I wish I could change.... (if only we could)

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BigD311

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So i thought this would be a good idea for many of us who are nearing the end of our premed journey...

Perhaps this will be a lesson to all those tender premeds who are just entering this frustration.

So its simple...just add to what I have on the list. I'll make two: One for regrets/things you wish you couldve done differently if you could clear your premed slate and start over, one for things youre glad you did as a premed.

Leave it up to the reader to pick and choose what they will keep in mind.

______________________________________________________________

Thing's I wish I WOULD have done if I could be a premed over again:

1) Chosen GPA boosting classes my FIRST year
2) Made more of an effort to meet my science professors
3) Work out regularly from the beginning

Things I am GLAD i did as a premed:
1) Followed my heart...didn't do things because all other premeds did them
2) Majored in something I loved, rather than what the crowd did
3) Surrounded myself with a lot of NON-premeds...
4) Did my research about what I needed as a premed BEFORE coming to college.
 
Thing's I wish I WOULD have done if I could be a premed over again:

1) Realized med school is nothing more then a numbers game so take GPA boosting classes not "hard" classes that supposedly look good which in reality don't at all because no one cares.

2) Made more of an effort to meet my science professors/ any professors. I like many never needed help with my courses so never went to office hours. If you dont have any questions, make some **** up just get to know profs any way you can. Even if you are some genius who gets 100% on every test still go to office hours. I hated scrambling like crazy my last quarter to get 3 LORs......I wish I would have done it slowly.

3) Choose a major you LOVE. Dont listen to idiotic pre med counselors who say if you arent a bio major you fail. I really really wish I would have majored in a foreign language such as korean like i wanted to. My counselor said its not good to be a non-bio major for med school so i listened.....Its the BIGGEST regret I have in my undergrad career majoring in bio. Bio sucks as a major as most of the classes you take arent interesting, I cant tell you how many plant biology classes ive taken and other bs-_- just because I needed to fill major requirements. By the time you get to your interesting classes you graduate...and at most get to take 3-4 of them.

4) Find volunteering opportunities I truly enjoyed not ones i was told I need to do to get into med school. Theres no activity you need to do to get into med school...theres 1000s of ways to get clinical experience. I volunteer at the worst ER in the world i swear, its such a huge waste of time I dont do jack ****. I just didnt want to quit because I was told not to and that I need to keep a long term commitment to anything i start. And now its too late to quit .But if you are doing something you hate or something that is so useless...its not worth it. There are always other volunteer activities you can do. Start early so that if you find something you hate you can always drop and find something else until you find your niche.

5) Dont make friends with a bunch of stuck up irritating pre meds...or attempt to associate with these future classmates of yours lol. serious...

6) dont waste time with pre med clubs...serious lol there are better ways to spend your time and if you just are trying to meet people, choose a non-pre med club or something with more interesting people😉. In the words of an adcom i know "When im reviewing applications I do not even look at the school clubs or useless activities they tell me nothing"

7) started clinical research earlier. Honestly clinical research is amazing, at least where I was at. It was the single greatest thing Ive done in my undergrad expereince (academic wise). If you think you may be interested try to get involved asap.

Things I am GLAD i did as a premed:

1) nothing i made every mistake in the book lol
user_offline.gif
 
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What I wish I changed:

1. Learned good study habits early, rather than coasting with what I learned from high school
2. Went to classes and office hours
3. Took the easier way out with respect to classes
4. Got rid of my gaming PC
5. Learned how to manage my GF with school
6. Got my committee letter sooner
7. Got stronger LORs
8. Got a more competitive attitude sooner
9. Learned my mistakes before it was too late
10. Kept in mind how tough it is to live with regrets

What I'm glad I did:

1. Lived with good people in a quiet house
2. Loved TAing undergrad classes
3. Got a great research lab PI and a great clinical job
4. Met my motivational and understanding GF
5. Matured a lot this year
6. Kicked butt in my post-bacc
7. Got great LORs this time around
8. Lived in SF for a year
9. Kept a level head and a practical outlook regarding a career in medicine
10. Majored in Physiology
 
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Thing's I wish I WOULD have done if I could be a premed over again:

1. Focus more on the MCAT's...haha...i knew it was very important..yet, i was still lazy studying for it. wished i had studied from examkrackers instead of PR.
2. join pre-med clubs...premed folks are pretty interesting to say the least...

