Pre-Med Preparation

Four pre-med students posing for the photo

What can you get out of SK's pre-med prep?

With our pre-med advising program, you'll have access to advisors who have successfully navigated the pre-med journey themselves. Our pre-med advisors are dedicated to helping students excel in their prerequisite courses, gain meaningful clinical experience, and navigate the numerous possible paths to medical school.

We also pride ourselves on building comprehensive resources tailored to the needs of pre-med students. From materials demystifying accelerated BS/MD tracks to identifying valuable volunteer opportunities, our advising goes beyond the basics to provide practical hacks and insider tips.

Pre-Med Advising Team

Our personalized advising sessions offer tailored, one-on-one guidance from experienced advisors who have successfully navigated the pre-med process themselves. With firsthand experience at top universities like Harvard and Emory, our advisors are well-equipped to provide insights and strategies that are relevant to today’s competitive pre-med environment. Whether you need help selecting and scheduling prerequisite courses, finding medical volunteer opportunities, or planning your extracurricular activities, our advisors will work with you to create a customized plan that aligns with your pre-med goals.

Sammy Guerrero

Pre-Med Advisor

Sammy Guerrero was a pre-med student at Harvard College concentrating in Biology and Government. He has experience taking traditional college level pre-med courses in chemistry, biology, physics, and math that are required for admittance into medical schools in the United States.

In high school and in college, Sammy gained experience working in clinical, research, and academic settings focused on studying the hard sciences. From serving as an editor at his high school science magazine to working alongside medical professionals at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Sammy has firsthand experience learning what the medical community looks for in aspiring students. He is eager to work with students who are seeking to gain advice and information on how to become more deeply involved in the medical field.

Sammy graduated in 2024 from Harvard College magna cum laude with high honors in Biology.

Anu Villapakkam

Pre-Med Advisor

Anu has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Tufts Medical School and obtained her post-doctoral training degree from Stanford University and worked there as a Research Associate. She has also worked on the Human Genome Project at MIT earlier after completing an M.A. in Biological Sciences from Smith College.

She has been in the educational field for many years and has a strong background in academic writing and presentations. She has trained to become an independent College Admissions Consultant by completing a college counseling certification at UCSD. With more than 7+ years of experience as a college admission essay coach Anu enjoys helping students write compelling essays showcasing their vulnerability, values, strengths, experiences, and perspectives. At Success Koach, she loves taking multiple roles, including counselor, brainstorming expert, essay coach, and mentor, helping students with their academic preparation and college applications.

Olisaneme Okonkwo

Pre-Med Advisor

Olisaneme is a graduate student at Rice Unviersity pursing a Masters in Bioengineering. He recently graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering and developed a minimally invasive medical device as his senior thesis. While at Harvard, Olisaneme was a Harvard Outing Club leader and board member, First-year outdoor program leader and an EMT, and a researcher at two engineering labs. Olisaneme is knowledgeable about research and the pre-med path.

Crafting a Pre-Med Academic Trajectory

The journey to medical school is a long one, and it starts with establishing a good STEM foundation in high school. We'll work with you to make sure that you're establishing a strong pre-med course selection. That means making sure that you're pursuing the mix of AP courses, community college classes, and broader academic success that you'll need to be well-prepared heading into the pre-med process.

To that end, we work with student mentors and with our tutoring team to ensure that students are not only getting relevant pre-med course advising, but also tutoring and executive function support to excel academically. The pre-med track doesn't operate in a vacuum; we integrate our pre-major advising with our other SK services to ensure that you're getting the support that you need.

Curious about these related services? Read more about:

Tutoring

Exec. Function

Get an AP Biology Jumpstart!

Students in our pre-med track often gravitate towards our extensive AP Biology suite, which provides unit-by-unit formula sheets, review videos, and study guides!

More about our AP Suites

Volunteering and Shadowing

Gaining hands-on experience in the medical field can prove incredibly valuable for aspiring pre-med students. Not only can it fulfill the formal shadowing hours required by many medical schools, but it also provides invaluable exposure to the day-to-day realities of a career in medicine. By seeking out volunteer and shadowing opportunities, students can better understand whether the pre-med path is right for them and explore which medical specialties they find most exciting.

Our pre-med advisors help SK students find these essential volunteering and shadowing opportunities, giving them a significant head start over their peers who may not begin seeking out such experiences until later in college. By connecting students with hospitals, clinics, and medical professionals, we ensure they gain meaningful, hands-on experiences that not only strengthen their medical school applications, but also deepen their understanding of—and passion for—the field of medicine.

BS/MD and other Pre-Med Navigation Resources

Reaching medical school involves understanding and choosing from numerous pre-med pathways, each of which has its own unique advantages. Our program ensures that students are well-informed about these options and can select the track that's best for them; we have particular expertise in BS/MD programs, which can be an attractive option for high school students who are already confident in their desire to pursue a medical career. Our advisors provide comprehensive guidance on the application process, requirements, and the benefits of these and other pre-med programs.

We also offer resources on how different undergraduate majors can impact your pre-med journey, what pre-med undergrad curricula tend to entail, and how to build the academic skills that you'll need to succeed in your path towards an MD.

Student performing scientific research with a microscope

Research and Extracurriculars

Research experience can be a critical distinguishing factor for STEM applicants—pre-med applicants in particular. Whether we're helping a student secure a lab position at Stanford or expand their horizons through a summer research program like COSMOS, we help students get that valuable research exposure.

Beyond research opportunities, we work to ensure that each student is engaged in extracurriculars that align with their pre-med ambitions. Our holistic approach ensures that students are not only developing the academic skills to pursue medical school, but also personally enriched so that they have the confidence and poise to navigate that journey.

Want a Taste of our Pre-Med Track?

You'll get the most out of one-on-one advising with our pre-med mentors, but in the meantime, check out some of our pre-med blog posts: