1. Quality Over Quantity
Don’t kill yourself by trying to do it all. Join the clubs that you want to do, not the ones you think you should do, and don’t think you have to do everything. You’ll be happier and your application will be stronger if you can speak passionately about the clubs you were in and enjoyed, versus trying to fake enthusiasm for four different clubs you didn’t care about that much. It’s also more important to show a long-term commitment instead of hopping from one club to another to show you did it all. Stick with a couple solid ones that you love. It’ll pay off in the long run.
2. Get Recs As You Go
When I talked with some senior pre-meds they were surprised that they needed around 4-6 letters of recommendation for their med school applications. A lot of them expressed dismay because they felt that they could have gotten a great letter their Freshman year but that professor had left or they hadn’t spoken with them since. To solve this issue, get your letter of recommendations as you go through college. That way you get the letter while you’re still close to your professor and their interactions with you are still fresh. Trust me, getting 4-6 letters is a lot of work—getting one last minute is stressful enough!
3. Get To Know Your Professors
JHU students are extremely lucky because their professors have to have office hours. Your professors have to be in their rooms for a set time every week, which means they are probably dying for you to come by and break up the monotony of sitting alone doing nothing. They want you to come by. One professor, Gorman, even brings her dog to her office hours, so not only do you get to know the professor and get some advice/help, you get to play with a dog! Getting to know your professors will also help you when it comes time to network, it will lead to stronger and more personable letters of rec, and it shows that you are dedicated to their class. Having all this opportunity means that there is no excuse for you not getting to know your professors.
4. Pursue A Leadership Opportunity
Although it is important to get involved in clubs, you also want to show that you can be a leader in some way. May it be eventually leading one of the clubs you’ve joined, tutoring off campus, becoming a Resident Advisor, president of your Greek chapter, or a TA for a class. You want to show those colleges that you have the time management, organizational, and self-reliance skills to make something happen and to lead others. Being a doctor is no easy feat (understatement of the year) and you need to be able to stand out and show that you can run something and be successful.
5. Get Medical Related Experience
This is probably one of the most important tips you can take away from this article. How can you know that you want to dedicate a minimum of seven years to a career path if you’ve never even experienced what the job is like? Shadowing a doctor or interning at a hospital allows you the unique experience to actually see what day-to-day experiences you’ll deal with. My friend was going to be premed until he shadowed a doctor and realized it just wasn’t for him. Better to know this early on then to suffer through Orgo and Biochem unnecessarily. This also gives you experience to talk about in your application, shows that you are dedicated, and you know what you are applying for.
6. It’s Okay To Take a Gap Year
Don’t burn yourself out! You’ve been going to school since you were five, it’s okay to take a year or two break before you dedicate seven more years of your life. A gap year also allows you to round yourself out if you need to take a few more classes and boost your GPA or get a little bit more medical experience. You can also take a break and do something for you. I have a friend who is taking a gap year to focus on her dancing at a school in New York before applying. Figure out what you need to do to either get that perfect resume or set yourself apart from all the different applicants out there. As an extra plus, you’ll have something to talk about in your interviews!
7. Don’t Be Afraid To Doubt Yourself
Deciding to dedicate so much of your time (and money!) to a career is scary. The classes are hard, the applications exhausting, and the whole process can be overwhelming. It’s okay to get scared at times and wonder if what you are doing is what you really want to do. Just make sure that this is really what you want to do with your life. Don’t let other’s decisions or expectations push you towards the life of medicine. It’s something that you need to be passionate about to succeed at—I mean you’ll be saving lives.