Preparing for Med School: Best Tips for Pre-Med Students.
If you are aspiring to be a doctor, then that is one of the best possible career choices for those that are up for the challenge. The time period in between can be confusing though, since thorough preparations are necessary if you hope to even get into a good med school. With that perspective in mind, here are some of the best tips for pre-med students to consider.
There Are Courses Highly Suitable for Pre-Med Students
There are courses which are ideal for someone who wishes to join medical school in the future. Students in the process of completing such a course, or someone who has already completed the necessary/optional coursework, are usually the ones who call themselves pre-meds or pre-med students. The best example would be preparation courses for their .
As to what the other possible courses are that should be pursued, this will differ from student to student based on their previous academic history and future goals. Nevertheless, the concentration should be on:
- Fulfilling, if not exceeding, all necessary requirements for joining medical school
- Acquiring experience and making connections at medical facilities with a part-time job
Understanding Pre-Med Courses: What Do Medical Schools Expect from Their Applicants?
As previously mentioned, pre-meds study what they need to, so that they can meet and exceed the minimum requirements for applying. The following should provide a better idea of those requirements:
- A high-school diploma
- An undergrad degree in science with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- MCAT score that meets or exceeds the set standards of the applied medical schools
- A year of biology, chemistry (organic & general) and physics with their respective practical (lab) courses
- A year of mathematics (preferably with both calculus and statistics)
- 6-months to a year of biochemistry
- A year of English
- Preferred but not mandatory are at least a few classes in physiology, microbiology and genetics among others
Keep in mind that just meeting the minimum standards is seldom enough to be accepted by a , especially if you do not have any relevant job experience/recommendation letters to back you up.
Does Experience Count?
There are hardly any fields of work where experience doesn’t count, and the medical field is certainly not an exception to that rule! If anything, your prior experience and connections made there can help you get into med school better than any pre-med preparation coursework that isn’t mandatory.
If you already meet the requirements mentioned above, try to look for as a pre-med. Not only is someone who has completed the EPPA Scribe Program more likely to get into med school (provided that they have met the specific school’s minimum academic criteria), they will also find the trying hospital environment to be a much easier place to get used to than others.
The term ‘pre-med’ itself has become a cause for confusion, as some even consider pre-med to be a degree course necessary for entering med school. Pre-med is a term which can be assigned to or used by anyone who wishes to enter medical school soon. Therefore, it is a very loose designation based purely on a student’s future plans, rather than being a degree course, indicator of experience, or relevant qualification of any kind.
StudentsandScholarship Team.