A New Year Means New Resolutions: Next-Step Planning Can Pay Down The Road

The first few weeks of January have arrived and, of course, that naturally means it’s a new year! Along with a new cycle can come exciting, fresh resolutions for the months ahead. If planning to apply to medical school within the next year…or two…or three, setting goals for the year can help guide your preparation and keep your plan on the right path. 

Preparing for medical school can be challenging enough. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly added an extra layer to the fold, complicating the process and limiting opportunities for potential applicants with components like, say, extracurricular experiences that are important. So, making special considerations and being thoughtful about the time ahead can not only alleviate some of those challenges, but produce bountiful results in bulking up that applicant profile. 

Lining up what you need next on your journey naturally depends on your place on said journey. No matter you’re stage though, the pandemic has forced students and institutions to adjust. Thus, taking the pandemic into account is important contextually to what opportunities are available and accessible.

Meeting and Mapping

For students in their initial undergraduate years, College of Human Medicine counselors highly suggest meeting with your premed/prehealth advisors so that you can begin mapping out your journey to medical school. It’s never too early. Advisors are familiar with the process and do well to guide each student, yes, but they also can be familiar with what particular medical schools are looking for, especially with in-state programs. 

Planning out courses and time slots for clinical experiences, extracurricular activities, work, and other elements will naturally keep the schedule tidy. But it also eliminates gaps down the road and can ensure updates can be made with minimal hassle should adjustments need to be made—which is very likely. The road to medical school is rarely straight, but you can make it as straight as possible with some early, effective planning. 

See College of Human Medicine Prerequisite Models

For those in the latter undergraduate years, fulfilling the prerequisites with needed upper-level courses is a priority. But understanding other immediate needs and being honest about your status at this stage is important for several reasons. Some people may need to enter post-bacc programs, so it’s never too early for researching and figuring out application processes. This goes for those interested in graduate programs as well. 

A similar stance can also be true for nontraditional applicants and career-changers, who may need to make the adjustment to a post-bacc program or science-based grad program before making the attempt at a medical school application process. Right now can be the time to figure out what solution (plan of action) is best for your personal situation, whether that be a lower-than-desired GPA, a low MCAT score, or missing prereqs. 

Some students may need to work and that’s fine. Schools like our own with a holistic review process are certain to take socioeconomic factors into account. The lesson is that planning now can help a student juggle a variety of important priorities to ensure they all get done in a timely fashion.

Gaining While Giving (Experience)

Beyond courses, this is a great time to really think about what opportunities there may be this summer and beyond to gain clinical experiences and/or extracurricular involvement. Whether you want something brief or more long-term, being thorough and researching these potential opportunities is especially important in the time of Covid. Programs may now be limiting participation and implementing special requirements. This means that finding the best possible fit for you is better done sooner than later. For summer internships and programs, right now is the time to apply.

Direct patient interaction is key to what schools mean when they say they desire to see clinical experience in the medical school application. Many applicants to the college, for instance, have had excellent scribing experiences. In fact, more and more opportunities to scribe virtually are popping up on account of the pandemic. Seeking roles in local hospitals/clinics, rehab facilities, or even retirement homes are also some ideas that can offer valuable engagement. Some experiences may even pay. Becoming an EMT or medical assistant look great on a medical school application and can help pay the bills. 

Students often ask us about what they can do to stand out. Our response is typically tied to the idea that applicants would do well to get familiar with our mission of serving the underserved and identifying ways they can show how that mission resonates. One way to gain experience and exposure is to serve the underserved of your own community in fulfilling ways. Though proximity may vary, we know there is no shortage of those who lack a variety of services in towns across the map. 

Working with organizations, volunteers can help to register people for procedures like mammograms or even vaccines. Some governmental agencies will help carry out preventative initiatives for communities affected by issues like diabetes or substance abuse, for instance, and rely on volunteer assistance from community members. Some of these actions may be tied to being active in social justice movements and the college encourages balancing those personal interests with academic/career goals.

Disparities in access to health care is a key challenge and students who find ways to assist their communities alleviate these challenges, these disparities will show resonance, yes, but also leadership. Speaking of…

Research and Leadership

Don't be too alarmed if volunteer and research opportunities may be limited. Medical schools understand the severity of impact the pandemic has had across the globe. Still, effort can go a long way and students are now thinking ingeniously about carving out opportunities. 

While it can be difficult to lead a research project as a premed, more and more students are beginning to start their own, developing projects with new angles on topics. Students can also gain leadership in a professor or mentor’s research study. Research projects are now more established and ongoing than they were at the onset of the pandemic. Students are even using these established opportunities as a starting point, which they can then use to branch off and cultivate an all-new project. 

Of course, leadership can stretch beyond academic settings and, in fact, schools like ours also like to see applicants involved in activities in which the applicant shares genuine interest. Starting or leading an organization based on those themes of interest are excellent ways to demonstrate leadership. Whether a club around campus or a nonprofit organization, identifying those interests is important. In terms of a nonprofit, it’s important to identify needs around the community and, given our mission, we love to see students who serve underserved populations in unique ways. 

Some students are wisely gearing their organizations around the pandemic. If you live in a community where vaccination rates are low, for instance, setting up an organization that promotes vaccination and helps with vaccine drives is a beneficial endeavor. In another example, some students are taking the time to teach the elderly how to utilize video conferencing software and streaming applications, allowing seniors the ability to contact their families in times of quarantine and isolation. Virtual experiences are becoming all too familiar and students are using the opportunity to do additional things like tutor or learn/teach different languages.  

Reframing and Recharging

The track to medical school is tough. We know it. You know it. On that track, it may be helpful to simply take a moment to relax. The pressures of preparing for medical school in many ways have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Developing a routine exercise regimen or scheduling in time to simply clear your mind, take a walk, or do some yoga can be very beneficial.

It’s important to build up these habits now as research has shown that a lack of exercise among medical students is associated with higher rates of depression and burnout. In contrast, students who are able to prioritize self-care and positive mental health typically report a better quality of life. Developing strong habits now can help alleviate the pressures of not only transitioning to medical school once its time, but also the pressures of being in medical school. 

Some students may need some quite study time and carving out the time will pay dividends. Students who plan to take (or re-take) the MCAT this year know that readiness is important in more ways than one. It may be wise to give yourself the time to rethink strategy if an initial score doesn't meet personal standards. Many schools like ours do not mind re-takes, though it may help to research how different schools evaluate multiple scores. 

If one is feeling strongly about a gap year, that's okay too. At the College of Human Medicine, we encourage students to take a gap year if they feel that's best for them. The point here is that applicants should apply when the application is fully ready. But the application and the applicant are two different things—are YOU ready, mentally emotionally, physically? 

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Thoughtful reflection and personal planning are key to the uphill battle that is the medical school admissions process. Despite the pandemic, there are factors to think about and accommodate when planning out what moves to make next. This all depends on what point you line up with in the grand schemes of things and what you need on your journey. Whatever your resolutions, be sure to commit and track progress to make sure you see how far you’ve come. Best of luck!