Medical school is exciting, as it can be your gateway to entering one of the most valuable and essential work fields around. You will make a great impact on other people’s lives when you work after graduating from medical school. Adequately preparing for medical school is important to set yourself up for success during your training.
This brief guide will help you see what you should get ready for when you’re planning on attending medical school. These assets are vital for helping you succeed when going forward. In addition to various books, you can use a few other resources from people to help you succeed.
1. How to Be Pre-Med: A Harvard MD’s Medical School Preparation Guide
Your first resource for preparing for medical school is this book from doctor and medical school application reviewer Suzanne M. Miller. This book includes information on how to manage the medical school application process while understanding what to expect during your studies.
Much of what Miller discusses in this book entails the Six Buckets, Miller’s guide to helping students know what six segments they will experience the most when studying. These segments cover points like academics, research, clinical experience, and how students will apply their skills in their studies.
2. Playing Doctor
Medical school graduate John Lawrence wrote this three-part book series about life in medical school and what it was like for him. This book series can help you understand what you might experience in med school.
Lawrence covers many interesting topics in this book, including how classes work, lab experiences, and many of the mental and physical challenges that come with med school. You will enjoy reading his look at med school and how the work you’ll put in might not be as daunting as you expect.
3. Princeton Review MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Review
You can use various guides to help you prepare for the MCAT, a critical test for helping you prepare for medical school. This guide from the Princeton Review focuses on the critical analysis and reasoning skills segment of the MCAT.
This guide will help you learn how to review concepts and passes you might come across in your work. You can learn how to use active reading, how to map out passages, and using proper annotations for whatever data you read. The skills you learn in this guide will help you with not only the MCAT but also with your other studies while in med school.
4. Med School Confidential
Med School Confidential is another book you can use to help you learn and prepare for medical school and what you can expect. This book from experienced doctors Robert Miller and Daniel Bissell covers the entire process of going to med school, including how to choose a school, how to apply, and what experiences you might find yourself in while studying. The book discusses internships and residencies, plus you can learn about how to find a specialty that interests you the most. The simple information in this guide will help you know what you’ll come across in school while finding some interesting concepts.
5. Complications
Experienced surgeon and MacArthur fellow Atul Gawande has discussed in many of his books that the medical industry is imperfect and there are many flaws involved, but the work involved is about finding ways to make it better. Medical students will appreciate how his books provide details on how to manage technology and treatment strategies well.
Complications is one book from Gawande that covers how technology and advances in medical technology often make work harder. But he also discusses in this book how unique principles can help medical students and professionals manage their work well. This book can help students feel confident in their studies, as they will start to understand how well different ideas can evolve.
6. Undergrad Research Programs
You might find various undergrad research programs you can attend when getting ready for medical school. These programs let you participate in hands-on research while understanding the steps necessary to complete these projects. You can use the technical knowledge you explore in a program to help you prepare and do more with your studies in medical school.
7. Volunteer Activities
There are many inviting volunteer activities for med students to explore before getting ready to study. Students can participate in various non-clinical activities, like working on community cleanup projects, caring for children or pets, or building new accessibility structures. There are likely many volunteer opportunities for you to enjoy in your area, so look to see what’s open.
This measure is useful for how it can help you understand how essential it is for you to help others. When you see how you can make a positive impact on society, you’ll feel more motivated to study in med school. You’ll know that you’re making a difference for everyone when you work hard.
8. Foreign Language Courses
Foreign language courses can help you learn to be more social, as you can improve how well you talk with other people. If you live in an area where many people speak Spanish, you can learn how to speak Spanish, for example. This strategy helps you prepare for the many experiences you might come across when serving others.
You can also study languages that relate to the medical industry as well. Latin is one subject that many students review, as various medical terms and concepts have words with Latin origins. You might understand certain ideas if you know more about what these words mean.
9. School Advisor Support
Many medical schools have advisors that can assist you with your studies. You can learn from an advisor about what opportunities are available for you at a school, plus you can plan a course schedule or platform for whatever fits your interests the most. You might find when talking with an advisor that there’s one field that interests you the most.
Advisors understand that every med school student is different and will have unique feelings and interests about certain topics. Your advisor’s guidance can help you prepare and learn more about what you can do for success in medical school.
10. Social Media
You can also use social media to interact with other students getting ready for medical school. You’ll have more luck finding people on LinkedIn, as this platform is for professionals like those in the medical industry. Reddit is also a valuable space, as it offers many subreddits where people can talk about specific subjects or industries.
Students often talk with each other on social media because they want to be with others who share their interests or concerns. They want to receive support from others, as they know how challenging the medical school world can be. Be sure when finding social media sites that you go to the right places where you might find support from those in a similar situation.
Do you know of any other resources for preparing for medical school that can work for you? Let us know in the comments about additional resources and how they can help.
