#premedadvice

hi my lovely pre-med angels!! 🤍 it's mindy hereee!

today's post is extra special because so many of you have been asking about extracurriculars for medical school!! if you know, my ultimate dream is to become a doctor, i'd love to either be a psychiatrist or a cardiologist, so anything medical-related is my favorite cup of coffee!! i'm literally so excited to share this comprehensive guide that will help you shine on your future applications. this post is for you if you're in high school or college, this guide will be your bestie through the journey!!

~ ♡ for my precious high school sweethearts ♡ ~

hospital + healthcare volunteering (my absolute fave!!) • aim for 100-150 hours minimum • try different departments to explore • build relationships with nurses + staff • pro tip: volunteer during summer break for more hours • keep a reflection journal of your experiences • bonus: ask for recommendation letters if you connect well!!

research opportunities • reach out to local universities • email professors about summer programs • join science fairs with medical projects • create your own research project • tip: start with literature reviews if labs aren't available • document everything for future applications!!

leadership + school involvement • start a medical interest club • lead health awareness campaigns • organize blood drives • create mental health support groups • join science olympiad • participate in biology competitions • personal story: i started a "future doctors club" + it literally changed my life!!

~ ♡ for my darling college angels ♡ ~

clinical experience (super important!!) • medical scribing (literally the best!!) • certified nursing assistant (CNA) • emergency medical technician (EMT) • phlebotomy certification + gain a bunch of different certifications online • medical assistant • tip: aim for 200+ hours minimum • pro secret: try different specialties!!

research involvement • join multiple labs if possible • aim for publication opportunities • present at conferences • write abstracts + papers • network with graduate students • maintain good relationships with PIs • secret tip: join journal clubs!!

leadership positions • pre-med society officer • tutoring coordinator • mentorship program leader • research team leader • volunteer coordinator • tip: create new positions if none exist!!

~ ♡ extra special activities for everyone ♡ ~

medical mission trips (life-changing!!)

start a health education blog

create medical awareness social media

join medical podcasting

organize health fairs

volunteer at free/non-profit clinics

shadow different specialists

join pre-med summer programs

work as a pharmacy technician

volunteer at nursing homes

organize medical supply drives

create health education programs

~ ♡ my personal tips + secrets ♡ ~

quality over quantity always!!

maintain each activity for at least 6 months

document everything (literally everything!!)

take lots of pictures (for memories + portfolio)

get contact info from supervisors

keep detailed reflection journals

network with other pre-meds

create spreadsheets to track hours

always ask for recommendation letters

maintain professional relationships

~ ♡ time management secrets ♡ ~

use google calendar religiously

block schedule your activities

don't overcommit (seriously!!)

maintain 2-3 main activities

rotate seasonal activities

leave time for self-care

schedule study breaks

plan one year ahead

keep backup activities ready

remember my loves: medical schools want to see dedication + passion!! don't just collect activities like pokemon cards (even tho that would be cute). focus on meaningful experiences that truly speak to your heart!!

pro tip: start a bullet journal to track your journey!! include your thoughts, feelings, and learning experiences. future you will literally cry happy tears when writing your personal statement!!

also!! please please please remember that your mental health comes first!! it's okay to take breaks, it's okay to say no, and it's absolutely okay to prioritize self-care. you'll be a better doctor if you learn these habits now!!

sending you the biggest virtual hugs + all my love!! you're doing amazing sweetie, and your future patients will be so lucky to have you!!

feel free to send more asks if you need specific advice!! i'm always here to support my precious future doctors and followers i call my sweetheart community!!

xoxo, mindy 🤍

p.s. remember to hydrate, get enough sleep, and take your vitamins!! doctor's orders!! <3

p.p.s. i'll be sharing more detailed guides about each activity soon, so stay tuned my loves!!

btw, if you need personal study advice or anything, submit to glowettee hotline 💌: https://bit.ly/glowetteehotline

I’m sorry to hear that you have gone through those rough times. and aw don’t say that. I think you have to ask yourself the question why do you want to be a doctor?  physics and chemistry both made me cry like a 2 year old. But the reality is you don’t need to be an expert in those classes if you did they would actually have a phsyics class in medical school but they don’t. I made it through the classes that I hated and got plenty of tutoring help (and still didn’t even do good in some of them) because I remembered why I wanted to do this. So I believe if you truely want to be a doctor you can. 

Do you like classes like pathophyisiology? that explain diseases or that are more clinical? even if they are challenging but you still enjoy them this could be a small sign that you are on the right path. There is also plenty of other careers in the health field or that cross paths with the health field that you could look into if you think that is your main interest. 

Deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life is a hard choice. There are plenty of people in my class who had entirely different careers before coming to medical school including one that was an architect. The key is that it is never to late to do what you love and you have time to figure it out. 

Thanks!! To be honest I didn’t look at the GPAs and MCAT for every school.

I applied to schools based on if my main interests and priorities as a future physician matched theirs.

I used the osteopathic medical school information book which is a free PDF off of the AACOMAS website.

https://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/cib/aacom-cib-2018-front-schools.pdf?sfvrsn=0

I read about each school. Looked at the missions statements of each , look at extra information about each school and looked at their special programs. I’m very interested in volunteering , service, educating others, and mission trips. So these are some things I looked at. I don’t have any research experience so I didn’t apply to schools that stretched the importance of research at their institution.

My pre med advisors were more than amazing but you know the one thing they forgot to tell me? How EXPENSIVE it is to apply to medical school.💰

I recommend saving between $1000-$3000. You have to consider paying for the Primary applications, secondary applications, travel accommodations for interviews, professional clothing to interview, then school deposits after being accepted ✈️🏥 I in no way prepared for these expenses so I ended up opening a credit card even though this is not the best choice to make

Hello! Of course I don’t mind :)

I did a self paced online Kaplan course for a duration of three months. And reviewed the Kaplan hard copy books that come with the course. I used ExamKrackers verbal 101 passages book to practice for the CARS section.I used the khan academy website videos for the psych/social.

I did Kaplan, AAMC, and Next Step practice tests.

If you scroll a little through my premedadvice link you can see where I talk a little more about MCAT.

In my opinion, you should always try to aim for at least the average gpa that a medical school says the incoming classes have.

Your grades are important. BUT if you have a 3.5 gpa and want to apply to a school that says their avg gpa is a 3.6 or 3.7 - I say definitely go for it! You still have a chance to be accepted with other stronger parts of your application.

Also if you’re GPA is lower than your goal GPA , make sure that when you look at all of your grades they have an overall trend upwards. So you may have gotten a few Cs your freshman and sophomore year in chemistry but then in junior year you got an A in Organic chemistry. (Yes this happened to me). Then you can at least show that you’ve learned from your mistakes and continued to improve and can apply your lessons to medical school as well.

You don’t have to be a cookie cutter perfect GPA and MCAT applicant. I wouldn’t be able to tell you specific schools that are more strict with the grades you apply with. In my opinion, most schools are looking at the applicant as an entire person and not just their grades.