College PRE-MED Mistakes to AVOID and Advice to SUCCEED

[FuturePharm21]

Hi, so as a pre-med student and talking to several people I know many pre-meds go from changing majors/minors/careers to failing MCAT/low GPA to being successful...

Thus, a lot of people have told me to talk to pre-med students/1st-2nd year med students about mistakes to avoid in terms of:

*Picking classes and GPA- I heard if you built a high GPA freshman year it stabilizes your GPA after classes like Organic chemistry?

*Pre-MCAT review timing and practice: If a student is to take the MCAT in the spring of Sophomore year when is the best time to start practicing/adjusting to the test/learning and reviewing the material? Also are Kaplan and Princeton Review courses beneficial? And generally what scores do students start at and how much do they increase after 1 year? And generally there are 3 sections, which is on average is the easier section and which is the harder?

*I know people say do things you like BUT essentially I'm assuming med. schools LOVE to see stuff like research, which would be cool in my opinion, what else do they like? And how do you do research in college?

*How do you get letters of recommendation, I know you have to develop relationships with professors but any advice on that sort of stuff?

*The premed curriculum can be TOUGH, any comments lol
For example, my cousin goes to WashU, but decided to take organic chem at Loyola University Chicago in the summer. She said it was easier than she thought and preferred taking at LUC.

*Any other advice that you would have wanted to know before applying to medical schools

*Any regrets and things you would have changed or any useful suggestions that you think can really help?

I know I am being a little too curious but I know the wisdom from other people can really help me learn from their mistakes, but obviously everyone makes mistakes, so I imagine I will too, but anything useful to know can be helpful.

Thanks for your help

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[Instatewaiter]

damnit i started responding to be nice and then saw who made the tread...

 

[GreenShirt]

Here's my advice on some of your questions:

1) Don't overload on classes to make your transcript look more impressive (ie taking biochem, quantum physics, and orgo) unless you are Einstein gifted. Just meet the pre-reqs and don't be afraid to spread them out across the first 3 rather than 2 years if necessary (MCAT review materials will give you all you need to know for the exam itself). There's no reason to cram everything together and it will give you more time for extracurriculars.

2) Don't take the MCAT sophmore year; it is customary to take it your junior year for many good reasons. First, you will not be done with all the pre-req classes and the ones you will be taking at the time will be very time consuming. Also, your MCAT score is only good for 3 years so if you decide you want to take time off before med school down the road, you'll have to re-take the exam (you don't want to re-take the exam, trust me).

3) Do your MCAT prep over the summer (either after sophmore or junior year) and then the exam. This will give you a lot more time to prep for the exam without the distractions of carrying a full course load. With the new exam you have many more exam dates and a faster return on the exam, so it should delay things as much as it did in the old pencil and paper days.

4) WashU Orgo is #%@# insane! I fought for a C+ (when I took it the second time ?!). Your friend was right to take it at LUC instead. If your school has a notorious weeder course like this, you would save your sanity and GPA by taking a comparable course at a less competitive university. Some say that the adcoms frown slightly upon this, but I think that if the rest of your grades are solid and you don't make a habit of it, then at least it will help you get past the initial GPA screen.

5) As for research, it's a good idea to contact the science department you're interested in and ask them how to get involved it research. Some have special programs for undergrads. You can also approach a professor directly if you've done well in their class. Usually devoting a summer to is good idea because it will give you the time to carry out a proper project.

6) Get clinical exposure as soon as possible. Shadowing and volunteering gigs are usually easy to come across by contacting a local hospital. If you really want to go the extra mile, earn a CNA or EMT certificate freshman or sophmore year and you'll be able to actually work in healthcare either in a hospital or on an ambulance. They have "per diem" positions available that allow you to fill in for other people as needed so that you can fit it into your schedule.

7) Finally, don't stress too much about every little setback that "will prevent you from getting into medical school". You'll find a way, so don't kill yourself worrying about it now.

Good luck!

 

[189362]

Solid advice GreenShirt.

 

[spazzz]

get a life

 

[jp104]

1) Take all the pre-reqs in your freshman year. All. of. them. If admissions tells you that you can't, throw a fit and tell them you're taking biochem 1st semester or else...

2) Take the calculus versions of all the classes you need. Physics 1 and 2 w calc, Biology 1 and 2 with calc, and English 1 and 2 with calc. If no such subject exists, adcoms would love to hear how you implemented it at your university as a pre-med req.

3) Research some horrific disease and more importantly, find the cure for it. No half assing it. Cure. Now. That'll insure admittance to a lower tier school and possibly get you on the wait list for a better school.

