<p>I briefly looked for an already existing thread on this topic, but I didn't find anything right off the bat.</p>
<p>I'll be graduating from high school in a few weeks and starting my pre-med track at a university in the fall. My question is: Do the things I do this summer matter to med schools? I know that nothing I've done in high school will have any value to them, but what about the summer between high school and college?
I'm planning to continue my volunteer positions at the local hospital and at a volunteer-run medical clinic, in addition to shadowing a local physician, and I'm also looking for a part time job. Any other suggestions on things to get involved in over the next few months?
Thank you!</p>
<p>Technically it will count. Do they expect you do something? Not really - it's well recognized that many people who start off pre-med won't even apply and that a significant number of people who do apply don't know that they want to be pre-meds that early.</p>
<p>You'll be able to put your volunteering down on your AMCAS app. </p>
<p>Basically do the things because you enjoy doing them, and don't worry much about whether you're doing 'enough'. Make sure you have time to enjoy your last summer with your HS friends too. It's a unique summer and time in your life that you won't ever be able to recapture.</p>
<p>I would definitely do the part time job so that you don't have as much financial worries during the school year. Make money during the summer so you can focus on schoolwork in the fall. You will be surprised at how much you can spend in college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. I am also interested in becoming an EMT. Can I get certified even though I'm not yet 18? Are there summer courses? Also, where are classes offered? (I've spent some time on my city's website but have yet to find any information.)</p>
<p>Local colleges sometimes have EMT courses. If you're totally stumped, you can try calling your fire department and ask them where their firefighters get EMT training.</p>