I am describing a superstar applicant with stats above 3.8+/514+ as
@Dr panda pointed out below. Most people will not be like this, so please don't think you need to have this to be competitive to get into to medical school. If you can't get all of this within 3-4 years, that's okay. Schools understand this. Your stats are not the only thing that define you. Yes they are a major part, and you need to devote most energy making sure your academics are great before worrying about the subjective parts of the application. You want to avoid the "digital shredders" when applying with competitive stats. Past that point, you need to look at your experiences.
1. Significant and long-term clinical experience (300hr+). I would recommend having a mix of work experience and volunteering. Work experience has the incentive of an income to get hours. Some schools are picky about clinical work, so try to cover your bases with some hospital or clinic volunteering.
2. Significant and long term non-clinical experience (300hr+). Find 1 or 2 organizations that focuses on underserved communities that you genuinely like. Please don't volunteer for the sake of hours. Volunteering at a place you hate or are unenthusiastic about will come though your writing and interviews. Start sometime during your freshman year.
3. Wow factor. Overcoming signifcant adversity, being a veteran, being URM, or having a unique experience will bump up your application. I know this will piss people off, but schools are looking for people who can provide perspectives outside of the pre-med norm. You really do learn from your classmates, and you will need to work with diverse populations. So they do want students who can bring diverse experiences.
4. Research. Try to have at least a year's worth of research, and try to find a PI who cares about you as a student. My PI ended up being one of my mentors, and he pushed me to apply for posters and writing responsibilities. Aim to get at least one poster for research.
5. Leadership. Use this as a way to display your passion. If you like dance, community service, music, education, or business, your leadership should reflect that, and you want to show initiative and growth as a leader. It doesn't need to be obnoxious like starting a non-profit, but you don't want to have a meaningless board role that prevents you from creating change and implementing new ideas.
6. Have fun hobbies. They want to see well rounded, social people who can have fun in healthy ways. So don't feel guilty spending time making art or collecting stamps. Also identify outlets to relax and release stress.
7. Have a clear recognizable theme behind your activities. For me, my activities centered around community service for underserved communities. I backed this up with my service, my clinical experiences, my research, my leadership, and my hobbies. Medical schools were able to see that I walked the walk and talked the talk. My application moved beyond normal pre-med boxchecking. Having a theme makes it easier for readers and interviewers to understand who you are and what motivates you.
8. Be a genuine, friendly, and sociable person. No matter how stern a person is, they can't think negative of someone who exudes kind, fun, confident energy. You need to know how to talk to people.
