The height of the COVID-19 pandemic was a surreal, scary stretch of time in our world. It was filled with daily uncertainty and unbelievable loss, something we saw on our screens daily and that healthcare workers experienced in real time.

To help us through that loss and keep us safe were incredibly brave healthcare workers. It seems as though personal loss, as well as these inspiring news stories about healthcare teams overcoming absurd obstacles together, led to record numbers of individuals seeking jobs in healthcare and applying to medical school.

According to the AAMC, there were 62,443 applicants—the most applicants yet—to U.S.-based allopathic medical schools in 2021, the first application cycle after the height of the pandemic. If we compare this number to the number of applicants in previous years, the range was between 51,000 and 53,000 applicants.

That very memorable 2021–2022 application cycle was the year I started working with medical school and residency applicants. I was delighted to hear from the applicants who were accepted to schools, but I also worked with some stellar applicants who were rejected that cycle, due to the sheer number of applicants.

Interestingly, though, after 2021, application numbers decreased and have now come back down to that 51,000 and 53,000 range. If you’re interested in medicine as a high school student, this is good news: you probably won’t have to compete with 10,000 additional applicants.

Today’s Students Are Motivated by More Than Just a Pandemic

While COVID-19 was a powerful impetus for past applicants, for younger generations, including our current high school HSAFP members, the pandemic may or may not be the reason you want to be a physician. Maybe it’s been your natural response to that age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” since you were little because you love learning about science. Being a doctor has been your ultimate goal for forever now.

Or, maybe you were a patient and enjoyed seeing your physician lead the team. But, then again, you also want to plan for the future, which is why you want to work in healthcare. You want to pursue a path where you can learn something new every day and help care for the most vulnerable patients through their health journey.

There are a lot of varying, valid reasons to choose a path toward medicine as a high school student. Let’s explore some of the most popular motivations, based on my experiences, and how they connect to the rewarding and challenging career of a physician.

Core Competencies Help Clarify Why Medicine Appeals to Students

Whether it is a Gen Z or Gen Alpha student who wants to be a doctor or a medical school applicant for the upcoming cycle, aspiring physicians sometimes have a hard time explaining why they want to pursue medicine.

And while each applicant is unique, the AAMC Premed Competencies, which “evaluate applicants’ readiness” for most U.S. allopathic medical schools, includes skills that all future physicians and healthcare professionals need. In my experience, these competencies tend to align with, or even guide, the reasons why students want to pursue medicine.

Here’s a list of some of those competencies and how they connect to why students want to be physicians:

• Commitment to Learning and Growth: Physicians always have the opportunity—well, and they are required to—improve and expand their skills to effectively serve their patients and develop the medical field. Excited by learning? This is definitely one option for a future career for you.

   

• Empathy and Compassion: Many students are drawn to medicine because they want to care for others, especially through some of the most difficult times in someone’s life. Compassionate, open-minded physicians are so needed!

   

• Scientific Inquiry: All physicians, no matter their specialty, need to stay up-to-date on recent medical advancements and best practices, as this knowledge will help you create better treatment plans for patients. However, participating in novel research (for instance, see the 2024 NIH RECOVER-TLC Long COVID Clinical Trials) is another avenue many pre-med students take, which requires a love for science, attention to detail, resilience, and collaboration.

   

• Teamwork and Collaboration: Physicians are leaders in healthcare, but they must work effectively and efficiently with other healthcare team members. If you like to lead while also giving others a voice, then you might consider this field.
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Other Reasons Students Choose a Medical Pathway

There are, however, other reasons that exist outside of those pre-med competencies:

• Personal Experiences: A personal medical experience, an ill family member who was supported through a long recovery, or even a great pediatrician can inspire a student to want to be a doctor. These direct life experiences with physicians can show you what type of physician you want to be for your patients.

• Job Stability and Demand: Doctors are always needed, even with AI rapidly progressing. In addition, many areas of the U.S. and Canada have been historically and are continuing to experience physician shortages (see AAMC, 2024 and Li et al, 2023). Choosing a path to medicine should offer career security and financial stability.

   

• Career Variety: Currently, the AAMC lists over 200 specialties and subspecialties in medicine in the U.S. and are nearly 40 specialties in Canada (shoutout to our Canadian HSAFP Chapters!). Wow! What does this mean? Medicine is pretty flexible. You could work in family medicine, rheumatology, sports medicine. You could pursue an MD/PhD. You could choose osteopathic medicine (see the American Osteopathic Association). You have a lot of options, depending on your specific goals.

   

How HSAFP Can Help You Explore a Future in Medicine

If you’re a high school student curious about medicine and eager to explore what it really means to become a physician, consider joining the High School Alliance of Future Physicians (HSAFP).

Our curriculum—designed in collaboration with practicing doctors—builds on the AAMC Premed Competencies and essential skills you’ll need for your journey. Start a chapter or join Connect today and take the first step toward your future in medicine.