The shoo-in acceptance to Med School

"Keep your GPA above a 3.8, score an MCAT above 520, and definitely get research anddd shadowing hours in! Wait you're not the president of anything? Oh no honey, you have to have leadership positions to show off your passion and work ethic... get on it!"

In the world of pre-med, we often hear these phrases regardless of if whether or not we are in that moment inquiring into the qualifications for Med school. People love to share what you just have to do to get into a medical program. However, more often than not, people throw out these vague phrases without following them up with the substance to motivate or help others know where to start; leaving us feeling incompetent, unqualified, and (perhaps worst of all) alone.

By no means have I perfected the algorithm for what you need to do and when to do it by for admission into medical school. Truth be told, I am still exploring what works for me; however, after receiving the overwhelming response on Instagram stories that people wanted to know what activities to do, when to do them by, and how to 'appear involved,' I thought that I would share a year from my life with everyone. 

Without further ado, here is a snippet of my 'model' Summer 2019-Summer 2020 schedule/ itinerary/ all things regarding my daily life  & completion of Med school 'requirements' :)

JULY 2019 & AUG 2019

I decided to begin my breakdown during the summer going into my sophomore year, as this was the first summer vacation I had, knowing that I wanted to pursue a medical program.

Given that only a few months earlier, I realized I wanted to further explore my passion for the medical field, I knew I had to find a way to experience what life as a Doctor would look like. And thus I did what any desperate for 'clinicals' student would do, I mass emailed local Doctors working in positions I wanted to learn the most about. Ultimately, I received approval from 5 different Doctors, which led me to spend most of my summer in the OR (fair warning this summer was pretty plain).

Courses: 

Lower Philosophy online

Credits- 3

!!! For some reason us pre-med students hurry to cram our summers full of courses! Personally, unless it is absolutely necessary to do so, take the time for you and enjoy yourself <3 

Activities:

Shadowing (averaging 20 hours a week X 12 weeks) 

Hospital volunteer work (X1 a week)

Working as a LifeGuard (X2 a week)

Working at a local restaurant with my best friends (!!!) as a Server, Host, Barback, and ultimately Manager!

Part-time hot yoga & barre instructor

Summer swim with my neighborhood team (this was my last season before aging out!) (I also volunteered to set up and break down every meet)

SEPT 2019- DEC 2019

Courses:

Statistics

Upper biology elective + lab

Chemistry + lab

Italian 103 

Fine arts credit (photography)

Credits- 18

Activities:

NCAA D1 Swimmer

Pre-health Society member

Women in pre-health member

Biology tutor (cell & molec.)

Pen pal mentor program, mentor

Italian club executive board member (VP)

Campus ministry member

Eucharistic Minister

Full-time employee at a dog grooming salon 

DEC 2019 (post-finals)- JAN 2020 (before spring semester)

Unlike other students who return home for the winter holiday, my team travels for our training trip (off to the beach at San Juan, Puerto Rico!), so all of my time is spent training and exploring the area!

JAN 2020 (late) - MARCH 2020 

Courses: 

Upper biology elective + seminar

Chemistry II + lab

Italian 104

Upper philosophy

Lower history 

ALSO, I started working in a research position a semester early (conducting research related to GI motility). 

Activities:

NCAA D1 Swimmer

Pre-health Society member

Women in pre-health member

Biology tutor (cell & molec.)

Pen pal mentor program, mentor

Italian club executive board member (P)

Doctor's Without Borders member 

Campus ministry member

Eucharistic Minister

Full-time employee at a dog grooming salon 

MARCH 2020 (mid, COVID) - MAY 2020 (mid, COVID)

I finished up my spring coursework remotely through zoom!

Elected to the Doctor's Without Borders executive board

Activities:

Founded a new pre-health society (a summer journal club set to meet remotely throughout the summer)

MAY 2020 (end, COVID) - AUG 2020

Courses: 

NONE- summer is a time to slow down and smell the flowers! 

Activities:

*** Shadowing canceled, NIH internship canceled

President of my journal club

Executive board member for Doctor's Without Borders (treasure)

Working full-time as a scribe in the ED and at outpatient sites

Working at the same restaurant from last summer, as a Server, Barback, and Manager

Summer swim team volunteer 

Be my eyes volunteer (X1 bi-weekly)

I can help member (X2 weekly)

Meals on wheels volunteer (X1 a week)

Volunteer medic for BLM protests (via my Scribing hospital)

Part-time hot yoga & barre instructor 

& last but not least, starting to study for the MCAT

Overall, this is just a straight-up list of what I did for a year, and although these activities and classes and research and hours spent studying are a part of what makes me well me, I could easily extend this list with the dates of Taco Tuesday nights, Sunday brunches, and hours driving through boujee neighborhoods and lowkey stalking the houses with my girls. I guess what I am saying is, there is this framework that you need to get things done and generally have a sense of the qualifications for Med school; nevertheless, there is a way to juxtapose these needs with passions you already have. Whether it be demonstrating leadership through the election onto executive boards for your own interest (eg Italian and DWB) or illustrating your adaptability (through forming an honor society in response to a global freakin pandemic) you can make these qualifications (for lack of better terminology) your B!TCH and have fun with it!!! 

Now that being said, I will be upping my own game this semester- taking 20 credits, working full-time at the dog grooming shop and hospital, conducting full-term research, continuing volunteering, and more- I will still be doing all of these in a way that stays true to me (while still making time for Marg. Wednesdays)! At the end of the day, I will meet these loosely set qualifications for Med school, avoid the burnout that deters many students, and leave a lasting impression on the interview days!

I urge you to try your hardest to do the same babe!

Until next time- stay happy healthy & human. Love Faith

Puppy coworker?

Yoga in Hawaii?

Who said pre-med qualifications can't be fun???