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Now, getting involved is one of the things that will add more stress to your undergraduate life. However, being active in clubs is a must if you wish to gain acceptance to a medical school. Medical schools require that their future students demonstrate the ability to balance academics and an extra-curricular life.
Extracurricular activities and service
Getting involved
First, document everything you do - clubs, service projects, etc. Seriously, start a Word document and write down everything you've done since day one - this will make it much easier when you are applying. Also, write down event names, dates, event leader's names, phone numbers, doctor's names, etc. This is a makeshift C.V. (curriculum vitae) that will help you a lot when filling out your application.
It is important to demonstrate volunteerism- By volunteering, you will be able to see if you actually do enjoy working with/helping people.All health care professionals deal with people, and if you don't like people, you should have no business treating them as patients. Many clubs out there are service oriented, however, only join clubs if you're completely interested. Once again, make sure you're willing to devote time to it. Try and gain leadership positions in these clubs; this will only give you the experience you will need to be a leader later in life.
Begin shadowing doctors - This will provide a general idea of what physicians do on a day-to-day basis. Each doctor is unique, trained with a specific skill set, and each practice medicine differently. Therefore, the more doctors you shadow, the more educated you will be on the various fields and opportunities available. Remember, doctors work a lot, and you should know what the life is like. You may go about doing this by calling your local hospital and telling them you are interested in shadowing a doctor - your scope will be very limited, unless you know the doctor well.
Start developing professional relationships- Being able to develop professional relationships is very important in medicine, you can begin practicing with your favorite professors. Odds are, if they're one of your favorites, you're bound to have more in common as individuals. This could come in handy later when you're applying and need recommendations. Try to take part in research - The reason research is important is because schools are wanting to produce the doctors that will find the cure to some of the most devastating diseases out there. Research isn't a must, but I did, and I enjoyed it. It also gave me something to talk about in an interview. You may go about finding a position by asking faculty members of your science department or local research centers. There are various summer programs available too. I have been told before that being published as an undergraduate is a very good thing, regardless of where you go in life.
You should also begin formulating and documenting ideas of why medicine grows increasingly important in your life via your experiences. This will be great fuel for writing your personal statement. Once your ducks are in a row after your first two years of undergraduate coursework, you'll have to start thinking about taking the MCAT. The MCAT is a standardized test you have to take when applying to medical school.
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