A couple of nuggets of wisdom I have learned in UG, mostly the hard way:
1. Don't always trust advisers. I know that they have good intentions but sometimes they are just plain misinformed. I always found that the best advisers are your peers and older students.
2. Don't choose a major simply because you think you will be good at it; first of all because you might not enjoy it as much as you think you will, and secondly you may not be as good as it as you might think. I chose math because it had street appeal and I was very good at math in high school. Breezed through Calc2, Calc 3, Diff Eq, but then the first proof based class kicked me to the curb....passed by 1 point. I hated being a math major, I just heard early on (from a premed adviser) that math looks really good to medical schools. That's another thing I can't stress enough... ALL MAJORS ARE EQUAL! It is what you do with those majors that count... as long as you complete the prereqs and do well on the MCAT there is literally no difference between the majors. Do something you will have fun in. I actually switched majors halfway through my sophomore year to Neuropsych, and since then I haven't looked back.
3. On a follow-up note, make sure you take classes that will help with your MCAT. I don't know exactly how the 2015+ MCAT will work with its prereq requirements, but just know that there are concepts on the MCAT that can be supplemented with various classes like microbio (not generally a premed prereq, just a recommended class) genetics, etc.
4. Be social. I just spent 2.5 months isolated studying for my MCAT, and let me tell you, it was a nightmare. Time went by so slowly and I felt quite depressed.
5. Do EC's that you will love and learn from. There is no cookie-cutter way to get into medical school...everyone is different. Doing something unique to you that you love to do and having a passion for it goes a long way, in fact adcoms look for things like that, like me for example. I am in an acapella group and I have learned from it and loved it so much.
6. VOLUNTEER. And by volunteering I don't mean get the standard cookie-cutter hospital gig sending files places and running test tubes. Do volunteering that you really want to do, it can be medical or non-medical. I volunteer at an elementary school and have been there for the past 3 years, and I have gained a lot from it.
7. Don't worry about things like the MCAT and shadowing and research in your freshman year. Take this time to have fun...believe me your UG will quickly degenerate into a whole bunch of studying-related seriousness, and you should really enjoy your easy year in between high school and sophomore year.
8. With everything you do, be consistent. Adcoms love to see a 3 year project in which you have progressed and really grown as a person over multiple little week or weekend projects.
9. Use ratemyprofessor.com, but use it with caution. Supplement this usage with asking the older and current students if there is anything you can find out about this professor you will have.
10. Now let's talk about professors.... Like this has been repeated to death, I will now jump onto the podium: Bad professors can make or break you. If possible, avoid bad professors or professors that you think will be too hard for you in a certain class, there is no shame in it. Don't be afraid to sacrifice beauty sleep for the better professor/the higher grade. On that note, if the professor is unavoidable, don't sulk, because you could possibly get something great out of that class... for example, I have had several professors who make their tests way too hard or who are just way too tough, and after surviving their classes, I have found studying for the MCAT to be much easier since these professors taught/tested at levels that are much harder than MCAT assessment material.
11. With that note, be organized, and keep several notebooks/binders about various activities and such that you are doing to build up your resume. I only say this because the time will come where it is time to report this stuff to AAMCAS/AAMCOMAS and you can't remember that one summer activity you did back in 2015. Also, as a follow-up, keep in contact with professors who you think really enjoyed your company/you made a great impression on, because the letter of recommendation could go a long way, even with professors you have in your freshman year. I didn't start gathering LOR's until my sophomore year, and there was this one professor who really liked me and I was the top student, but by the time I remembered, too much time had passed. Be organized, keep notes and keep those type of things in mind and on paper so you can remember and feel relieved about it.
12. Now let's talk about grades. Guys, I understand that we were the 3.9 people in high school, but I am going to break this down right now, that most of you will not be these people in premed in UG, it is just the sad truth. The most important note to take away from that is to not get discouraged. Realize that a 3.5 is where the average MD applicant sits at and sometimes the lower GPAs will get in as well. On that note, I want to talk about comparison to your friends. In premed, everyone knows someone who will get a 98 on the test that everyone else gets a 67 on, and to be honest, the best thing you can do is be happy for that person... getting jealous or whining about it gets you nowhere. Don't compare yourself to your friends, whether they are doing better than you or worse, because if they are doing worse, and you skulk to them about your grades which are higher than theirs, how do you think it makes them feel? The best thing you can do is just try your best and try try try try to be humble, and that I can't stress enough in EVERY part of your application and as an applicant. Adcoms LOVE humility, and so do professors, friends, etc... just makes for an easier time all around.
