"Funny quotes from 'less informed' pre-meds," On-Topic Edition

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Remembering today the friend of a friend who had "MD2BE" as a vanity license plate on their car. Apparently this person barely pulled their weight in the 100-level general chemistry lab.
Making sure the maximum possible number of people know when it doesn't happen, I guess

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On a related note, but why are people so enthusiastic to share they are a pre-med? Or even medical student? Like is being poor and studying a ton really going to impress anyone:rolleyes:

They think it sounds impressive. Despite what some people say about doctors, it is still a pretty highly-regarded profession.
 
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If you meet a new woman as an MS-1, eventually they will find out you are a medical student. One of two things comes next:
1: “How long until you’re a doctor?”
Or
2: “Are you going to be a surgeon?”

1 is because they want to know about $$$. 2 is because of Grey’s Anatomy. Also because $$$.

I still say I’m an RN.
 
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If you meet a new woman as an MS-1, eventually they will find out you are a medical student. One of two things comes next:
1: “How long until you’re a doctor?”
Or
2: “Are you going to be a surgeon?”

1 is because they want to know about $$$. 2 is because of Grey’s Anatomy. Also because $$$.

I still say I’m an RN.

You need to meet a different kind of woman.
 
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They think it sounds impressive. Despite what some people say about doctors, it is still a pretty highly-regarded profession.

I get what you're saying (and I know you're right). I guess more my point is that we (medical students) and pre-meds are not doctors. We may be on our way to becoming a doctor, but we are not doctors yet. And the main reasons people are impressed with doctors ($$, prestige) are not really applicable to a physician in training.
 
Not sure if this belongs, but r/premed told a poster with 1000s of paid clinical exp that they need clinical volunteering?

Is that necessarily accurate?
 
Not sure if this belongs, but r/premed told a poster with 1000s of paid clinical exp that they need clinical volunteering?

Is that necessarily accurate?
I hope not.

My impression is that they still want to see volunteering, but you should not need clinical volunteering if you have other major clinical experience.
 
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Not sure if this belongs, but r/premed told a poster with 1000s of paid clinical exp that they need clinical volunteering?

Is that necessarily accurate?

I still had non-clinical volunteering and shadowing, but no I didn’t have clinical volunteering. I was a CNA for 2 years during nursing school, and an RN for 2 years.
 
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I still had non-clinical volunteering and shadowing, but no I didn’t have clinical volunteering. I was a CNA for 2 years during nursing school, and an RN for 2 years.
Yeah, I figured you wouldn't necessarily need clinical volunteering, especially if you have a lot of clinic paid experience. Felt bad for the OP because they felt like he couldn't apply without clinical volunteering.
 
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Not sure if this belongs, but r/premed told a poster with 1000s of paid clinical exp that they need clinical volunteering?

Is that necessarily accurate?
this misconception confuses so many pre-meds and leads them to do useless volunteer work. i had no clinical volunteering or even shadowing hours and was still fairly successful with MD schools this last cycle. if you have clinical experience, you have clinical experience.

more is always helpful – and unpaid shadowing is a requirement at some institutions – but building a well-rounded application is much more important than getting redundant clinical exposure.
 
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If you meet a new woman as an MS-1, eventually they will find out you are a medical student. One of two things comes next:
1: “How long until you’re a doctor?”
Or
2: “Are you going to be a surgeon?”

1 is because they want to know about $$$. 2 is because of Grey’s Anatomy. Also because $$$.

I still say I’m an RN.
Little do they know that those who marry for money, earn it.
 
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Not sure if this belongs, but r/premed told a poster with 1000s of paid clinical exp that they need clinical volunteering?

Is that necessarily accurate?
1000% inaccurate. Med schools want people to have clinical experiences, in one way or another.
Also remember that reddit is the cesspool of the internet.
 
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1000% inaccurate. Med schools want people to have clinical experiences, in one way or another.
Also remember that reddit is the cesspool of the internet.

