Knowing the idea of helping save other people’s lives is truly rewarding, especially that you’ve taken your part in it. With that, you need to take appropriate steps to get into the medical field, and the first thing you need to do is get into medical school.
When it comes to entering the medical field, you could choose from plenty of options, such as being a nurse, physician, medical technologist, veterinarian, or even a physician’s assistant (PA). If you’re looking for a quicker way to finish medical school, this ultimate guide will help you out in finishing PA school.
If you’re in search of effective ways on how you can successfully enter medical school, given the tight competition with numerous applicants, read on!
Acquire Medical Experience
If you’re planning to pursue being a doctor, having medical experience first before entering medical school would maximize your chances of getting in. Most medical schools prefer students who have medical experience so that they have proper and realistic expectations of what’s it like when a person is truly a doctor. They’d get to see that it’s far different from what they see in the movies.
To get medical experience, you can try applying to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA), volunteer as an emergency medical technician (EMT), or look for hospitals looking for interns or volunteers at the hospital to help with data entry or light non-procedural tasks. It’ll be great if you get to shadow doctors to see their real-life situation once they have their suits on.
Create Research Projects
If you want to outshine your other competitors, creating a research project will bring you wonders. Most medical schools want to go for students with research experience and who are interested in research as it’s a part of being a successful doctor. While you may express in your interview how much you enjoy research, it’ll only be believable once you get to research on your own and get your feet wet.
While you can try to research your own, you can join summer undergrad research programs. This way, you’ll achieve better results and develop relationships with people who could help you get into medical school.
Volunteer
Apart from helping people through your medical knowledge, volunteering would help boost your resume as well. When becoming a doctor, you should demonstrate how willing you are to help other people as much as you can, and it doesn’t need to involve helping other people medically.
One way you can volunteer is by helping your community, orphaned children, church, stray animals, elderly, or any organization that offers volunteering opportunities.
You can start to build a fundraiser or look for ways to donate to charity. You can also regularly donate your hair for cancer patients, donate blood, tutor, and much more. Just make sure that you do everything from the heart.
Not only can these things boost your chances of getting into medical school, but there are benefits that await you.
Pick Your Major
When it comes to getting into medical school, your GPA is highly important. Depending on the medical path you’re going after, you’ll need to reach a certain GPA to get in. While many students who are planning to go to medical school take biology as a pre-med course, other students could get into medical school by taking non-medical courses, such as engineering, English, or music.
When you plan to take other majors that aren’t related to medicine, you should excel in your pre-requisite medical school courses, such as physics, biology, chemistry, and math. When you have impressive grades with those courses, there’ll be a higher chance of getting into medical school. However, if you’re having difficulties with those courses, try to seek help right away to help you boost your grades up.
Apply To Different Schools
While you may have a dream school that you wish to attend, it’ll be practical and safe if you apply to multiple schools so that you could increase your odds of getting into one.
If you don’t get to the medical school you’ve been dreaming of, that’s okay. The end goal is that you become a doctor. No matter which school you end up going to, as long as you have what it takes, you’re going to be a successful doctor. Your medical school should never define what you’re capable of doing.
To heighten your chances of getting into medical school, you should provide an impressive resume, along with an outstanding cover letter that expresses your utmost desire to get into medical school. If you have published a paper, offer them a copy, along with a handwritten note to the director indicating your hope of being accepted. This will help you maximize your chances of getting into medical school.
Study Early And Often
To get into medical school, you need to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and obtain a score that ranges from 472 to 528. An average score of 508 is what you must achieve, with a recommended study time of 300 to 350 hours.
Look for the most effective study method for you. You can choose to study on your own or join clubs and review centers that could help you get into medical school. For the best option, it’ll be ideal that you take plenty of practice tests to help you get ready.
Be Ready For The Interview
During your medical school interview, you need to be well-prepared as your answers will be one of the determining factors as to whether or not you’ll get into medical school. Ideally, you should give a first good impression. Always try to be polite and be yourself as your interviewers can easily spot those who are faking their personalities.
Moreover, you should thoroughly explain why you want to be a doctor, and be sincere and truthful with your answers as generic answers won’t take you far.
Conclusion
Getting into medical school isn’t easy as you’re in a battle with your co-applicants aiming to get the same seat. With that, you need to make an impressive resume that indicates your experience and knowledge. Along with this, having an outstanding GPA and research project would help boost your chances of getting in.
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