Being pre-med is the easiest thing in the world!

[Hawaiiandoc04]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Everybody laments how hard being pre-med is and how tough science classes are and how difficult the mcat is and how many LOR's one needs and so on . . . but what is truly hard is making it in the real world. The uncertainty of employment, the subjectivity in promotions, the ambiguity in evaluation, the notion that one does not succeed solely by one's merit but by who one knows. . . So much of making it big in the real world depends not only on a strong work ethic, intelligence, drive, charisma, and a certain entrepenuerial spirit, but also a whole lot of luck. Pre-meds should consider themselves fortunate in this regard. There is a clear road to success free from the trappings of subjectivity and randomness. All one needs is to get A's and B's in their classes, study hard for the mcat, do some volunteer work and viola! an acceptance. An acceptance unlike a first job offer, this kind of acceptance is a free ticket to success. Sure their will be immense work ahead, but by in large you are going to become a physician, going to command a high income, and going to gain prestige. I will even go so far in saying that going to medical school, for some, is a way to avoid the fears of failing, the uncertainty of job loss, and ultimately a sure way for one to "make it" in the real world without having to really strive for excellence.. .I do think being pre-med requires a lot of dilligence and a certain amount of intelligence, but because success is spelled out for you, 3.5/30, I think in some ways it is the easiest thing in the world.

 

[jlee9531]

i cant say i agree for the moment.
seeing how people get screwed over by chasing their dream to become a doctor.
over half of us will not get accepted to med school. making it harder to get in next year and perhaps if bad luck ensues the year after.......

i can guarantee you that there are plenty of people who know people that just getting the grades and numbers do not guarantee them a spot into medical school. you make it sound so easy. but its not. job applications cost nowhere close to the amount of money as medical school applications. if you dont get a job at one place you can always go back to the classifieds and try and get another. for premeds its expensive to go through another app cycle. or to fly to different places that sets you back 300-500 dollars everytime we go for an interview.

med school application and acceptance process is subject to randomness and subjectivity like many other things. there is no magic formula that "guarantees" us an acceptance and success.

during this process i have had to work over 50 hours a week to house and feed my family, but i have never been so worried about something in my life as i was worried about not getting into a medical school. I just thank God right now that I did get in somewhere and do not have to face the decision to give up what i want to do or wait another year to spent another 5000 dollars to throw away.

but yeah...just my thoughts...

making it in the real world is hard...but at least for me...im happy just as long as i can have a roof over my head and a meal a day. and achieveing that is easier i think than getting into a med school.

 

[kmnfive]

jlee, is that J. Didion quote from someone who taught at Cal?

 

[jlee9531]

She was a student at Berkeley and became a writer. years later Berkeley invited her back to be a Regent's Lecturer for the English Department. This was back in 1975.

her quote, which is a part of this book of alumni essays students get when we graduate, just expressed exactly how i feel about my school. she was nothing amazing. barely graduated haha...like me. but she was touched by the school as i was.

a great quote for me. 😉

definitely one that makes me forever yearn to go back and live my life back up in the bay area.

 

[thackl]

At first, I thought this was going to be something trollish....... but it's right on. There is still some randomness and abiguity for those around and below the averages for med school, but not like the real world where many of the hot shots and high fliers are, in reality, pretty worthless and many of the best are **** on, denied promotions and are underpaid. Now I just sit here and wait for all you 18yr olds to tell me how wrong I am even though I've held engineering positions at 3 major US companies (and no, I was not getting **** on, but many great people around me were).

 

[Sean2tall]

Thackl: You are speaking the truth about some jobs, especially engineering. A guy I know helped to invent ABS brakes and not long after was laid-off to be replaced by somebody younger and cheaper. Thankfully that seems not to be the case with medicine right now, as the OP was suggesting, young and cheap means inexperienced or unlicensed.

I think in many fields the question is: are you good at promoting, networking, and selling yourself, rather than doing your actual job?

Sean

 

[PianoGirl04]

Well, I can't say that the process of going through pre-medical and medical training is easier than getting a job. An acceptance is not necessarily a ticket to success...because along the road, we're going to have to make incredible personal sacrifices. Sure, we have a structured path to follow with a lot less uncertainty than the "real world," but following that path is going to be physically and emotionally grueling. However, if you're a doctor you do always have job security...and I'll take that given how the economy is now! Plus, I'm not sure how many college graduates get jobs right away, but half of us will get accepted...and 1/2 is pretty darn good if you ask me.

I definitely don't agree that it's a sure way to make it without striving for excellence. "Striving for excellence" is what all of us are doing now as we try to get accepted. We're not just following a formula (3.5/30 is NOT a guaranteed acceptance!) and going about this half-heartedly. I think I speak for a lot of pre-meds when I say that we put our hearts into this and always strive to do our personal best (even if it sometimes involves being a gunner).

*steps down from soapbox*

 

[ForensicPath]

I think it should be: being a med student is the easiest thing in the world instead of pre-med. I agree that once you have set your course to become a doctor then you will have a pretty good time in life without having to deal with the business world crap (however private practice certainly mimics owning your own business and lets not forget about managed care and malpractice). However, being a pre-med is definitely stressful. I don't mean the classes, but this application process is one pain in the anus. I know plenty of engineers and commerce & finance students at my school who already have jobs lined up for after graduation. When I am asked what I am doing I have to say I HOPE to be going to medical school since I have not been accepted yet.