Help New Pre Meds!

[HawkDO]

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Hey Everyone 🙂

I am working on a little project for my summer class. I'm putting together a pamphlet for freshmen who are considering a pre-med track. I have a few questions and if you guys could just take the time to answer a couple of them (or all of them) that would be awesome.

1. What are 1-5 things you wish someone had told you about going pre med when you first started college.

2. Any tips you have regarding MCAT study?

3. Where did you go to get information on the med schools you were/are looking at?

4. Any websites like Student Doctor Network that have a lot of information or forums to help med school bound folks.

5. Any other tid bits that you would think to be useful advice for first years who don't know anything...

So thanks a lot, I'd really appreciate you guys just answering any of these that you can. I know that people are busy and stuff like this is annoying, but hopefully it will turn out to be something cool that can be useful for a lot of people.

And Good Luck!!

 

[TexasTriathlete]

1. What are 1-5 things you wish someone had told you about going pre med when you first started college.

1. Only drink every other day.

2. ****ing go to class.

3. Learn how to study. Begin studying well before the day before any exam.

4. Just because you don't have any long-term goals that require good grades at the beginning of college doesn't mean that your goals won't change before you get done. So stay on top of your ****, just in case you decide you want to go to med school some day.

5. All of the above can be done without sacrificing any fun. You just need to manage your time.

2. Any tips you have regarding MCAT study?

Do as many practice tests as you can get your hands on, and adhere to the time constraints. Mastery of content is nowhere near as important as speed, and mastery of the test itself.

3. Where did you go to get information on the med schools you were/are looking at?

The internet. That is where you get information about everything.

4. Any websites like Student Doctor Network that have a lot of information or forums to help med school bound folks.

SDN is the most comprehensive resource I've seen. All other useful resources are likely to me mentioned somewhere on here.

5. Any other tid bits that you would think to be useful advice for first years who don't know anything...

College is the most fun you will ever have. Don't waste it by getting no ass.

 

[bcat85]

Hey Everyone 🙂

I am working on a little project for my summer class. I'm putting together a pamphlet for freshmen who are considering a pre-med track. I have a few questions and if you guys could just take the time to answer a couple of them (or all of them) that would be awesome.

1. What are 1-5 things you wish someone had told you about going pre med when you first started college.

2. Any tips you have regarding MCAT study?

3. Where did you go to get information on the med schools you were/are looking at?

4. Any websites like Student Doctor Network that have a lot of information or forums to help med school bound folks.

5. Any other tid bits that you would think to be useful advice for first years who don't know anything...

So thanks a lot, I'd really appreciate you guys just answering any of these that you can. I know that people are busy and stuff like this is annoying, but hopefully it will turn out to be something cool that can be useful for a lot of people.

And Good Luck!!

1. Study, Seriously... Study, Do something other than study, Establish a timeline for yourself before you finish your freshman year, and Enjoy being in college.

2. Do it. And make sure to take the AAMC practice tests!

3. MSAR, SDN, the schools themselves.

4. Don't have much here

5. You don't have to play the game and sell yourself out to be a doctor. Do what YOU sincerely want to do. Adcoms can figure out that you went to africa for two weeks to boost your application. Enjoy college, study hard, and get involved in stuff that you're interested in. If you are really into medicine, your application will reflect it.

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

1. Only drink every other day.

2. ****ing go to class.

3. Learn how to study. Begin studying well before the day before any exam.

4. Just because you don't have any long-term goals that require good grades at the beginning of college doesn't mean that your goals won't change before you get done. So stay on top of your ****, just in case you decide you want to go to med school some day.

5. All of the above can be done without sacrificing any fun. You just need to manage your time.



Do as many practice tests as you can get your hands on, and adhere to the time constraints. Mastery of content is nowhere near as important as speed, and mastery of the test itself.



The internet. That is where you get information about everything.


SDN is the most comprehensive resource I've seen. All other useful resources are likely to me mentioned somewhere on here.


College is the most fun you will ever have. Don't waste it by getting no ass.

A factual, informative, and nonsarcastic post by TT. 😱

 

[JaggerPlate]

I think your pamphlet should go something like this ....

(front)


Should I go pre-medical??

(....opens to inside)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.


just major in sociology/art history now and save us all some time.

