Tips For High School Students Interested In Medical School

I commonly receive questions from high school students that are interested in pursuing careers in medicine. Here are my thoughts and advice on how you can prepare and plan to become a Physician.

Enjoy the Present

I always encourage students of all ages to enjoy the present. The future is not promised to any of us. We must be intentional about living our best lives each and every day. Goals are admirable and necessary, however these distant goals can rob the joy from the boring days that stand between the realization of those goals. As a senior in high school, it will take eight additional years of intense studying and training to become a physician, and several more years of intense studying and training to become specialized. Far-sighted goals can become crippling. They can lead to fear, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy.

Develop 5-year and 10-year plans

I recommend high school students set attainable, short-term goals, in addition to broader long-term goals. Personally, I maintained 5-year and 10-year plans. For example, a motivated high school student should be looking forward to college, with goals of attending a school that increases their chance of medical school acceptance. Maintaining good grades in high school, AP, IB and advanced courses, and extracurricular activities will increase that chance of acceptance to the desired college.

Choose the right College

When determining which college or university is right for you, I would recommend considering programs with affiliated medical schools. Additionally, some colleges are “feeder programs” with a high number of their graduates successfully matriculating to medical school.

Dedication and academic success in high school will set you up for success in college. Plans change for a variety of reasons, however, you will not have shut any doors by being a good student in high school. As you transition to college, you will be surrounded by a new group of peers from many different backgrounds. Your 5 or 10 year plan may change. You may or may not plan on continuing on to medical school.

Choose a Major Based on your interests

After acceptance to college, you will have to choose a major or course of study. In the past, Biology, Chemistry, or the ubiquitous “Pre-Med” majors were strongly encouraged. However, in recent years, medical school applications committees have changed focus. Well-rounded applicants demonstrate a strong understanding in the prerequisite courses for medical school in addition to aspects of cultural competence, altruism and leadership. In college, consider participating in athletics and social programs. Volunteering is essential and shadowing can definitely boost an application. Understand that committees filter through thousands of medical school applications, so being unique and genuine is essential to standing out.

Consider a Backup Plan

Finally, I strongly recommend having a backup plan. Certain schools of thought portray medicine as all-or-nothing. The memes are circulating around the internet, “Medicine is for those who can’t see themselves doing anything else.” I absolutely disagree with this sentiment. For some, this may be the case. And I support those rare success stories of people who apply six or eight times and finally succeed. However, if you know there are other fields that you would enjoy working in, add them to your 5 or 10-year plan as a backup.

Personally, I studied music as a freshman in college. I planned on becoming a professional musician and music teacher. When I changed majors to pursue medicine, I settled on a degree in Pre-Physical Therapy. In doing so, I completed all of the prerequisites for medical school but had the option of applying to Physical Therapy school. I was blessed that all my hopes and dreams came true and I am practicing my dream job as an anesthesiologist. However, I think I would be happy as a musician or physical therapist. Do not let anyone dissuade you from maintaining a backup plan. I encourage high school and college students to sit down and make 5 and 10-year plans. It is ok for the plans to be somewhat broad and a little generic.

Enjoy The Present