Please help me get on track to med school

[th1nk]

I am a student at a decent university, I am going to be starting my sophomore year and my gpa is currently 3.9.

I have almost nothing on my resume and I need to start resume building this year.

Does anyone have any tips on what I can do starting now.

things I need some help doing:
-finding, applying to research positions. (do I just email professors and ask them if they need an assistant?)
-volunteering... when I volunteer, should I be keeping an official tally of hours?
-clubs... is joining just to be a part of a club meaningful at all? or is will I need to be an officer this to have any weight on my future application?
-setting myself apart from others... I would like to start a club of some sort or maybe an npo if i can...


Can someone give me a little assistence...
thanks

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[aSagacious]

Moving to 'what are my chances' forum.

 

[Catalystik]

I am going to be starting my sophomore year and my gpa is currently 3.9.

I have almost nothing on my resume and I need to start resume building this year.

Does anyone have any tips on what I can do starting now.

things I need some help doing:
1) -finding, applying to research positions. (do I just email professors and ask them if they need an assistant?)
2) -volunteering... when I volunteer, should I be keeping an official tally of hours?
3) -clubs... is joining just to be a part of a club meaningful at all? or is will I need to be an officer this to have any weight on my future application?
-setting myself apart from others... I would like to start a club of some sort or maybe an npo if i can.

1) Start with professors who know you from class, and expand your list to others, looking in many departments: Bio, Chem, Biochem, Ag, Psych, etc. You might look on your school's Research site and see what projects various profs are involved in and then email them if you're interested. Append a copy of your unofficial transcript and maybe a photo, asking if you can meet if there is an opening in their lab. You can volunteer or take a Lab section for academic credit. Rarely a job in a lab is available.

2) Yes, keep your own records. Start to gain clinical experience somewhere soon, as 1.5 years is the average listed (at 3-4 hours per week). Nonmedical volunteering is a good idea too; aim for an hour a week. You'll eventually do some shadowing, but longevity isn't important for this. Aim for at least 50 hours and include a primary care doc. Besides these, the aforementioned research is helpful, as is leadership and/or teaching.

3) Clubs won't help your application unless you gain a leadership role or it leads to community service. Join anyway for fun, socializtion, or to pursue a special interest if you like.