Going to med school can be an exciting experience. If you are inclined toward any of the core areas of study — like anatomy, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, and biochemistry — you can expect medical school to be enjoyable. However, medicine is a highly competitive field; hence, it is crucial to adequately and timely prepare if you plan to qualify for med school.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the acceptance rate in med school is only 43 percent. Though there are about 155 med schools countrywide, the number of applicants is often high. Hence, to filter through the large volume of aspirants, the selection criteria are tough, and only the most outstanding applicants are accepted into med schools.
If you are aiming to get into one, it is important to note these tips to help you prepare.
Meet the Academic Prerequisites
Preparation for med school starts right from high school and stretches into pre-med. Therefore, it’s advisable to decide to study medicine early on to ascertain proper preparations, especially in meeting the academic prerequisites.
From high school onward to pre-med, your Grade Point Average (GPA) is one of the factors that is considered when you apply for med school. Therefore, you have to ensure that you have a strong GPA.
Schools like Vanderbilt University, a private research institution in Nashville, Tennessee, consider your high school grades when assessing your application. Thus, excelling in the natural sciences, like chemistry, biology, and physics, is an excellent way of preparing for Vanderbilt in high school.
Knowing whether you’ll pursue medicine before enrolling in college can help you choose the right majors and start working on your grades. Opting for majors that you’ll quickly excel in and related to medicine is crucial. You can consult a pre-med advisor to help you decide what majors to take up in college. The pre-med advisor can also help you create a schedule with plenty of study time.
Get Some Medical Experience
It’d help if you showed interest in providing medical care to people. While you’re not a certified doctor yet, you can gain medical experience by volunteering in care facilities like senior homes or hospice centers. This experience lets the admission board know you’re passionate about helping people.
Additionally, you can job shadow medical practitioners for the experience. This is essential in managing your expectations of a medical career.
Prepare for the MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) determines whether you are qualified to enter med school and should therefore be taken seriously. It can be strenuous because it tests your reasoning abilities and knowledge of different subjects such as biology, sociology, physics, and psychology.
One way to ensure that you excel in the MCAT is by studying extensively. You can start by creating a studying method that works for you. When you’re confident that you’ve covered sufficient study areas, you can use practice tests to assess yourself. By objectively evaluating your performance in the mock tests, you can determine your weak points that need more attention.
It would be best if you also considered joining study groups or pre-health profession clubs where members discuss different health topics. This can broaden your knowledge, which may be helpful in the MCAT. In addition, study groups can expose you to different study methods, which you can add to your routine.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when preparing for med school, especially when you spend a lot of time studying for the MCAT. Finding a good psychologist to help you care for your mental well-being might be best.
Take Extracurricular Activities
It’s essential to show the med school admission board that you’re diverse and interested in many things besides studying. Some extracurricular activities like active participation in anatomy and biology clubs or volunteering in high-need communities can make your application stand out.
However, it’s not advisable to take on too many extracurricular activities; instead, you should focus on the ones that interest you. The idea is to have quality and not quantity.
Get Recommendation Letters
You’ll need strong recommendation letters to boost your application to med school. Take note that the recommendation letters must be from professionals who aren’t family members.
One way of finding professionals who can write you recommendation letters is by networking. For example, if you volunteer in a clinic or care facility, your supervisor can be in a great position to write a recommendation letter.
Apply To Several Schools
As mentioned earlier, admission into med school is competitive, and you can quickly be disappointed if you get rejected by the one school you applied to. It would be best to consider other med schools while still prioritizing your dream school.
Ensure you thoroughly research all the med schools you’ll be applying to by checking their requirements. In addition, you can write to the schools’ admission committees inquiring about their expectations, the program, and selection criteria. This information can help you adequately prepare before applying.
Conclusion
The best time to start preparing for med school is as soon as you decide to study medicine. By boosting your academic credentials, acquiring medical experience, studying for upcoming tests, and securing recommendations, you can increase your chances of qualifying for med school.
