<p>Berkeley 2nd year undergrad here looking for some insights on how to make myself a better med school applicant.</p>
<p>My grades so far are doing relatively well (3.95) By next semester I will have taken all the science prereqs. I am currently on my 2nd semester of laboratory research working with amphibians (caecilians in particular) in the Intregative Biology department and I’m planning to continue until I graduate.</p>
<p>What else can I do to strengthen my app? volunteering at the school hospital? Studying abroad?</p>
<p>Also, I am somewhat concerned about my english preparation as I havent really taken a writing/composition course at Berkeley. All I have taken was one semester at a CC during the summer.</p>
<p>Clinical experience is fairly important. It shows them that you’re actually interested in being a doctor, not just hypothetically. It’s a big deal - you need to prove that you’re not applying just because you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy or because your parents want you to.</p>
<p>Any kind of standout features of your application would be great too - an interesting major, project, hobby, service trip - those sorts of things. Over on the undergrad boards, they refer to these sorts of things as “hooks”.</p>
<p>The verbal section on the MCAT matters quite a bit. Nobody seems to know how much the writing section matters. Still, all the reading you can possibly get your hands on will always help, especially if English isn’t your first language.</p>
<p>At this point? Study for the MCATs, figure out how the process works, and be thinking about letters of recommendation down the line.</p>