Pathway Check for Harvard Med

Applying to College
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I am a freshman in highschool. I aspire to someday go to Harvard Medical School & highly sophisticated Pre-Med program at Stanford, Vanderbilt, or the Ivies. I was hoping for some insight on my current achievements and extracurriculars so I know what to improve on and what to add.

Here is my curriculum vitae:

GPA: 5.2625 (Where On Level = 5.0 Max, Advanced/Honors = 5.5 Max, AP/IB = 6.0)

Rank = 12 out of 422 total students in 9th

Current Classes:

Algebra 2 Advanced
Geometry Adv
Gifted & Talented Humanities (English 2 Adv)
AP Human Geography

Medical Terminology (On Level)
Computer Science 1 Advanced
Spanish 2 (On Level)
Biology Advanced

Honors:
Honorable Mention at Dallas Regional Science Fair in Biomed Science category
HOSA TX Area 3 Regional Qualifier

Extracurriculars:
Part of selective in-school Octathlon team
Active member in HOSA
Part of school UNICEF Club
Tutors peers in Algebra 2 outside of school

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First, there is no bad med school in the US and it’s incredibly hard to get into any of them. Getting into one med school is as hard as getting into Harvard undergrad.

So, first, you will need to do well academically and as a volunteer in HS, volunteering with people different from yourself. You will need to be very good at science and Spanish.
You should explore all medical-related possibilities- PA, nursing, physical therapy

Note that medical terminology is useless for future doctors - you will not encounter that for years and if learning this is so difficult you need to preview it forgrt med school.
When it comes to college, you’ll have to hunt for merit, look into Honors colleges at your instate public options. If you’re lower income, look into questbridge. Have many safeties,likelies and matches, just a few reaches.
In college, you will choose a major (preferably not Biology and definitely not Health science or “premed”) that you can be the best at, AND you will complete the premed pre-reqs. These pre-reqs are not medical in any way but a set of general classes in English, Social Science, Math, and Science; you’ll be taking Gen Biology with Bio majors and you’ll have to do better than 80% or them, you’ll take Gen Chem with chem majors and will have to do better than 80% of them, etc. (In addition, you’ll be expected to know a language other than English spoken by people in thr US.) And in addition still, you’ll need to find clinical experience serving people AND keep volunteering at various places (women’s shelter, homeless shelter, etc.)
And if you do all that and are in the top 20% of your college class your odds of getting into med school still are perhaps 1 in 2.

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You can do premed anywhere. Your in-state public universities would be just fine for this, and unless it would be cheaper for you to go to a top private college, would also be your best value. Any medical school, when the time comes, can be totally fine for you to achieve your goals; in fact, depending upon what type of medicine you want to practice, Harvard might not be the best med school for you.

Right now, you’re doing everything right. Take the toughest classes you can handle in your high school, and work hard and do well in them. Do whatever ECs you want, to the extent that you want. You mention no EC interest that, taken as far as it can go, would set you apart from the other applicants, so at this point, your best strategy is keeping your GPA as high as you can, with the highest rigor in classwork, and be able to have as your safety an automatic admit to UT Austin.

Take AP sciences (Chem, Bio, Physics, in that order, if possible) not only because it shows rigor, but because when you take them again in college, you’ll be better prepared for them, and have an easier time getting an A. If you can take AP Calc and AP Stats, AP Lang and AP Lit, and AP Spanish, that’s all the better.

If you can get EMT or CNA training, that would be great. Try to get a summer job working in a medical office, as soon as you’re old enough. Or working on an ambulance, if you can. Consider doing volunteering in a setting where you’d interact with patients or people who need help, like soup kitchens, hospitals, etc.

Think of a major that would give you a backup career plan in case you wind up not doing pre-med.

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At this point, your goal should be to do your best in high school so that you have great undergrad options. I will add, however, that you can apply to medical school after having completed the required courses for medical school applicants
from just about every four year college in this country
arts conservatories excluded.

