By Conor Fowler, MD

Pre-med is not a major; it’s simply a term we use to describe an interest in pursuing a college academic path that leads to applying to medical school to become a doctor and/or an MD/PhD researcher.  

Having completed four years of high school, four years of medical school, and two years of clinical research … plus having advised pre-med undergraduate and medical students over the past several years. Through all of this, I have learned that there’s actually a lot you can do  - even during high school  - to set yourself up on a clear and successful path toward a career in medicine. Given the increasingly competitive application process for college and for medical school, I want to help you avoid several pitfalls and shortcomings that can affect your prospects of eventually getting into medical school. 

1. Use local resources, friends and family to get a glimpse into a career in medicine

One of the best first steps towards considering a career in medicine is to get some first-hand exposure. Whether it is your uncle’s primary care practice, your local pediatrician, or a friend of a friend who knows a doctor, use your connections to become familiar with a career in medicine. It is never too early to get involved and it will always help to bolster your application. Many programs, whether they are undergraduate or combined BS/MD or BA/MD programs will appreciate shadowing experience. This usually involves following a physician while they go about their day to day practices in a clinic or hospital, whether they are primary care doctors, surgeons or any specialist within the field of medicine. This shows programs that you know what you are getting into, and that you have seriously thought about what it means to pursue a career in medicine.

2. Take AP/IB courses, if available, to get ahead

The magnitude of required pre-med coursework can be overwhelming. Often, medical schools require that students complete two semesters of biology, four semesters of chemistry, and two semesters of physics. In addition, many medical schools have started to require writing, statistics, biochemistry, as well as foreign language courses. In total, this amounts to 8-12 courses or around 25-40% of your entire college coursework program. Many students have found great success by taking AP or IB courses during high school to fulfill some of these requirements. With the completion of AP/IB biology, physics, chemistry, writing or statistics, students may be able to to skip intro level sciences during their undergraduate years, instead, opting to take more interesting and often less demanding upper-level courses. Typically, undergraduate institutions begin giving credit for AP courses when the score is a 3 or higher, but more typically you will need  a 4 or 5. Keep this in mind when selecting your coursework in high school.

Rice University has put together a great chart on which medical schools accept AP credit.  The chart below shows a snapshot at how several medical schools in consider high school AP Courses:

Medical School AP Credit Consideration Example

3. Take other health-related coursework available at your high school

Many high schools offer specialized health courses that you can take to give you an edge going forward in a career in medicine. Some courses may also lead to certifications or experience that can go on your resume when applying to medical school. These courses include first responder, emergency medical technician (EMT), or any number of healthcare related courses. These will also show up on your academic transcript and give admissions committees another example of your commitment to a career in medicine. And more important, these experiences will give you some insight into whether a career in medicine is right for you.

4. Tailor your extracurricular activities to show your commitment to healthcare

When the time comes to apply to college for a healthcare-related field, one of the primary sources of information that programs use to clarify your commitment to the field is through your resume. Often, students struggle to show their commitment to a career in medicine, beyond shadowing experience. By incorporating volunteer experiences into your resume, you can show that you have not only thought about a career in medicine, but you have also dedicated some of your free time in a helping capacity. Consider volunteering for a local marathon recovery tent, helping out at charity events dedicated towards healthcare causes, or even seek out volunteering opportunities at nearby hospitals in whatever way possible. Any experience that you can include on your resume and that you can talk about with passion is another step closer toward a future acceptance to medical school. 

5. Take time to explore interests outside of science and medicine

But don’t be a one-trick pony!  Because there is such a human element to medicine, medical schools across the country are seeking applicants who have well-rounded interests, who value experiences that foster communication and critical reasoning skills, empathy, and psychological insight from the humanities and other disciplines: literature,music, theater, history, sports, business, etc.  Use your elective time during high school to explore interests outside of the hard sciences, despite it not seeming pertinent toward your goal of getting into medical school. Passions outside of medicine will reflect well on your contribution toward creating diversity in your college and future medical school class. By expanding your horizons in the humanities, arts, or elsewhere, you broaden your knowledge and grow as an applicant, as well as a human being. 

A career in medicine is really rewarding.  And no matter what stage you are at in your education, it is never too early to start thinking about what steps you can take to achieve your goals.  There are plenty of opportunities available all around you if you seek them out. With enough motivation and the right mentors, the path towards becoming a physician is much more straightforward than you may believe. 

Pre-Med - Three College Paths

Four-year BA or BS, any major, but taking all or most pre-med required classes* and taking the MCAT.

Eight year combined BS/MD or BA/MD programs.  As a senior in high school, you apply to a joint BA/MD or BS/MD degree program and transition to medical school after completing a required number of hours toward the BA/BS degree. Essentially, it’syou are applying to medical school while you’re in high school.  These programs are extremely competitive (require stellar grades and SAT/ACT scores), but they’ll save you a lot of time and money.  Many of these programs, if you get in, waive the MCAT requirement.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) Flex Med program.   You apply in your sophomore year of college.  The “flex” idea is that, as long as you complete a certain number of science pre-reqs. before applying (which may include HS AP courses) you have the “flexibility” to study what you like in college, rather than being hemmed in by the typical undergraduate load of science courses.  In fact, they eliminated the Organic Chemistry pre-req.  However, because you are applying early in your college career and the MCAT is waived, you will need an SAT or ACT score.  “[W]hile FlexMed does not employ a cutoff when considering test scores, they do state that most successful applicants have a combined SAT score above 1350” 

*If you decide much later, you could do a 1-year post-bac to fulfill the pre-med course requirements