Freshman Frat Rush and Pre-Med

[MarylandMatt]

Hey SDN.

I was wondering if any of you have any experience with being in a fraternity and also being a pre-med. I'm really thinking about rushing this fall because I'd definitely enjoy the brotherhood and social aspect of being in one. The main one I'm looking at is also very serious about academics, with the average member having over a 3.6 GPA and various leadership positions. My main concerns would be obligations taking away from time for research, shadowing, and volunteering and a possible negative stigma within the medical and academic community.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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[cidem2065]

Those other obligations will make you a more rounded person and chances are some of the older brothers are pre-med and can help give you advice.

 

[fellowstudent92]

do it brah. Then you can tell them in your interviews about how much you shotgunned in college

 

[Teleologist]

Rush a premed frat.

 

[fellowstudent92]

Premed frats are GAYYYYYY

 

[hoihaie]

spend your time and money on something more worthwhile

 

[fellowstudent92]

^Wow what a prude. Is this how most med school kids are? @DermViser

 

[clwelc03]

I would absolutely rush a fraternity, whether it be a "pre-med" frat or not. I'll tell you I joined one my freshman year, albeit I had the same questions as you. It has turned out to be the best decision I have made. It's a great way for you to meet people with similar goals and interests and works as a great motivator. Be sure not to restrict what fraternities you talk to based on reputation (i.e. "pre-med" frat). You'll find pre-meds in all fraternities and I'm sure they'd all be glad to help. Will it keep you busy? Yes. But it will teach you time management really quickly. A lot of the alumni are also always there to talk to and can lend you a hand, maybe even opportunities for shadowing or volunteering.


With that being said, just remember to stay focused and take care of school and yourself first before partaking in all the weekend fun.

 

[hoihaie]

^Wow what a prude. Is this how most med school kids are? @DermViser

🙂

 

[fellowstudent92]

borrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggg

 

[deleted407021]

Friends are free if you just look for them.

 

[fellowstudent92]

Friends are free if you just look for them.

such a terrible misconception. The money doesn't go towards solidifying friendships (lol if that there the case, I would just buy into a sorority house and be "friends" with all the sisters 😉 )

anyways, it goes towards events like tailgates, parties, etc; the MONEY THAT YOU WOULD NEED IF YOU HAD FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF FRATERNITIES AS WELL.

 

[PhysicsFailure]

You will make time for what is important to you! Definitely go through recruitment, but don't get too caught up in the stereotype! Stay true to yourself!

It will be difficult sometimes when you have a test that week and a social function, but weigh the pros and cons!

But don't do so much sacrificing that your grades will suffer! What you make your first semester will be about what you will put on your medical school application! So just keep that in mind!

 

[deleted407021]

such a terrible misconception. The money doesn't go towards solidifying friendships (lol if that there the case, I would just buy into a sorority house and be "friends" with all the sisters 😉 )

anyways, it goes towards events like tailgates, parties, etc; the MONEY THAT YOU WOULD NEED IF YOU HAD FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF FRATERNITIES AS WELL.

Aye, I'm just poking fun. If that's something you want to do, go for it. Time management is up to you. I don't see that it should draw any more time than some other highly involved student organization.

 

[MarylandMatt]

The money will not be a problem. Been working summer jobs the past few years @ $13 an hour, 40 hours a week and it just sits in stocks. For the first 2-3 years we're required to live on campus so it isn't like paying for a house.

Edit: requirement is 2 years on campus since I turn 21 right before my third year.

 

[Gabreezy]

Joining a fraternity is honestly a pretty good investment. Access to the alumni network of whatever fraternity you potentially rush can be really valuable, don't underestimate that aspect. Try and find one with an alumni presence at rush.

As mentioned above it's difficult to find a balance of raging on random Tuesday nights with all of the bums who major in history and have nothing to do, versus studying for that genetics midterm you have on Thursday morning. A collected effort to throw huge parties, and having access to maaaaad beezies when the time is right is clutch though.

As you mentioned there are ample opportunities for leadership positions. I used the position I had in my house as a most meaningful experience and I've had decent success this cycle so far.

Most important, so I saved it for last. Joining a fraternity gives you access to a lot of different dudes from many different cultures, countries, ethnicities, and ways of life. You have the opportunity to make some life long friendships with people you may not have met otherwise. I know I wouldn't have even thought about talking to some of the animals in my fraternity, yet some of them are my best friends now. Just don't be one of those tools who doesn't go anywhere without his letters on and never socializes outside of his fraternity.

TLDR; Do it.

 

[fellowstudent92]

les be honest here though when you say life long friendships formed from fraternities in the specific case of pursuing medicine. You're probably going to lose your friends lol.

 

[Gabreezy]

Eh, I've made a few friends that will be at my wedding, and pounding beers with me at my kids' birthday party one day. For the most part, I agree with you though, I've made a ton of acquaintances.

