As a prospective Pre-Medical University student, you are likely asking yourself what the requirements for entrance into such a program are, and if you are ready to pursue a pre-medical degree. You have probably heard about the difficulties it presents, and how many students exit pre-medical programs within their college years. However, if one prepares themselves for what is to come, and has the necessary information going into University, one can make a relatively informed decision beforehand.

 Being a Pre-Medical student involves more than just going to a University and taking the pre-requisite courses, as medical schools consider many other factors than your grades alone. A Pre-Medical student should aim to volunteer consistently throughout their undergraduate years and in a meaningful manner to display a willingness to serve one's community and an enjoyment in doing so. While there is no blanket "requirement" for an amount of volunteer hours, medicalaid.org suggests that Medical school admissions look for "a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer work," however they also note "that the quality of your volunteer work is more important than the number of hours." You should enjoy volunteering, and while it may be tedious at times, it is a good indicator whether you actually want to commit your life to serving others.

Another strongly recommended extracurricular element to being a Pre-Medical student is shadowing. One should aim to shadow a plethora of medical professionals in different parts of the healthcare industry. This will give you the opportunity to ask practicing physicians about their path to becoming a doctor, and to see what fields you are interested in as well as whether you enjoy the dynamics of inpatient or outpatient medicine. It is advised via Harvard, that one should aim for "40 to 50 hours of shadowing over your college career." Specifically for individuals who wish to pursue patient care, it is also advisable to shadow both DO's (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) and MD's (Doctor of Medicine). These two types of physicians went to different types of medical schools and have differing ways of going about patient care. You can read more about the differences between the two here, https://www.ama-assn.org/medical-students/preparing-medical-school/do-vs-md-how-much-does-medical-school-degree-type-matter#:~:text=The%20two%20degrees%20reflect%20different,DOs%20attend%20osteopathic%20medical%20schools.

Research and clinical hours are also crucial elements for your application process, and can reinforce your chances of being a strong candidate. Research shows interest in the experimental section of medicine, as well as a general interest in the development of the scientific and/or medical field. 

A Pre-Medical student should also aim to join a few extracurricular clubs at their respective Undergraduate institutions, these could be related to medicine or not. However, one should join clubs in multiple realms of interest. Joining a medical club in college can help you gain shadowing and volunteering experiences. It is recommended to join these clubs early and to pursue a leadership role in these clubs, as this shows medical schools that you are capable of handling the responsibilities of leadership. Do anything that you enjoy and are interested, and you will make friends while you are at it.

Of course grades are also important, and one must spend time learning and understanding the content in classes. Pre-Medical classes are often time consuming and academically rigorous, but if one invests the necessary time and engages with the material everything will likely be ok. You will have less time than many other majors, however it is important to have a balance between work and social activities. Many prospective students underestimate the amount of work required to do well, and thus do not end up enjoying their major. But if one goes into University with proper expectations, and manages their time well, they will have every opportunity to do well.

One can prepare oneself in High School by taking challenging courses such as higher level classes or AP classes. Not only can you use some of these classes for college credit, but one can use this upper-level knowledge to get a jump start in University. Many of the concepts from your science classes will be covered again or built upon, and therefore starting on your higher-level education is incredibly useful. Some students may also start to shadow and volunteer in high school.

Lastly, it is of enormous importance that you do not get too caught up in school, and stress yourself out about it too much. If you want to become a physician, and your experiences have reinforced your ambitions, do not give up just because a pre-medical degree is difficult. You will have resources, teachers, and friends to help you throughout your journey. 

Sources:

https://medicalaid.org/volunteering-for-medical-school-how-many-hours-do-you-need-in-2023/#:~:text=While%20there%20is%20no%20set,100%20hours%20of%20volunteer%20work.

https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/getting-experience-premed/#:~:text=Finding%20Shadowing%20Opportunities%3A&text=There%20is%20no%20required%20number,shadowing%20over%20your%20college%20career.