4) Take the MCAT during the Columbus day break of your freshman year. You've had 4 weeks in school; you should be prepared by now.

5) Shadowing is good, but being in charge is better. Tell your preceptor/mentor that he better step aside and watch you cuz he'll learn a thing or two. He will respect your authori-tah.

Good luck!

PS: Just take your pre-reqs (bio/chem/etc) spread out over your 4 yrs and major in something you'll enjoy. You really get no extra points for being a chem or bio major. So unless you really like, pick something you like. Take MCAT end of Junior yr.

 

[theserbatron]

*Picking classes and GPA- I heard if you built a high GPA freshman year it stabilizes your GPA after classes like Organic chemistry? it wont stabilize, only buffer, better than a Tris buffer, but not as good as acetic acid/NaAc buffer

*Pre-MCAT review timing and practice: If a student is to take the MCAT in the spring of Sophomore year when is the best time to start practicing/adjusting to the test/learning and reviewing the material? Also are Kaplan and Princeton Review courses beneficial? And generally what scores do students start at and how much do they increase after 1 year? And generally there are 3 sections, which is on average is the easier section and which is the harder? spring of sophomore? more like spring of your 5th or 6th year. those courses are good, especially if you're not good at anything. hardest is filling in your name, the rest is a cake walk. i'd say starting out at anything positive is good, when you reach 5 on each test dont even bother studying anymore and just apply to DO. you'll get in.

*I know people say do things you like BUT essentially I'm assuming med. schools LOVE to see stuff like research, which would be cool in my opinion, what else do they like? And how do you do research in college? they love it as much as they like your money from your secondaries that they'll reject anyways. they also like if you travel, if you rescued a panda from certain death, or do triathalons. to do research in college, just pick a topic and start reading about it. then put on your application that you did research one summer.

*How do you get letters of recommendation, I know you have to develop relationships with professors but any advice on that sort of stuff? yeah, i would start by buying your profs copious amounts of coffee, get in on their good side, complement their side part or tweed jacket, whatever they happen to have. these help "break the ice" and that's half the battle".

*The premed curriculum can be TOUGH, any comments lol
For example, my cousin goes to WashU, but decided to take organic chem at Loyola University Chicago in the summer. She said it was easier than she thought and preferred taking at LUC. yeah, take all your upper division at a community college; in fact, do your first two years at a great school, and then go to a JC and finish up your bachelors there so you can ace every class and buffer/stabilize your GPA from the hard classes you had the first two years.

*Any other advice that you would have wanted to know before applying to medical schools. when you buy a car, never pay sticker price. haggle with the dealer, especially towards the end of the month when they want to meet their quota. when they go to the manager to review the deal you've proposed, demand also a pre-nuptial agreement, dont be shy to ask for a keychain either. not a plastic one, but one of those nice ones that has some metal on it with a leather fob.

*Any regrets and things you would have changed or any useful suggestions that you think can really help? stop posting on this forum.

I know I am being a little too curious (understatement) but I know the wisdom from other people can really help me learn from their mistakes, but obviously everyone makes mistakes (captain obvious), so I imagine I will too, but anything useful to know can be helpful.

Thanks for your help

my answers in bold. you're welcome.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Really????? Really?

 

[sherruns]

My best advice to you after reading the foregoing posts:
take everything you read on SDN with a small cube of NaCl

 

[Tepi]

Yes do research. Ask about it at your school's science department, but there is also another choice if there is a teaching hospital near-by. Call or check their website and see if they have an "Undergraduate Medical Education" division. Maybe this is randomly unique to the hospital I was at, but I initially contacted them to do shadowing. I got a call back the next day that basically went, "Yes, we can set you up with shadowing, but we have a doctor who needs a research assistant, would you be interested in doing something like that as well?" Needless to say that I was surprised, and Im not sure how often that happens, but it doesn't hurt to ask. I think teaching hospitals are used to undergrads looking for experience. Also, I had no special qualifications, basically they needed free labor (ie me the volunteer). Worst they can say is no!

 

[quenton cassidy]

Futurepharm, this is the 4th thread you have started in the past few days, you are in serious danger of being a gunner and haven't even started college yet, much less med school.

SO most importantly, take the classes you need but pick a major you enjoy, find some other activities you like and along the lines some volunteering/clinical exposure/research which are things that pre-med advisors or pre-med groups at your college can most likely help you get set up with. You are at least 3 years away from applying, so enjoy your summer before college.

