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How to Build a Strong Pre-Med Profile in High School

8 min readJul 5, 2026

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If you’re a high school student that’s interested in the pre-med pathway, you probably already recognize that building a strong and organized pre-med profile for colleges will help admissions officers see your commitment towards the field. A strong pre-med profile usually revolves around these 3 main topics: maintaining a high GPA and choosing rigorous classes, developing good study habits and soft skills (like communication, critical thinking, etc.), and participating in pre-med-focused extracurriculars (like research, volunteering, clinical shadowing, etc.). In this article, I’ll break down all of these core foundations in-depth and explain how you can build a standout pre-med profile while in highschool.

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Photo by Polina Tankilevitch: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-doctor-holding-a-stethoscope-5234504/

1. Master the Academic Foundation

Medicine is one of the most academically demanding and challenging careers, and colleges want to see if you can handle it. Exceeding under pressure proves that you can manage difficult coursework.

Optimizing your Science and Math Courses

Though it’s important to choose classes that you belive you’ll excel in, challenging yourself is also crucial, and maximizing your science and math classes are the best way to demonstrate your academic rigor. Prioritize AP, IB, or Honors courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, and Calculus (if you’re interested, I have a quick article on Tips & Tricks for AP Calculus: https://medium.com/@medmindset/tips-tricks-for-ap-calculus-6fe04749e312?sharedUserId=medmindset), but also understand that the foundational courses are important. For instance, it may not be a good idea to jump from advanced biology in your freshman year to AP Biology and AP Chem in your sophomore year. Advanced to AP Bio is a reasonable shift, but taking AP Chem immediately just to get it over with or skip advanced chemistry may not be the right choice, especially since advanced courses usually lay the foundation and give you more time in the areas you struggle with. Additionally, know how crucial AP Stats and Calc is, considering that biostatistics and data analysis are becoming increasingly more important in modern research and medicine. So take high-level math and science courses, but understand that taking the foundational and less advanced versions of those same classes beforehand will be of great benefit.

Protect Your GPA

I know we’ve all heard of the miraculous college admissions where a student has a low GPA but increadibly impressive extracurriculars, and somehow gets into a top university. My advice would be: don’t resort to that method unless you’re too late and don’t have a choice anymore, because honestly, while passion projects and extracurriculars matter, most cannot replace a strong academic record. Also note that it’s better to get an A in an advanced class than a C in an AP class, though aiming for top grades in is the goal, regardless of what difficulty of a class you choose. My recommendation regarding a specific GPA is aiming for a 3.5 or higher (aim for as high as you can go), which would consist of getting mostly A’s and B’s.

2. Develop Good Study Habits and Soft Skills

If you’re a sophomore, junior, or senior in highschool, you most likely understand that the coursework and responsibilities become even greater as you progress through school, so developing good study habits and soft skills now will help you greatly when you move on to college and/or whatever type of higher education you choose after that (med school, PA school, dental school, nursing school, etc. — I’ll cover all this in a later section).

Study Habits

I’ve already covered study habits in-depth in various of my other articles, so if you’re interested in learning about efficient study habits or techniques/organizational methods for school, please refer to these articles:

Soft Skills

Soft skills are traits or habits that show how you work, interact, and get along with the people around you. These skills include communication, teamwork, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, time management, adaptability, etc. Most people include their top soft skills on their resume, and bosses look for them while hiring. They also help make teamwork efficient and help you build trust with your peers. Building these abilities requires you to reflect on your daily interactions, identify the areas you need to work on the most, and practice actively. For instance, daily conversation is a good way to practice active listening, communication, and interpersonal skills (empathy, teamwork, conflict resolution, etc.). Taking initiative and asking for feedback also allows you to enhance these areas and work on yourself.

