How To Decide If Medicine Is For You

Medicine isn't for everyone, so students need to figure out why they're interested in it in order to decide if it's the right path for them. What is it about medicine that makes your student want to be a doctor? We suggest looking at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)'s fact sheets about medical school, which will give students more first-hand context about what the med school journey is like. 

After doing their own research, students should set up some informational interviews with people in the field of medicine. Informational interviews can help a student decide if it's really something they want to pursue—as a major or a career. Talking to trusted adults with knowledge of specific career paths is a great way to start thinking about potential college majors and future career possibilities. And when your student is thinking of committing to pre-med, these conversations are even more important.

Download our guide to informational interviews as well as our guided worksheet, which will help your student get started.

Take A Challenging Course Load (AP, IB, Honors)

Taking a challenging course load, one that includes AP, IB, and honors classes, can boost your student's chances of admissions at a competitive college or university—especially in a pre-med program. Your student can review their school’s course catalog for more challenging classes related to medicine. For example, if they love biology and excel in it, they might take AP Biology or Honors Anatomy. They should also keep track of what prerequisites they'll need to satisfy to qualify for a pre-med program.

Grades and strength of curriculum carry the most weight in admission to highly selective schools and programs like pre-med. Excelling in these areas will qualify an applicant for a second read (i.e., a more in-depth read by a full-time admissions reader rather than a temporary, seasonal reader hired by colleges to manage the huge number of applications). 

Choose The Right Major 

Choosing a major with an eye toward med school is an inexact science. Over the last decade or so, the shift has been away from students who major specifically in biological sciences. Dr. McGreggor Crowley, a doctor who used to work in med school admissions, notes: "Previously, medical schools were focused upon excellent preparation for biomedical sciences. Over the last 15 years or so, there has been more emphasis on balance, meaning that premedical students now need to focus on these foundational biological courses and on the humanities."

The data supports this shift. An article on the American Medical Association website  notes that only about half of students who took the MCAT (the med school entrance exam) had a college major that focused on biological sciences and that biological sciences students had a middle-of-the-road average MCAT score compared to other primary majors. Also according to the AMA, the matriculation rate for students who majored in biological sciences was lower than that of students with other majors.

Bottom line: if a student knows that medicine is for them, they should take a challenging course load and not feel restricted to a biological sciences major.