It’s never too late to become a doctor – although the earlier you start, the better your chances of making it. However, whatever stage of life you are at, if you want to get into medicine and become a doctor, you will have to go through medical school.

Places are at a premium, of course, but just because you aren’t young and an A-grade student doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities. To give your application the best chance of success, here are five things you can do to give it a boost.

Apply early

The earlier you apply for med school, the better chance you have of acceptance. A recent article in http://www.usnews.com/ revealed some interesting facts about late applicants. Even if you are a top performing student, you might miss out – so get your application in well before the last submission day.

Boost your grades

It’s worth seeing if you can improve your grades as much as possible. Although poor grades don’t slam the door to med school, it will be harder to push open. So, try doing an education refresher course – preferably in the sciences. You might even want to take on a diploma or a degree – just something to help you prove you can handle the workload.

Get experience

It’s vital that you have experience in the healthcare sector to ensure your application stands out. Think about volunteering for a charity or getting a job as a medical assistant at a local care home. There’s lots of good advice out there about how to break into the medical assistant field. For example, according to the folks at http://www.medicalassistantresources.com/, you may need some basic qualifications. Sure, it might extend your time in a learning environment, but you will get valuable experience that will look great on your application.

Brush up on your MCAT

Most medical schools in the US require you to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). It is a tough paper – especially if you have been out of education for a while. So, do everything you can to brush up on your knowledge and give yourself a chance of success. Plenty of websites offer example papers and practice exams, so try a few out and see how you get on.

Be active

Another thing that med schools look at is your extracurricular activities. Assessors need to know that you have the commitment, lots of healthy interests, and are active in your life outside of work. Try joining a local community group, or get involved with the local political scene. Anything that you can do that highlights your standing in the community will help your application.

Choose as many schools as possible

Everyone knows the best medical schools – and you should always apply to them. But, make sure you have a wide choice of schools and programs, too. Most applicants to the top spots will face rejection, and if they have no backup, that’s going to be it for another year.

Good luck with the application – let me know how you get on!

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.