<p>Are the activities we do before freshman year considered in Med School addmissions? For example, if I volunteer, shadow intern or work somewhere?</p>
<p>I don’t think they are really considered in the med school admissions process itself. I mean, if you do something really noteworthy, then you could put it on your resume and it may give you a slight boost. However, these activities will help you indirectly. I did volunteering at a local hospital before my freshman year and it really helped me get a sense of what the medical career is like and whether or not I wanted to pursue such a career path. In addition, a research internship would be a fantastic option if you can find one. One of the things I’ve learned in college is that experience is everything. For example, I applied to 10 summer internship programs this year and got into 1. My grades/GPA were decent-it was just that I didn’t have any prior research experience. Therefore, research would be an excellent option (even if it is unpaid) in that it will provide you will so many more opportunities once you actually get into college and what you do during your summers really does factor into med school admissions!</p>
<p>Activities before you officially matriculate into college don’t really count. HOWEVER, if you continue the activity (shadowing, volunteering, etc.) while in college, then it’s perfectly legitimate. Adcoms like longitudinal experiences. 4 hours of volunteering per week over 2 years is better than compressing all of your hours into a single summer.</p>