Advice for a future Pre-med

[Jessalinea]

Hey all

I am a current high school senior who is planning on one day joining the noble profession of medicine. As of now, I am going through options for undergraduate institutions and was wondering what you all think of a little idea I had.

I was considering attempting to complete my undergrad and go off to medical school in 2 years. I have tried to find posts on here about others wanting to do similar things (graduate in 3 years and go off to med school) and I have seen some of the things you had to say, such as a lack of enough intern/research work in a short time span, less competitive application, and overall missing out on the fun of undergrad.

However, I honestly HATE wasting time. It's my biggest pet peeve. Any class where I'm sitting doing nothing or wasting time in any way annoys me to no end. I don't want to waste time in undergrad. I want to get in, get my degree, and go to med school.

Additionally, (and I am really not trying to brag here at ALL- just stating some credentials to paint the whole picture), I am a reasonably smart student, managing a 4.5+ gpa( with IB diploma if anyone here recognizes the rigor of that on this forum- not many people know of IB)in high school along with near perfect test scores, EC's, etc. I also have a decent background in organic chemistry thanks to classes I have taken at community college, as well as in college physics, quantitative chem, and bio. When I've looked at sample MCAT questions, I've found most of them to be ones I can answer based on my current level of study.

The college I am considering going to has a joint medical school and is known to allow undergraduates to intern at the med school and favor them in the app process - which could be another plus for me.

Phew. That was a mouthful. Anyway, if you've read this much, I'd appreciate your respectful 2 cents. Is my plan at all feasible? I could really use some advice at this turning point in my life.

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[Dr.Jekyll75]

if you are that gun ho about med school there are some schools that do Bs/MD programs that you might want to look into . Also yes it is possible i have a friend who did the same thing . I would highly recommend you shadow first so you know this is without a doubt in your mind what you want to do.

 

[AvacadosAtLaw]

Is it possible, yes. Should you do it, hell no. You could maybe do 3 years but 2 seems like a terrible idea. You say you hate wasting time, but you won't be wasting time in undergrad if you put in the effort. You'll need those four years in undergrad to get in all the research and extracurriculars that med school expects. While you think now that you want to be a doctor, the majority of freshmen premed change their minds. You need to put in the time during college participating in clinical activities to figure out if you actually want to be a doctor. Also I don't think many med schools will look kindly on someone so young applying because they will doubt you have the maturity or experience to know for sure if medicine is right for you. If you see undergrad as just a stepping stone to getting to med school you are going to miss out on a lot. It's about the journey as much as the destination.


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[Jessalinea]

@Dr.Jekyll75

Thanks for your comment! I have indeed heard of the BS/MD programs, and the college I'm talking about right now (Howard) offers one, but I won't find out if I'm accepted to it or not until after I've already committed to the school. Still, since Howard seems to favor its undergraduates it may still be feasible to obtain admission to their medical school in 2 years. I have engaged in shadowing a bit throughout high school, and plan to continue doing so.

@AvacadosAtLaw

Hmm yea I'm not sure about the 2 years yet. I am still debating 3 years to leave room open for a Comp Sci/ or Mech E minor. However, the whole 2 year thing just seems like a golden opportunity.

 

[eteshoe]

I was a 3 yr UG (followed by a 4 yr gap). It's doable, but it will suck. I cannot imagine doing it in 2 yrs. I'll give you a list of things that I did that one shouldn't do if 3 yrs is their goal.

The don'ts (hindsight is a ***** sometimes):
Don't double major
Don't double major with an engineering degree
Don't be afraid/too stubborn/etc to ask for help (learned that the hard way)

The do's:
Do come into college with as many credits as humanly possible (I came in with ~50)
Do get involved with research first yr
Do shadow and volunteer ASAP
Do have a plan to succeed in every class so that you maintain a high GPA
Do understand that your life will suck for the next few yrs

I wouldn't recommend this route unless you don't mind the increased pressure. Ideally speaking if you aren't planning on taking a gap yr, then you will have a tougher time than I ever did. Just so you know, medicine is a long and arduous training path leading to a tough life-long journey - don't be in such a rush that you never get to enjoy life because delayed gratification can be quite a let down. Work hard and good luck!