 

[FuturePharm21]

thanks GREENSHIRT and JP

 

[FuturePharm21]

thanks to all the ACTUALLY RESPONDED

Secondly, I haven't posted anything for like 2-3 weeks, I just posted 2 things yesterday, so the sarcastic ** can go to **

otherwise, thanks to everyone for positive comments because I will def spread out classes and APPRECIATE your ADVICE

This forum is for PRE-DO questions, and LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, if you think the questions are annoying, THEN IGNORE AND DON'T POST

 

[JaggerPlate]

thanks to all the ACTUALLY RESPONDED

Secondly, I haven't posted anything for like 2-3 weeks, I just posted 2 things yesterday, so the sarcastic ** can go to **

otherwise, thanks to everyone for positive comments because I will def spread out classes and APPRECIATE your ADVICE

This forum is for PRE-DO questions, and LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, if you think the questions are annoying, THEN IGNORE AND DON'T POST

Hahahahahaha ... I love the ShyRem edited version.

 

[Jamers]

Hi, so as a pre-med student and talking to several people I know many pre-meds go from changing majors/minors/careers to failing MCAT/low GPA to being successful...

Thus, a lot of people have told me to talk to pre-med students/1st-2nd year med students about mistakes to avoid in terms of:

*Picking classes and GPA- I heard if you built a high GPA freshman year it stabilizes your GPA after classes like Organic chemistry?

*Pre-MCAT review timing and practice: If a student is to take the MCAT in the spring of Sophomore year when is the best time to start practicing/adjusting to the test/learning and reviewing the material? Also are Kaplan and Princeton Review courses beneficial? And generally what scores do students start at and how much do they increase after 1 year? And generally there are 3 sections, which is on average is the easier section and which is the harder?

*I know people say do things you like BUT essentially I'm assuming med. schools LOVE to see stuff like research, which would be cool in my opinion, what else do they like? And how do you do research in college?

*How do you get letters of recommendation, I know you have to develop relationships with professors but any advice on that sort of stuff?

*The premed curriculum can be TOUGH, any comments lol
For example, my cousin goes to WashU, but decided to take organic chem at Loyola University Chicago in the summer. She said it was easier than she thought and preferred taking at LUC.

*Any other advice that you would have wanted to know before applying to medical schools

*Any regrets and things you would have changed or any useful suggestions that you think can really help?

I know I am being a little too curious but I know the wisdom from other people can really help me learn from their mistakes, but obviously everyone makes mistakes, so I imagine I will too, but anything useful to know can be helpful.

Thanks for your help

my biggest piece of advice to you is twofold

1. Calm the hell down; college is about finding yourself and what you like. Declare a major you will enjoy, not something to impress. Do well in your classes and befriend some of your teachers; this will land you good research opportunities. Go out on the weekends, most of the weekdays and drink your brain cells stupid.
2. Stop taking advice from others who you don't know. Forge your own path. Listening to other people who you have never met is akin to believing those diet commercials. Sure you can lose 35 lbs in a week but you will most likely need a liver transplant in the near future.

 

[singinfifi]

Don't over-think.
Do enjoy yourself.
Don't consider EVERY action that you make in terms of your future.
Do attempt to actually live a little.

 

[Character]

dont be a lamer

 

[FuturePharm21]

i have a serious question: Do Med. schools care if students take AP classes, IB credit, College community courses, take CLEP exams, or do they want/prefer students to take Gen ed, math,science, English and all premed requirements at a state university where it is usually harder/more expensive?

 

[jimboapu]

i have a serious question: Do Med. schools care if students take AP classes, IB credit, College community courses, take CLEP exams, or do they want/prefer students to take Gen ed, math,science, English and all premed requirements at a state university where it is usually harder/more expensive?

Thats a solid question, and it depends on the university. The specific case I have run into is calculus, because even though I scored high enough on the AP to get both semesters credit in undergrad, my top choice school requires that you take it at a university. It really depends on the school, most med school websites have course requirements listed, and many tell you whether AP credit is validated. My rule of thumb so far has been to take all science, math, english, etc in college so all my bases are covered but AP/CLEPing out of general courses is a really smart thing to do, especially if your major requirements are tough. just my 2 cents . Dont stress about it too much.

 

[Nasem]

1) Take all the pre-reqs in your freshman year. All. of. them. If admissions tells you that you can't, throw a fit and tell them you're taking biochem 1st semester or else...

2) Take the calculus versions of all the classes you need. Physics 1 and 2 w calc, Biology 1 and 2 with calc, and English 1 and 2 with calc. If no such subject exists, adcoms would love to hear how you implemented it at your university as a pre-med req.

