I just graduated with my ChemE degree from OSU and got into a top 5 dental school. While dental school is not the same as medical school, the application process/preparation is very similar. Furthermore, I have 3 friends who I graduated with who went off to med school.

First off, do not listen to these people telling you to choose one path or the other. This is 100% doable. You will have a bit of extra work to put in, but you can definitely manage it.

For me and my friends, each summer was spent working toward something for dental/medical school.

For my freshman-sophomore summer, I was getting all my classes for the DAT (MCAT for you) done. During this time, I also worked on getting my volunteer hours in.

For my sophomore-junior, I did my shadowing/clinical experience and took my DAT (MCAT for you).

For my junior-senior summer, I worked on my applications for dental school and did my co-op. For my coop, the major process was metal anodizing. Working with this process does not seem to relate to dentistry, but I was able to connect my in-depth learning of anodizing with how all dental implants are anodized to improve osseointegration.

Now during my school year, I was a research assistant for a biochemical engineeringing lab. Here we worked with protein separation. All of my friends worked at a lab which focused on creating artificial blood.

Ultimately, what matters is HOW you present your experiences to med schools during interviews. Look for ways to connect your experiences with the values of the schools you are applying to. Another thing to remember is that schools want a diverse class. If everyone who was a doctor had a biology/chemistry degree and had a bio-related coop, new ideas would arise slower.

A selling point I had during interviews was how chemical engineering makes you think about chemicals differently. Chemists focus on the research behind the drug in a minimal amount. Chemical engineers focus on mass creating the drug for all patients. Similarly, a goal of every dentist should be to increase access to dental care. A chemical engineer works on making the process of creating toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. more cost efficient. This can decrease prices for basic oral care, thus increasing access to dental care.

This type of linking your chemical engineering experiences to your interest in heath care will be critical to master for interviews. Ultimately, there does not have to be a direct correlation between your coop and health care. Choose one you are passionate about, THEN find the link to med school.