As a student who is just deciding to become pre-med late in my college career, I have been feeling pressure to figure my life out and become as involved as possible. But, deciding to be pre-med and actually following through with it are two very different things.

To begin, the amount of requirements medical schools expect is a little overwhelming, especially when you listen to the opinions of other students. So, I decided to schedule an appointment at The Career Center to see what they had to say. 

Know what is expected from you

At my appointment, I learned you are expected to have leadership roles, clinical experience, volunteer work and research involvement as well as a stellar GPA. But, all medical schools are different, and each one may want slight variations of that list. So, for example, one school might require a lot of research experience and another may want more volunteer hours, making it important that you research the requirements of the schools to which you are interested in applying. Luckily, there is a website you can use for free at The Career Center that will show you exactly what different medical schools are interested in, and this resource can help you plan your college years accordingly.

Stay up-to-date by using online resources

Another great resource for pre-med students from The Career Center is their Compass page. This page contains a ton of links about health-related RSOs, specific information about medicine and helpful tips about paying for school. Honestly, this page is amazing because it can provide you with a ton of information, and it is always being updated. The medicine folder offers a lot of information about what medical schools are looking for and how you can help prepare yourself for the application process. In fact, there’s also a section dedicated to gaining experience, with it also offering multiple volunteer opportunities, summer enrichment programs and ways to get involved with research. 

Obtain leadership roles

As you are looking into medical school, previous leadership roles are highly valued, and joining an RSO is a great start. So, medical schools are interested in students involved deeply in groups tied to medicine or health. One way to quickly become involved in something medical is to join a pre-med or pre-health fraternity. These fraternities do involve a rush process, so there will be rounds where people will be cut, but joining is a great way to get involved. I know there will be different types of dress codes required during rush, so students who are interested should invest in some stylish business casual and business professional clothing. 

Medical school is a very challenging goal, and a lot more work than getting good grades goes into it. So, it’s important to note that the options outlined here are just suggestions, and getting denied from a medical fraternity is not going to break your career. Everyone takes a different route to get there, and there is no path better than another. If you’re interested in medical school, make sure to choose to major in something that interests you, volunteer doing things you are passionate about and find the research opportunities you want to be involved in. Don’t do things because you feel like you have a checklist that you need to mark things off of; do things that inspire you and make you want to do more. 

Bella is a junior in LAS.

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