Am I Doing Enough? Freshman Premed.

[HaloTop]

I am hoping for some reinforcement or guidance confirming that I am doing enough to make progress towards applying to medical school. I am a freshman at my undergrad. institution. I plan to graduate with my Bachelors of Business Administration while fulfilling my premed coursework.

Here is my coursework, ECs, and patient care experience so far:

Coursework (so far) (18 credits/semester for a total of 36 credits so far):

1. Biology 1 & 2 (1 year, A in both) w/lab
2. Chemistry 1 & 2 (Gen. Chem., 1 year, A in both) w/lab
3. English 1 & 2 (1 year, A in both)
4. Other business prereqs (A in all so far)

ECs:

1. Volunteering at soup kitchen (appx. 2 hours/week) (not consistent, I go when I have time)
2. Volunteering at animal shelter (appx. 2 hours/week) (not consistent, I go when I have time)
3. I go to the gym appx. 8 hours/week
4. I shadowed a neurosurgeon from work for 8 hours, but they have since left my hospital. Planning on doing more MD shadowing this summer
5. Looking into joining a USDA research lab this summer as a paid lab assistant (thoughts?)

PCE:

1. CNA on surgical unit & ER Tech (appx. 600 cumulative hours of paid work so far), (part time during school year, full time in the summer)

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it!

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[doomer_md]

I go to the gym appx. 8 hours/week

Won’t match ortho which those numbers.

Other than that you’re way ahead tbh.

 

[HaloTop]

Won’t match ortho which those numbers.

Haha, I'll have to work on that

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Try to find genuine enjoyment/fulfillment in the things that you do rather than doing things just for med school admissions.

Take some humanities courses if you can fit them in.

Btw, I wouldn’t list going the gym as an EC on an application

You have plenty of time: work hard but don’t stress out too much.

 

[Darrow O'Lykos]

You're doing more than enough. Be sure that you don't stretch yourself too thin. My top tips would be:

- Enjoy yourself. Maintain high grades, but college goes by a lot faster than you think. Join a fraternity/sorority/spirit group. Get involved and forge friendships that will last a lifetime.
- Don't bother with pre-med orgs and things of the like as they don't matter when it comes to getting accepted.
- Limit how many hours you take per semester. No one cares if you're taking 12 a semester or 18 a semester, so long as you stay a full-time student. (Honestly one of my biggest regrets was loading up as many semester as I did. It's better to get a 4.0 in 12 hours than a 3.5 in 18 hours. You may be acing your freshman classes now, but they will get more difficult. When you get to taking O-Chem and Physics, don't hesitate to drop your courseload to 12 hours to make sure you ace them (another regret I have and wish an adviser had told me to do).
- Study abroad one semester. Easy grades and can be conversational in an interview. It'll also change your life, and you won't get that chance for the 7-12 years after college in med school and residency. (Another one of my biggest regrets).
- Good call on the non-science major. I loved bio, but part of me wishes I had majored in another passion and just fulfilled pre-med reqs. In that vein of thought, don't bother going out of your way for a science minor. No one cares what you minor in (if at all).

 

[CantFindMeNowAdcoms]

As others have said, you're doing all the right things. Their suggestions were good.

I'll just add - do not do things JUST because admissions like them. You should not just do CNA work or research "because it'll get me into medical school." Definitely do them (because they will help), but you should also be exploring whether medicine is a good fit for you. You're only a freshman. As you are doing the typical premedical things, continually ask yourself - do I like this? Do I want to be around sick people all day? Do I find medical care gratifying? Could I see myself being a physician? Are there other things that I actually like more? What about medicine appeals to me?

If you "do all the right things" but miss out on answering these big questions for yourself first, it'll be evident in interviews and personal statements. But more importantly, you'll be entering medical school without a solid foundation that this is the right field for you. ECs are as much, if not more, about proving medicine is right for yourself as it is to convincing an adcom to accept you.

 

[HaloTop]

Try to find genuine enjoyment/fulfillment in the things that you do rather than doing things just for med school admissions.

Thanks - this is something I have been working on getting better at. I still have trouble justifying my own personal hobbies as worthwhile when I am trying to achieve a goal (even though I know deep down my thinking is a bit counterproductive).

 

[HaloTop]

I'll just add - do not do things JUST because admissions like them. You should not just do CNA work or research "because it'll get me into medical school." Definitely do them (because they will help), but you should also be exploring whether medicine is a good fit for you. You're only a freshman. As you are doing the typical premedical things, continually ask yourself - do I like this? Do I want to be around sick people all day? Do I find medical care gratifying? Could I see myself being a physician? Are there other things that I actually like more? What about medicine appeals to me?

Thank you for responding. I definitely love my job as a CNA (much more than working a retail job), it has really opened my eyes as to how a healthcare team functions and what my place is within it. Some patients can be challenging, but I really enjoy working with them on their journey to recovery. I hope as time goes on I get a better sense as to what it is that makes medicine so appealing to me

 

[HaloTop]

- Good call on the non-science major. I loved bio, but part of me wishes I had majored in another passion and just fulfilled pre-med reqs. In that vein of thought, don't bother going out of your way for a science minor. No one cares what you minor in (if at all).

Thank you! I was debating between business and computer science, but I couldn't stand the thought of 4 years of calculus for CS. My plan (if I don't end up applying to med. school) is to still find an appealing job with the major I will have. I love biology, but the jobs available with a bio. degree weren't of much interest to me personally.

 

[Goofy Goober]

Try to find genuine enjoyment/fulfillment in the things that you do rather than doing things just for med school admissions.

Take some humanities courses if you can fit them in.

Btw, I wouldn’t list going the gym as an EC on an application

You have plenty of time: work hard but don’t stress out too much.

I did and they dug it

 

[HaloTop]

I did and they dug it

🤸‍♂️🏋️‍♂️

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Who's your prehealth advisor? Have you started building relationships with your professors?

 

[HaloTop]

Who's your prehealth advisor? Have you started building relationships with your professors?

No prehealth advisors at my school, unfortunately. Class sizes are small so I have been able to build rapport with professors!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

No prehealth advisors at my school, unfortunately. Class sizes are small so I have been able to build rapport with professors!

So hopefully you have professors and other administrators in student services or career services who have helped people with applying to medical school, yes?

 

[CantFindMeNowAdcoms]

No prehealth advisors at my school, unfortunately. Class sizes are small so I have been able to build rapport with professors!

I have heard of the NAAHP by Dr. Ryan Gray before (Dr. Gray’s content also has been hugely helpful for me - my school had a pre-health advisor who was not helpful due to being under resourced). Volunteer advisors with the NAAHP offer pre-health advising for students whose school does not offer it - maybe check out if you meet their criteria for free advising. Find an Advisor - NAAHP

 

[sean80439]

My suggestions - avoid all other premeds and stupid premed societies. I can't tell you how many people were 'premed' that did it because it sounded cool, never bothered to take all of the classes, did poorly, and never even got into med school or even applied. Also, take your prereqs and science courses slowly and don't overload your course work. It's far more important to just do it right the first time than having to retake and make up for mistakes later. Finishing in 5 with a competitive GPA is better than finishing in 4 and then spending a year fixing your GPA. Even suggest taking some easier classes your first semester. Try and spend some time figuring out what it is about medicine you actually like. Also find some hobbies outside of school. Spend time organizing some of the idiotic requirements that med schools expect like volunteering.