3) Research some horrific disease and more importantly, find the cure for it. No half assing it. Cure. Now. That'll insure admittance to a lower tier school and possibly get you on the wait list for a better school.

4) Take the MCAT during the Columbus day break of your freshman year. You've had 4 weeks in school; you should be prepared by now.

5) Shadowing is good, but being in charge is better. Tell your preceptor/mentor that he better step aside and watch you cuz he'll learn a thing or two. He will respect your authori-tah.

Good luck!

this had me cracking up for like 10 minutes straight

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Thats a solid question, and it depends on the university. The specific case I have run into is calculus, because even though I scored high enough on the AP to get both semesters credit in undergrad, my top choice school requires that you take it at a university. It really depends on the school, most med school websites have course requirements listed, and many tell you whether AP credit is validated. My rule of thumb so far has been to take all science, math, english, etc in college so all my bases are covered but AP/CLEPing out of general courses is a really smart thing to do, especially if your major requirements are tough. just my 2 cents . Dont stress about it too much.

Which DO school REQUIRES calculus? I believe most schools view AP/CLEP on a case by case basis. I believe ALL DO schools accept community college courses, pre-reqs or not. But Jim is right if you want to be on the safe side avoid the AP/CLEP route.

 

[Saregamapadanis]

1) Take all the pre-reqs in your freshman year. All. of. them. If admissions tells you that you can't, throw a fit and tell them you're taking biochem 1st semester or else...

2) Take the calculus versions of all the classes you need. Physics 1 and 2 w calc, Biology 1 and 2 with calc, and English 1 and 2 with calc. If no such subject exists, adcoms would love to hear how you implemented it at your university as a pre-med req.

3) Research some horrific disease and more importantly, find the cure for it. No half assing it. Cure. Now. That'll insure admittance to a lower tier school and possibly get you on the wait list for a better school.

4) Take the MCAT during the Columbus day break of your freshman year. You've had 4 weeks in school; you should be prepared by now.

5) Shadowing is good, but being in charge is better. Tell your preceptor/mentor that he better step aside and watch you cuz he'll learn a thing or two. He will respect your authori-tah.

Good luck!.

good stuff

 

[FuturePharm21]

jp104, I find that sarcasm rude....and thank the people that answer my questions honestly and thoughtfully.

 

[RySerr21]

jp104, I find that sarcasm rude....and thank the people that answer my questions honestly and thoughtfully.

whenever you make a thread....most people will respond thoughtfully and honestly, especially in the DO forum. however, there will almost always be someone that responds sarcastically (although I'm surprised it wasn't TT ). youll learn to get used to it, or at least ignore it.

in light of all the thoughtful responses you did get.... can you at least admit that jp104's was somewhat entertaining to read? did you even chuckle? i definetely did.

 

[FuturePharm21]

lol I did kinda laugh at the calculus-based classes and his forceful insistence that I take all pre-reqs freshman year. I guess I just have to get used to the sarcasm, but yeah sarcasm can be a good, but there's that border when someone crosses sarcasm and just becomes mean. But yeah I'm sure he was just trying to be sarcastic and joke.

 

[JaggerPlate]

lol I did kinda laugh at the calculus-based classes and his forceful insistence that I take all pre-reqs freshman year. I guess I just have to get used to the sarcasm, but yeah sarcasm can be a good, but there's that border when someone crosses sarcasm and just becomes mean. But yeah I'm sure he was just trying to be sarcastic and joke.

If there is a border between sarcasm and mean, there also should be one between curious and annoying (both have been crossed). I don't even understand why people are entertaining these thread anymore. You have received plenty of good advice, and lots of people telling you to chill out and stop worrying about things you really have no control over as of now. Take this advice and run with it.

 

[rockdascrubs786]

well, i suggest drinking your *** off and cramming hardcore the night before exams with some adderal, concerta and blah blah ....works at my school. sike, major in something that isnt a science, buffer your science classes with easy *** classes. if i would do it over again, id major in political science and international relations....the classes are jokes.

 

[saylorsdad]

I think the inability for pre-meds to chill out is one reason that many doctors are seen as uptight people. I know on a personal level that turned me off big time to medical school as undergrad. I know understand their level of intensity/focus however I still chill out and try to be a person from time to time.

 

[DannMann99]

Originally Posted by FuturePharm21

*Picking classes and GPA- I heard if you built a high GPA freshman year it stabilizes your GPA after classes like Organic chemistry? it wont stabilize, only buffer, better than a Tris buffer, but not as good as acetic acid/NaAc buffer

Thanks for your help
my answers in bold. you're welcome.

You're a butthole. Tris is a much better buffer then HoAC. The linearity of pH dependence on temperature makes it pretty handy. Don't get me wrong you can get alot done with HoAc. But I prefer Tris or Phosphate...

 

[scdocusc]

you can never go wrong with good old PBS... one thing I do regret about my undergrad career was that I never studied or did a mission abroad. I think this is great not only for applications but for yourself. Have fun in college and see the world. Do medical mission trips during the summer instead of research. There are many DO schools out there that like research but dont care a bit about having it. I spent tons of hours in a lab during summers instead of going on medical mission trips. I would have done things much differently. Good luck.

 

[Ki45toryu]

Wow...I really need to get back in the lab...its sad how you can know something so well like buffers, only to lose all memory of them in a year.

 

[FuturePharm21]

lol I love how all you pre-meds are not simply answering questions, but relating them to chemistry buffer systems lol and you think I don't chill and have a life, you people are analyzing "grades" to buffers.... but I guess I will try and pick the right schedule to fit my needs/activities/interests...

 

[FuturePharm21]

salorsdad, you shouldn't judge people based on a forum lol, I have a life, I'm normal, you don't know anything about me besides that I have a strong interest in pursuing the medical field....and I'm annoying lol

and I'm not saying your judging me, your just saying how premeds are so uptight, but they can still have fun, I'm learning from people that it's all about the intricate balance of work, play, and fun

 

[niranjan162]

jp hilarious post.

futurepharm, from what ive read ur in highschool, so def relax. Even if u you know you wanna be dr., college is a great time to get to know yourself and especially do lots of immature things, especially since med school will be pretty time consuming. knowing the system is good and having goals is good, but you should focus more on finding your own path.

My advice is if you think your ready for the work of med school, then take the easiest major like psych or something worthless. Not only will you have a high GPA but you will have lots of time to drink/relax/lose some gunnerage/focus on your pre-req classes.

 

[RySerr21]

jp hilarious post.

futurepharm, from what ive read ur in highschool, so def relax. Even if u you know you wanna be dr., college is a great time to get to know yourself and especially do lots of immature things, especially since med school will be pretty time consuming. knowing the system is good and having goals is good, but you should focus more on finding your own path.

My advice is if you think your ready for the work of med school, then take the easiest major like psych or something worthless. Not only will you have a high GPA but you will have lots of time to drink/relax/lose some gunnerage/focus on your pre-req classes.

ive taken quite a few psych classes cuz i find it interesting, but am not a major. in that time i have had many hilarious conversations (at least from my perspective) with psych majors who claim that "psych major is the hardest science major on campus."

i could barely contain myself.

 

[Thantis]

..., then take the easiest major like psych or something worthless.

Whoa there buddy. Don't start ragging on psych, because it sure as hell is not worthless. Its what you do with it that counts....like my using it to mess with people's heads. Nothing tops a day of lovely manipulation and seeing if a person is lying to me or not.

 

[RySerr21]

Whoa there buddy. Don't start ragging on psych, because it sure as hell is not worthless. Its what you do with it that counts....like my using it to mess with people's heads. Nothing tops a day of lovely manipulation and seeing if a person is lying to me or not.

was niran referring to psych as being easy or worthless, or both? definitely referring to it as easy.... worthless is kind of debatable. he/she could have been referring to another "worthless" major but left psych in the category of "easy"

that is why i hate poetry (or most of it at least)

 

[Saregamapadanis]

To FuturePharm21,

One mistake I have made in my premed career is I had a relaxed attitude toward studying or got involved too much in things other than studying in some of my years in college. This was what destroyed most of my chances- a bad gpa. I was lucky in that I made it up with an above average mcat score.

If you want to have a best shot at medical schools , you need to concentrate 99.9% on your classes, the other things are simply unnecessary. Go to the library, and start studying, never be around people who complain biochemistry is hard, or Organic chemistry is hard, or physical chemistry is hard... nothing is hard, if you put your mind to it, thats about it. Get rid of all negativity when it comes to studying and get rid of things like PSII and Xbox or the TV... well except maybe CNN or some other news , eliminate the senseless wasting of time that we usually do with friends while you are in college, people tell you to relax , but those people won't probably make it, I can tell you, I almost never made it , and I am glad I have atleast this acceptance that I have right now. So the rule to never forget is study and probably in the weekends you can volunteer and in the other free time you can get in touch with a professor and work in a lab doing research. A good gpa, a good mcat score, good solid hours volunteering and some solid research will get you in somewhere. good luck man! I hope you seriously take this advice and study.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

To FuturePharm21,

One mistake I have made in my premed career is I had a relaxed attitude toward studying or got involved too much in things other than studying in some of my years in college. This was what destroyed most of my chances- a bad gpa. I was lucky in that I made it up with an above average mcat score.

If you want to have a best shot at medical schools , you need to concentrate 99.9% on your classes, the other things are simply unnecessary. Go to the library, and start studying, never be around people who complain biochemistry is hard, or Organic chemistry is hard, or physical chemistry is hard... nothing is hard, if you put your mind to it, thats about it. Get rid of all negativity when it comes to studying and get rid of things like PSII and Xbox or the TV... well except maybe CNN or some other news , eliminate the senseless wasting of time that we usually do with friends while you are in college, people tell you to relax , but those people won't probably make it, I can tell you, I almost never made it , and I am glad I have atleast this acceptance that I have right now. So the rule to never forget is study and probably in the weekends you can volunteer and in the other free time you can get in touch with a professor and work in a lab doing research. A good gpa, a good mcat score, good solid hours volunteering and some solid research will get you in somewhere. good luck man! I hope you seriously take this advice and study.

well said.

 

[singinfifi]

ive taken quite a few psych classes cuz i find it interesting, but am not a major. in that time i have had many hilarious conversations (at least from my perspective) with psych majors who claim that "psych major is the hardest science major on campus."

i could barely contain myself.

Omfg.

Seriously.

Them and the hospitality kids. >.<
I have two seperate B.S. Degrees, one in Psych and one in Biology. I finished the Psych one in under 2 years...never going to class (it wasn't required, so I didn't bother), and just reading a little bit the weekend before a test.

Really, it felt like I took 2 years off after graduating highschool!

Then i decided to be a real student, and started my biology major!

 

[tideleonheart]

To FuturePharm21,

One mistake I have made in my premed career is I had a relaxed attitude toward studying or got involved too much in things other than studying in some of my years in college. This was what destroyed most of my chances- a bad gpa. I was lucky in that I made it up with an above average mcat score.

If you want to have a best shot at medical schools , you need to concentrate 99.9% on your classes, the other things are simply unnecessary. Go to the library, and start studying, never be around people who complain biochemistry is hard, or Organic chemistry is hard, or physical chemistry is hard... nothing is hard, if you put your mind to it, thats about it. Get rid of all negativity when it comes to studying and get rid of things like PSII and Xbox or the TV... well except maybe CNN or some other news , eliminate the senseless wasting of time that we usually do with friends while you are in college, people tell you to relax , but those people won't probably make it, I can tell you, I almost never made it , and I am glad I have atleast this acceptance that I have right now. So the rule to never forget is study and probably in the weekends you can volunteer and in the other free time you can get in touch with a professor and work in a lab doing research. A good gpa, a good mcat score, good solid hours volunteering and some solid research will get you in somewhere. good luck man! I hope you seriously take this advice and study.

You know, maybe I'm just optimistic, but I'm a believer in having it all. If you can manage your time, even a little, you can have fun with friends, play video games, AND do well in undergrad. The biggest thing is to work AND play hard. My advice:

1) Go to class, even if the class seems pointless. Why? Because teachers know when you miss and they like people who show up. It makes a difference.

2) Work hard, play hard.

3) Have fun with your major / minor. Don't try to do something you hate just because you think adcoms will like it. I got accepted as a CompSci major. Why CompSci? I love it and have had a ton of fun with it!

4) Try hard on your personal statement and ECs. Make several revisions of your personal statement and send them out the people. At first, ask them to critique the overall flow and organization, then the content and believability, and then spelling / grammar.

5) This is the most important one, in my opinion. Out of all the schools you apply to, pick the 2-3 that you want to go to the most - the ones that FIT you the most. Whether it is location or academics, just make a decision. Once you know for sure, make an extra effort at those 2-3 schools. What I did was tell the admissions coordinator that I was going to be driving by and I wanted to see the school. Naturally, they say, "Oh great, come on by!" Stop in, talk to them, and give them a face to put with the name. Other than that, keep in contact with them (every 2 weeks to a month, if you have something to say), and TELL them straight out that their school is your first, second, or third choice school. But always, always follow rule number 6.

6) Tell the truth. Don't exaggerate.

