Below are a list of things that I wish I had known as a pre-med student which would have made me more successful in Medical School.
1) Take anatomy. Learning things for a second time are always easier than learning things for the first time. My fellow peers who had taken anatomy before had a much easier time with anatomy compared to me so I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking anatomy during your pre-med years. Anatomy is a must.
2) Take as many science/medical related classes as possible. Classes such as Introduction to histology, immunology, physiology, and etc. are extremely helpful when it comes time to start medical school. These are all concepts that you will need to learn pretty quickly once you start medical school so even having introductory background knowledge about these topics will prove to be helpful.
3) Research/Internships are vital. Not only will they help you make connections that will be helpful in the future but it will also expose you to the different fields and sides of medicine.
4) Solidify a study technique. College is the perfect opportunity to experiment around and find what studying technique works for you. By the time you hit medical school, it is extremely helpful to have a strong solid group. For me, personally, I used to highlight PowerPoints and write notes on the side. I have continued this technique in medical school and it has worked out well for me.
5) Schedule everything out. Schedule all of the future classes you want to take in a semester format, a plan for the MCAT, a plan for research/internships, etc. Having a schedule relieves anxiety as you know you have time for everything. It also lets you know you have time to do fun things!
6) Your MCAT, GPA, and clubs will only take you up to a point. Personality, connections, and recommendation letters count for a lot. I wish I had known this earlier so I could have made stronger connections within the community who could have written recommendation letters. Personality will help you make these connections.
7) You have to be dedicated and proactive from the start. Any doubt you have about doing medicine will lead to many problems in the future so get rid of those as fast as you can. Participate in things that will help you build your future resume
8) Get as many real world experiences as possible. Whether this is from traveling, past jobs, or volunteering, real world experiences help boost your resume and are good talking points during your interview.
9) Create a resume right away. You are bound to forget clubs you have participated in, jobs you have worked, volunteering experiences, and etc. so having a resume where you can immediately type in what you are doing will make sure you keep track of everything. You can even bullet point a few things underneath each to remind you of certain experiences.
10) Keep a strong support group. Whether its your parents, siblings, a group of friends, etc., make sure you maintain contact with this group of people. Not only will it benefit your social health but it might provide other opportunities in the future. I highly recommend having friends in higher places than you. As a pre-med, I wish I had more medical school friends who could have guided me better so here I am for all of you!
11) Take care of your wellness. Medicine is a long journey where there will be many periods of burnout, happiness, joy, and sadness. It truly is a rollercoaster so knowing how to take care of yourself early on is extremely important.
As always, if you have any questions, you can contact me (on here in the questions section or on social media). If you want your resumes checked or any advice about college scheduling, don't hesitate to ask. If you have any future ideas for blog posts or would like to feature on here, let me know!
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