Never understood why this is so pervasive. Volunteering necessary, clinical exposure necessary, there’s no reason to go out of your way to volunteer in clinic if you’re PAID JOB is clinical work.
 
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Never understood why this is so pervasive. Volunteering necessary, clinical exposure necessary, there’s no reason to go out of your way to volunteer in clinic if you’re PAID JOB is clinical work.
This may come off as a naïve question, but why is volunteering itself a necessity for an application? Like, if you have 4000 hours as a CNA, or 6000 hours of military service, or 500 hours of tutoring, etc, where yes you are being paid, but the commitment to service is evident....why would lacking 150 hours serving food at a homeless shelter make or break an application?

My logic in this question being if doctors are in a service-based profession but most likely wouldn't be doing it without the pay, why do applicants need the unpaid stuff?
 
This may come off as a naïve question, but why is volunteering itself a necessity for an application? Like, if you have 4000 hours as a CNA, or 6000 hours of military service, or 500 hours of tutoring, etc, where yes you are being paid, but the commitment to service is evident....why would lacking 150 hours serving food at a homeless shelter make or break an application?

My logic in this question being if doctors are in a service-based profession but most likely wouldn't be doing it without the pay, why do applicants need the unpaid stuff?

Because medical school interviewers are TERRIBLE at weeding out awful human beings, and they naively believe that someone who ticks a “good guy activity” box will be a good person, and not just someone who had more free time.
 
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Because medical school interviewers are TERRIBLE at weeding out awful human beings, and they naively believe that someone who ticks a “good guy activity” box will be a good person, and not just someone who had more free time.
Weird. Of all of the premeds I know, the biggest *expletives* tend to be the ones who do the most volunteering...the most genuine are the ones who did military, peacecorps, or work as MAs....
 
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This may come off as a naïve question, but why is volunteering itself a necessity for an application? Like, if you have 4000 hours as a CNA, or 6000 hours of military service, or 500 hours of tutoring, etc, where yes you are being paid, but the commitment to service is evident....why would lacking 150 hours serving food at a homeless shelter make or break an application?

My logic in this question being if doctors are in a service-based profession but most likely wouldn't be doing it without the pay, why do applicants need the unpaid stuff?

They're looking for altruism, service to others, etc. But I have been told by adcoms that military service counts as volunteering even though I'm paid because I volunteered to serve my country.
 
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Not sure if this belongs, but r/premed told a poster with 1000s of paid clinical exp that they need clinical volunteering?

Is that necessarily accurate?

Another check in the no column. I had 10,000 hours of clinical experience and 0 hours of clinical volunteering. No problem getting IIs and acceptances.
 
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The volunteering requirement seems to be better of a test for delayed gratification than altruism.
 
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They're looking for altruism, service to others, etc. But I have been told by adcoms that military service counts as volunteering even though I'm paid because I volunteered to serve my country.
I have only read one post where LizzyM bolded the word volunteered for your country like 3 years ago...I am banking on that, because my non-military volunteering is pretty low.
 
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I have only read one post where LizzyM bolded the word volunteered for your country like 3 years ago...I am banking on that, because my non-military volunteering is pretty low.

Can confirm that I know multiple people with minimal volunteering outside of the military who have been accepted. Also, she told me just last year and some others agreed with her. Have also heard it IRL.
 
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This may come off as a naïve question, but why is volunteering itself a necessity for an application? Like, if you have 4000 hours as a CNA, or 6000 hours of military service, or 500 hours of tutoring, etc, where yes you are being paid, but the commitment to service is evident....why would lacking 150 hours serving food at a homeless shelter make or break an application?

My logic in this question being if doctors are in a service-based profession but most likely wouldn't be doing it without the pay, why do applicants need the unpaid stuff?

I don’t think the things you listed reflect a particular willingness to serve the community; they’re jobs. They can certainly be bonuses on a application, but they won’t replace a volunteer experience. Medicine requires a lot of working with underserved populations and with limited resources, so I think showing your interest and getting exposure is important.
 
