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What kinds of clinical experience opportunities should I look for if I plan to apply to medical school? #Spring26

I am a senior in high school and I've already done an internship at a private practice for over 300 hours and I've done volunteering at my local hospital since my freshman year. I am interested in doing some kind of research/other internships at during my undergrad years. Is that enough? What will help me stand out among other medical school applicants?

medicine healthcare biology medical-school health pre-med pre-medicine
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Teddy’s Answer

What You Already Have

- Clinical experience: Your private practice internship gives you hands-on patient interaction and insight into clinical operations.
- Commitment: Years of hospital volunteering show dedication beyond just meeting requirements.
- Time invested: Over 300 hours of experience sets you apart from many other applicants.

What to Build During Undergrad

- Research: Join a lab where you can be a named author or acknowledged contributor. Clinical research, especially with patient involvement, is valuable for medical school. Consider a funded summer research program in your early college years. Even a small poster presentation or publication can make a big difference.

- Shadowing: Medical schools want you to shadow doctors to see how they think and interact with patients. Try to observe different specialties like primary care, surgery, psychiatry, and emergency medicine. Aim for 50–100+ hours of shadowing.

- Scribing: Medical scribing offers excellent pre-med experience. You'll be present during patient encounters and learn clinical reasoning. Many scribing positions are paid and often found in emergency departments or clinics.

- Leadership & Commitment: Focus on depth, not breadth. Take on leadership roles in one or two activities, like being an officer in a pre-med club or leading a research team, rather than joining many clubs without deep involvement.

- Non-clinical Community Service: Engage in service activities like tutoring, mentoring, or working at food banks. This shows you understand social factors affecting health and that you're a well-rounded person.

What Will Make You Stand Out

- Authentic Story: Create a clear "why medicine" narrative connecting your experiences.
- Diverse Exposure: Gain experience in various settings, specialties, and with different patient populations.
- Research Output: Aim for publications, presentations, or significant contributions.
- Strong Relationships: Secure letters of recommendation from people who know you well.
- Unique Experiences: Consider opportunities like global health trips or work in underserved clinics.

You're already ahead, but remember, med school admissions are assessed when you apply, usually in your junior year of college. Use your undergrad years to deepen your experiences, pursue meaningful research, shadow physicians in various fields, and consider scribing. The most compelling applicants weave their experiences into a cohesive story, not just a list of activities.
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Matthew’s Answer

If you college doesn’t have a pre med major but rather a designation and requires you to major in something else as well, biology is the most common, look into majoring in Medical Laboratory Science. It will give you a leg up on the medical profession and your fellow med students since you will already understand lab work.
70-80% of all diagnoses comes from lab work. This will be a big boost compared to all the biology majors who are in the premed track only.
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Bruce’s Answer

I would begin by making sure you are striving for excellence academically to make sure you’re prepared for the MCAT in which both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools look at to make their admission decisions. There’s no minimum or maximum amount of research or shadowing that will overcome any academic deficiencies. Continue shadowing both allopathic and Osteopathic Physician‘s in primary care so you get a good perspective on what the challenges are like broadly in medicine. Lastly, make sure you apply to both both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools and if you have shortcomings academically to seek out a post Baccalaureate program that will give you automatic or priority consideration for admission to their medical school. Finally, if you decide, medical school is too much to handle another path and related areas include becoming a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, and many other related health professions that are very rewarding. Thanks for the questions.

Bruce Peters, DO FAAP, FACOP <><
Former Professor and Chair, Pediatrics
Specializing in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Addiction Medicine
Medical missions & Outreach ministry
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Rita’s Answer

I think it's great that you have the clinical experience. Research will look good on your resume but I feel that working as a medical scribe is the best way to learn medicine. When I had medical students rotate through my office, the ones that worked as medical scribes stood out. They were sharper, knew how to present, and just seemed more intelligent. Were they smarter? Not necessarily. It's just that they were already exposed to the material so they knew it and were more confident. Imagine if you took high school 1-2 years before you started high school. Wouldn't it be easier? If you are going into a competitive field like Surgery, Dermatology, etc, you need to stand out. It's also not just about grades. In 3rd and 4th year, they are judging you how you get along with others, how you take care of the patients, and how you answer questions (which is often in front of a group) so if you are shy and quiet, it's not helpful.
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