7) Don't get discouraged by reading about those that seem to live and breath med school and post about it. Not everyone is so extreme.

 

[Kateb4]

*Picking classes and GPA- I heard if you built a high GPA freshman year it stabilizes your GPA after classes like Organic chemistry?

*Pre-MCAT review timing and practice: If a student is to take the MCAT in the spring of Sophomore year when is the best time to start practicing/adjusting to the test/learning and reviewing the material? Also are Kaplan and Princeton Review courses beneficial? And generally what scores do students start at and how much do they increase after 1 year? And generally there are 3 sections, which is on average is the easier section and which is the harder?

*I know people say do things you like BUT essentially I'm assuming med. schools LOVE to see stuff like research, which would be cool in my opinion, what else do they like? And how do you do research in college?

*How do you get letters of recommendation, I know you have to develop relationships with professors but any advice on that sort of stuff?

So... here's my two cents on some of this stuff:

On picking classes.... you are just entering college. When you have your orientation, you will meet with your advisor (hopefully a pre-medicine advisor) and plan out your first semester, and maybe even lay out plans for your 4 years there, or were you on some weird 3 year thing?

MCAT planning... I still think that spring of your soph year is way too early for you to get the required classes in. The MCAT is alot tougher than you think, not at all like the SAT or ACT, it is testing real subject matter that you will have to learn in great detail in those pre-req classes. Check out one of the free practice tests on the AAMC site if you don't believe us. Do not go into the test planning on retaking it. First off, it's expensive, and second, schools will see all of your attempts within 3 years, so taking it before you are completely ready may really hurt you.

Research is fine, do it if you like it, but it is definately not required or looked upon more favorably than say work experience in the med field unless you are applying to certain research oriented schools. At my school there was an actual class that we took for research credit, you just had to go find a teacher that was willing to let you work with them in their lab.

LOR's - Volunteer, work, shadow or otherwise get close to and friendly with a DO. Once that you are on good terms you may be able to get a good letter. For your professors, just get to know them in a class as you normally would, get an A, and then take another of their classes and do the same. After they know your name, you can ask for a letter.

Boy, that's all I can handle for now. Really, just be patient and take your time. Don't get yourself in a hurry over this stuff because rushing thru some of will leave gaps in your learning, or you may make mistakes like a poor MCAT score. This really is a marathon, being done when you are 29 will make you no better of a doctor than if you finish when you're 30 or 40 for that matter.

 

[IcedTea]

Hi, so as a pre-med student and talking to several people I know many pre-meds go from changing majors/minors/careers to failing MCAT/low GPA to being successful...

Thus, a lot of people have told me to talk to pre-med students/1st-2nd year med students about mistakes to avoid in terms of:

*Picking classes and GPA- I heard if you built a high GPA freshman year it stabilizes your GPA after classes like Organic chemistry?

*Pre-MCAT review timing and practice: If a student is to take the MCAT in the spring of Sophomore year when is the best time to start practicing/adjusting to the test/learning and reviewing the material? Also are Kaplan and Princeton Review courses beneficial? And generally what scores do students start at and how much do they increase after 1 year? And generally there are 3 sections, which is on average is the easier section and which is the harder?

*I know people say do things you like BUT essentially I'm assuming med. schools LOVE to see stuff like research, which would be cool in my opinion, what else do they like? And how do you do research in college?

*How do you get letters of recommendation, I know you have to develop relationships with professors but any advice on that sort of stuff?

*The premed curriculum can be TOUGH, any comments lol
For example, my cousin goes to WashU, but decided to take organic chem at Loyola University Chicago in the summer. She said it was easier than she thought and preferred taking at LUC.

*Any other advice that you would have wanted to know before applying to medical schools

*Any regrets and things you would have changed or any useful suggestions that you think can really help?

I know I am being a little too curious but I know the wisdom from other people can really help me learn from their mistakes, but obviously everyone makes mistakes, so I imagine I will too, but anything useful to know can be helpful.

Thanks for your help

Alright here's my advice:

-Spread the prereqs out. Don't cluster them together in one particular semester or then you'll just overload yourself. And try to get an A in all the prereq courses so you can have a science GPA of 3.5 +

-Take the MCAT in your junior year. It works out a lot better. No point stressing yourself out in the sophomore year. Yeah you can take a Kaplan course, it can help if you pay attention and dedicate yourself. No part I found a lot more difficult than the other, but the Physical Sciences section was a bit tough.

-For research, just contact the chair of the science department at your college. They should have some research opportunities.

