The medical profession is considered one of the noblest professions worldwide but many students do not know how to prepare for medical school. Medical schools are not only limited to theoretical or bookish knowledge; they provide clinical exposure and practical demonstration to prepare upcoming doctors and healthcare professionals in the best possible way. However, students must be prepared and ready for the rigour or medical education. It is the responsibility of medical schools to admit students who have appropriate preparation and expectations for this profession.
Following are some of the ways through which medical schools can ensure that the students are better prepared for medical studies:
Improve Admissions Evaluations
Undoubtedly, the students who want to pursue medical education are bright and have a sound academic records. But still, there should be appropriate exams to evaluate the students and help them prepare for medical school. Exams should be based on the medical and scientific syllabus foundational to medical education. The question scenarios should be conceptual rather than test rote textbook memorization. This will evaluate the thinking and problem-solving capability of students.
Reward Previous Experience in Healthcare Professions
Students should have exposure to the types of books and knowledge they would have to study in the upcoming years. Everyone knows that the job of doctors and healthcare professionals is quite challenging. It consists of long duty hours and a heavy patient burden. Students should be taken to hospitals and clinics and encouraged to interact with doctors. This will allow them to have deep knowledge and understanding of this profession, and they can make better career decisions.
Select for Important Personal Qualities
To succeed in medical school, hard work and patience are the ultimate qualities that students must have. Medical schools should ensure that the students have the virtues of compassion, kindness, respect, altruism, and accountability. These students will be dealing with the life and death situation of many patients in future, so they must also have the nerves and confidence to deal with such challenging conditions.
Provide Career Counselling
The students should receive proper counselling sessions before opting for medical school and over the course of their medical careers. Students should be provided with appropriate career options including those in other healthcare professions, such as nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacological study, psychiatry and veterinary medicine. This will give the students a chance to explore different career options too.
Improve Clarity on How to Prepare for Medical School
Medical schools must evaluate the students thoroughly through appropriate examination and interview sessions. They should reward students with relevant experience who demonstrate the important personal qualities needed for the medical profession. If the admission criteria are clearly and effectively implemented, then students will better understand how to prepare for medical school.
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This article was written by Dr. Talha Malik, an MBBS student in Pakistan.
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