 

[bleeker10]

1. Getting A's in classes is really easy if you actually try. All you have to do is homework (if applicable) and start studying for a test about a week beforehand

2. Pay attention in your basic science courses like Gen Chem, Biology, Physics, O Chem, etc. It will make studying for the MCAT a whole lot easier if you remember a lot of information from these classes and you can move on to tougher concepts earlier

3. MSAR, SDN, Wikipedia

4. Wikipedia is a great tool.

5. Start volunteering early, build some sort of relationship with one or two teachers for LOR, make sure you really understand what life in med school, internship, and residency is like. Especially read up on firsthand accounts of internship and residency to make sure you really want to be a doctor. Go to Barnes and Noble http://browse.barnesandnoble.com/br...253629+225947+253630+225947+253631&act=BC_ANC and read as many books as you can to make sure you can handle the stress and challenges of becoming a fully trained doctor

 

[davis749]

1. What are 1-5 things you wish someone had told you about going pre med when you first started college.

1. Some classes need reading, some don't. If you screw up determining which need the reading.... 🙁
2. Do not listen to your pre-med adviser on everything (good luck posting this one. We all know it's true)
3. Don't focus entirely on academics - they really do want the whole person; even more, you might find out things about yourself you wouldn't have otherwise.
4. Do what you want to do, not what you think will make you a good candidate for medical school.
5. Have at least some fun too.

2. Any tips you have regarding MCAT study?

Sooner = better. Practice tests and note cards are the way to go.
​

3. Where did you go to get information on the med schools you were/are looking at?

MSAR, AACOM's OMCIB, other students, pre-med clubs, SDN (wish I would have found it a little sooner)
​

4. Any websites like Student Doctor Network that have a lot of information or forums to help med school bound folks.

Google.... the right query has the right answer.
​

5. Any other tid bits that you would think to be useful advice for first years who don't know anything...

Don't think you know what you want to do. If you think you know what you want to do, you probably don't. Prove to yourself that you want to, and question it every step of the way to reaffirm your decision.
​

 

[Bacchus]

1. Getting A's in classes is really easy if you actually try. All you have to do is homework (if applicable) and start studying for a test about a week beforehand

2. Pay attention in your basic science courses like Gen Chem, Biology, Physics, O Chem, etc. It will make studying for the MCAT a whole lot easier if you remember a lot of information from these classes and you can move on to tougher concepts earlier

3. MSAR, SDN, Wikipedia

4. Wikipedia is a great tool.

5. Start volunteering early, build some sort of relationship with one or two teachers for LOR, make sure you really understand what life in med school, internship, and residency is like. Especially read up on firsthand accounts of internship and residency to make sure you really want to be a doctor. Go to Barnes and Noble http://browse.barnesandnoble.com/br...253629+225947+253630+225947+253631&act=BC_ANC and read as many books as you can to make sure you can handle the stress and challenges of becoming a fully trained doctor

1. Until you get to upper-divisions.

 

[bleeker10]

1. Until you get to upper-divisions.

I had no problem studying for my upper level courses a week before and making A's. It helps if the class is something that interests you, rather than a class you need just to graduate

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I thought the upper-division stuff was no harder than the lower-division stuff. The content was a little more challenging, but the classes were usually smaller and more interesting, and the lower-division stuff is notorious for being weed-out classes.

Posted via Mobile Device

 

[JaggerPlate]

I thought the upper-division stuff was no harder than the lower-division stuff. The content was a little more challenging, but the classes were usually smaller and more interesting, and the lower-division stuff is notorious for being weed-out classes.

Posted via Mobile Device

Same. Lower division seemed comprised of 80% classes I simply had to take and really didn't connect much to what I actually signed up to major in. UD classes are cool because you probably work harder, but the material is interesting and my grades always turn out better because I'm reading every night, going to office hours, etc etc.

 

[p30doc]

1. What are 1-5 things you wish someone had told you about going pre med when you first started college.

-Protect your GPA like it was your life, don't sacrifice it for anything.
-Get into research asap
-Get volunteering asap
-Go to Africa and start a hospital asap

2. Practice tests and more practice tests, do each one in one sitting.

3. MSAR, usnews, SDN

4. Yeah, SDN

5. I hope they like jumping through flamming hoops because there is a ton of jumping to be done on the path to medicine.

 

[bcat85]

I think your pamphlet should go something like this ....

(front)


Should I go pre-medical??

(....opens to inside)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.


just major in sociology/art history now and save us all some time.

 

[beachblonde]

1. What are 1-5 things you wish someone had told you about going pre med when you first started college.
*You are at college, first and foremost, to get an education. Keep that in mind when prioritizing.
*Go to class. Stay awake in class. Take notes!
*Stay away from the malignant personalities you find amongst pre-meds. Make some good friends you can trust and rely on.
*Get to know your professors from day 1!
*Grades alone do not make up a person: get involved on campus.

2. Any tips you have regarding MCAT study?
Start early, practice often, and make sure you have a good studying environment. Don't let yourself get discouraged early on, it's a lot of material to tackle and people do it everyday.

3. Where did you go to get information on the med schools you were/are looking at?
SDN and the internet, US news, MSAR, and the AACOM guidebook.

4. Any websites like Student Doctor Network that have a lot of information or forums to help med school bound folks.
There are other websites than SDN? 😉

5. Any other tid bits that you would think to be useful advice for first years who don't know anything...
Follow your interests. If you like art or history or government, don't shy away because it's not science! Don't major in bio because you think that's what medical schools like. Do something other than science if it appeals to you.