 

[Just1voice]

What are reasons for pursuing medicine? Have you been exposed to the field? Do you have any shadowing, volunteering, or research experience? Do you get freaked out by weird stuff (trauma, blood, smells)?

Maybe take a peek at the school application threads were they post personal statement prompts - find Howard's and write it. Then pass it around to your peers and mentors. See what they think. See what you think.

Of course, writing a personal essay for medical school NOW would probably waste some time, but it'd give you some perspective.

 

[cyanide12345678]

Do a 7 year combined BS/MD program. With your credentials you have a real shot at getting in one of those. Those are some of the hardest programs to get into. For example, take a look at the Rice Baylor program. Rice itself is an amazing undergraduate institute. Rice has an agreement with Baylor College of medicine (which is a great medical school). A guarenteed admission into a top notch school is kind of nice. But honestly at the same time, you could probably go to undergrad at places like Harvard, yale, princeton etc...I mean...finishing college in 3 years isnt hard especially if you're coming in with a lot of IB credits.

 

[clippers50fan]

Hey all

I am a current high school senior who is planning on one day joining the noble profession of medicine. As of now, I am going through options for undergraduate institutions and was wondering what you all think of a little idea I had.

I was considering attempting to complete my undergrad and go off to medical school in 2 years. I have tried to find posts on here about others wanting to do similar things (graduate in 3 years and go off to med school) and I have seen some of the things you had to say, such as a lack of enough intern/research work in a short time span, less competitive application, and overall missing out on the fun of undergrad.

However, I honestly HATE wasting time. It's my biggest pet peeve. Any class where I'm sitting doing nothing or wasting time in any way annoys me to no end. I don't want to waste time in undergrad. I want to get in, get my degree, and go to med school.

Additionally, (and I am really not trying to brag here at ALL- just stating some credentials to paint the whole picture), I am a reasonably smart student, managing a 4.5+ gpa( with IB diploma if anyone here recognizes the rigor of that on this forum- not many people know of IB)in high school along with near perfect test scores, EC's, etc. I also have a decent background in organic chemistry thanks to classes I have taken at community college, as well as in college physics, quantitative chem, and bio. When I've looked at sample MCAT questions, I've found most of them to be ones I can answer based on my current level of study.

The college I am considering going to has a joint medical school and is known to allow undergraduates to intern at the med school and favor them in the app process - which could be another plus for me.

Phew. That was a mouthful. Anyway, if you've read this much, I'd appreciate your respectful 2 cents. Is my plan at all feasible? I could really use some advice at this turning point in my life.

The maturation in college is much more than simply your academics and extra-curriculars. Rushing through undergrad to get into medical school will leave you without a lot of what college is meant for-- the social and personal maturation as a person. You won't remember 99% of what you learn in udnergrad but you'll remember the friends, the parties, the late nights with your buddies, or just simply living. If you're really so smart to finish undergrad in 2 years and get into a medical school, spend 3-4, get a 4.0, get a high MCAT, get 3-4 years of solid ECs and LoR and get into a top 10 while also enjoying yourself. Doing undergrad in 2 years sounds miserable and when I look back at my experience, I don't remember a single time in the classroom unless I was with a friend, I remember everything surrounding academics.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Moving to hSDN

 

[Jessalinea]

@clippers50fan

The thing is, I'm kind of a goody two shoes to be honest. My parents would never let me party or go out that much even as a college kid(Howard is close enough to my home that I'd still be living at home). It's not something that's socially acceptable in my family, as conservative as that sounds. Also, I am not really concerned with name brand. Why bother trying to get into a top 10 med school when Howard is just fine? Doesn't make sense.

@cyanide12345678

Yes that is something I tried to get into, unfortunately, I was rejected from the schools I applied to for that program :/ it's become exceedingly competitive to get a spot in those programs, sadly. I also only applied to 2-3 since I wanted to stay close to home, but maybe if I'd applied more widely I would have recieved better news. Ah well, no use crying over spilt milk. Living away from home is not something I want to do anyway so it's alright. Howard's 6- year is my best bet now.

@eteshoe

Thanks very much for your post! It was very helpful. I plan on entering undergrad with about 50 credits myself, through AP, IB, and CLEP. Do you think part of the reason you were miserable is because of the fact that you had to live on your own in college, and thus take on responsibilities that you didn't have in HS? I'm simply asking because I plan on living at home while in college, and was wondering if you think that would alleviate some of the hardship.

