Is being a medical assistant an advantage for med school?

Aside from a good GPA and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score, working as a medical assistant can help you stand out when applying to med school. Medical schools are extremely competitive but getting involved in an area of medicine can help make you a strong medical school candidate.

Gaining extensive exposure to clinical medicine as a medical assistant gives you an advantage in your medical school application. Medical school admissions committees want you to participate in clinical work not primarily to learn medical science but to work alongside physicians and learn more about the profession before you commit yourself to the long learning journey to becoming a doctor. Medical schools want you to have realistic expectations before deciding to pursue a career in medicine.

Not only is there an increasing demand for medical research assistants but doing some research as a medical assistant is also a great addition to your medical school application. Doing any kind of clinical, laboratory, or social science research cultivates curiosity and shows you are engaged in higher-level activities such as data analysis and literature review.

For more information about Medical Assistants, check out this article: Types of Medical Assistants: Career Info by Specialization