Want to Increase Your Chances of Getting into Medical School? Here’s What You Can Do
It’s no secret that medical schools are competitive and some of the toughest to get into. This is why you need to do everything in your power to make yourself as attractive a candidate as possible. Having good scores is one thing, but they’re not the only factor. Some students may not have the best scores and could benefit from doing some extra work. Let’s take a look at a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting into medical school.
Get Medical Experience
We don’t mean that you need to work directly with patients. However, some job opportunities are available that could get you valuable experience. You could enroll in a pre med scribe program, for instance. By doing so, you’ll be familiar with lots of things such as electronic medical records and medical lingo. This will also give you the shadowing experience that admissions committees look for. You can also work as a CNA or a volunteer EMT if you want to.
Work on Research
Having worked on research is another thing that will make your application stand out. Schools love having students who are interested in research, and the best way to display this is to show that you have got your feet wet already. This can be as simple as pipetting and running essays. This will also develop things like critical thinking, and you’ll be much more comfortable in a lab environment.
Serve Others
Another thing you should consider is doing some volunteering work. You don’t have to stick with medical work here, though it will help. There are plenty of organizations like Doctors Without Borders that will allow you to help on humanitarian crises and get some very valuable experience. However, any volunteering work will show your altruistic side, which is very important for anyone wanting to work in healthcare.
Choose a Major where You’ll Perform Well
Know that you don’t necessarily have to major in biology if you want to get admitted into med school. You have people coming from sectors as diverse as chemistry, engineering, and even seemingly unrelated fields like music. You will need to do well in your general and science GPA, but there are no official pre-med majors, so choose one where you’ll be motivated.
Apply for as Many Schools as You Can
You cannot afford to go for one or two schools when applying. You have to pick way more than that, but don’t stick to options close to you either. Even if you have high scores, you might be a better match for certain schools. You can’t expect your scores to be enough to get into just any school. Some are looking for a specific type of person, and you might not be it. The wise choice is to go for a wide variety of schools with different cultures and requirements.
If you follow these few tips, you should be able to significantly improve your chances of getting accepted. Do everything that you can to stand out, and focus on getting real-life experience first and foremost.
