How to Prepare for a Medical Career

If you want to work in the healthcare industry, it’s critical to prepare correctly. Your time in school is the beginning of your career, so you need to start getting ready now. That will make you more competitive when it comes to applying to med school and getting a job.

Choose the Right Pre-Med Major

There are no majors designed specifically for med students, which means you will have to research the best pre-med majors in college. Of course, your GPA is often more important than what you major in when it comes to getting into medical school. And health care providers have been successful when majoring in an unrelated field. However, the grades you get in science-related classes, such as math, chemistry, or physics, are often looked at more closely. Pick the classes that will meet the requirements for getting into med school. You may also want to choose a program that you can fall back on.

For instance, if you don’t get into the right institute after graduation, your backup plan might be to go into accounting. If that’s the case, you could study accounting and minor in science-related fields. Or you might choose to become a biologist if medical school doesn’t work out, so you could major in biology.

Diversify Your Courses

Taking the right science classes is essential to your success, but you might want to branch out a bit in your classes. Then you can show medical schools that you have a balanced perspective on the world. 

For example, consider taking fine arts, philosophy, or foreign language courses. You can show that you are a well-rounded student and have gained problem-solving skills. No matter what area of health you want to work in, you will need these skills.

Get Extracurricular Experience

While it’s essential to have good grades, you shouldn’t study all the time. Instead, show potential schools that you have many interests and can manage your time well. Consider taking part in extracurriculars, which will help develop your leadership and organization skills. You could take part in sports, get involved on campus, or work with organizations in the college town. If you can do a few extracurriculars while maintaining a strong GPA, potential schools might look at you more favorably. 

It’s equally critical to be able to help people.

Many students want to go into health care because they want to help others. However, it’s important to put that into action. Schools want to see that you care about others, and they want evidence showing you have been doing that for a long time. It’s great if you did that in high school, but you also need to do it while in college. For example, look for volunteer organizations to connect you with opportunities in the community. Churches and other religious organizations are good places to start. Or you could tutor others in subjects you know you are good at. Of course, you can also find medical-related opportunities to volunteer. Ask your professors and classmates for ideas to get started.

This is a guest blog entry.