@Just1voice well honestly I've always wanted to be a doctor, which sounds terribly cliche, because it is. Anyway, my father is a practicing physician and I always found his job to be extremely interesting and exciting. This led me to take on shadowing and volunteer work at local hospitals, which continued to cement my interest in medicine. Again, terribly cliche, but when I've seen some patients suffering from serious illnesses , I have this tug in my gut and I just want to help them so much. It really speaks to me. I understand you probably find this cliche/ not a good enough reason, but it is for me.

 

[Just1voice]

@Jessalinea It sounds like you know what you want to do and your mind is made up, for which I say, more power to you. Go gunner and prosper.

 

[eteshoe]

@Jessalinea

Sure part of being on my own could have played into the struggles at first but I adapted quickly so after a few months I was fine. The journey wasn't all miserable but inevitably you will have a few semesters where you have an unavoidable tough course sequence and it took some time for me to accept that a 4.0 wasn't always going to happen (at least in my case) each quarter but I could still have a competitive GPA. Other times it really came down to me questioning why I double majored. But I learned a lot and you seem to have a better plan than when I went to college (I just didn't plan out some of my quarters carefully lol)

 

[Kurk]

I'm just a high school junior, but funny enough, I share your feelings about wasting time. That being said (and also being inexperienced) I'm gonna say go for the three year plan. I have to side with what other people have said thus far about the two year not being feasible for research, clinicals, etc.

 

[Law2Doc]

...
However, I honestly HATE wasting time. It's my biggest pet peeve. Any class where I'm sitting doing nothing or wasting time in any way annoys me to no end. I don't want to waste time in undergrad. I want to get in, get my degree, and go to med school..,

Med schools would read this paragraph as screaming a lack of maturity and suggest that such a person ought to get more, not less college under her belt. The light at the end of this tunnel is a train -- don't run toward it.

You need time in college not just for coursework, but also to do the shadowing, volunteering, research that will give you more perspective about being a doctor. And to peruse other options. Wanting to be a doctor based on a parent liking their job isn't really enough -- if anything you are far more shielded from the negatives and will have less perspective.

 

[Jessalinea]

@Law2Doc
Of course I will be volunteering and doing research. It's more about the quality of work I accomplish in my time in undergrad than the quantity, no?

Also, I really don't see how my parent being a doctor has shielded me. It's exposed me to the pros AND the cons, the hardships and the benefits. Because my dad is a doctor, I know just how hard doctors have to work, to the point that my dad can't even answer short phone calls during his job( and sometimes not even have time to eat lunch). I've heard all the ridiculous stories of drama between working doctors and surgeons, and the stories of difficult patients, as well as rewarding stories of real patient improvement and how amazing it is. I'm sorry, but I don't think I've been shielded from it at all.

@Just1voice

Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence!
@Kurk
So much wasted time in high school IMO. Lots of busy work.
I agree with you on the 3 years, but 4 definitely seems like overkill

 

[Law2Doc]

@Law2Doc
...It's more about the quality of work I accomplish in my time in undergrad than the quantity, no?
...

Sorry no. It's both. Look at the coursework more like the raw ingredients and college as the oven. You can throw the ingredients together fast and accurate but if you pull them out of the over before they are cooked and seasoned, you haven't really done what's necessary to get you where you need to be.

Being in a rush as a high school student is just a bad idea, not a positive. Do college the right way, have lots of experiences, come of age, and by the time you are really ready for med school, if you even still think it's the right path for you at that point, it will be a much better fit.

 

[peridotthecat]

There might be some people who could benefit from a super-accelerated timeline like the one you're describing, but they're among a very small minority. As others have said, college is about so much more than just getting pre-requisites--it's a time when you learn about social skills, responsibilities, time management, prioritization, etc. in a way that high school just can't prepare you for. Personally, I felt like my time in college was more about learning how to handle myself as a (semi-) independent adult human, how to understand my own priorities and patterns, and how to listen effectively and engage with other people than it was about fulfilling pre-reqs. College doesn't have to be--and shouldn't be--a hurdle you pass on the way to med school, it should be a way for you to develop the academic and personal qualities that you need to succeed in med school and as a doctor.