High School Senior looking for advice

[Kwame A]

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I am about to enter my senior year of high school and I've decided the career path I want to take is medicine. I currently have a 4.33 weighted and 3.8 unweighted GPA. My ACT score is a 26 from last December, but I've been studying hard since and taken prep class so I think it should go up to around a 28-29 when I retake it in September. After some research I'm quite confused about what to major in and what undergrad college should I should attend to best prepare me for med school. Also, many of the med schools I've researched accept mainly IS kids, so I was also wondering if I should leave California to do my undergrad.

 

[RTC19]

Regarding majors, you can major in anything you want as long as you complete the pre-requisite courses for medical school. These include one year General Biology, one year General Chemistry, one year Organic Chemistry, and in many cases Biochemistry as well. Different medical schools may have additional pre-reqs for their applicants. These might include Statistics, Calculus, English Composition, Humanities courses, etc. The key is to major in what you are passionate about. If you are passionate about science, major in a science. If you are passionate about English, major in English. If you aren't sure what you are passionate about, don't feel obligated to pick a major right away. If this is the case with you, enroll in some pre-reqs and gen eds, and you will find what you like.

Go to whatever undergraduate college you think you can be successful at. The prestige at your undergraduate university makes only marginal difference in medical school admissions, if any at all. (Do some searching on this site for more information on the topic. It has been discussed extensively.)

For traditional students(folks going to med school straight from college), one's state of residency is the state he or she graduated high school in. Because you are growing up in California and will graduate high school in California, your state of residency for medical school admissions purposes is California.

As far as retaking the ACT, I feel I should make it known that when applying to medical school, how you did in high school makes no difference. Your retaking the ACT for a better score will only make a difference in your acceptance to undergrad and the financial aid you receive at your undergrad. Your ACT score has no bearing in your application to medical school. I know you know this, I just needed to put my public service announcement out there.

Good luck to you, OP.

 

[Kwame A]

If these don't have an impact on med school admissions, what should I be doing in the next couple years so that I'm on top of my game when the time to apply comes around.

 

[RTC19]

Well, you're a senior this year, so I would say this year you should keep your GPA up, if only for scholarship purposes and a broadening of your choices in where to go to school. Physician debt is substantial. It will be of great value to you to limit your undergraduate debt burden with scholarships so you don't have excessive undergraduate debt on top of med school debt. The vast majority of these are based on academic merit, hence the GPA advice.

Right away freshman year of college, it is go time. Hone your study skills and focus on earning excellent grades. Shadow. Volunteer. Be the kind of student who gets a great Letter of Rec.

 

[superpom_7]

Your major doesn't matter. Major in whatever you want. Ultimately it is up to you to choose what to major in, but just know that you don't have to major in a science, so don't feel like you're obligated to major in Biology or any other science to "better your chances of getting accepted". Your GPA in HS and anything else from HS doesn't matter whatsoever when it comes to medical school. When you get to college then you can start worrying about getting the things you need for medical school admissions. Your undergrad GPA, your MCAT score, LOR's, EC's, experience, leadership, etc. are all taken into account.

 

[Funke]

Volunteer early and regularly. Even volunteering two hours a week will add up to 100+ hours per year. Looks awesome on an application. MCAT and GPA are really, really important for med school, but your ECs are also incredibly important. That's why it is recommended to major in something you enjoy. Firstly, if you don't major in science, it might be a good talking point in your interview. Secondly, what you enjoy will be easier and more fun to study than something you don't enjoy. You need that, because medical schools also want to see that you've shadowed physicians, volunteered in whatever, and generally have a life outside of studying. Anything to make your application more unique or interesting is always good.

To me, the biggest positive about majoring in science is the opportunity to do upper level research. This is important for upper tier medical schools and can set you apart for lower tier schools. I didn't major in science and don't have any research, but I'm also not trying to get into an ivy league.

 

[NPI]

Echoing advice to volunteer early and often. You should also look into opportunities to read up on/take continuing medical education courses or seminars. That will help you narrow the field as to exactly what you want to do when you get to medical school, and it shows the powers-that-be that you're dedicated to learning outside of the classroom.