Which premed activity was your least favorite?

[Anova05]

Hospital volunteering by far, or shadowing.

How about everyone else?

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[Spinach Dip]

Anything where I had to socialize with other premeds.

*shudder*

 

[Anova05]

Anything where I had to socialize with other premeds.

*shudder*

I take it you weren't a proud member of PhiDE?

 

[Dr. Death]

Finding physicians to shadow was a long and sucky process.

 

[Dr. Death]

Anything where I had to socialize with other premeds.

*shudder*

We need a term to differentiate individuals who are seriously going to go to medical school and individuals who just say "I'm pre-med" without any knowledge of anything. I like some individuals in the first group but "pre-"meds are insufferable

 

[Officer Farva]

Non-clinical volunteering, there I said it. I am not a good person.

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

shadowing rounds at the hospital. doctors are too busy to explain the cases

 

[musicalfeet]

Shadowing...but to be fair I think it had to do with me knowing absolutely nothing about medicine while doing it so it's not like I understood anything. I did like picking the attending's brains when he did actually have time for me though--it was rare though. Also felt utterly useless and actually felt like I was intruding on everyone as well.

 

[Officer Farva]

Looking back on it, I have no idea why we had to shadow. Imagine if you are applying for real person jobs, and you listed that you shadowed a programmer or banker or accountant.

 

[md-2020]

Looking back on it, I have no idea why we had to shadow. Imagine if you are applying for real person jobs, and you listed that you shadowed a programmer or banker or accountant.

Known as an internship...be happy shadowing isn't competitive like an IB summer gig

 

[PB&Jam]

I actually really enjoyed shadowing, and (through my dad) found a really good neuro-ophthalmologist to shadow consistently. I'd have to agree on the socializing with other pre-meds though. Seems like all some of them want to talk about is all the things they're doing to make themselves look good to medical schools, how difficult pre-reqs are, endless one-upping, etc. *Tears hair out*

 

[deleted630732]

Non-clinical volunteering, there I said it. I am not a good person.

For real!!! I don't think any of us like picking up trash on the side of the road and other completely mindless tasks!

On the other hand I absolutely LOVED shadowing; it was seriously so much fun and I wish I had done more. So I guess I'm just weird in that way

 

[Officer Farva]

Known as an internship...be happy shadowing isn't competitive like an IB summer gig

Very true, but at least even the most mind numbing of internships make you stare at excel screens all day or get your boss coffee. Rather than being some weirdo in the examination room who can't speak but only observe.

 

[Officer Farva]

Research can also be the worst, if you have an undergrad premed there to teach you instead of a postdoc/grad student. I lasted just over a month in that lab.

 

[Spinach Dip]

For real!!! I don't think any of us like picking up trash on the side of the road and other completely mindless tasks!

On the other hand I absolutely LOVED shadowing; it was seriously so much fun and I wish I had done more. So I guess I'm just weird in that way

Agreed.

Volunteering sucked. (And continues to suck.)

Shadowing would have been amazing if I didn't have to ask 50 physicians to get 1 gig (which lasted a week).

 

[Spinach Dip]

whoops double post.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Orgo? Am I allowed to say Orgo?

 

[HybridEarth]

Secondaries, especially since I did 30 in 30 days. Having OCD about grammar makes it twice as bad but pays off I suppose

 

[Anova05]

Orgo? Am I allowed to say Orgo?

Nothing wrong with that. I have nothing against the prereqs, but my school organized everything so the worst professors taught prereqs while the good ones taught upper division.

 

[Lannister]

Shadowing. The actual shadowing part is great. The process of trying to find someone to shadow is not, especially when you don't have any connections within the medical world.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I feel pretty lucky, I was able to do activities I genuinely enjoyed as a premed. If I had to pick one it would be shadowing. It was really hit or miss and usually dependent on the doctor and speciality I was shadowing.

 

[CoomassieBlue57]

Filling out my transcripts on AMCAS and AACOMAS.

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

ED volunteering. Was a waste of time with no discernible impact. Now I'm an ED scribe, and I like being a productive member of the team.

 

[7331poas]

Least favorite is biology I think. We should just skip that class and require biochem 1 + 2. Wayyy more important and instructive.

