How to Get Into a Premed Program: The Complete Extracurricular Guide

Getting into a premed program (or a med-school-track undergraduate program) is less about a single perfect activity and more about a coherent story built over years. Here's how to build that story deliberately instead of scrambling for it senior year.

Early High School: Explore Broadly

In grades 9 and 10, cast a wide net. Try a science fair, a hospital volunteer program, a health-focused club, or a youth healthcare organization. You're not committing to anything yet — you're figuring out what parts of medicine actually interest you (research? patient care? public health? policy?).

Mid High School: Go Deeper, Not Wider

By grade 11, narrow down to two or three activities you actually care about and go deeper. This is when you should be pursuing real responsibility: a leadership role in a club, a sustained volunteer commitment, an independent research project, or a structured mentorship program.

Build a Portfolio, Not Just a Resume

Admissions readers respond to specifics. Instead of listing "Volunteer, 50 hours," aim to be able to describe a project you led, a problem you solved, or a skill you built. Verified hours and documented outcomes (a published article, a completed project, a certificate) carry more weight than an unverifiable line item.

Get Mentorship Early

One of the biggest gaps for premed students, especially those without a doctor in the family, is access to people who've actually been through the process. Structured mentorship — from medical students, researchers, or healthcare professionals — accelerates everything: you make fewer wasted moves and get letters of recommendation that actually say something specific about you.

Track Everything

Keep a running log of hours, projects, and reflections starting now. When application season arrives, you'll be organizing existing material instead of trying to reconstruct three years of activity from memory.

Where Dr. Interested Fits In

Dr. Interested is a youth-led healthcare education nonprofit, and everything above is easier with the right team behind you. As a member, you get real, verified extracurricular credit for the work you're already trying to do:

• Experience working with an international organization that strengthens your resume
• Letters of recommendation from medical students
• Verified volunteer hours you can list on any application
• Access to microgrants and travel grants to fund your own projects and ideas
• 100+ virtual workshops and in-person events every year with mentors and civic leaders
• A National Service Recognition Certificate after 120 hours, signed by a federal Minister

If any of this sounds like what you've been looking for, apply to join Dr. Interested or so you don't miss upcoming programs, grant cycles, and events.