 

[fellowstudent92]

Yea definitely you'll always have the few and that's all you really need to be honest. If you have two to three realllly good friends, even best friends, after graduating college, you did it right.

 

[Osteoth]

Honestly, great decision, but only you know how your time management skills are.

I would personally not live-in while taking any pre-med courses though, I did that and it pretty much tanked my GPA. Studying for that ochem midterm gets so much harder when all your buddies are downstairs playing drinking games...

 

[claduva94]

Honestly, great decision, but only you know how your time management skills are.

I would personally not live-in while taking any pre-med courses though, I did that and it pretty much tanked my GPA. Studying for that ochem midterm gets so much harder when all your buddies are downstairs playing drinking games...

Concur. At the end of the day, if you don't have a good enough GPA then you won't get into medical school. Its all about weighing positives and negatives to make an informed choice on what you can handle. None of us can tell you what that is.

 

[MarylandMatt]

Thanks for all the responses!

I plan to apply for my school's early assurance program that gives students acceptance to their med school by the end of sophomore year with no MCAT. So theoretically I could already be accepted to medical school by the time I move in to the house! I would only be distracted as much as I allow myself to be and it wouldn't be an inherent product of my environment.

I'll definitely go to all the events and interviews for prospective brothers and if I get a bid, then I'll make the final decision.

 

[Low Flow]

I came into college not wanting to be that douchey "frat guy". I just wanted to focus on school and play video games. But honestly, joining a house was probably the best decision I've made at college. Don't worry about not fitting in to any particular group, every house has such a wide array of guys that you're going to find your close friends that share similar interests. There are usually 100+ guys in a house, 4-5 are bound to be very similar to you.

I've actually already been asked about being in a fraternity in my committee interview. She basically said that greeks are known for "sex, drugs, and partying", and asked what I learned from it. Basically just be ready to explain that your motivations were elsewhere from the partying.

As for time management and getting good grades, that's completely up to you. My house has a few people in it that get good grades, but for the most part everyone just dicks around. It was annoying at times, but at the end of the day, you're responsible for you, and that's all you should worry about. You should be able to balance a healthy amount of involvement and academic focus.

Best of luck finding a house 👍

 

[basketcase0a0]

As far as I can tell, roughly 50% of my class in med school went Greek in undergrad. If that's the norm, I can't really say. But don't think that being in a fraternity will have any significant bearing one way or the other. Do it if you want, stay focused on your studies regardless, just as you would with any other EC. Simple as that.

 

[osteohack10]

Hey SDN.

I was wondering if any of you have any experience with being in a fraternity and also being a pre-med. I'm really thinking about rushing this fall because I'd definitely enjoy the brotherhood and social aspect of being in one. The main one I'm looking at is also very serious about academics, with the average member having over a 3.6 GPA and various leadership positions. My main concerns would be obligations taking away from time for research, shadowing, and volunteering and a possible negative stigma within the medical and academic community.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Worth it. And if you're willing to put in the time and effort, balancing those things isn't too bad. Worked full time, shadowed, volunteered and was president of a 180 active member chapter. You can handle it, just work on the time mgmt. The toughest part is getting through pledgeship and figuring out your schedule.

 

[Flashfan]

I am a proud brother, but I remember always to push the grades. I am lucky to have other brothers that understand how hard the pre-med life can be, but I still have fun. I have leadership experience, access to alumni for shadowing, and excellent time management skills. On the downside, 1/3 of my pledge brothers were premed and I am the only one standing. Everyone else dropped when it became difficult to balance work and play.
Biggest recommendation, take a lighter load during pledgeship (no reason to take all your prereqs the first semester) and explore other careers in college.

 

[darklabel]

Personally, my school doesn't have many Greeks at all, but your mileage may vary per school.

I would say to be careful about this and ask them what is expected of you, including during and after pledging. It's not worth tanking even 1 semester as even a few bad grades in 1 semester can leave a lasting impact.

Ultimately it's up to you. Many don't go Greek and have a great time with tons of involvement with the school. It's really a personal decision and as long as you believe you can handle it then go for it. My only advice is to fully understand the time commitment they expect from you.

 

[hughM]

I went through the process. Honestly, It was pretty time consuming and I ended up getting a B in Genetics due to the relatively bad timing of the events and my poor time management skills, but it was a great experience and I don't regret it at all. Going Greek gives you a social life, but it can also open doors to leadership position in unique events. For example, my university has Relay For Life and this particular event has chair positions that are usually filled by Greeks.

 

[Lil Mick]

Sigma Phi Epsilon was pretty great at my school for pre-med/pre-law folks. I'd recommend it. Lots of camaraderie, study buddies, and older brothers to help with the application process/adjusting to college...