I don’t think the things you listed reflect a particular willingness to serve the community; they’re jobs. They can certainly be bonuses on a application, but they won’t replace a volunteer experience. Medicine requires a lot of working with underserved populations and with limited resources, so I think showing your interest and getting exposure is important.
You ever had to improvise a patch for a lung perforation on a toddler with three pieces of tape and an MRE wrapper? Or tried to teach kids who don't even have a refrigerator about the mitochondria without the use of internet? Or tried to place a catheter on a paraplegic homeless woman with a history of infection?

Just because something is a job doesn't mean it does not involve working with underserved populations/limited resources. Being a doctor is a job too. A great job, but a job nonetheless. I am not saying there is no reason to look specifically for volunteering, but the reason you listed is not one I could see being valuable in differentiating applicants.
 
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You ever had to improvise a patch for a lung perforation on a toddler with three pieces of tape and an MRE wrapper? Or tried to teach kids who don't even have a refrigerator about the mitochondria without the use of internet? Or tried to place a catheter on a paraplegic homeless woman with a history of infection?

Just because something is a job doesn't mean it does not involve working with underserved populations/limited resources. Being a doctor is a job too. A great job, but a job nonetheless. I am not saying there is no reason to look specifically for volunteering, but the reason you listed is not one I could see being valuable.

As someone who interviews prospective medical students - what they volunteer in and are passionate about tends to make the best meat for my recommendations to our admit committee as to why a student should be admitted. The job distinction is significant because volunteering shows that they went out of their way to be involved in a given population/issue, rather than being assigned. I’m not saying it’s the only way to get that exposure, but it’s the best way to show a school that you’re passionate about an issue and that you care about helping those who are disadvantaged socially or in medicine.
 
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As someone who interviews perspective medical students - what they volunteer in and are passionate about tends to make the best meat for my recommendations to our admit committee as to why a student should be admitted. The job distinction is significant because volunteering shows that they went out of their way to be involved in a given population/issue, rather than being assigned. I’m not saying it’s the only way to get that exposure, but it’s the best way to show a school that you’re passionate about an issue and that you care about helping those who are disadvantaged socially or in medicine.
Right on. Thank you for the clarification!
 
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As someone who interviews prospective medical students - what they volunteer in and are passionate about tends to make the best meat for my recommendations to our admit committee as to why a student should be admitted. The job distinction is significant because volunteering shows that they went out of their way to be involved in a given population/issue, rather than being assigned. I’m not saying it’s the only way to get that exposure, but it’s the best way to show a school that you’re passionate about an issue and that you care about helping those who are disadvantaged socially or in medicine.
Although, this does kind of reflect almost exactly what @RNthenDoc said above
 
I could dig this reasoning. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I could understand/respect it.

Why don’t you agree? I can’t think of another college degree/career goal that has as many people volunteering as premedical professionals, yet paradoxically medicine also has one the highest % psycho/sociopaths.
 
Although, this does kind of reflect almost exactly what @RNthenDoc said above

I disagree with their assertions somewhat; it’s an imperfect measure, but not a bad one, and generally isn’t correlated with “too much free time” in the applicants I’ve seen.
 
Why don’t you agree? I can’t think of another college degree/career goal that has as many people volunteering as premedical professionals, yet paradoxically medicine also has one the highest % psycho/sociopaths.
Because, at this point, I feel your point very much highlights the issue. There are very very few premeds who genuinely care about something that is directly tied to where they are volunteering. People can be passionate about medicine, but it seems a little difficult from my perspective to gain any real value from handing out blankets and snacks. Sure, there are great conversations, it is very valuable for the patients, and applicants can be reflective of their own position/the situations of the underserved...but the vast majority (at least from what I see in my own circle of premeds) do it for the checking of a box.

There are exceptions (involvement with Spanish speaking neighborhoods, LGBT organizations, etc etc) But I don’t see how the average premed with the usual volunteering shoes anything special and I don’t understand how paid positions are inherently any different. If I have the option of doing phlebotomy in Colombia free-of-charge or as part of a mission with the military, I can (and did) choose the one that also pays me.

