I am a college sophomore who majors in biochemistry in Stony Brook University. I currently have a 3.77 GPA and I just started to volunteering in the PACU department in Stony Brook Hospital last month. Fortunately, a nurse assistant was willing to let me shadow her from next week on. I don't have a lot of research experience. I did my research in SUNY Downstate Medical Center in my high school junior and senior years, and had participated in some of the scientific competitions (i.e. third place winner in NYCSEF (10th and 12th grade) and semifinalist in a scientific review contest (10th grade). I plan to begin research next semester. As for community service, I joined the sigma beta honor society, which requires its members to do community services. Hopefully, I will get more community service in this way. I am not sure if I am too late to start pre-med. I always feel like every body is so ahead of me and lack confidence in myself...
Am I too late to start pre-med?
- Thread starter lym
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2013
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 73
A sophomore? You are so NOT late to start, but you better organize your time to get that research, clinical experience, and shadowing down. AND you still have that beast of a test MCAT ahead, so buckle up. The next couple of years will be busy but exciting.
And don't pay attention to what everyone else is doing, how much clinical exp or research they have or how high their MCAT is. Focus on yourself. Apply when you feel that you're ready. Good luck.
And don't pay attention to what everyone else is doing, how much clinical exp or research they have or how high their MCAT is. Focus on yourself. Apply when you feel that you're ready. Good luck.
Thank you, JustAnother and drdking. I plan to send emails to professors over summer and hopefully get a chance to do research. Is shadowing a nurse assistant a good start because I just get exposed to the actual medical environment last month? Also, is clinical experience mean working in a clinic? Thanks in advance.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2013
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 73
To quote LizzyM: "If you're close enough to smell the patient, it's clinical." Clinical experience can be at an outpatient clinic or a hospital and it doesn't strictly have to be "work". An example would be volunteering in a hospital where you can interact (discharge/talk to/comfort...etc) with patients. The emphasis is on the interaction between you and patients, and what you learn from these interactions.
As for shadowing, NA is a start, but I would strongly recommend shadowing doctors. Or even better, find a job that pays to shadow a doctor, i.g. a scribe. You want to work/shadow closely with a few doctors. You get to know them better and vice versa, which will help them write a convincing letter of rec later on.
As for shadowing, NA is a start, but I would strongly recommend shadowing doctors. Or even better, find a job that pays to shadow a doctor, i.g. a scribe. You want to work/shadow closely with a few doctors. You get to know them better and vice versa, which will help them write a convincing letter of rec later on.
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2015
- Messages
- 3,050
- Reaction score
- 6,165
Just curious, if you're a sophomore in biochem, wouldn't that mean you've taken bio, gen chem and maybe OChem already? If thats the case then you're right on track
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2015
- Messages
- 275
- Reaction score
- 269
Quite a few people become pre-med after they graduate. You'll be fine. If you're aiming to matriculate straight into med school after you graduate, then it'll be a bit busy the next couple years. Don't feel like you need to rush it though; working a year or two in a real full-time job can really help to develop you as a person.
Similar threads