Things I am GLAD i did as a premed:

1. Working hard and getting a high gpa! to compensate for my moderate mcat score.
2. Going to ratemyprofessors.com before registering for classes to take the easiest professors and classes.
 
Things I wish I would have done:

1) Had more fun
2) Majored in art instead of biology

Things I'm glad I did:

1) Studied for the MCAT
2) Applied broadly
 
Things I wish I would have done:

1) Taken classes that interested me and not worried so much about GPA
2) Studied abroad
3) Had a different major -- CS would have been awesome

Things I'm glad I did:

1) Took the MCAT in January
2) Applied to many schools and very broadly
3) Was very organized with my application
4) Did research fellowships at other schools
5) Went to office hours to get to know profs
6) TAing classes I liked taking (and got paid a lot)
7) Stopped caring the last couple years and did better than before
 
Why is this thread "lame"? If I saw this as a HS senior before going into premed I may have done things differently.

Because YOU don't think its helpful doesn't mean EVERYONE thinks the same.

For one thing...it addresses the common misconception that one NEEDS to be a bio major. Some here regret that choice and wish they majored in something they enjoy.
 
DrMattOglesby said:
calling something "gay" when you really think it's stupid...is lame. 👎thumbdown
Click to expand...


"premed journey" or "tender premeds" oh, and throw in a little "followed my heart" and i dont think you could come up with a more gayer thread...not stupid

using....to add a "pause effect" if stupid. people who use the "pause effect" in real life are even more stupid
 
charlie murphy said:
"premed journey" or "tender premeds" oh, and throw in a little "followed my heart" and i dont think you could come up with a more gayer thread...not stupid

using....to add a "pause effect" if stupid. people who use the "pause effect" in real life are even more stupid
Click to expand...

the next "dr. house"...want a cookie, charlie?
 
someone needs a hug...

get over it and don't post if you have an issue.
 
Charlie = Troll

Things I would do differently:
1. Register for the MCAT before all the seats were filled
2. Slower pace/had more fun
3. Met and created relationships with professors
4. More shadowing, less research

Things I'm glad I did:
1. Had fun
2. Good GPA
 
BigD311 said:
Why is this thread "lame"? If I saw this as a HS senior before going into premed I may have done things differently.

Because YOU don't think its helpful doesn't mean EVERYONE thinks the same.

For one thing...it addresses the common misconception that one NEEDS to be a bio major. Some here regret that choice and wish they majored in something they enjoy.
Click to expand...



If you saw this as a HS stupid i mean student what would you have done differently? Going into premed? you make it sound like going to college and taking prerequisites for medical school is somehow like actually going into medical school. Oh, and BigD311 by the sensitivity of your post i think you need the hug😱


and im not a troll, i thought this thread was gay and felt the need to express it. didnt know i would get any responses and decided to have a little fun just like im sure the people responding to me were
 
MDman87=type of person who likes to throw around the word troll. the type of person who will eventually take away meaning of the word troll, as of the type of people like me who throw around the word gay have taken and twisted the meaning of it
 
I should have::

  1. Learned how to deal with cattiness head-on rather than walking away from it
  2. Stood up to my parents before senior year
  3. Taken the all film studies, English, and photography classes I really wanted to take
  4. Balanced being in a competitive sport with my other obligations, rather than giving up on it

I'm glad I::

  1. Joined a sorority instead of the pre-med society
  2. had some delusional studying fun in the cafe with friends
  3. Dyed my hair crazy colors with my best friend
  4. Took a year off after graduating
 
i wish i had spent a summer doing absolutely nothing
 
charlie murphy said:
If you saw this as a HS stupid i mean student what would you have done differently?
Click to expand...

I agree.

Most people will need to mess up in order to learn how to do better. Reading about it and hearing about it didn't do an ounce of good for me and I'm willing to bet that the people who are going to mess up are going to mess up regardless of this thread.

How many times have you ignored your parents' lectures and pearls of wisdom just to find yourself spouting those same messages years later?
 
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