13. Ok, now let's talk about weed out classes/prereqs. Guys, premed is by no stretch of the imagination a cake-walk, there are several really mean and nasty classes you have to trek through and it might get you down. Some professors will love to, and I'm not joking about this one, have an average close to FIFTY PERCENT for a test. Don't let this get you down! I repeat, don't let this get you down! These types of classes are mostly built on curves, so you learn to base your grade off of the average. In almost every single weed out class I have been in, the averages on tests have been in the very low sixties or high fifties. This is even true if you are that rare breed of person who does get that 3.9 in UG, there are still some classes that can knock you on your butt. Do everything you can to study for these classes, but please don't let it make you think you won't be a future doctor. I'll make you guys feel better. Back in my freshman year, I was taking Gen Chem 1 and I studied like hell for the first test, and I got a 52. The average was a 56. I felt very discouraged by this and felt a pit in my stomach every time I thought about Gen Chem 1. I dropped out of it, using a special policy they had to avoid a W on my record, which I'm very happy about. I used the extra time after I dropped to really build up my foundation...the next time I took Chem 1 I ended up with 80 92 80 89, for an A-in the class for which the averages were still in the high fifties. If you feel like you need to drop a class, don't think it is the end of the world. But you do need to take it seriously.
14. Following 13 up, I'd like to talk about the degree of seriousness you treat classes with. Ok, so these weed out classes I mentioned, you may think you have an advantage because you got a 5 on AP chem or a 7 on IB bio. WRONG! While this may be true for some, others develop too much confidence for these tests, and walk in, not be familiar with the particular format, and end up with a 50, I have seen this plenty of times in every single weed-out class I have taken. I can't stress this enough.. TAKE EVERY WEED OUT OR DIFFICULT CLASS WITH THE UTMOST SERIOUSNESS, NEVER UNDERESTIMATE ANY OF THESE TYPES OF CLASSES!!! I have and let me tell you, it came back to haunt me.
15. On that note, let's talk about AP/IB/CC credit. It is awesome in the UG world to not have to take the basic gen eds that everyone else takes that didn't get your credit. Well, let me be honest, sometimes it is worth it, and sometimes it isn't. For example, if you get AP credit for ENC 1101/1102, that's fine, more time to spend on premed stuff. But, be cautious with allocating your AP/IB/CC credits for your premed prereqs. First of all, some medical schools REQUIRE that you take the courses at the UG school you go to, and you might be taken aback to find that out your junior year in college. Secondly, if you are allowed to use these credits, I would still recommend caution. The reason I'm saying this is because, for example, you may have had the foundation for AP bio back in 9th grade, but let's say you get credit for Bio 1, and you take Bio 2 your freshman year fall semester, it has been 3+ years since you took bio1, and maybe you don't remember anymore! Don't use your AP/IB/CC credits, especially for premed, just simply for the sake of getting more credits.
16. Join a pre-med group. This one may seem like common sense, but let me say something about it first. The pre-med groups may not seem like a lot of fun, and in all honesty kind of suck sometimes, but even if you don't like the people in these types of organizations, you can still make great networking connections and learn about all sorts of opportunities, and even learn about premed stuff that you need to be doing to get into medical school.
17. Make study groups/have study friends. Again, seems like common sense, but you really should do this. Standing alone in a class doesn't make you more of a man/woman. Plus, I have found that study groups have covered my gaps about areas I may have been weak on.
18. Develop a study method that works for you. You may find that it isn't the same one you have had in high school, because you may find out that it may not work in UG. I personally used old tests and notecards, and a boatload of practice problems to solidify my test taking abilities.
19. On that note, let's talk about test methods. Guys, some classes may seem near impossible, but there are methods to learn about certain teacher's testing methods, one way is to get old tests from old friends, get advice from old friends, etc. You may think that the professors change their tests , and they do, but they sometimes like to use good questions that they developed back in the day, sometimes even verbatim to make their tests. As long as the way you are getting these old tests is legal and ethical, this is probably the best way I have used to study for my tests.
20. Don't let the pressure get to you and let you make stupid/bad decisions. Again, seems like I'm beating a dead horse with this common intuition crap, but hear me out, this is actually very serious. I'm mainly talking about taking shortcuts like taking online classes simply because "every test is open note." NO THEY ARENT. While some online classes allow for your notes and such (it will generally explicitly say it in the syllabus,) some others say right out what constitutes cheating. Guys, we are trying to be doctors, and doctors are supposed to be a moral beacon in the community, and it is very important to have a clean conscience. True story: I was doing some work for one of my classes and I skipped my psychology class that day. There was an extra credit question being asked in class on the clicker database. My friend asked me if I wanted the answer, I told him no because that's unethical, I didn't feel good about it, I never did stuff like that, I always knew that it was unethical. So, grades come out and I get an A- in psychology, missing an A by the EXACT number of points that extra credit question was, no lie. I was a little frustrated at first but then I was relieved to know I truly got the grade I deserved
21. On the note of taking short cuts, I want to address something just as serious as this. Drug abuse. Now I'm not talking about heroin, crack or meth, but rather Adderall, Rittalin, etc. I understand that some of you guys might have ADD/ADHD legitimately, but that does NOT give you the right to take a bunch of adderall to cram for an exam for like, 30 hours. I have actually seen this happen, and let me tell you, it worries me for a bulk of reasons. First off, that isn't fair to the kids who take the legitimate route and study for a week or 2 weeks before a test. Secondly, it is VERY DANGEROUS. Don't do it, please. It also, in my opinion, tells me that you might not be the best person to give a drug license to, honestly.
