They know there are kids out there who will someday become fantastic doctors, but whose parents couldn’t afford to foot the bill for an international summer trip or an internship at an out-of-state lab. Those are great experiences, but they’re just a few among many, many options. It’s okay. Just show that you made the most of what opportunities you did have available and truly enjoyed participating.
First of all, you have already made some great strides. Remember that pre-med is NOT a major. You don’t have to get accepted to a special program. ANY reputable 4 year institution will have the classes you need to prepare for the MCAT and apply to medical school. You don’t need prestige. What you will need are a very high GPA in college and extensive clinical and community service experience in college. So, choose a school where you will be able to get those things. Go somewhere that you think you have a great shot at that very high GPA and where there are extensive opportunities to volunteer in hospitals, work with doctors, do research, etc…
So, relax. If you would like some suggestions on schools that would be great for you, let us know what you are looking for in a school, your current stats and especially any financial constraints and you will get lots of great suggestions.
Let’s unpack one of the things you mentioned … traveling to another country to help treat sick kids. In reality this is often a first generation kid returning to his parent’s home country where they have family/close friends who are doctors, own hospitals, etc. The kid gets to sit in the clinic or the hospital for two months of summer vacation or (because of lax regulations in those countries) may get to sit in on patient consulations or procedures. Then this gets spun into an amazing learning experience abroad. Please. I am pretty sure adcoms know the reality behind the situation.
Keep in mind the idea behind your college application is to focus on what you HAVE done – not to worry about things you haven’t done.
Disagree with #5. My daughter’s HS offered a yearly medical mission trip. Most of the students who participated worked as translators along side doctors but a few had EMT certifications and were more hands on. Many other schools in our area offered similar experiences.