Edit* this might just be because I personally have served in more ways than the average Premed and simply don’t see the value for myself and/or others like me.
 
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I disagree with their assertions somewhat; it’s an imperfect measure, but not a bad one, and generally isn’t correlated with “too much free time” in the applicants I’ve seen.
On the note of both free time and funny quotes from 'less informed pre-meds' one of my students just asked me how he can raise his grade in Gen Chem. When asked how much he studies, his answer was "I flip through my notes in the half hour before class." When asked why he doesn't study more, his answer was "The best party school is like 90 minutes away." So, he cannot study because all of his time is spent driving to and from keggers. Sounds like a solid life plan to me.
 
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On the note of both free time and funny quotes from 'less informed pre-meds' one of my students just asked me how he can raise his grade in Gen Chem. When asked how much he studies, his answer was "I flip through my notes in the half hour before class." When asked why he doesn't study more, his answer was "The best party school is like 90 minutes away." So, he cannot study because all of his time is spent driving to and from keggers. Sounds like a solid life plan to me.

You can always retake a class, you can't relive a party.
 
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You can always retake a class, you can't relive a party.
My current version of a party is drinking a beer with my wife while trying to convince my toddler that a kangaroo is not a dinosaur while we all jump on the trampoline. I know not of your "can't relive a party" notions.
 
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My current version of a party is drinking a beer with my wife while trying to convince my toddler that a kangaroo is not a dinosaur while we all jump on the trampoline. I know not of your "can't relive a party" notions.

I haven't had a beer in months, ochem II, physics II, biology II, biochem, and volunteering made sure of that.

On topic:

More less informed and less funny. A classmate told me he wanted to apply to a school because its minimum MCAT score was 495. Told him about the MSAR website and pulled up my account. 495 minimum MCAT, ~516 median. Really nice guy though, would probably make a great doctor.
 
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I haven't had a beer in months, ochem II, physics II, biology II, biochem, and volunteering made sure of that.

On topic:

More less informed and less funny. A classmate told me he wanted to apply to a school because its minimum MCAT score was 495. Told him about the MSAR website and pulled up my account. 495 minimum MCAT, ~516 median. Really nice guy though, would probably make a great doctor.
It is really sad...Undergrad teaches students that minimums and deadlines are your targets...not the lowest threshold...
 
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This girl said she's joining the military to become a doctor. She thinks you don't have to go to undergrad to become a doctor and the military will show her everything
 
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This girl said she's joining the military to become a doctor. She thinks you don't have to go to undergrad to become a doctor and the military will show her everything
I mean technically if you play your cards right and are super duper lucky and self driven. Here is a pathway: Enlist in Army as 68K MLT and get an AS, apply for cytotechnology school and get accepted to get the only bachelors degree offered to any enlisted member on enlisted time, serve 2 years in cyto role and apply to USHSU, get in and call it a day. You just got to MD program all without leaving active duty or trying to balance school with work (because school was work).

Source: I did the first half of this, turned down the cytotech offer because I cannot stand staring at a microscope 4-8 hours a day...
 
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You ever had to improvise a patch for a lung perforation on a toddler with three pieces of tape and an MRE wrapper? Or tried to teach kids who don't even have a refrigerator about the mitochondria without the use of internet? Or tried to place a catheter on a paraplegic homeless woman with a history of infection?
I have done all of those things in the back of Land Rover with broken AC yes.
 
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. At the bar this premed was bragging loudly about how he was a premed, gonna go to medical school, be an orthopedic surgeon blah blah.

Ugh. Why do these douchenozzles always want to be orthopods? Nearly every orthopedic surgeon I know has the exact opposite attitude. They are collaborative and humble.
 
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Ugh. Why do these douchenozzles always want to be orthopods? Nearly every orthopedic surgeon I know has the exact opposite attitude. They are collaborative and humble.

That and pediatric neurosurgery.

