10 Great Pre-Med Preparations You Need to Start After College!

If you’re planning to take up medicine after college, then you’ve come to the right place! Today, we’ll be tackling 10 things you need to do to prepare yourself for med school. Medicine isn’t a walk in the park and if you thought college was hard wait till you get into med school or even attempt trying to get in.

After college, there are a few crucial steps you should take to guarantee an impressive application and a seamless transfer into a pre-medical programme. And we got you covered on that one!

We’ve listed down 10 pre-med preparations you can start doing after college, check them out below!

1 – Make sure you’ve completed any prerequisite courses

Make sure you’ve completed all of the prerequisite pre-medical courses, which often consist of physics, chemistry, biology, arithmetic and many more. But in other medical schools, they still allow you to apply even if you’re pre-med course isn’t related to the medical field.

So it can be accounting, mass communications, IT and so on, as long as you take and pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), you’re good to go. Make sure you receive a good and passing grade to enter specific schools.

2 – Try gaining clinical experience

Even if this isn’t required, this will still greatly help you when it comes to gaining experience and learning about the field. You can begin gaining clinical experience by working in a healthcare facility or by volunteering. This might involve volunteering at a hospital or clinic, working as a medical scribe, or shadowing doctors. You can do this right after college or months or years before you apply for med school.

3 – Prepare for the MCAT

Your MCAT results are highly crucial when it comes to applying for med school. This is because there are a lot of schools that require a certain grade to get into their medical program. So think about getting study materials, making a study regimen and signing up for an MCAT preparation course. An essential part of your application is the MCAT.

4 – Have a strong GPA 

Keep your GPA competitive. A solid academic background is crucial for your application since numerous medical schools have minimal GPA requirements. In addition to fulfilling the prerequisites for many medical schools, you may show your dedication to academic success by continuously achieving high grades and maintaining a competitive GPA. 

5 – Have a great Letter of Recommendation!

Make connections with academics, consultants, and medical specialists who can compose persuasive recommendation letters for you. Ask for these letters well in advance of the deadline for applications.

6 – Make sure to be part of extracurricular activities

A great way to make your application letter all the more impressive is by engaging in extracurricular activities! Consider ones that exhibit community service, leadership, and collaboration. This might involve taking part in community service projects, joining student organisations, or volunteering. 

7 – Consider pursuing research opportunities

Investigating options in a closely connected subject of study is strongly suggested if you have a strong research interest. Acquiring worthwhile research experience in a related field can greatly improve the overall strength and competitiveness of your application to medical school. 

8 – Create a personal statement

Get to work on your essay or personal statement for your admission to medical school. It should emphasise why you are a great candidate and why you are motivated to pursue a career in medicine.

9 – Get pre-med advice, mentoring and even courses

Speak with mentors or pre-med advisers who can offer advice at any point during the application process. They may assist you with honing your application and interview prep. You can even apply for medicine interview courses that’ll help give you knowledge and skills during interviews and also help you practice.

10 – Research for medical schools

The process of choosing the medical schools that best fit your aims and aspirations is an important stage in this process. To do this, you need to carefully research different medical schools and create a list of all the ones you would like to apply to. Examine each medical school’s locations, curriculum, teaching approach, and admittance rates. 

Take away

Now you know 10 ways to efficiently prep before med school, use this new-found information for good and apply it! It’s critical to remember that applying to medical school is a very competitive procedure. To increase your chances of success, plan ahead and begin your preparations after graduation.