Which Extracurriculars Actually Matter for Admission to College Pre-Med Programs?

Students planning to become physicians know that the path to medical school begins long before they don a white coat. As undergrads, pre-med students must fulfill certain prerequisites for medical school, including coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. Beyond academics, medical schools also look for clinical experience, research, leadership, and meaningful service.

Given how demanding this journey is, it’s essential for high school students to spend time in a practical setting before committing years of their lives to medical school preparation. Along with prioritizing a rigorous math and science curriculum, aspiring pre-med students should also engage in extracurricular opportunities that offer clinical exposure, skills training, academic exploration, and access to current medical professionals who serve as teachers and mentors. Let’s dive into how you can prepare.

DURING HIGH SCHOOL, HOW CAN I SET MYSELF UP FOR SUCCESS DURING THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS?

While maintaining a strong academic record, particularly in math and science, is most important, your extracurricular involvement can help signal your seriousness about a premed path. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to sign up for anything and everything healthcare-related! Instead, you should aim for deep involvement—or involvement that showcases long-term commitment, growth, and impact—in 2-4 activities total, including 1-2 pursuits directly related to your interests in medicine.

Ideally, these healthcare-related pursuits will:

1. Provide clinical exposure (most important!).
2. Expose you to research.
3. Help you build necessary soft skills, like empathy, leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability.
4. Teach you how to collaborate and communicate with others.

WONDERING WHERE TO BEGIN? WE RECOMMEND CHOOSING SEVERAL ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE FOLLOWING TIERS:

1st Tier: Competitive activities that result in a tangible award, publication, conference presentation, public accolade, or other special distinction in your area(s) of interest. Attempt to engage in at least one 1st tier activity if possible.

2nd Tier: Activities that allow you to earn college credit, demonstrate mastery of relevant skills, acquire research or relevant clinical experience, and/or assume a leadership role or significant responsibilities over tasks that are directly related to your areas of interest.

3rd Tier: Activities that ultimately do not result in an award or leadership position, but that still allow you to accrue knowledge, skills, and/or experiences that have some connection to the field(s) you are considering. Though not as impactful as first or second-tier activities, these pursuits can still yield admission-related benefits.

1ST TIER ACTIVITIES:

• Compete in regional, national, or international STEM or healthcare-focused competitions, such as: HOSA or USABO.
• Reach out to STEM professors at any local two-year or four-year institutions to inquire about opportunities to assist with healthcare or STEM-related research.

2ND TIER ACTIVITIES:

• Join a well-established club at your high school, such as HOSA, Red Cross Club, Science Olympiad, or National Science Bowl, Medical Explorers, Global Medical Brigades, Anatomy Club, Biology Club, or Neuroscience Club, with intentions to pursue a leadership role over time.
• Enroll in a college-level course in a STEM-related subject. If you opt to take a course, keep in mind that the prestige of the college matters far less than the course’s alignment with your academic interests. Therefore, don’t hesitate to prioritize course offerings that are affordable and convenient. Institutions offering college-level courses to high school students include:Purdue University or Tufts Pre-College.
• Pursue your EMT license. Volunteer with a doctor’s office, clinic, rehabilitation center, assisted living facility, hospice care center, or local hospital.
• Participate in a competitive, research-based, pre-med-related internship or summer program that culminates in college credit or a paper and/or project that can be submitted for publication or conference presentation, such as: COSMOS or Garcia Scholars.

3RD TIER ACTIVITIES:

• Join one of the above or similarly focused pre-med-related clubs, regardless of whether you plan to pursue a leadership role.
• Pursue a shadowing opportunity at a doctor’s office or your local hospital. At a minimum, aim for the equivalent of a full-time week.
• Volunteer with a nonprofit organization focused on mental health, public health, or global health.
• Pursue a job or volunteer position that enables you to provide support to others in a non-clinical setting, such as youth sports coaching, summer camp counseling, tutoring, etc.
• Participate in a reputable pre-med or STEM-focused summer program, such as: Camp BIOmed or Wake Forest Summer Immersion Program.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Successful pre-med applicants show early commitment by pairing strong science preparation with meaningful, hands-on exposure to healthcare. By engaging deeply in a small number of clinical, research, and service-oriented activities, students can better understand the realities of medicine while developing the empathy, resilience, and collaboration skills the profession demands. Admissions committees value sustained involvement and genuine exploration far more than a long list of loosely connected experiences.