Medical school question

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Is there anybody that is attending or applying to medical school? I have a question: Are you required to have some kind of work experience in order to enter medical school? I just had 3 interviews (2 at one hospital and 1 at a science lab) during the last 2 weeks and am waiting patiently for responses.

There are several individuals here that will be attending, or are already, attending medical school.

No...you do not need "work experience" to get into medical school. However, it is VERY COMPETITIVE and work experience in a
hospital or as an Emergency Medical Technician on an ambulance service will definitely look favorable on your medical school application. It shows you have a sincere interest in helping people in need.

Outstanding grades in rigorous college courses are your first priority, then any hospital or ambulance work experience and then,
it does help if you have any relatives or friends who are medical doctors. If you have no relatives as medical doctors, then get
to know the doctors at your local, community hospital through volunteer work in an Emergency Room or Radiology Department.

Also, any volunteer work in a facility with the elderly or children will look good on your medical school application...you need to
show that you can work with people from all walks of life.

Best of luck to you!

I have an excellent GPA and have been doing lots of community service, but I'm having big trouble finding and getting internships at science labs and hospitals.

I know next to nothing about the med school process, but I sort of remember people talking about it and saying that med schools like to see "maturity and experience", both to help while in med school as well as get residencies after.

However, everyone I know in the process basically says that for med school, it's GPA and MCATS that are _much_ more important than anything else.

How were your MCATs? The dean of admissions at Miller School of Medicine told me that they just put all their applications through numerical filters for GPA and MCAT, interview those that get through, and take the first 300 or so qualified applicants. It helps a lot to apply very early on- my cousin got 35R on the MCAT (which is comfortably above Harvard Med's average) and didn't get into ANY school she applied because she applied too late.

I'm halfway done with college and I'm planning to prepare for the MCAT in the fall.

Good luck then, and be sure to apply as early as you can. Where are you for college, BTW? Most places I've heard of make it relatively easy for undergrads to get involved in some kind of research.

I'm attending Northeastern University in Boston, MA and am searching for a Co-op/Internship for the Summer-Fall Period. But the searching has been easy so far and am getting extra help.

I second the apply early and often. In addition make sure that the school has ALL your grades. I had a organic chemistry lab that didn't show up on the primary application (submitted the application while taking the class) and was not admitted because of that. I'm still trying to work the situation but I was surprised that I wasn't asked about it at the interview (mind you that interview was more like a conversation that had nothing to do with medical school). If you have good MCAT (29-30 at least) and GPA you will be accepted somewhere

I worked for a year in the Red Cross prior to applying, plus about 3 days 'work experience' at a local GP. That was it really (unless you count working as a summer camp counseller). One thing that helped was getting a reference letter from my headmistress- she interviewed every student in our year in order to write them! If there are any teachers that you get along with, maybe ask for a letter from them?

[edit] sorry, I forgot it's different in America- you guys already have degrees, yeah?