If you apply to medical school during or just after completing your bachelors degree
the medical schools will be looking at what you did during college
.not high school.

THIS. Most medical school applicants apply to 20 or more medical schools and that often is a mix of MD and DO schools. 40% of those applying get accepted, and most to just one place. You go where you are accepted.

And if you do these things now, plan to continue them while you are in college
because JUST doing them in high school won’t matter when you apply to medical schools
who want to see current events
things you did in college. But yes
these will be important on your medical school applications.

If you graduate last in your class from some “lower ranking medical school” (whatever that means
), you will still be doctor.

You do NOT need to attend the medical schools you have listed to become a successful doctor.

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This is extremely important advice. Right now, you are what, 15 years old? A lot can change between now and college or end of college.

@WayOutWestMom can elaborate more on why you need to broaden your medical school thoughts.

Oh
and adding. The cost of those schools you mention will most definitely be over $100,000 a year by the time you apply 7 or so years from now. Medical school is funded via loans loans and more loans
and the bank of mom and dad.

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The best doctors tend to be the best humans.

It is way too early to even be thinking about which college, let alone which med school.

You should focus on YOU. Who are you. How can you be the best version of yourself. What needs are there in your community and how can you contribute. What are you interested in. What books do you love to read. Who is your family and how can you be a valuable member.

There are probably 20 careers out there you don’t even know about that you could love more than medicine. You want to be a doctor because you’ve seen doctors in your life, and you want to go to Harvard Med because you’ve heard of it. That’s because you’re in HS.

Slow down!

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If you want an example of what HMS looks for, see here:

Navy Seal
Astronaut
Silver Star Medal Awardee
Mathematics degree from USD

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I was going to write the same thing that @blossom wrote. You are very young. Your goals may change. Why do you want to be a doctor? There are many ways to be helpful in this world and you will discover them as you grow.

In college, you can major in anything (but cover prerequisites for med school during college or after in a post-bacc if affordable).

It is hard to focus so much on the future, and I hope you can enjoy high school.

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You are a freshman in HS and need to slow down. Take the next few years to study, go out with friends, get involved, develop relationships, etc. It is too early to discuss applying to Harvard medical school (or any medical school). FYI: you can get to medical school from almost every college in the country.

You are going to change a lot over the next 5-10 years. As for now, I would focus on finishing your freshman year and choosing classes for next year if you have not done so already. The summer is a nice time to get a job- which is looked at favorably by colleges.

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To give you an idea of what you’re facing: enter AAMC into a browser, click on Data & Reports, then click on FACTS, then current Facts Data, then click on 2023 Applicants and Matriculants, then click on PDF A-1. You’ll see most recent med school application cycle results.

As to Harvard: 7886 applicants, 163 matriculants
Stanford: 8837 applicants, 89 matriculants
Vanderbilt: 6537 applicants, 95 matriculants
etc, etc.

look at bottom of table: over 52000 applicants, an average of 18 applications per applicant. Of the applicants who applied, approx. 43% started. There are so many things that one has to do right to get even one acceptance anywhere. And although you seem to be building a good foundation for your goal, high school really doesn’t matter to med schools. College grades, ECs, PS, secondary essays, MCAT, interview, rec letters are what matters. You’re doing quite well now and are building good foundation for whatever future career pathway you end up on. Keep it up. Good luck.

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Also, out of all college frosh pre-meds, only a small percentage complete the pre-med course work, and only a subset of those apply to medical school.

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You are a freshman. Instead of worrying about college, worry about getting good grades, doing ECs that YOU love. Colleges don’t want someone doing something for college- they want someone that engages in activities they love. Volunteer work is awesome- but do it in a field you like. For example, if you like reading, maybe you could make a program for immigrant children teaching them to read. Enjoy being young, get good, grades, do activities you love and you will succeed.

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Thank you all for your replies

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