10 Steps You Need to Take to Prepare for Pre-Med While in High School
10 Steps You Need to Take to Prepare for Pre-Med While in High School
Tag: Prepare
Let's start with the obvious. You need good grades. Especially in biology, chemistry, physics, and algebra. The average college GPA for a student who successfully matched into medical school in 2021 is 3.73!! Doing well in your high school classes will make it easier for you to do well in college. You'll understand the material better and already be familiar with many of the concepts. However, keep in mind that doing well in college in a science class is usually a lot different then doing well in high school... even if you take AP level classes. That leads us to Step 2...
If you are capable of taking classes at the AP or honors level, try to do so. You'll learn the material at a much higher level. However, keep in mind that many medical schools often DO NOT ACCEPT AP CREDIT TO MEET APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS! So while you may get credit at the undergraduate level, you almost certainly will have to repeat some of those classes.
If you are currently considering taking AP classes at the high school level, here's a great article breaking down how they work, how to study for them, pros and cons, and how they are looked at by medical school.
Bottom Line: If you can take AP or Honors classes, do so. It'll give you a better exposure to advanced coursework and give you a heads-up for what to expect as a pre-medical college student. Also don't limit yourself to just AP science courses. AP Math, Literature, and History are also important to take since medical schools look at your overall GPA. Some research shows that taking AP Calculus in high school can even lead to a higher interest in engineering, mathematics, and science careers - all three of which can be intergrated with a medical careeer!
You may be thinking "Hold Up. Didn't we just talk about taking AP Classes? Why are we talking about college classes too?" There's some BIG advantages to taking community college classes as a high school student. Here's just a few.
Establishing a long history of public service should start in high school. You're only going to be in college for 4 years, less if you have a lot of AP or college credits. That doesn't give you a lot of time to get in volunteering hours.
Check out this great website, VolunteerMatch, to find volunteering opportunities in your community
A good mentor can help guide you on your path to becoming a doctor. It's kind of our main thing here at BreakThru.
Basically, getting into medical school is hard. Getting through medical school is hard. Going through residency is... hard. Becoming a doctor is HARD! You know what makes it all even harder? Going it alone.
Don't make the mistake of trying to get into medical school without a mentor. Or even better, get a couple of mentors to help you. By establishing strong relationships, you can benefit from their years of experience and the lessons they've learned along the way. Mentors can often give you a heads up about problems you'll face, long before you ever realize those problems exist.
I can't believe I still have to say this, but medical schools want well-rounded applicants. If your entire academic history comes down to just an MCAT score, a GPA, and a few co-authored research papers you are in trouble. Start building up that CV with clubs early on, while you are in high school!
Some ideas for clubs include:
Basically, clubs help to show that you are well-rounded and that you are driven to expand your horizons and understanding of the world.
As we like to say at BreakThru, "The best way to predict your future is to create it." A quote we've happily stolen from Abraham Lincoln. To help you create your future, BreakThru has created an intense and fully online course that introduces you to the rigors and topics you need to master to get into medical school. Taking this class while in high school will definitely give you a leg up on the competition. If you finish all of the lessons and the final exam you also get a certificate of competition to show off on your resume!
Check out some of the topics we cover below!
What you post on the internet sticks around forever. Expect medical schools to look into your background, because medical school is a professional school. If you have anything at all on social media that would poorly reflect on your, then you need to clean that up. It's important to act like the future professional that you are aspiring to be!
Read more about online professionalism here.
Being a pre-medical and medical student, not to mention a physician, is a very stressful and demanding process. It's important that you're as healthy as you can be mentally, physically, and spiritually. When you're at college, you may be away from friends and family for the first time ever. In addition, the classes will be intense, and the competition will be fierce. Here's some tips on how to adopt healthy practices now.
Our last tip is a simple one - start planning your success now! Set a goal, create a path, and plan each step along the way. Every year, semester, class, and grade should be planned out. Embrace the hard work that your plan represents and celebrate as you pass key milestones along the way.
Creating a Plan is Simple:
But never forget that we're here to help. Do you have a question about something you just read in our BreakThru Learner Series?
Use the BreakThru Feed to Ask and Inspire others with your questions. Our Medical Student Mentors are always here to help you, for free, anytime.
-BreakThru,
Where Mentoring Happens
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