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Hey Guys! Let's talk about the importance when standing out and applying to medical schools!
There are many different ways to do this; some orthodox and others, not so much! My parents have always been a great influence in my life and have pushed me throughout every scenario you can think of. I have had the luxury of vey helpful family members that have always had my back no matter what so I have ample knowledge in this aspect!
The real question is: Have I followed all of this advice? No, not yet. I still have a long way to go to catch up with the competition but the most important part of this, is to know where to start.
GRADES:
We all know to get good grades. Obviously, all A's can be a struggle sometimes, even if you are a really busy student. You may have a child, a full time job, lots of other responsibilities, or may even have a dual-degree! Regardless of the situation, I know you are busy and so do admissions offices of graduate programs. I have spoken with many different admissions representatives and current doctors now and they all admit that GRADES. ARE. NOT. EVERYTHING. However, they are important. If you have above B's with a very minimal amount of C's, you are still in luck. It is important to make sure you have plenty of A's in your required courses but sometimes there are other factors that will outweigh your GPA. If there are other circumstances in your life, it is important to highlight them in admission essays, interviews, and in other ways when representing yourself.
Personally, I have had a lot going on in my own life, even before I started college. I have had struggles with balancing family life, prior obligations, extracurriculars, and now a part-time job working at an ER. However, if you can highlight those points when presenting yourself to admissions, they will see your outstanding hard-work in the classroom and outside. So never leave out any information when you apply to medical school. You never know what experiences could make you a more competitive candidate for that school!
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:
This part might be a little more tricky to get involved in than people let off. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many college students have had troubles finding doctors to shadow, intern with, volunteer for, and/or work under. Talking with my pre-med peers, they were having all of those issues and were even met with distaste! So unfortunately, some of us have lost a year or two of clinical experience. However, now that we are starting to come out of the pandemic, it is important to note that hospitals, clinics, and other medical settings are in need NOW more than ever. Entry level positions and volunteer jobs are available to people without certifications and many hospitals are in need of those types of workers.
Go to websites such as:
These sites are GREAT for finding jobs near you. Using filters such as "Hospital", "Medical", "Part-Time," and other related descriptors, will help narrow your search. From there, you can find many opportunities near you to gain experience!
As far as volunteering, there are other websites to look into that will get you set up to work at hospitals or clinics.
Go to websites such as:
Again, filters to use are the same for a paid job but add "volunteer," "shadow," and "intern" to narrow your search!
I cannot stress enough how important clinical experience is when applying to medical school. When they review your application, they will be looking for your experience in the medical field. Otherwise, how do you actually know you want to be a medical professional? It is such a specialized niche and the admissions team wants to know you are a worthy candidate that is up for the hard-work.
RESEARCH:
This is a relatively new topic for me. I was unaware of how to get involved in professor-led research or how to conduct my own. So I reached out to two department heads at my school: Biology and Kinesiology. I have yet to start either one but the Biology research is starting next week so I will fill you in on that once it starts!
However, from what I have heard, many students lack the research experience, making it a less common attribute on an application. So what I suggest to you is to reach out directly to professors or department heads about getting involved in their research or having them sponsor your own!
Ideas for research vary in topics but are not limited to: psychology, biology, chemistry, and kinesiology.
EXTRACURRICULARS:
There are many different options to choose from when getting involved on campus or off. Being apart of organizations and understanding their mission to better the community is very important for students, regardless of career path. There is not one extracurricular that is best but the ones I am involved in include Student Government Association (SGA), Swim Club, Diversity and Inclusion Council, Science honor societies, and the food pantry. These are things I am involved in on campus. I am currently lacking on off-campus involvement but volunteering within your local community can help fulfill that gap.
Of course, anything else that is unique to you such as hobbies, interests, and travel, can help stand you apart from the rest of the applicants. Make sure to include every aspect of your life in your application to ensure you are recognized for your hard-work!
Good Luck guys! Reach out to me whenever and about whatever! Let me know if there is anything I can expand on or you would like me to discuss!
(This is me after an SGA meeting, goin straight to the lab for research!)
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