I wish to go into the premed track after I complete high school. However, I am confused in regards to what activities to do in order to get into the medical field. I am a sophomore, and I have three more summers (including this one) to do summer programs.
If you are a future pre-med student/pre-med student, may you please share your stats/extracurricular activities that you did to get into college? What tests (SAT subject tests) did you take to get in? I know med is very competitive, so what made you resume ‘spike’? What programs should I do to become an ideal applicant? What science and math classes are most important to premed applicants?
Thanks,
N111ancy
Pre-med can be done at any college that offers courses for biology majors, but you do not have to be a biology major to do pre-med.
If you are a high school student, make sure to take biology, chemistry, physics, and math through at least precalculus while in high school.
Be aware that if you take college courses while in high school, they and their grades count on medical school applications (so earn A grades in them).
Be aware that many medical schools do not accept AP credit for pre-med college course requirements, or expect you to replace the skipped courses with more advanced college courses in those areas.
Be aware that if you go to college and repeat previously taken college courses or AP credit, you will have to mark them as “repeated” on your medical school application.
It is not competitive to get into premed. Anyone at any college can be premed. All it means is that you are taking the courses that med schools require. You can major in anything and be premed by taking required premed courses as electives.
Getting into med school is where it is competitive but that depends on your grades in college, your MCAT scores, and medical related ECs. Since you want your college GPA to be as high as possible, you can prepare by taking rigorous courses in high school including science APs.
Thank you so much @me29034 & @ucbalumnus. Do you know of any popular med programs/internships that are available to high schoolers?
I have no clue about pre-meds but I know some common things to do include volunteering at hospitals and doing things like HOSA. My aspiring doctor friends would probably be able to tell you more but I’d say just aim for good grades in STEM classes and maybe shadow a doctor or something
For a high school sophomore, I would just recommend volunteering at a hospital, clinic, nursing home, etc. I know that’s hard these days with Covid, but hopefully some opportunities will open up soon.
RE: high school “pre-med” programs.
There are a few. They are all “Pay to Play” programs (meaning your parents will be paying fees for you to attend). They do nothing at all to prepare you to be a pre-med and will not enhance a college application.
Pre-med is an intention, not a particular major and you do not need to do anything specific during high school to be a pre med in college.
The best things you can do in high school if you intend to be a pre-med is to get a rigorous preparation in science & mathematics. Take AP classes in calc, bio, chem and physics If they are offered by your high school.
Get involved in community service since med school admission officers are looking for people who display altruism, empathy and a commitment to the service to others.
If your local hospital allows it, volunteer there. (During the current covid-19 crisis is extremely unlikely the hospital is accepting high school volunteers, but you can still ask and volunteer later as the opportunity arises.) Other places you can volunteer–local nursing homes, rehab hospitals, groups home for the physically or mentally disabled, or summer camps for disabled children.
If you know any adults who are physicians or your parent have friends who are physicians, ask if you can do a few days of job shadowing at their workplace.
One thing you need to know—when you go to apply to med school, you will not be listing an high school activities. Only activities you have done once you start formally start college.
Thank you @me29034, @WayOutWestMom, & @udonlord for your advice!
Spoken fluency in a foreign language can help- not for med school applications, but because it opens up a bunch of volunteer opportunities once you are in college which can enhance your application. Depending on where you end up in college- there will likely be an immigrant community close by, and being able to speak the language can help you whether it’s hospital based work, clinic, other emergency services, even helping to explain the protocols of a clinical trial at a doctor’s office…
I know a lot of kids who worked as EMT’s while in college and had successful med school results. Language skills are the icing on the cake.
Are you planning to apply to bs/md combined programs in your senior year ? If you are then you need to plan medical related ECs like shadowing, volunteering, community service etc. You should also get the highest possible scores in standardized tests - ACT, SAT I, SAT II (subject tests). Keep your GPA high in high school. You will need at least two SAT subject tests - math, biology, chemistry. Some bs/md programs require STA II Biology and Chemistry.
If you are going to be a regular MD applicant and attend a university or college as a pre-med, then you have to so all medical related ECs during college. Whatever you do in high school does not count.
The best thing you can do is volunteer in many different settings placing you in contact with people different from yourself/your area. If your neighborhood is disadvantaged, find a way to help. It doesn’t have to be medical but you need to display altruism and leadership.
At school, take math through calculus AB or precalculus honors, honors bio/chem then AP physics 1, AP Bio (can be the same year if you’re really strong in science) and AP chem (never alongside another AP science because it’s a bear). Taking electives in sociology, psychology, Ethnic/African American/Latino/Native American studies will help later on. Push your Foreign Language skills to the highest level offered. If a local immigrant community has its language offered at the community education center, go ahead and take that then practice with people for whom it’s a native or heritage language. Learn strong study habits so that you learn efficiently.