<p>Hi everyone! I am a senior in high school going to college next semester (no idea where yet, only heard back from a few schools so far). I'm sitting here trying to figure out envy things want to do in the four years I have... And I had some questions.</p>
<p>First, I plan on attending school as a biology major and going to medical school.</p>
<p>Second, I want to do a lot during college: study abroad (either for a semester or a summer), the Disney College Program in Florida for a semester, multiple internships pertaining to the medical field, and research of course. </p>
<p>The things that will be most problematic are studying Broad and the disney program.</p>
<p>Could I feasibly do them both and still accomplish everything I need for medical school acceptance in four years? Could I complete most of my classes in three years (provided I take a few online classes during the disney internship and take classes during my study abroad that count for credits).</p>
<p>Should I take a year off to do the disney internship and study abroad? When should I do that? Or will med schools not like a break in the middle of undergrad? </p>
<p>Or should I wait until finishing my undergrad to do this and take a year off before med school? How would I go about applying and interviewing for schools if I am abroad or in Florida working during this year? Can I apply in my senior year and defer my admission?</p>
<p>First, I’m not sure why you would want to do the Disney internship program given that you are going to medical school and not into the PR, hospitality, or recreation management fields. In addition, that internship isn’t always the best, so you may want to do your research and reconsider. </p>
<p>Second, in order to be admitted to med school, you are going to need excellent grades and MCAT scores. When are you going to have time to study for the MCATs? The MCATs are not an easy exam, and are a comprehensive test over some of pre-med’s most difficult subjects. You HAVE to do well on these to have a shot at med school.</p>
<p>Finally, what happens if you do poorly in a class, as many students do? Or if a class you need in a specific sequence is full, so you have to wait until the next semester to take it? Many premeds struggle with organic chem I or II, physics, higher level math, or some weed-out biology classes. You won’t have time to retake a class for a higher grade. You also won’t have time if a class fills up and you have to wait. </p>
<p>It is possible to study abroad as a premed (I know several people who have), but it’s difficult and requires basically perfect execution. All of them took summer classes regularly to get ahead, as you won’t be taking the usual 15-18 credit hours abroad. This eliminates a chance to do full-time internships over the summer, when many students do.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend trying to do both things and finish in four years. Some medical schools won’t recognize core requirements taken online or through a community college. Maybe you could spend your summers doing REUs (research experience for undergrads), shadowing, volunteering, etc. As soccergurl stated, you need a high MCAT to be competitive for medical school. Remember that your MCAT score will be the first thing schools look at, and if it doesn’t cut it, all your extras (volunteering, research, internships, etc.) won’t matter</p>