Six Premed Buckets

Another great article from PreMedLife is about the six buckets of premed. By filling all of them, you become the perfect medical school applicant. 

1. ACADEMICS

You should have expected this one to be first. Your GPA and MCAT scores fall into this bucket and are often the basis of a school's first impression of you. Some schools screen applicants through GPA and MCAT alone! Most schools also look for upper level classes, a challenging major, and a well-rounded application.

2. RESEARCH

 Being involved in research demonstrates two things: critical thinking and problem solving. The research topic, while best if medically related, can be almost about anything.

3. COMMUNITY SERVICE

The bottom line of this bucket is helping other people. Think commitment and leadership. Be creative because this doesn't necessarily have to be in a medical setting either.

4. EXTRACURRICULARS

 This bucket entails anything outside of the classroom, which can be clubs, sports, arts, hobbies, etc. The sky is the limit. Creativity will get you far in this bucket as well.

5. CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

 This category must be in a medical setting, obviously. Clinical experience can be gained by shadowing, volunteering or working in a hospital, clinical research, and medical missions traveling. The important thing is to see diverse environments and get an idea of day to day life in each setting.

6. APPLICATION SKILLS

This bucket is somewhat of a catch-all and abstract. This bucket holds your creativity, writing skills, and interviewing skills. Look back over your life experiences and see how they form a unified story leading you to a medical career.