Advice for incoming Freshman PreMed?

[HopefulBruinMD]

I will be starting as a freshman at UCLA this year and I have heard many terrifying rumors about the competitiveness and weed out classes. Any advice from other Pre Meds as to how to overcome this competitiveness? Tips and Tricks would be greatly appreciated. Im also stressed about when to find research and what to do this summer and next summer. I know its a lot of info but I need it all!

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[djsbaseball2014]

Biggest piece of advice would be to worry about yourself and focus on what you can control in your life. Everyone is going to talk about their accomplishments but its all talk, focus on getting good grades. Don't worry about doing too much early on, establish yourself GPA wise, figure out how to study and get good grades and then start to add things in like research, volunteering etc.

Also, do not underestimate the power of unique activities that aren't "pre-med like" for example get your volunteering and shadowing hours in but pursue your hobbies. For me, I like to cook so i started a cooking club and we actually got a grant for $20,000 to host food demos on campus. You never know how a hobby can turn into something meaningful. At the end of the day, do what you love and don't try to do things that YOU think an admissions committee wants to see. Your passion will come through doing things you truly want to do

 

[deleted804295]

If you're going to do ECs during your freshman year do only 1 and take on 2-3 over the summer after your freshman year.

The greatest hurdle for most freshman is the GPA. Grades get easier after freshman year.

 

[altblue]

Protect that GPA. Take a courseload that's manageable for you.

It can be difficult to recover from 1-2 semesters of bad coursework.

 

[Coltuna]

ratemyprofessor.com

 

[Toutie]

ratemyprofessor.com

At UCLA use Bruinwalk

 

[JugglesMed]

I would suggest balancing your schedule.
What I did was take 1-2 science classes per semester and then do 2-3 pre reqs that are easier classes with it.
I started doing this since freshmen year and had enough pre reqs left to have a balanced schedule all 4 years and my senior year was not super difficult.
Also, I suggest start volunteering/shadowing early like spring of freshman year or fall of sophomore year. Take the first semester of college to get used to things and HOW TO study. Learning how to study is very important to succeed and is a valuable tool. Figure out what works for you and apply it through college and when you are studying for the MCAT.

 

[Phile98]

When I started undergrad, a close relative messaged me this quote:

"If you aren't humble, whatever empathy you claim is false and probably results from some arrogance or the desire to control. But true empathy is rooted in humility and the understanding that there are many people with as much to contribute in life as you."- Anand Mahindra

In other words, you will see a lot of arrogance in the world around you. Bragging, berating, belittling...and so on. My only advice to you is to be humble with your classes. A's aren't easy to get, especially at an institution such as UCLA. But with drive and dedication you can do it.
Find people who are equally humble and helpful. Science is a collaborative field, and as such should be studied in a collaborative way. There's always something to learn from other people.

Finally, take care of your health, both physically and mentally. Without these, education simply becomes a pain. You'll have ups and downs, but prioritize the weekly exercise, good food, and hangouts.

Best of luck as you start this long but rewarding journey!

 

[lull]

sleep enough hours

 

[Catalystik]

I will be starting as a freshman at UCLA this year Tips and Tricks would be greatly appreciated. I know its a lot of info but I need it all!

Don't get into legal trouble or get cited by campus watchdogs (eg, RAs, test proctors). Don't tell folks you're premed; there's a reasonable chance you won't be one in a year or two, and even if you are, it's best to keep your business to yourself. Connect with faculty members, as you never know from whom you'll need a letter of recommendation.

 

[theKingLT]

As far as the summer before undergrad goes: one of the best choices I ever made was getting my emt license. It's not for everyone and varies greatly on how beneficial it is to your app but personally my experiences as an emt (not just getting the license) allowed me to pay bills while getting valuable pt interactions, gain leadership and volunteer experience, and gain clinical competence and confidence. With that said, since it's already June you'll likely be hard pressed to find a program that finishes before you start at UCLA so you may want to look into it for next summer if you're interested

 

[HopefulBruinMD]

As far as the summer before undergrad goes: one of the best choices I ever made was getting my emt license. It's not for everyone and varies greatly on how beneficial it is to your app but personally my experiences as an emt (not just getting the license) allowed me to pay bills while getting valuable pt interactions, gain leadership and volunteer experience, and gain clinical competence and confidence. With that said, since it's already June you'll likely be hard pressed to find a program that finishes before you start at UCLA so you may want to look into it for next summer if you're interested

I was actually thinking of doing this but I wasn't sure if it would be useful since I live in TX and will be going to school in CA... any advice on this? Do you think it would still be worth pursuing next summer (when I am back in TX ) bc adcoms will be impressed or would it be a waste of time since i wouldn't be able to use the license when i go back to school CA?

 

[theKingLT]

I was actually thinking of doing this but I wasn't sure if it would be useful since I live in TX and will be going to school in CA... any advice on this? Do you think it would still be worth pursuing next summer (when I am back in TX ) bc adcoms will be impressed or would it be a waste of time since i wouldn't be able to use the license when i go back to school CA?

Short answer is don't do it if you can't use the license. However generally how it works is most states require you to get a national certification with NREMT and then grant you the state license from that, in which case you would only need to fill out an application or at most take the state licensing exam. In other words you need to check on the specifics for California (because I don't know them), but you should be able to pretty easily take the course in Texas and be licensed in cali. The important issue is if there's actually work available in your area for EMT-B's. I've heard that some places in Cali are saturated and essentially require an intermediate or advanced license to get a job. Once again just something you should look into first

 

[deleted916225]

Focus on yourself. Do not worry about what other people are doing. Be organized. Take all your classes seriously. Remember to get out there and make friends. Enjoy yourself, but not at the expense of your grades. Do not put off studying. This is the time that you find yourself as a person. Do not be too hard on yourself.
Good luck!

 

[thegrind33]

Take adavantage of the registrars office. If they publish grade distributions then use that to determine which profs to take.

 

[Kpw101]

Don't follow the premed pack. Following the pack gets you into useless crowded office hours, flavor of the month volunteering and dead end shadowing leads.

Find a professor you get along with to teach you the subject you have trouble with. Volunteer in organizations where you don't find yourself looking at the clock every two seconds. Shadow specialties you think you'll be interested in while bearing in mind that you won't really know what you want to do until far in the future. Do research you enjoy. Despite what every freshman thinks, your research can be unrelated to a future treatment for Parkinson's.

 

[pbsdrinkingwhale]

Don't get caught in the circle-jerk of who's doing more. Do what makes you happy, take a NORMAL class load and get a high GPA, start volunteering and research early and do it in moderation, and have fun! Premed is only hell if you choose to think that way.