Any Mormon Premeds out there? Wondering about the whole mission thing...

I'm sure it will take some time to get used to things one you return, but if you're a sharp kid, you'll be fine. I wouldn't do something like take physics 1 before the mission and physics 2 after. For example; take both general chems before your misison and organic 1 and 2 after.

Good luck on your mission.

It is tough, and most return missionaries I know that were successful in applications did the bulk of their work after they returned, but there are a few that I know of that split of the work before and after. It's all in how motivated you are.

neuroscientist said:

Hi guys and gals! I'm Mormon (LDS) and am, obviously, premed. Soon, I will be expected to serve a mission for the church. For those of you who aren't familiar with Mormon missions, they span two years of very strict service/proselyting anywhere in the world (including the states).

Anyway, I am about to finish my second semester of college as a freshman. I'm just worried about this two year break in the middle of college and right in the middle of med school prerequisites... I will have taken (and gotten A's) in both general chems, general bio, molec bio, and neuroscience as well as other non premed required classes. My concern is that I will come back and have absolutely no handle on the information i had previously mastered and be unprepared for organic chem, genetics/cell bio, physics, etc. let alone the MCAT. Anyway, I'm really worried. Just wondering if any of you had experience with this situation or something like it and everything still worked out? I hope!

Please reply, I really could use some advice and a chance to talk this out! Thanks!

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Congratulations on keeping the faith while still in college. My beliefs have seriously wained every since the scientific facts and harsh realities of life clashed with the circular, illogical idealisms and hopes of Christianity. I just hope for forgiveness, and that one day this prodigal son will find his way back.

For your mission, two years isn't very long in the grand scheme. I've been out of school for 2 and a half years now and will be going to med school this August. The information will come back once you start hitting the books again and start problem solving again. You'll have to study hard to get it back, but you can make it. You're religious, I'm sure a few prayers will help give you the strength to get through it. Good Luck. GB, Amen.

I did one semester of college before serving a mission in Brazil. I found that it was not that bad coming back into school. It did take a little more time reviewing certain aspects of the general science classes that I had forgotten, but it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. If you really want to go, then go and do not worry about this type of stuff, there will be plenty of time for that after you return home. Good luck.

This will be a nice EC on your AMCAS...

I took many of the same courses as you; there really wasn't a problem after I got back. You become more mature and aware of your weaknesses and strengths during those two year (just like any other two years), so it will only serve for your ultimate benefit. It may take a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of things but you sound like you take school seriously. Go have a great mission.

neuroscientist said:

Anyway, I am about to finish my second semester of college as a freshman. I'm just worried about this two year break in the middle of college and right in the middle of med school prerequisites... I will have taken (and gotten A's) in both general chems, general bio, molec bio, and neuroscience as well as other non premed required classes. My concern is that I will come back and have absolutely no handle on the information i had previously mastered and be unprepared for organic chem, genetics/cell bio, physics, etc. let alone the MCAT. Anyway, I'm really worried. Just wondering if any of you had experience with this situation or something like it and everything still worked out? I hope!

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I remember being concerned about similar issues before my mission. Just remember, premedical LDS men and women have been serving missions for decades, and they still do exceptionally well in the medical school application process. In my opinion, my mission actually enhanced my learning ability, and I feel better prepared for medical school than I would have been otherwise. Don't worry too much about the nitty gritty details now. I recommend going out to your mission and giving it your all, then come back and return your focus to getting into medical school, as you've done up until this point. I think you'll find it all works out better than you can imagine. Good luck!

It will come back quick to ya. And also, in OChem and Cell Bio, from my experience if they want you to remember anything from Gen Chem or Gen Biology they will just go over it again. In my opinion I could have done just as well in Ochem had I not taken Gen Chem, and the same goes for Cell Bio.

Anyways, don't worry about it. Enjoy your two years out there. Good luck!

neuroscientist said:

Thanks for the input guys, really it is comforting! About the mission as an EC, though... Obviously placing my two year mission as an extra-curricular on my med school application is not at all why I wanna go haha BUT when I do get back, should I really put it on there?