3. Engage in Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars help you explore your interests, strengthen college/job applications, improve critical life skills, and make friends. They display your interest towards a certain career or field and help you gain real-world experience. Here is a list of some common ones that you can personalize/expand upon to make them more interesting for you:

Research

There’s many ways to do this, and it adds immense value to your profile because medicine is constantly evolving due to research. Conducting research is an essential skill that empowers individuals to explore topics deeply, develop critical thinking skills, and contribute insight into their field of interest. This process not only enhances your knowledge but also builds confidence in your ability to analyze, synthesize, and present information effectively. Here are some ways to get started:

  • Look for Summer Research Programs: Many universities host summer research programs for high school students.
  • Cold-Email Local Professors: Look at the faculty directories of nearby universities/medical schools, find professors doing research that interests you, read some of their work, and send a polite email asking if they need a high school assistant to help with basic lab tasks, data entry, etc.
  • Independent Research: I have an entire article on this (you can read it here: https://medium.com/@medmindset/how-to-conduct-independent-research-cab0f0505c51?sharedUserId=medmindset), but to summarize, independent research is a type of project where you investigate a specific question or topic, analyze data or texts, and create a final product like a paper or poster, which you can then publish or submit to science fairs and competitions.
  • Science Fairs and Competitions: Participate in competitions like the Regeneron Science Talent Search or local ISEF-affiliated science fairs.

Job Shadowing

Job shadowing essencially offers a realistic look at a physician’s daily life and helps confirm your passion for healthcare before spending an enormous amount of money on college and schooling beyond that. It helps you understand clinical settings: the fast pace of healthcare, the administrative tasks, and long work hours. There are websites online where you can earn certified shadowing hours (like MedSchoolCoach Virtual Shadowing); however, if you’re going to shadow doctors online, know that it’s still crucial to shadow doctors in person. In fact, it’s more beneficial to shadow in person and get real hands-on context. To shadow a physician, most students use their own personal network, such as their family doctor/dentist/pediatrician, or a parent’s friend/relative. Additionally, contacting private family practices or smaller, specialized, local clinics are often more flexible with minor shadows compared to large hospital networks. You can also contact the HR department or whichever department interests you. Some schools also have programs to connect students with shadowing opportunities, so let your counselor know you’re looking for a shadowing program. During this process, be sure to keep a journal of your experiences (keeping patient names strictly anonymous) to look back on when writing college application essays.

Volunteering

Many hospitals have junior volunteer programs for high school students. Whether you are helping at the front desk, guiding patients, or stocking supplies, just being in a healthcare environment counts. Non-Medical Volunteering Matters: Working at a local food bank, tutoring underprivileged kids, or volunteering at a senior living community shows that you care about your community.

Getting Certified

If you are old enough, consider taking a summer course to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or a Phlebotomist. Having hands-on patient care experience as a teenager is an incredible achievement and sets your application apart compared to others.

Leadership Opportunities and Clubs

Colleges focus on leadership roles to identify applicants who will make a positive impact to their campus, succeed in school and outside of it, and become future leaders in their industry. Leadership roles also indicate teamwork, responsibility, maturity, time management, and initiative, which are highly valued traits that go beyond grades. Some examples of leadership roles are being a club officer, team captain, or participating in student government. Additionally, you can also create leadership roles for yourself and your peers by developing a new club in your school. This allows you to be the founder and president of your own club, while providing other officer roles for your peers, such as vice president, secretary, communications officer, design lead, etc.

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If you want to create a club in your school, here are some examples:

I highly recommend that you participate in clubs or sports to get involved in leadership; however, if your high school doesn’t offer these, there are still other ways to display leadership. For example, you can become a peer mentor, organize group projects, volunteer to lead initiatives, and assist in event planning. You can also become an ambassador of other various initiatives; one popular choice is The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) High School Ambassador program.

Create a Passion Project

A passion project is an independent initiative you develop to showcase your creativity, leadership, and drive. It is something you start and run yourself out of curiosity or to aid your community.

Examples of Pre-Med Passion Projects:

  • Starting a “HOSA” (Health Occupations Students of America) chapter at your high school if one doesn’t exist.
  • Launching a podcast or blog where you interview local healthcare professionals about health literacy.
  • Organizing a community health fair or a blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross.
  • Creating a nonprofit that raises funds for specialized medical equipment for a local children’s hospital.
  • Developing a peer-tutoring program
  • Organizing a community event
  • Developing a mobile app
  • Creating a website or blog
  • Starting a podcast
  • Starting a band
  • Creating a YouTube Channel or business
  • Organizing a local science fair or math league
High School
High School Life
Pre Med
Pre Med Student
Medical Student

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Sirini Sreeram
Sirini Sreeram

Written by Sirini Sreeram

5 followers
7 following

Writer, student researcher, and future physician exploring how medicine, learning, and personal development connect to shape a mindset for purposeful learning.

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