I was recently considering attending a pre-matriculation program that a school was offering, however I have a big fear. The program starts almost as soon as I'm done with undergrad and lasts until 2 weeks before school starts. It will include some of the material that I will encounter during year 1 of med school. I do want to do well in med school however I was looking forward to relaxing and enjoying my last summer vacation. I also worry about burnout earlier than normal. Everyone's thoughts and advice would greatly be appreciated.

I was recently considering attending a pre-matriculation program that a school was offering, however I have a big fear. The program starts almost as soon as I'm done with undergrad and lasts until 2 weeks before school starts. It will include some of the material that I will encounter during year 1 of med school. I do want to do well in med school however I was looking forward to relaxing and enjoying my last summer vacation. I also worry about burnout earlier than normal. Everyone's thoughts and advice would greatly be appreciated.

Pre-matriculation programs give you a huge advantage during first year. You start off strong and this usually translates into higher class ranking, better USMLE Step I scores and more competitive for residency. If offered a chance at doing a Pre-Matric program, evaluate the program and its contents very carefully versus resting for the summer. Can you do well in medical school without attending a Pre-Matric program? Yes, but if you find yourself in trouble and you opted out of the Pre-Matric program, your summer rest may end up being costly. Medical school is a huge adjustment for most folks and pre-matric programs are very helpful with this adjustment in a more supportive atmosphere than during the regular session.

Burnout is not inevitable in medical school. If you are organized and diligent, you will be able to master your coursework and still have time for regular rest and relaxation. You also have the summer between first and second year that you can use for pure vacation if you desire. Most students do not use this summer for anything other than relaxation.

Again, think long and hard before you opt out of this program. At my school, the students who successfully completed the pre-matric program without exception, did very well first year and moved into second year with a solid foundation for excellence. Rest is good but think ahead to USMLE Step I and residency applications. My best "rest" started the day after Match Day when all I had to do was show up and pick up my diploma as there was nothing between me and graduation. I also had plenty of time to relax that summer before starting Surgical residency.

I was recently considering attending a pre-matriculation program that lasts until 2 weeks before school starts. I do want to do well in med school . I also worry about burnout earlier than normal.

If you apply yourself, you will do better in medical school, and you are less likely to burn out because you are better prepared and under less stress than you would have had. You'll have more time to recreate during the regular academic year, because you already understand some of the material and can skip studying it. I agree, you should strongly consider the program.

I was curious about prematriculation programs too. Did anyone do it at Wayne State and do you think it helped? It's only a week, so how much difference would it really make?