 

[Smoove]

Being stuck in some mindless volunteering tasks (like restocking)

Also, basic science research. Couldn't stand it, and I'm not sure why lol

Edit: premeds that complain too much

 

[Lannister]

Least favorite is biology I think. We should just skip that class and require biochem 1 + 2. Wayyy more important and instructive.

I'm always curious why people who dislike biology pursue medicine...

 

[Lannister]

Case Western does just that

They only require biochem 1.

 

[BeachBaby]

I think ED volunteering was really my favorite and what I learned the most from, I was lucky to be in a level 1 trauma ED

 

[iker]

MCAT hands down (if that is considered an "activity")

 

[Officer Farva]

I'm always curious why people who dislike biology pursue medicine...

I hate general bio, but I love all the other parts of it, like biochem, immunology, microbiology, and my research methods course. I believe in evolution, that goes without saying. But I couldn't care less about phylogenetic trees and protists.

 

[virchow?]

For me it was definitely bench research. I stuck with it for way too long for being something I hated. Pipettes and growing yeast and e.coli and PCRs and Western blots were so monotonous. OTL

..."pre-"meds are insufferable

retweet

Non-clinical volunteering, there I said it. I am not a good person.

For real!!! I don't think any of us like picking up trash on the side of the road and other completely mindless tasks!

I really, really enjoyed my non-clinical volunteering experiences working in local food pantries and nature preserves. Helping people in need face-to-face and getting outside to volunteer were always pluses for me. Just volunteer your time toward causes you care about.

 

[Lannister]

I hate general bio, but I love all the other parts of it, like biochem, immunology, microbiology, and my research methods course. I believe in evolution, that goes without saying. But I couldn't care less about phylogenetic trees and protists.

Ah, I see. Maybe it's just my school but >2/3 of my intro bio courses focused on things actually kind of related to medicine. The first was genes, ecology and evolution; the second cells & proteins; and the third was development and physiology.

 

[Officer Farva]

For me it was definitely bench research. I stuck with it for way too long for being something I hated. Pipettes and growing yeast and e.coli and PCRs and Western blots were so monotonous. OTL


retweet



I really, really enjoyed my non-clinical volunteering experiences working in local food pantries and nature preserves. Helping people in need face-to-face and getting outside to volunteer were always pluses for me. Just volunteer your time toward causes you care about.

I'm a research oriented guy, but my worst premed experience was a lab I mentioned earlier where I just spent a month. I was under another undergrad premed, instead of a postdoc/grad student. The undergrad was supposed to teach me according to the PI, but I ended up shadowing him for a month while he did experiments. When the month was over and the PI found out I did not accomplish anything in the lab, he kicked me out. That kid was such a gunner. The few times I was allowed to pipette, he stood over my shoulder and criticized my technique like crazy.

 

[22031 Alum]

Taking Biology, and the part of Biochem that was overseen by the Biology department. I've never been a big fan of Bio.

 

[7331poas]

Ah, I see. Maybe it's just my school but >2/3 of my intro bio courses focused on things actually kind of related to medicine. The first was genes, ecology and evolution; the second cells & proteins; and the third was development and physiology.

Even those are just plain boring. Just remembering facts. If all those classes were presented in the chem department instead of the bio department it would be more interesting and instructive.

 

[Gingy]

MCAT hands down (if that is considered an "activity")

+1, preparation required a lot of sacrifice. Certainly doable but not fun.

 

[Officer Farva]

Can I say office hours? Professors always organized office hours when I had other classes. When I desperately needed office hours, I skipped. However, that guarenteed nothing going to a large premed factor of a university since the lines were always a mile long.

 

[Mwooster]

None; all the things I did (and still do) are things I genuinely enjoy, i.e. clinical and non-clinical volunteering
I do not consider studying as an activity, but studying for the MCAT? I actually started enjoying it about a week in

I understand some people feel the need to put check marks in the boxes, but at the end of the day one needs to do things that (s)he enjoy and get meaningful hours to mature and grow into a better person

ok maybe time for me to get off my high horse

 

[Ischemia1032]

favorite I would have to be tied between my biomedical research and shadowing. Shadowing and talking many doctors gave me invaluable insight into medicine, and I learned tons, I knew more then almost all of my pre-med friends. I had some very good attendings, a cardiologist began to teach me how to read EKGs, and Neurosurgeon helped me learn to locate lesions by doing a neuro exam. A radiologist taught me the basics of radiology and CXR reading. I was able to do a lot of this because I had a solid background in A&P, Path, Pathophys etc. Despite that, the researchw as awesome, getting published and knowing I contributed to medical science is really awesome.

