Are you a high school student worried about going into the field of medicine? Or a pre-med student aiming to apply to medical school? Well don't worry, you're not alone. Allow me to let you in on preparing for medicine ahead of time, because going into the field of medicine is the most competitive career path you can choose. So I want you to be prepared for what to expect and not be in the situation I found myself in one year before high school graduation.
How to plan ahead of time
If you've always known as a child that you want to be a physician, then start showing your passion in high school. This is no joke. You have to prove in university applications how passionate you are about going into the field of medicine. The more time you dedicate to this passion, the more impressive you can make your CV. High school is 4 years; if you devote your time to this specific passion for the whole of 4 years then you're in a very good spot. For example, don't just sign up for every single club in 9th grade; if you enjoy volunteering then make it your focus; if you enjoy playing one instrument or one sport, make it your focus. Don't join science competitions if they don't interest you, even if you win those competitions.
But there's another twist to it. If you're a member of your school's research club, that won't really impress your Admission Officer while they read your CV. You need to be in a leading position in this 'passion' of yours. Being the founder of the research club is much more impressive; furthermore if you extend your research club, nationally or internationally, if your dedication in this research club is the writer or publisher, that could make your CV really stand out.
But are there any specific ECs that mark your passion towards medicine? Well, kinda yes. If you truly have a passion for medicine, you will naturally already be involved in one of these ECs. If you're not, then see where your passion lies.
1.Clinical volunteer work - you can do an internship at any clinic (as long as you enjoy it!) to assist the practicing physician in small tasks, or you can volunteer spending time in a care home or hospice. This tells admission officers how you're ready to embrace the professional environment you will have to be in as a physician. If you get lucky, your employer could even write you a recommendation letter about your outstanding performance at the clinic - but for that you'd need to have a good relationship with your employer and your devotion should be as strong.
2.Research experience - research is actually a hard EC; it requires your time, effort, responsibility, and commitment to reach the finish line in research. Participating in STEM programs (summer or fall) can actually help, but sometimes those programs are not affordable. So the reality is, going into medicine requires money and effort. Ofcourse, if you're enrolled in low-income programs such as Questbridge, then they can absolutely help you cover those expenses. What matters most is if you're passionate to do research. Sometimes really passionate students start doing a research project on their own, then reach out to specific professors at universities to ask if they would be interested in carrying their research forward. If you get lucky and find a mentor, you have higher chances of getting your research published and even getting a letter of recommendation from your mentor(which would make your CV really impressive). But you don't need to have published research to be passionate about it. You can even write review articles that you're passionate about as a great way to show your dedication - just attach the pdf to your CV to make the officers want to read it.
[I'll explain more about research in another blog if anyone requests it :)
3.Tutoring or community volunteering - not every type of volunteering will make your CV stand out among the rest, many students may be doing the same volunteering you're doing so make it a level up than the others. Teaching kids at your school or an orphan with consistency shows dedication (online tutoring is great too) . Making first-aid kits and selling them to raise money to help people pay hospital bills is a great example of focused volunteering; you're not just raising money but you're also making people aware about the importance of first aid. You can even visit schools and give a basic lesson on first-aid skills. Developing your own skills and helping others learn first-aid skills proves your love to help others. Being the founder of a charity organisation is also a great reveal of your passion to lead and help; but again its not necessary, the difference you make in your community proves your passion and trying to go further on a national or international basis also manifests your eagerness to reach beyond boundaries to prove your worth.
and lastly...
4.Passion projects - if you've used social media, then you are already exposed to how creative people get to show their passion to the world. Starting a medical blog, starting a YouTube channel and using any social media to display your passion is unique if your skills befit it. But for this EC to work, you need a consistent audience and evermore, you need to be consistent in keeping your audience up to date and engaged in your content. The stronger your posts radiate your passion, the better. Sometimes you may need to invest; if not then you can earn. Maybe your amazing writing skills and love for biology can together make a creative passion project for you - you never know until you trial and experiment until you get the desired product!
here's a video to help you get an idea of some unique passion projects to help you brainstorm your own:
Only 1 year of high school left?
Don't worry, I've got you covered. I'm in the same position, but that didn't lead me into making a sob story; I considered it a strength and decided to tell you guys how to deal with it! Yeah, it's stressing to see others dedicated to only realise you were the one who was in the dark. Uff, I need to be more positive!
Now, only one year left and you have no useful ECs on your CV. But who said this is the end of the world, absolutely not! It's your time to truly prove who you are and shine! The best thing you can do at this point is pick one EC above and put most of your energy into it - but remember to keep up your grades as well. This is the hard route but if you can play it off, then it's worth it if it helps you get into that BS/MD program you're aiming for. If you look at it statistically, you only have the summer before senior year and 4 months before RD applications for fall sessions are due. If you're aiming for a spring enrollment then you have a little more time. So approximately 4 - 6 months to do an EC that will make your CV stand out. My best suggestion is to do something you're already good at and at a higher level. For example, if you're good at writing, start a medical blog. If you're good at teaching, start a tuition. If you're good at cooking, use those skills to help a community in need or to do a bake sale fundraiser. But most importantly, you need to put all your efforts into these few months. Every sweat is worth it because it will prove your passion. For whatever reason you were inactive in your early years of high school, you can make up for it if you're really determined. Never stop believing in yourself, something I say to myself a lot.
BS, BA or BS/MD?
Congratulations for getting this far! That means you're concerned for your future, which is a good thing! Now this is the tough part: choosing your major. There are 2 paths you can take after high school:
1. do an undergraduate degree, BS/BA, and then apply for med school
2. apply for a BS/MD program that saves you from needing to apply to med school
If you choose path 1, you can choose to major in any STEM subjects or health related subjects. Examples:
- Biology
- biochemistry
- biophysics
- biomedical engineering
- human biology
- psychology
- neuroscience
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