would that help on an application for the Medical School? does that count for "extra-curriculum activities" or should I do some volunteer hours at the local hospital? I have tons of hours interpreting for several hospitals and clinics in different situations (pregnancy, emergency room, dermatologyst, cancer patients) but they are all language interpretations so would that count?

Absolutely. The purpose of volunteer work is for you to be exposed to the realities of the medical world versus Hollywood's presentation of it. Nobody expects a person in a volunteer status to have any "hands-on" experience in direct patient care. Your experience will be considered favorably, as you actually provided a service.

Does anywhere know if you have to submit high school transcript for medical school applications? I'm trying to create a checklist for my younger sister.

No hs transcript or ACT/SAT score is required.

What kind of things do you think I could do to improve my chances of getting into medical school? Do you think I should join more clubs, do more medically related stuff (if you have any recommendations that would be great) that I could do to improve my chances into getting in med school? I am trying to be an EMT now, but I'm balancing that with a 25 hr/week job and another course so I'm thinking of dropping it because I can't handle it and I don't want to burnout before I take organic chemistry in the fall.

As far as my pertinent personal information…I am a sophomore at Quinnipiac University majoring in Biology. I have a GPA of a 3.74, and I work at a hospital (delivering food trays), and hopefully next year I'll be doing medical research at Maine Medical Center. I am in the pre-health club at my school too. Extracurricular activities include: playing jazz guitar (was all-state back in hs) and tennis (not good enough for team but won D1 intramurals!)

THANKS!!!!

Clubs don't matter, really, to medical schools. Medical school admissions aren't like college. The only ECs that matter are biomedical research and volunteering at medical facilities. Being an EMT would be an excellent way to demonstrate your commitment to the medical field and a way to show that you know what's involved and that you don't just have romantic ideas about being a physician.

If medical school is your goal you may have to move other things in your life around. Maybe reduce that 25 hr/week job to a 15 hr/week job (if you can afford it) so that you can complete your EMT training. Short of that, you can volunteer at a hospital, perhaps shadowing a physician (specialty doesn't matter) and trying to get into doing meaningful tasks. Medical research is an excellent way to get in; there will soon be a shortage of physician-scientists and they'll need to fill the gap. Doing research in college signals that you'd be open to doing medical research later. Also, look for summer programs that will allow you to shadow physicians or work in hospitals (or both) over the summer, possibly combining it with research. There are tons of biomedical summer research programs, and they usually provide you with room, board, and transportation AND pay you a nice stipend. Go to the National Science Foundation website or Google "biomedical undergraduate summer research" to start finding them.

Other than that

-DO as well as you possibly can in all your prereqs, particularly chemistry and biology
-Start studying for the MCAT early, and consult with your professors about the best time for you to take it
-Research your preferred medical schools early and look at the profile of the entering class. See if your pre-health club or any professors can get you in touch with alumni of your school who have gone on to med school

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The school is a business, until you are a student, business attire is suitable. Avoid flashy, go with good taste, and good luck, Med Tech is a great career.

I know two people who have been required to submit photographs with their applications, one for a job, one for a medical school. I suspect this is not legal. Can a LAWYER please confirm or deny this? Also, assume that in both cases, looks are theoretically unimportant; that is, the job was not modeling, acting, etc.

Check with EEOC for the current rules. Decades ago it was felt that asking for age, race, religious or ethnic background or gender was prima facia evidence of an intent to discriminate in employment. A photograph obviously is indicative of age, race, gender and sometimes religious or ethnic background.

While the law is complex, medical schools may still have the right to decide to admit students so as to have an entering class with a certain gender and racial mix. E.g. a medical school may want to have a male/female ratio close to 50/50; or have a minimum percentage of Native Americans, or Blacks. A photograph would be useful in deciding which category an applicant would be put in by an observer — which might be different from the category the applicant might claim.

Like volunteering, job shadowing, etc.

You need to be a well-rounded student.

1) You should have all the necessary science classes completed with excellence.
2) The Medical School Admissions Board really want someone who has a unique minor, so have a liberal arts or humanities background to help distinguish yourself from the crowd.
3) They want to know that you have experienced this medical lifestyle and STILL want to be a part of it, so volunteering at a hospital is great. Don't start your senior year because they know that you'll be doing it so that it "looks good". Start as soon as possible.
4) Talk to professors in your school who are active in their field and ask them if you could shadow them while they're working in the medical field. Or ask the doctor of your choice. Let them get to know you and they'll say yes.
5) Your GPA and MCAT scores are a big aspect of getting in, but they are not the ONLY aspects, so keep that in mind.
6) Apply for your school's research program and remember everything you did during your research. (They'll ask you about it during your interview.)