I am just worried because I have heard that it is not really a legitimate EC because your proselyting and preaching mostly and adcoms don't really see it as a big service thing regardless of what you or I think. Thoughts?

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My PI told me absolutely to put it down. In retrospect, I'm glad I did. No one that I interviewed with saw it as a negative. Ohio St, SLU, and IOWA get tons of BYU, UoU applicants, so they already knew what it was about. The people I spoke with at Yale, Wash U loved it. I spent a good half the interview with them talking about my experiences. The only school that tried to not bring it up was the UoU, but that was expected. Two things I learned

1) they were impressed because I did stuff other than the mission to help me stand out. One single experience can't define you, so remember to be active once you return.

2) Don't play your mission to be more than what it was, ESPECIALLY at the UoU, but also at Ohio St, SLU, and other schools that take a lot of Utah applicants. They know what a mission is and isn't so selling it for more than what it was can be dangerous.

And for your original question, You don't lose anything. I spent the summer before school started brushing up a bit, and came back right where I left off. No worry.

neuroscientist said:

Thanks for the input guys, really it is comforting! About the mission as an EC, though... Obviously placing my two year mission as an extra-curricular on my med school application is not at all why I wanna go haha BUT when I do get back, should I really put it on there?

I am just worried because I have heard that it is not really a legitimate EC because your proselyting and preaching mostly and adcoms don't really see it as a big service thing regardless of what you or I think. Thoughts?

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Since it's a "forced" EC in that the cultural belief more or less forces you to do it (irregardless of whether or not you truly want to go), it may not help you, but I don't think it will hurt you either. It's also one of those things that won't make you stand out in particular, since there are lots Mormons who do their missions and apply to medical school.

sc71football said:

I did one semester of college before serving a mission in Brazil. I found that it was not that bad coming back into school. It did take a little more time reviewing certain aspects of the general science classes that I had forgotten, but it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. If you really want to go, then go and do not worry about this type of stuff, there will be plenty of time for that after you return home. Good luck.

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Why weren't you in class on Tuesday, mister? I had the sincerest intention to pick up an extra lecture outline for you, but I forgot at the last minute. For everyone else reading this: sorry for wasting your time. hehe

One relevant comment: I am a non-missionary in a land of returned missionaries. It greatly pleases me that my missionary friends who were once a year ahead of me in high school now ask me for help with classes that I took a year ago.

I had to take a year off in the middle of pre-reqs for a deployment. It took a little adjustment when I got back, but it didn't take long to get in the swing of things.

neuroscientist said:

Thanks for the input guys, really it is comforting! About the mission as an EC, though... Obviously placing my two year mission as an extra-curricular on my med school application is not at all why I wanna go haha BUT when I do get back, should I really put it on there?

I am just worried because I have heard that it is not really a legitimate EC because your proselyting and preaching mostly and adcoms don't really see it as a big service thing regardless of what you or I think. Thoughts?

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Since it isn't "forced" as another poster mentioned, it is an awesome EC. (only some people from UT would think it is a forced thing and if you feel like you are being "forced to go" don't serve until you feel like it is something you want to do…my two cents.)

I served my mission after my Junior year (a year after being baptized), had no idea that I was going to go into medicine at the time so it was a non-issue for the science thing. However, I majored in German, served in Russia for two years and was afraid I would forget all of my German needed to pass our final exams as well as being able to pass the 400 level lit classes etc. No doubt in a spiritual sense, you need to just exercise faith, get out of the pre-med mindset, and serve your mission.

I ended up using my mission on two bullets of ECs (although they didn't make or break me, it was nice to set me apart at most schools (besides UT).

I was involved in multiple community service projects and activities while on my mission, so I chalked it up to a volunteer-community service bullet. (organizing english classes, volunteer services at hospitals, hospice visits, park clean-up, playground construction at schools, anti-drug-alcohol programs at elementry schools).

Obviously I mentioned that I proselyted, was "in charge" of organizing meetings for the congregation, overseeing other missionaries in respect to securing housing, health care, etc, training. Great leadership stuff for a leadership bullet.

Taking two years off to do something like a mission shows commitment, drive, and a level of altruism and maturity needed in medicine.