I'm glad that more collaborative attitudes are taking over medicine though. My education has felt very different than most of the horror stories from the old days.
 
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That and pediatric neurosurgery.

I'm glad that more collaborative attitudes are taking over medicine though. My education has felt very different than most of the horror stories from the old days.
Apparently there are <300 active pediatric neurosurgeons, so google tells me. How competitive is that/what’s The residency like?
 
I mean technically if you play your cards right and are super duper lucky and self driven. Here is a pathway: Enlist in Army as 68K MLT and get an AS, apply for cytotechnology school and get accepted to get the only bachelors degree offered to any enlisted member on enlisted time, serve 2 years in cyto role and apply to USHSU, get in and call it a day. You just got to MD program all without leaving active duty or trying to balance school with work (because school was work).

Source: I did the first half of this, turned down the cytotech offer because I cannot stand staring at a microscope 4-8 hours a day...

I think anybody with that type of motivation will be able to get into medical school as a civilian too. Will medical schools even acknowledge the MLT AS for the science prereques that are generally required for most medical schools and do you get organic or biochem credits? I am active duty now and got into medical school this cycle, I know I had to work panana nights and take classes during the day for 2 years in order to get what schooling I needed down, a lot of times I was up for 24 hrs+ straight trying to balance work and school. Though my knowledge about the cytotechnology school and the army is nonexistance. I know AF they got rid of the cytology career field all together
 
I think anybody with that type of motivation will be able to get into medical school as a civilian too. Will medical schools even acknowledge the MLT AS for the science prereques that are generally required for most medical schools and do you get organic or biochem credits? I am active duty now and got into medical school this cycle, I know I had to work panana nights and take classes during the day for 2 years in order to get what schooling I needed down, a lot of times I was up for 24 hrs+ straight trying to balance work and school. Though my knowledge about the cytotechnology school and the army is nonexistance. I know AF they got rid of the cytology career field all together
True, true as far as pre-reqs go. The biology and chemistry requirements are basically fulfilled by the AS. The cyto just gets you to the bachelors. The curriculum sounds awesome, but the classes are not relevant for premed:


I guess get the bachelors through cyto and then do this program:


Basically do 8 years on active duty before medical with 3 of it actual work and 5 of it school. Sounds good to me.
 
True, true as far as pre-reqs go. The biology and chemistry requirements are basically fulfilled by the AS. The cyto just gets you to the bachelors. The curriculum sounds awesome, but the classes are not relevant for premed:


I guess get the bachelors through cyto and then do this program:


Basically do 8 years on active duty before medical with 3 of it actual work and 5 of it school. Sounds good to me.

yeah i know people who did that program. Its basically an SMP with linkage though its super competitive and admission to USU is not guarantee just like most SMP with linkage. i think only 10 or less people from each branch get accepted every year. and i think you owe extra time afterwards in addition to your USU commitment? @Matthew9Thirtyfive or is that not true.
 
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yeah i know people who did that program. Its basically an SMP with linkage though its super competitive and admission to USU is not guarantee just like most SMP with linkage. i think only 10 or less people from each branch get accepted every year. and i think you owe extra time afterwards in addition to your USU commitment? @Matthew9Thirtyfive or is that not true.
I am not saying it is practical, just outlining a potential path lol
 
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I am not saying it is practical, just outlining a potential path lol

true. sometimes practical and military don't always go hand in hand. though being in the military does give a heads up during interviews. Did you eventually get your MLS cert too or just stayed with your MLT?
 
true. sometimes practical and military don't always go hand in hand. though being in the military does give a heads up during interviews. Did you eventually get your MLS cert too or just stayed with your MLT?
Nah, I just got the MLT. The credits are designed with no syllabi attached and are all classes that are normally upper division (but obviously are Lower division for an AS). Because of this, I could not transfer them to any school and tuition for the MLS at GWU was $40,000 for reserves....only $4500 for active duty, which I would have hands down done. But oh well, I finish up my BS in biotech/premed next year so meh.
 
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