The Wonder Years (Also known as College)

Major and Classes
No, you don’t have to be a biology major to go to med school, or a science major at all! Just make sure to take all the prerequisites. It’s a good idea to at least take a few advanced courses in Bio or Chem to show your interest in science. But you don’t have to go crazy with taking all the bio courses your school offers.

Should I take super advanced chemistry or just regular chemistry? The vast majority of med school admissions officers know which schools are tough, and which are party schools. So, if you are at a tougher school, use that reputation to your advantage. Take regular chem and get a solid A grade, instead of risking a B or lower in super chem! Your GPA will thank you!

Extracurriculars
While it would be great to participate in all possible activities, and start an orphanage while maintaining a 5.0 GPA, it’s just not possible or expected. Try to focus your efforts on a few solid community service or hospital service activities and concentrate your time into leadership positions. Being part of a Pre-Med Society is neither a requirement or much of a resume builder. Working in underserved areas, or with youth groups is always a good idea.


It is a good idea not only for your application, but your personal learning and development to at least spend some time in a clinical (hospital) setting. You can easily find things to do in most hospitals by visiting their volunteer office. This way you can get to see the inner workings of a hospital or clinic to better understand what you are getting yourself into, as well as have some extra ammunition for your paper application and your interview. Try to volunteer in areas that involve real patient contact, not just handing out magazines to inpatients, but hands-on stuff! How about helping with taking vital signs and triage at a local community clinic? Shadowing a doctor in an office is another good way to see what Docs do on a day to day basis.

Don't forget to take part in sports, intramurals, and outdoor activities. At your med school interviews, people WILL ask you what you like to do for fun, and what do you do when you are not reading about mitochondria and oxidative phosphorylation!

Pre Med Reading The High School Doctor: The Underground Roadmap to 6, 7, and 8 Year Accelerated/Combined Medical Programs BA/MD in the US Five years in the making, The High School Doctor is the premier resource written for high school students interested in the medical field. Every year, approximately 20,000 college students apply to medical school. Only a fraction of those students are accepted each year, making medical school a highly competitive option. The application process can be quite stressful and expensive. In addition, every student must take an examination called the MCAT or Medical College Admissions Test before applying. However, all of these steps can be bypassed. Medical School from High School: The College Applicant's Guide to Medical School Early Admission Programs From High School to Med. School : The definitive guide to accelerated medical program Do you want to be a doctor? Accelerated medical (BA/MD) programs allow you to apply to medical school directly from high school. They are the Fastest! Cheapest! Easiest! way to get into medical school and guarantee your future! House of God THE Classic of novel of internship!! The hilarious novel of the healing arts that reveals everything your doctor never wanted you to know. Six eager interns -- they saw themselves as modern saviors-to-be. They came from the top of their medical school class to the bottom of the hospital staff to serve a year in the time-honored tradition, racing to answer the flash of on-duty call lights and nubile nurses. But only the Fat Man --the Clam, all-knowing resident -- could sustain them in their struggle to survive, to stay sane, to love-and even to be doctors when their harrowing year was done. A MUST read!