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What ways can one truly shine or stand out with Medical school applications, asides from a High MCAT score or a strong undergrad academic resume?

I'm an incoming first generation pre-med undergrad student and possibly future medical student, who lacks a lot of knowledge in the process of pursuing being a doctor, i would like to know any advice or tips for the next stage.

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Suzanne’s Answer

Congrats, Uchechi, on being the first generation in your family to go to college and for planning ahead for a possible career in medicine. As you say, MCAT and GPA are important but so are exposure to the clinical and research sides of medicine. You do want to find a way to confirm that you really are drawn to the direct one-on-one aspect of patient care before you apply. This might involve finding a summer job in a hospital or nursing home, finding a physician to "shadow" and/or finding a volunteer position. These are all things which the pre-med/pre-health advisory system at your college can help with -- as can the pre-med clubs/organizations that most colleges have. As soon as you can, connect with and identify a pre-med advisor who will be sure your academic program is the best for your career goals and will have lots of other practical advice.

It can feel like a long hard haul...and it is...but if you are truly drawn to becoming a physician and helping people using a rigorous scientific knowledge base, it can be an extremely fulfilling profession. Please feel free to write back with further questions as you progress..

Best of luck!!

Suzanne recommends the following next steps:

Find any pre-med/prehealth care clubs or organizations on campus and join up or start to go to their activities. There will be lots of advice there.
Check out the website for the AAMC (American Association of Medical Colleges). There is a lot of really helpful info for pre-meds. One example is: https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/medical-student-perspective-what-s-your-advice-pre-med-students
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