Anyway, when you get out on your mission school will be the last thing on your mind till you get near the end. Don't worry about the classes, they get much easier when you come home anyway as you develop great study habits, extreme focus, and more faith.

Best of luck!

PS if you don't put it as an EC on there you have two years to account for anyway...good luck with that.

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Im really curious to know how you are able to reconcile neuroscience with beliefs that contradict science and history.
I don't mean to be condescending or to diss you and I apologize if you'll feel that I did. I just never understood how some people who want to join one of the most respected scientific disciplines (ie: Medicine) still manage to believe in talking snakes and virgins getting pregnant!

er this thread could take a turn for the worse right here.

M.Furfur said:

Im really curious to know how you are able to reconcile neuroscience with beliefs that contradict science and history.
I don't mean to be condescending or to diss you and I apologize if you'll feel that I did. I just never understood how some people who want to join one of the most respected scientific disciplines (ie: Medicine) still manage to believe in talking snakes and virgins getting pregnant!

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some people don't believe anything unexplained by science (athiests), some people think there is something but don't want to get attached to any beliefs (agnostics)...and then there are the rest of us. I think many in this thread have discussed the topic quite in depth with many people.

For someone who doesn't believe in anything, religion just seems just odd all around and an SDN forum is not going to have the answer for you…

There are plenty of respected scientists who do believe in God, probably more who do not...but that is kind of the way science is, and if you can't test it or do tangible research on it, then it must be "made up" or psychology

One of the things that impressed me about Mormons before I became one was the fact that they are generally passionate about the sciences, maintain a passion for their religion, accept truth wherever it is, and most importantly respect other peoples values and beliefs in whatever it is they believe (I was never put down by a Mormon for what I previously believed...even when I didn't believe in anything).


I hope my post doesn't degradate this thread in anyway...back on point...a mission (whether LDS or not) can be a good thing in showing you are different from other applicants and are involved in other things becide just medicine.

Many passionate and motivated pre-meds out there go directly from undergrad to medical school. while they are involved in many extracurriculars and may have a job they still will not get the kind of growing experience you would by serving a mission. Talking to dozens of different people everyday about what matters most to you and them will help you to relate and understand people much better. The personal skills and life lessons of hard work and perseverance learned on an lds mission will serve you extremely well, not only through undergrad and med school, but throughout your career. I will always be grateful for those two years and it has helped me in preparing for medical school a great deal.

M.Furfur said:

Im really curious to know how you are able to reconcile neuroscience with beliefs that contradict science and history.
I don't mean to be condescending or to diss you and I apologize if you'll feel that I did. I just never understood how some people who want to join one of the most respected scientific disciplines (ie: Medicine) still manage to believe in talking snakes and virgins getting pregnant!

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You are ******ed...

ScutMonkey08 said:

You are ******ed...

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He/She asked politely. I am curious too.

custard said:

He/She asked politely. I am curious too.

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I think ElderJack answered this question quite well, and it is especially noteworthy since it seems that he has experienced life with and without being LDS. If I may, I will add a bit more to answer your question. I think people who get to know Mormons are quite surprised by how open our faith is to the sciences. I believe we (and many other religions) are very willing to search out the truth and accept it but we also understand that there are other things that cannot be explained by science (faith, for example). To answer these, we have to take the same scientific method approach in our "spiritual labratory," I suppose you could say. To the OP, I felt like going on a mission opened my mind to the world out there and provided an excellent opportunity to test my faith. I better understand now how others may think and feel differently than myself and why, while at the same time I still hold very firm to my beliefs and opinions. You will see people slam our religion by even publishing slanderings of our faith in their own religious publications (which I am proud to say that this is a practice that we do not do, I think we are unique in this). This sort of forces you to either become bitter, or decide to not act like that. Anyway, take it for what it is worth. The mission can even help you intellectually.

lets keep the conversation civil folks

neuroscientist said:

Thanks for the input guys, really it is comforting! About the mission as an EC, though... Obviously placing my two year mission as an extra-curricular on my med school application is not at all why I wanna go haha BUT when I do get back, should I really put it on there?

I am just worried because I have heard that it is not really a legitimate EC because your proselyting and preaching mostly and adcoms don't really see it as a big service thing regardless of what you or I think. Thoughts?

