Getting into medical school has gotten so competitive that it’s important to have a strong candidacy with excellent grades and robust extracurricular activities starting early in your college career.
One mistake I see pre-meds make is that they are so focused on leadership and research that they forget a critical component – clinical experience. No one wants to hire a cook who hasn’t worked in the kitchen. If you want to prove that you want to be a doctor, it’s essential that you obtain clinical experience for a significant period of time – not just a health fair or two. Good grades will not make up for a lack of clinical experience.
Working as an EMT, in a good clinical care extender program, or in a low-income clinic are just some ideas for obtaining excellent clinical exposure. Although you might think free clinics would be thrilled to have a pre-med volunteer, many understandably require one-year commitments.
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