How should I prepare for pre-med advising in high school or college?

Prepare for pre-med advising by showing up with a clear snapshot of where you are and 2 to 4 specific questions about where to go next. The most useful meetings happen when you bring your transcript or current courses, a rough four-year plan if you are in college, and a short list of experiences you already have or want to pursue, such as clinical exposure, research, service, or shadowing. If you are still in high school, it also helps to know which classes you expect to take senior year and what kinds of colleges or pre-health programs interest you.

Before the meeting, write down your GPA, science and math courses completed, AP or IB classes if relevant, test scores if you want advice on college planning, and your main activities. For college students, include which med school prerequisites you have finished or still need, such as biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, math, psychology, and English, depending on the schools you may target. Advising gets much better when the advisor can quickly see both your academics and your current commitments.

Go in with concrete questions instead of asking something broad like how to be pre-med. Better questions are: Am I sequencing my science courses well, when should I look for shadowing or volunteering, how much clinical experience is realistic this year, should I add research, and what should I prioritize if my schedule is already heavy? If you are in high school, ask how to choose colleges with strong pre-health support, committee letters, hospital access, and advising that starts early.

It also helps to think honestly about constraints. Tell the advisor about time limits, work, family responsibilities, finances, transportation, or if you are worried about your grades in science. That usually leads to more practical advice than pretending you can do everything at once.