4 Things a High School Student Can Do to Prepare for Medical School

1. Prepare Academically

Learn how to study and manage your time. Coursework will become more challenging, as you go through school, so developing and practicing these skills now will help you in college and med school.
Take a look at this TED Talk video to learn three common study strategies.

Take as many math and science classes as you can and, when available, enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) courses to build a foundation for what you will learn in college and med school. AP courses may allow you to place out of basic requirements and move directly into more advanced courses.
Talk to your guidance counselor about what courses are offered at your school and in your community.
If AP courses aren’t available to you, select the more rigorous and challenging courses.
Check out free resources that can enhance your knowledge and support learning such as Khan Academy.

As a college or medical student, you’ll need to know how to analyze information, make connections, and develop your own opinions from what you read. Classes in English, humanities, government, history, and social studies will help you practice these skills and give you experience in writing and presenting.
Outside of class, you can stretch your critical thinking skills by reading different types of literature and joining clubs like speech and debate, mock trial, or service groups at your high school.

Ask your guidance counselor, mentor, parents, or teachers if they know of opportunities that might be useful for someone who wants to learn more about a health care career.
You can also look for part-time jobs or volunteer positions at hospitals, community organizations, or health clinics.
Ask your pediatrician or another doctor if you can spend a day with them to get a sense of what it would be like to practice medicine. Even if you don’t get to directly interact with patients, just being in these different settings will be worthwhile.
Look for ways to expand your role and responsibilities over time to get the most out of these opportunities.
Even non-medically related activities will help you build skills. Be sure to participate in activities that fuel your interests and passions.

If you’re 18, you can get professional experience and certifications, including training for positions as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) or emergency medical technician (EMT). 
You can also seek out positions working as an assistant or staff member in medical offices and physical therapy practices.
Talk to your guidance counselor about what kind of career or technical programs might be available through your school.

There are many programs that can expose you to a career in medicine while you’re still in high school. Learn about them in the AAMC’s free database of medical pathway and enrichment opportunities. Programs include:
- University research opportunities
- STEM or health care related workshops
- Concurrent enrollment (in partnership with local community colleges)
- Career and technical preparation programs
- Internships and apprenticeships
- Summer residential academies
If you are a high school senior, check out the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), a free program that prepares college students for careers in the health professions by enhancing academic proficiency and providing career development opportunities. SHPEP is open to college freshman and sophomore students who meet certain eligibility requirements.

Doctors need to know a lot more than science to care for patients, which is why the AAMC and the medical school community developed a list of competencies or “behaviors” that medical schools look for in applicants when selecting their classes. Practice these skills now during your part-time job, volunteer experiences, or school activities.
Share your interests with and ask for feedback from counselors, teachers, and employers on your skills and how you can improve. They will also be important people in your support network that can help you when you need advice, face challenges or want help planning your next steps.
Read profiles of current medical students to see how they were able to demonstrate these behaviors and communicate them to medical schools in their applications