-Okay now here's comes my favorite part. Letters of Recommendation. I am an expert on LoR's...no one can beat me when it comes to getting the best letters. This is what you have to do: KISS @$$! LOL! Trust me, it works. Be nice to the profs that you want a LoR from, try to do good in their class even if you hate the class and a "hello, how are you?" and a "take care" everyday goes a LONG way my friend.

-Overall just chillax, take it easy, and do good. Keep up your grades but don't stress over little crap like most premeds do. The premed mentality is that "OHHH NO I GOT ONE BAD GRADE! NOW I CAN'T GET INTO MED SCHOOL!" That's totally wrong. A couple bad grades are not going to hurt you, depending on how bad they are. Just make sure you try your best to maintain A's in all classes.

-I don't really have regrets, but I wish I did a little less partying in college so I could go to med school with a more serious state of mind. I'm in med school now and still in the party mode lol. Just focus though. Once you make the effort to do well these years in premed and med school, it all pays off in the end.

 

[sookie]

i have a serious question: Do Med. schools care if students take AP classes, IB credit, College community courses, take CLEP exams, or do they want/prefer students to take Gen ed, math,science, English and all premed requirements at a state university where it is usually harder/more expensive?

This post caught my eye because I was an IB student. I don't think credits do anything special for you. In fact, they might be more of a pain in the ***! My pre-med advisor told me that if you clep out of a class, then you actually have to take a class of more difficulty to make up for it. For instance, I IB tested out of my first two english courses, and I had to take a third english to cover for it. A third english is required anyway, so I was lucky. I think if anything, taking clep tests shows that you were smart in high school... but they don't care about that by the time you are interviewing for med school.

 

[FuturePharm21]

so MD and DO schools DO NOT like AP and CLEP credit?

 

[ShyRem]

they won't let them count for pre-reqs. But CLEP credits will count in your GPA if they're on your college transcript.

 

[BCLumas]

/sigh

First of all, I'd like you to do me a favor and take a solid look at my post. Read it carefully, read it slowly, and understand it. Ok? Awesome.

Now although you might have been slightly offended by some of the previous posts, I think they contain valuable information. For example, this is what I am hearing from you concerning you undergraduate career.. ! That's fantastic that you are going into college so ready to think of your future and your life. College, however, is not something that you want to miss. It is more than just a mechanism for you to get into medical school, it is a way for you to grow and develop as a person.

Am I saying you should go out and party your brains out? Not at all. I am saying, however, that the Adcoms are not looking for robots and drones to admit into medical school. They're looking for people. I was told a story by the head of admissions for TCOM about a person who applied with a 3.8 GPA and a 42 MCAT from Harvard that they rejected. Why did they do such a thing, I asked. The person could not communicate face-to-face and had no sign of a personality.

Basically what I am getting at is that you need to simply relax. First of all, it is the summer before you collegiate career. Much like we are doing before we embark to medical school, you need to take this time to sleep in, stay up late, exercise, play games, and, ultimately, have fun. Although college isn't overly difficult, it is FULL of stressful times and moments that will test your will and fortitude. It requires attention and focus, but relaxation is also key. Do you think that medical students today are studying every waking moment? I don't. I would think that one afternoon a week they find time to chill out: watch a few TV shows, play some soccer, sit on the beach, etc.

I wish there was a "chill out" smiley because that is what is needed here. As for CLEP, AP, and the rest, it doesn't really matter. You need a solid MCAT, GPA, LORs, and personality. The pre-credit courses for college will simply allow you to progress in your degree faster and take more extra courses that you personally find interesting and can add a pad to your GPA.

Relax. Medical school will come. Relax.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Omfg.

Seriously.

Them and the hospitality kids. >.<
I have two seperate B.S. Degrees, one in Psych and one in Biology. I finished the Psych one in under 2 years...never going to class (it wasn't required, so I didn't bother), and just reading a little bit the weekend before a test.

Really, it felt like I took 2 years off after graduating highschool!

Then i decided to be a real student, and started my biology major!

My roommate is a psych major and basically ... he screwed around and didn't declare/really do anything for two years, picked up psych, and is set to graduate early. His 'studies' are the biggest joke of all time, does nothing, says it's the easiest thing possible, etc.

 

[jp104]

they won't let them count for pre-reqs. But CLEP credits will count in your GPA if they're on your college transcript.

I think this depends on the school. I used AP bio and english creds to fulfill pre-reqs at NYCOM.

 

[TriathleticGirl]

I just have to say I can't believe I was just referred to this place today! If only I had it all 4 years of college, there's so much good info on here.