2 answers
Emma
Student
Gilbert, Arizona
1
Question
Updated
653 views
What is the best undergraduate program for preparing me for medical school?
What is the best best undergraduate program is best for preparing me for going to medical school. #Fall25
Login to comment
2 answers
babitha asha
Internal medicine physician
15
Answers
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
babitha’s Answer
Hi Emma
You don’t need a specific major to get into medical school; just make sure you complete the required courses, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. You can study anything you enjoy, from music to literature to philosophy, as long as you keep good grades. It’s also helpful to gain some clinical experience and possibly earn a short medical certification, such as EMT, phlebotomy, ECG technician, or any introductory healthcare course. However, volunteering in a hospital or clinic is also perfectly fine. Try to get some clinical experience during summer breaks. If you genuinely enjoy science, majors such as biology, neuroscience, or biochemistry can also be beneficial for medical school, but they are not required for admission. The most important things are completing the prerequisites, performing well academically, gaining clinical exposure, and preparing early for the MCAT. So choose a major you are passionate about and do well in it while finishing the required courses.
You don’t need a specific major to get into medical school; just make sure you complete the required courses, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. You can study anything you enjoy, from music to literature to philosophy, as long as you keep good grades. It’s also helpful to gain some clinical experience and possibly earn a short medical certification, such as EMT, phlebotomy, ECG technician, or any introductory healthcare course. However, volunteering in a hospital or clinic is also perfectly fine. Try to get some clinical experience during summer breaks. If you genuinely enjoy science, majors such as biology, neuroscience, or biochemistry can also be beneficial for medical school, but they are not required for admission. The most important things are completing the prerequisites, performing well academically, gaining clinical exposure, and preparing early for the MCAT. So choose a major you are passionate about and do well in it while finishing the required courses.
I agree with Babitha. Take whatever interests you as an undergraduate, with any pre-requisites suggested by your counselor. Grades matter (more perhaps than they should), so you want to take classes you enjoy and that you can do well in (my B in acting was not helpful). Enjoy your studies and your extracurricular activities.
James Hanson
Rita Chuang
Physician
305
Answers
Henderson, Nevada
Updated
Rita’s Answer
Honestly, there would have been nothing in college to prepare me for medical school. It was challenging and frustrating because there was so much information to digest. I recommend everyone interested in medicine to work as a medical scribe. They pay you, you learn the language, you see how doctors deal with "difficult" patients, and you can speak with doctors. The medical students that rotated with me who worked as a scribe for 2 years before going into medicine were so much sharper. I don't believe they were necessarily smarter but because they were exposed to it and learned the language, they were ahead of the game. With AI, these jobs are probably declining so you may need to work for free but that doesn't matter. Just to get exposure is important. While working as a scribe, you may realize, I don't like this job and you saved yourself a lot of time and money.