22. Keep in shape. Physical fitness and mental fitness are very important for maintaining a great feel during UG. Don't gain the freshman 15, do what I did and lose the freshman 55, and then bulk back up those 55 in muscle like I did if you so wish (you don't have to, I just like telling people I did that because it was hard as hell to do it and it was one hell of a 2 year journey.) Also, mental fitness is very important. People, don't feel like going to a therapist makes you weaker. It doesn't, I know plenty of doctors who go to psychologists and it is perfectly normal and healthy, it doesn't make you crazy. I mean premed is VERY stressful, and some people who may wear their emotions on their sleeves may get very overwhelmed. Look into complimentary mental counseling, my school has one and I go there whenever I feel overwhelmed, you have to make time for your fitness. Decompress, talk, cry, it is PERFECTLY NORMAL! I actually have a friend who believed that going to a pscyhologist or psychiatrist eliminated them from the running of medical schools. I have talked to several ADcoms who all say that that's a hunk of BS. Put your mental health ahead of anything else, because nothing is worth you having anxiety/panic attacks. You deserve better.
23. Ok let's get to less serious stuff now
Let's talk about textbooks. Textbooks are expensive as all hell, and with debt you will incur in medical school and UG (unless you do armed forces like me) is high enough, you don't want to tack on too much additional debt. So, talk to old friends, get good deals on textbooks, and sell them when you are done and keep the extra cash and set it aside. I know what you may be thinking, that I need these textbooks for MCAT prep, and I say that you don't. And it isn't only me, pretty much everyone I have talked to has said that textbooks from your gen eds are WAY too detailed to use for MCAT prep, and there may not be as much overlap as you might want.
24. Don't research just for the sake of having it as a check mark. If you want to and have a passion for it, then please go and do it, that's awesome! But, thinking that you need research to get into medical school is just plain false. Do what you want, do what makes you happy and makes you grow. Personally, I'm not doing research, I volunteer and such because I love to do it, and I wasn't too personally interested in research, and that's ok.
25. Let's talk about the college that you select. To be honest, I'd rather a 3.5 at a university like the one I am at, rather than a 3.8 from a university that is much lower on the totem pole. But, there is an addendum to this... You need to gauge your own talents and abilities, don't just go to an upper level school just because you got in, do some research about their types of classes, material, etc. Does this seem like a place you can maintain a 3.5 or higher? If not, you should probably swallow your pride and go to a more manageable university. Because, believe it or not, the UG world doesn't make as much difference as you might think at the mid to midlower level. Besides, if you learn well from that lower echelon of schooling and do better on the MCAT than the kid that goes to Yale, and have a considerably higher GPA with much more free time to do EC's and such, you might have the upper hand on that person, it isn't the school you go to, rather what you do there.
26. Don't overload your schedule and try to rush through UG. It is as bad idea IMO. I mean, you might think "oh I can take 18 credits a semester for X semesters and graduate a year early!" But then what? And also, as you get higher up the rungs of the premed ladder, classes will only get harder, so doing this is a good way to burn out.
27. Don't let people on this forum discourage you. Every day I look on this forum and look at the people on SDN's MCAT scores and practice scores and I used to get depressed about it, or get angry asking myself why I can't get those 38s and 37s that people on here seem to get. This is a sure fire way to lose confidence in yourself. Do the best that YOU can. And also, it may seem like everyone on SDN is getting these amazing grades and scores, but you have to realize, the people who report this are the 1 percent of people who get those types of scores, and the people who get lower are afraid to report it because they are ashamed of it. Learn not be ashamed about your talents and abilities, don't compare... And for that matter, don't let anyone ANYWHERE discourage you. If you truly want to be a doctor, no matter how long it takes, you will become one, and screw everyone else who says you need to follow the "right path" to medical school. There is no one right path!
28. Try to be the type of person who takes the time to hand down advice to the younger generation like I am trying to be. Remember, doctors help people, and you should feel honored to have gotten past the prereq weedouts and be mostly willing to hand down advice. Remember where you came from.
29. Keep some notes/old tests from prereqs, you never know what might help you study for the MCAT or other future classes.
30. Remember to try to enjoy your UG years leading up to the MCAT, and try even during and after MCAT prep to enjoy yourself. The good freshman year will zip by really quickly and it will get serious pretty quickly, so remember these bullet points, and make connections, make and keep friends, allow yourself free/play time/time to decompress, and work hard and you will attain your goal.
TLDR I know I know but these are just ideas and thoughts I have had over the past 3 years and wanted to share them/write them down before they faded away.
