Your Pathway to Medicine
No one’s pathway to medicine is ever the same. You might be just starting your search for colleges, or maybe you know you want to focus on private colleges in California, or even colleges in New York City. I hope you can learn something from my story, but keep in mind that yours will look unique, and that’s okay!
My name is Pranshul, and I am currently in my third year of medical school. I have recently started doing my clinical rotations, which means going to the hospital and practicing medicine in a highly supervised environment.
I knew I wanted to go into medicine from a young age and stuck with that dream from grade school through my undergraduate. Since medicine is a constantly evolving field, I never stopped learning. Here’s a little bit about my background, the process for getting into medical school, and what to expect for your own future in medicine.
Before I Started My Path to Medicine
In high school, I was an average student in terms of grades, as I focused more on extracurricular activities including band, Boy Scouts, and rugby. The classes I enjoyed the most were biology, psychology, and music, which inspired me to major in biological psychology. Thinking I would thrive in a four-year college, I started at Ohio State University.
However, I soon realized that classes with 1,500 students were not a great learning environment for me. I preferred a more intimate classroom environment where I could receive more direct instruction and feedback from my instructors. After just one semester at Ohio State, I transferred to community colleges in California. I spent 1 ½ years in community colleges, bouncing between three different schools to finish my pre-requisite classes in time. I then transferred to UC Davis and majored in psychology with an emphasis in biology.
During my time in college, I decided to explore different jobs before I began medical school. Working while in school helped me both earn money for my degree and gave me the opportunity to explore various career paths. I did everything from landscaping for a golf course and delivering pizza to spending five years working as a music instructor at the high school I’d attended. Your life does not need to revolve around school or medicine. Go and explore your interests, do what you love, and have fun!
My Advice on Your Pathway to Medicine
Historically, there have been two main routes to medical school: the traditional and the non-traditional route. The traditional route consists of doing four years of undergraduate, beginning medical school applications during the beginning of your senior year, and starting medical school right after graduating. Recently, more students have begun taking the non-traditional route. This usually consists of taking a gap year after finishing a four-year college degree, which allows them to accomplish other life goals before starting the long journey of medical school.
I took the non-traditional path into medicine, taking one year after college to study for the MCAT (the med school equivalent of the SAT/ACT), apply to med schools, work, and save money. In fact, of the 94 students in my medical school, only five of them followed the traditional pathway! I am not advocating that one or the other is better. It is worth pointing out, however, that many students who don’t take a break before diving into med school end up burning out.
What Do I Need to Do in High School and Undergrad to Get into Medical School?
So if you’re still asking yourself, “What do I need to do in high school and undergrad to get into medical school?”, here are a few tips to make your pathway to medicine easier. There is no one right answer. Still, I would recommend the following for everyone:
- Finish high school, get into whichever college you want to go to, and major in whichever major you want. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to major in a science-related field to be accepted into med school.
- Do well in college. If you weren’t a star student in high school, don’t worry. Medical school will not even look at your high school grades. But do your best in your classes at college. Having a GPA of >3.5 in undergrad will increase your chances of getting into a medical school.
- Regardless of what you major in, take your medical school’s prerequisite courses. For medical school, you must take the following classes during college:
- One year of general biology
- One year of physics
- One year of general chemistry
- One year of biochemistry
- One year of organic chemistry
- At least one year of math (including one semester each of calculus and statistics)
- One year of writing
As you can see, there are a lot of science related courses. If you major in a biology or science related field, these courses will most likely be incorporated into your normal work load.
Most importantly, work on the required courses and build a profile towards your MD program.
What If I Major in Something Else on My Pathway to Medicine?
If you major in anything else (such as music or English), you will most likely need to take these courses on top of your normal classes. This might mean taking an extra year to graduate or taking a full course load every semester. A few additional tips, regardless of your major:
- Do extracurricular activities, such as research, hobbies, shadowing, volunteering, community service, etc.! Medical schools look for well-rounded students who are both academically inclined and have interests outside of school.
- Do well on your MCAT, which many school use as a screening tool for applications.
Most importantly, don’t be discouraged! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by application portals. Don’t let this discourage you; think of your end goal. College applications is just a small hurdle to climb before becoming a doctor!
Whether you’re wanting to attend tier 1 universities in USA or you’re hoping to find colleges with the highest acceptance rate, you can build a unique pathway to medicine that fits your needs.
