College coursework, and the extra-curricular activities you experience during these years, mold and shape who you are and how you interact with others in a variety of social contexts.  Your overall knowledge base will be significantly expanded as you’ll take courses in the natural sciences, applied sciences, formal sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.  Yes, you must balance out your coursework with social science and humanities classes.  As it turns out, Med School Admission committees love students who go beyond training in the pre-med prerequisities and excel in classes in the humanities.  You’ll also find that reading diverse content and writing papers for your philosophy, literature, or history courses will help you tremendously on the MCAT Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample sections.

The more you learn and the deeper the passion you have for knowing will quickly make you more aware of what you don’t know.  But that’s fine because the growth of your knowledge base, along with the breadth of rich experiences you’ll have in college, will make you more inquisitive and a better thinker.  Having questions, posing questions, seeking answers, formulating your own theories and solutions to problems, and sharing your ideas with others is what education is all about.  Being immersed in undergrad research is a great way to fine-tune your critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

With respect to extra-curricular activities and experiences, you should undoubtedly be involved.  You might want to participate in student government, join a pre-med club or honor society, or start your own group on campus or create an online user group.   Beyond the activities offered at your college, study abroad or volunteering on local, regional, national, or international levels will help you better fathom the human experience and relate to different cultures and social dynamics.  This kind of exposure builds your foundation for healthy doctor-patient relationships.

The take-home message for your College Pre-Med years is not that it’s all about your GPA and MCAT.   Sure, these components will weigh heavily into the Med School Admission process at first but when it comes down to writing your personal statement, secondary essays, and interviews it boils down to how you have matured as a person and the experiences you have had throughout your college years.  Med School Admission committees want students who have diversified backgrounds, interests, and skill sets – their objective is to enroll the applicants whose personal and career aspirations are congruent with societal healthcare needs.  They are doing their job by setting these criteria and establishing high standards for med school applicants.  You must do your job by fully committing to learning and serving others during your College Pre-Med years.  And, yes, you can still have fun, enjoy college, and have a social life when you’re pre-med but you must be a quick learner and highly efficient at studying.