On the other hand....I agree with many of the above posters. I loved doing things with the real pre-meds, but the fake-meds on the other hand were insufferable know it alls who wound up dropping despite how "smart" they were.

 

[youngmo]

Shadowing an Ortho was awesome.. Writing a paper over and over again and the whole submission process to get it published not so much fun..

 

[whatever5]

My research was kind of boring, but by far the worst thing i did was volunteer for a refugee organization. I thought i would really like it because i enjoy social work relatef stuff, but this family i got matched with was so messed up. It was this guy and his family of 8 who lived in an apartment that they never cleaned - im talking mold, roaches, rats, the works. One day when i was teaching them how to cook, i opened a box of rice and roaches ran out and crawled up my arm. Their kids were also wild, constantly screaming, throwing, hitting, etc. I had to drive the dad to school once for a meeting with the principal about how his daughter had killed the class hamsters and hid them in these girls lunchboxes. The organization provided me with no support or guidance and my emails/calls would go unanswered for weeks at a time, so i just stopped showing up after 6 months or so.

 

[Officer Farva]

My research was kind of boring, but by far the worst thing i did was volunteer for a refugee organization. I thought i would really like it because i enjoy social work relatef stuff, but this family i got matched with was so messed up. It was this guy and his family of 8 who lived in an apartment that they never cleaned - im talking mold, roaches, rats, the works. One day when i was teaching them how to cook, i opened a box of rice and roaches ran out and crawled up my arm. Their kids were also wild, constantly screaming, throwing, hitting, etc. I had to drive the dad to school once for a meeting with the principal about how his daughter had killed the class hamsters and hid them in these girls lunchboxes. The organization provided me with no support or guidance and my emails/calls would go unanswered for weeks at a time, so i just stopped showing up after 6 months or so.

Obviously, during my interviews when i get asked about it, i talk about how inspiring and humbling it was to work with people who struggled so much and how it furthered my cultural sensitivity or something.

Wow, 6 months, you have the patience of a saint. I'm just going to hang out in the lab or sit behind my computer writing code where it is nice and comfortable.

 

[Spinach Dip]

My research was kind of boring, but by far the worst thing i did was volunteer for a refugee organization. I thought i would really like it because i enjoy social work relatef stuff, but this family i got matched with was so messed up. It was this guy and his family of 8 who lived in an apartment that they never cleaned - im talking mold, roaches, rats, the works. One day when i was teaching them how to cook, i opened a box of rice and roaches ran out and crawled up my arm. Their kids were also wild, constantly screaming, throwing, hitting, etc. I had to drive the dad to school once for a meeting with the principal about how his daughter had killed the class hamsters and hid them in these girls lunchboxes. The organization provided me with no support or guidance and my emails/calls would go unanswered for weeks at a time, so i just stopped showing up after 6 months or so.

Obviously, during my interviews when i get asked about it, i talk about how inspiring and humbling it was to work with people who struggled so much and how it furthered my cultural sensitivity or something.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

furthered my cultural sensitivity

 

[NicksMD]

The MCAT by far.


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[whatever5]

Yeeep. Gotta play the game.

 

[Garurumon]

Anything where I had to socialize with other premeds.

*shudder*

I steer away from AED functions because of that.

 

[efle]

I'm going to get a bit meta. I enjoy being a student, my volunteer work, my research work, my hobby, shadowing, and really didn't even mind MCAT prep, but I hate the damn box-checking game that is premed activity gathering.

Even when I see the value in each item on the list and don't have a dislike for any of them, it sucks feeling like I need to worry about doing the right things the right ways for years so I can properly "sell" myself to strangers in some short conversations. It's a flawed system that I don't believe can really identify better doctors when most people are going through the motions because they have to. Especially upsetting is that it seems primed to punish people for challenging themselves and/or stepping outside their comfort zone in academics.

Not that I have any good ideas for better alternatives.

 

[wagonwheel23]

Having to take classes with other pre-meds.

 

[Kaz]

The MCAT by far.

+1