<p>Just got my first report card in highschool.
3.48 GPA
90% Average</p>
<p>I want to major in med when I get older. I’m already looking into colleges (I know it’s easily but I can’t wait). I heard Duke has a good med program and am now very interested in it. From what I’ve been reading My grades arn’t good enough for Duke yet but I plan to raise them. What I wanted to know is want kind of ECA’s in the medical feild I could do that would look good for Duke. I really don’t know where to start or what to do.</p>
<p>You can’t major in “med” and quite frankly I don’t think Duke cares what activities you do in relation to the medical field because you won’t be applying for a medical program after high school, you’ll be applying for an undergraduate program. Lots of kids say they’re going to be premed, but Duke takes that with a grain of salt because half the people that think they’re premed end up deciding against it by the time they get to medical school application time.</p>
<p>So, my advice to you is just do what you’re passionate about. If that happens to be in the medical field, like volunteering at a hospital, go for it, but don’t do things like that just because you think they’ll look good. Colleges can see through that. Asking a bunch of strangers what you should do isn’t going to work. You need to think about your own passions. Do you like sports? Join a team. Do you like to argue? Join the debate team. Do you like math? Do math competitions.</p>
<p>Here are a couple things to think about though:
Dedication: once you choose an activity, commit to it; don’t try to join a billion different clubs, just choose the ones you really care about
Leadership: try to eventually attain leadership positions in the activities you choose to join, as that shows another level of dedication</p>
<p>My advice is to get your grades up and wait. Take the most rigorous courses available. If you really like Duke, you might want to visit, but honestly, I think it’s a bit early. DO NOT pick a school based on its pre-med reputation, but try to find a school that fits you. After all, pre-med isn’t a major. Most of the top schools have great med school placement (80% or more accepted), so don’t limit yourself to Duke. Similarly, find ecs that interest you (not necessarily in the medical field). I can’t say for sure, but I imagine Duke adcoms get bored of seeing lots of pre-meds volunteering at hospitals, etc.</p>