It’s never to early to begin laying the foundation for reaching your career goals and living out your life’s dream. In fact, preparation for a career in the medical profession should begin long before applying to medical school. A great place to start? Your freshman year of high school.
St. Augustine, FL-based WOLFPACC offers three tips to help you gear up for a medical career while still in high school:
- Choose your courses carefully: Before applying for medical school, you must pass the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). And to pass the MCAT, a solid knowledge of the hard sciences is a must. Aim for honors or Advanced Placement classes in biology, chemistry and physics. Higher level math courses also will prove helpful. At a minimum, you’ll need to ace Algebra II, but calculus and statistics also may boost your chances of MCAT success. While it may seem counterintuitive, AP English Language and Composition or AP English Literature and Composition are great choices, too. These studies will come in handy while completing the MCAT’s Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section. And speaking of language, because so much of the basic medical terminology is rooted in Latin and Greek, studying these languages will prove invaluable throughout your studies and career.
- Rack up extracurricular and volunteer gigs: The highest GPA and test scores in the world won’t cut it if they’re not accompanied by real-world experience. Seek out opportunities to volunteer as an EMT or at your local nursing home, hospital or clinic. Check with churches and faith-based organizations for chances to volunteer with medical missions designed to bring needed healthcare services to vulnerable populations both here in the US and abroad. And approach various physicians, particularly in those practicing in the specialties you’re considering, about shadowing them for a time.
- Know that your high school performance matters: When looking over your medical school application, reviewers do, in fact, pay attention to your high school performance. They’re looking for proof of rigorous curriculums, applicable course subjects, extracurricular activities, and high test scores and GPAs. So, don’t think that you’ve got plenty of time to boost your GPA – get focused on it now.
Once you’ve got your high school diploma in hand, consider making one more stop before heading to pre-med. Based in St. Augustine, Florida, WOLFPACC offers preparatory courses to help you ace your USMLE and COMLEX and get a head start on your medical school studies. Call 904-209-3140 to learn more.
