Pre-med Advice: 6 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently Before Medical School

Hi guys!

I’m back after a long hiatus of two years. Now that I’m in medical school, I wanted to take some time to reflect on my experience as a pre-medical student and share some advice for future pre-meds. Looking back, there are definitely things I wish I had started earlier or done differently.

This will be the first post in a series about tips and advice I would give to students starting out on the pre-med path. Whether you’re a high school student considering medicine or a college freshman just beginning your journey, I hope some of these insights are helpful.

1) Keep Your Eyes Open and Explore What Your Institution Has to Offer

I know this sounds cliché, but it is so important.

If you’re in college and considering the pre-med track, my biggest piece of advice is to keep your eyes open for opportunities. Explore the clubs your school has to offer and look into medical-related organizations. Many clubs have clinics you can volunteer at, mission trips you can participate in, or community service opportunities at places like nursing homes.

Getting involved early gives you time to discover what you enjoy, build meaningful experiences, and develop long-term commitments rather than scrambling to find activities later on.

2. Find a Good Mentor

One thing I wish I had done more was find mentors who could guide me through the process.

This could be an upperclassman who has already gone through the medical school application cycle, a recent graduate, or even a current medical student. Having someone who understands the process can be incredibly valuable.

A mentor can help answer questions about when to start your application, when to take the MCAT, how many volunteer hours are reasonable, what interviews are like, and much more. Looking back, I relied too much on random advice from different people and not enough on mentors who had successfully navigated the process themselves.

Another piece of advice is to build relationships with your professors. Go to office hours, ask questions, and make an effort to get to know them beyond simply attending class. Not only can professors serve as valuable mentors, but you never know who may end up writing one of your recommendation letters in the future. A strong letter comes from someone who genuinely knows you as a student and can speak to your character, work ethic, and growth, so it’s important to start building those connections early.

3. Build a Well-Rounded Application

Grades are important, but they are not the only thing that matters.

Make sure you have a variety of experiences, including volunteering, research, leadership, and clinical exposure. At the same time, don’t forget about your hobbies and personal interests. Medical schools want to see who you are outside of academics as well.

One practical tip: keep a running document of everything you do.

Whether it’s a Word document or a Google Doc, write down your activities, dates, responsibilities, and reflections. Trust me, this will make your application process much easier later on. It’s also helpful to write down how experiences made you feel. You never know when a reflection about your first patient interaction or your first day volunteering in a clinic might become part of your personal statement.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Shadow a Doctor

Shadowing is one of the most valuable experiences you can have as a pre-med.

You don’t need to know what specialty you want to pursue. The goal is simply to observe what physicians actually do and what their daily lives look like. Whether it’s pediatrics, family medicine, surgery, or another specialty, shadowing allows you to better understand the profession.

I know many people who started out pre-med and later decided medicine wasn’t the right path for them after getting more clinical exposure. It’s much better to discover that before applying to medical school than after you’ve already invested years of effort.

5. Get Involved Beyond the Classroom

When I applied to medical school, I realized that many of my activities were not directly related to medicine.

If I could go back, I would seek out more opportunities that connected to healthcare, whether that meant medical organizations, clinics, state-level organizations, or even national programs.

At the same time, don’t feel like everything has to be medical. The most important thing is to pursue things you’re genuinely passionate about. Unique experiences and leadership opportunities can help you stand out and make your application more memorable.

6. Don’t Underestimate the MCAT

This is probably the biggest lesson I learned.

I spent a tremendous amount of effort focusing on my academic grades, which are definitely important. However, I underestimated how important the MCAT would be.

To be vulnerable, I did not perform as well as I had hoped on the MCAT. I chose not to retake it, and while I am genuinely happy with where I ended up and believe everything happens for a reason, if I could change one thing about my pre-med journey, it would be putting more effort into MCAT preparation.

A strong MCAT score can open many doors, and looking back, I would have started preparing earlier and approached it more strategically.

I’ll write a separate blog post about my MCAT experience, what I studied, and what I would recommend to future students.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, being a pre-med was both challenging and rewarding. While there are certainly things I would do differently, every experience taught me something valuable and ultimately helped shape the person I am today.

If you’re just starting your pre-med journey, don’t stress about having everything figured out. Focus on exploring opportunities, finding mentors, building meaningful experiences, and taking care of yourself along the way.

More pre-med advice posts are coming soon, so stay tuned!