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The ADCOMS love it. That is what I talked about most at my medical school interviews. Obviously your not doing it for EC's, but they will be impressed by you doing it. You will gain life lessons that will be invaluable in a medical career.

neuroscientist said:

at this point in my life I am not educated enough to be able to say that God does not exist.

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I don’t think that is really the goal or end-state of being educated either…

That makes me think of this saying I read once...or a few times..."to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God."

The bottom line is that what science holds as “truth” changes all the time…not a bad thing, but it is what it is. We can all believe what we want to believe as well, which also isn’t a bad thing.

Please please please folks. This is actually a really good thread with good, sound advice. But if you guys start getting into conversations about whether science can prove if God exists or not, the thread will go south and all this good info will go to waste. I'm not officially making a warning, but for a thread that has gone pretty well so far, it would be a shame for it to go down the tubes with senseless arguing.

Crimson doc said:

And for your original question, You don't lose anything. I spent the summer before school started brushing up a bit, and came back right where I left off. No worry.

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I was starting to have a lot of respect for you...then I looked at your profile and saw your qualifications...even more respect....then I saw that you DIDN'T APPLY TO VANDERBILT and you lost it all... (Go to WashU, btw).

As for the rest of the discussion, I may be able to add some more perspective.

I served in Russia after a year at the U of U. I took gen chem and the rest of my gen ed requirements and a couple calculus classes before I left. When I got home, I started into all of my biology classes and had no trouble with them. I did get a B in O chem my first semester back, but I think it had more to do with my laziness, girlfriend (now wife), and lack of raw intelligence, rather than being rusty.

To the point about putting the mission on the application: you should definitely do it. This was two freakin' years of your life. That is important to talk about. I went so far as to start my PS with a mission experience (and used it to illustrate some other points - and it was a really cool story). I was asked about my mission in every interview. Every one. It was never a negative thing. All were impressed by it universally.

I have now finished interviewing for residency and did not put it on my application as I was given the advice to only put stuff that occurred after med school started. I was STILL asked about it in every interview, but this time, the question was, "Why didn't you put your mission on your application?" They were about to be bothered to see that I might be ashamed to put it on there, but after an explanation, they understood, but would say, "I think you should have put it on there."

My point is that it is a significant chunk of your life and it should be mentioned proportionally to the amount of impact it had on you. Heck, I might have even mentioned that I'm an Eagle Scout if I were to do it all again.



Oh yeah, and I've been meaning to mention this: be wary taking advice here on SDN, especially from fellow pre-meds who have no idea themselves. Look for advice from med students and those who have already been accepted places. There are a lot of people who post here a lot with large egos who think that they can answer about anything. These are the same people who will tell you it doesn't matter which school you go to as long as you work hard, and that you can still have hope of getting in with a 24 MCAT. Any other LDS pre-meds out there with any questions, feel free to PM me as I hope I would have some sound advice of more value than some 18 year old pre-med who only knows the US News Rankings as a basis for an opinion.



PS - elderjack21, what mission? (Rostov for me, 1999-2001).

I didn't decide to be a doc until a few years after my mission so I took gen chem and O-chem at the same time to try to finish quicker. I got A's and really don't think a bright person needs to have gen chem first. Just go and enjoy having a completely unique focus on life for two years. good luck.

Went to Latvia.

I actually learned how to study on my mission and changed my major too. Came back and everything seemed a lot easier than when I left.

patzan said:

PS - elderjack21, what mission? (Rostov for me, 1999-2001).

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Moscow South 2000-2002. It was awesome.

so what do you guys do on these missions? is it only for males? or can females go too?

tourniquet1963 said:

so what do you guys do on these missions? is it only for males? or can females go too?

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Girls can go, too, if they want. Out of roughly 100 missionaries in my area, 15 or so were girls.

Most of the time is spent teaching people about the church, usually finding these people through friends of church-goers and perhaps, as most people know Mormon missionaries, through street-contacting and door-knocking. There is also a bit of time spent in community service. In Russia, we spent two nights a week teaching free English classes.

were they expected to join the church in return... and u guys have churches in moskow?

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