Dr. Ryan Gray, host of Medical School HQ Podcast, shares how to best prepare for and succeed in medical school:

* Initially wanted to become a physical therapist.

* Been a practicing physician in the Air Force for over 5 years.

* Created a website and podcast to give accurate information to students.

* Covers a range of topics on the path to becoming a physician.

Where to Start On the Path to Medical School

“People need to experience what being a physician is like,” states Dr. Gray. Being a physician is not the same as being a patient.

Some steps Dr. Gray suggests are:

* Find a physician to shadow. Usually the best is your own physician.

* Be aware of the HIPPA law.

* You can take an online course for HIPPA training to protect yourself.

* As a high school student, you will want to build relationships with physicians.

* Spend as much time as you can doing as much as you can such as clinic hours, shadowing in the operating room, volunteering at a hospital, etc.

Make yourself available as much as possible. “The more you can get that exposure the better. An afternoon isn’t going to cut it,” notes Dr. Gray.

Deciding to Become a Physician

Once you know where you are at, figure out how to get to medical school. There is no way to look at a student now and decide they won’t be able to handle medical school.

“Pre-Med” is only a major at a handful of undergraduate schools. “It doesn’t really matter what you major in, there are a core set of classes that are required by most medical schools. Besides that, major in whatever you want to major in or whatever you will like,” Dr. Gray stresses.

Every medical school is a little bit different in what they require. Some typical pre-requisites of medical school are:

* English classes

* Basic Chemistry

* Basic Biology

* Physics

* Organic Chemistry

* Bio Chemistry

* MCAT exam

* This has changed for the first time in 20 years. They have added Psychology and Sociology.

These requirements might be changing and you should keep up to date of what is required. Extracurriculars, such as a pre-med club or leadership opportunities, are also heavily looked at in addition to volunteer hours shadowing physicians. Plan ahead and take courses to prepare for the MCAT which is usually taken at the end of the junior year of college.

Choosing an Undergraduate or Medical School

Dr. Gray emphasizes, “There isn’t one undergraduate institution that you need to send your kid to. You don’t need to go to a great school; you need to go to a school that will make you great.” Look at all the other factors at a school that will be important, such as sports or location, and choose that way.

The acceptance rate for medical school is 44%. That includes people without extracurricular activities or who have very low test scores/GPA. Without those people, the acceptance rate jumps up to about 60%. “The admissions process is brutal, so you should be very prepared. It is an open book test,” says Dr. Gray. Some things that are common for applications are:

* Personal statement

* Transcripts

* Extracurricular activities

* Letters of recommendation

Submit your application within the first month that it becomes available. It can cost several thousand dollars to go through the interview and application process.

Paying for Medical School

Majority of students use loans to go through medical school. 80-90% of students will graduate with upwards of $200,000 in loans. The stages of medical school are usually:

* 4 years of undergraduate study

* 4 years of medical school

* 3-7 years of residency

* 1-3 years of fellowship