Planning to Go to Pre-Med in College? See the Path To Success

Over the past few years, applications to medical school have risen by nearly 18 percent, and this trend is continuing. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the passion for a future in medicine covers a large and highly diverse range of students.

If you are currently in high school and convinced that your future lies in medicine, when should you begin to prepare for pre-med? Some experts believe that motivated students should start pre-med college prep as early as 10th grade. This suggestion is more so for a BS/MD degree, which is a dual degree: a bachelor’s of science (BS) and a doctor of medicine (MD). The upside? It can be completed in 6 years as opposed to 8 . 

The other, more traditional route is a 4-year bachelor of science degree followed by 4 years of medical school. This more traditional option offers a better chance of admittance. 

Regardless of which route you choose, here’s a look at the steps you’ll need to take in high school:

A High Schooler’s Path to Pre-Med

Try a pre-college medical summer program or online courses

Nearly all of the Prelum partner universities offer pre-med college prep courses or summer STEM courses to high school students. There’s bound to be a school that works for you. Here are just a few examples:

• Wake Forest University: topics cover areas such as medicine, sports medicine, cancer medicine, and psychology. 
• Case Western Reserve University: has a neuroscience and medicine course designed specifically for high school students.