If you could do something different.. what would that be?

[Cayucos]

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This is to pre-med/medical students that could give some advice to freshman/sophomore students that are working on their pre-reqs or have not begun yet.

The topics are study habits / which classes to study for before even taking the class / order in which you take the pre-reqs / etc.

Thanks!

 

[ButImLETired]

I'd worry a lot less about impressing some no-name adcom member and focus on just making the numbers look good. Taking the most advanced, intense classes might theoretically "look good" and might enrich your education, but if you don't put that 4.0 on the transcript, it'll bring your gpa down and that's all that matters. Sad, but oh-so-true. You walk a fine line being premed- between wanting to make the best out of your undergrad education, take the coolest and most challenging classes etc; and pandering to med school adcoms who compare your performance to the theater major from no-name U who just took a ton of GPA-padders.

Don't be a hero. Get your A's, and all those XYZ majors who tortured themselves for a 3.4 will be envious of you when they say you "took it easy", after you've gotten into your top choice.

 

[Anthony212]

Go away to school. Get away from your friends and parents and distractions. lol. And dont work more than like 10 hours a week.

All of this I figured out later than I should have 😛

 

[nonolda]

I have to agree that you should go for the easy A classes as much as possible. I am currently waiting a year before medical school because I do not have the perfect GPA, and graduated without honors (this was the worst part because I always tried really hard to get straight As). Unfortunately in this country the numbers are all that really matters, so go for the easy classes which will give you more time to do a bunch of stellar extracurriculars and will allow you to graduate top of your class!!

 

[mspeedwagon]

Wow... I'm glad I read other responses and re-read your post before I replied. I thought you meant, if you could do something completely different (as in, not medicine), what would you do? The second part clarifies this was not what you were asking.

I agree with the above posters. As someone that has taken the pre-reqs out of other (biochem before organic, organic before a semester of g-chem), I don't recommend it. You can do well, but you have to learn a lot of material classmates seem to already know.

Take the basic pre-med requirements (in the correct sequence... biology and g-chem, organic chem, then physics), then add a few upper level bio classes (physiology, biochem, cell/molecular bio) and then pad the hell out of your GPA. A 4.0 with an easier course sequence is better than a 3.5 with a difficult one (I'm looking at you engineers).

 

[illegallysmooth]

Work less, study more, party less, exercise more.

 

[searun]

I would be a fishing guide in Oregon or Montana. Fly fishing for native trout.

 

[flip26]

I recommend majoring in something you love and can make As in. For me that was a foreign language / cultural studies degree.

Then do a one year post bacc and take all the pre reqs.

That is what I did. Just look around at all the pre meds crashing and burning in their freshman year.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

Study abroad.

Only undergrad regret, but it wouldn't fit with my program.

 

[VTBuc]

I would have majored in Psychology or Communications for a better GPA.

And I would have just taken out more loans instead of working my way through college.

When asking a professor to do research, I would make sure it's not just grunt/busy work and that it's a project I could potentially present/publish.

 

[CoolWhipp]

would have fluffed the crap out of my gpa.

 

[flip26]

Study abroad.

Only undergrad regret, but it wouldn't fit with my program.

I did a full year abroad, easy to do with a lib arts degree.

And I was asked about that experience at every interview.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

I did a full year abroad, easy to do with a lib arts degree.

And I was asked about that experience at every interview.

Certain required courses were only offered in the fall or spring and I was in BS Biology, Minor Chem/Ital&French so I wouldn't have completed everything on time for graduation. Plus the MCAT ruined anything for junior year and interviews for senior year. I've been abroad, but only for vacationing and would love to have "lived" there for a bit. Hopefully I can do something in med school...

 

[flip26]

Certain required courses were only offered in the fall or spring and I was in BS Biology, Minor Chem/Ital&French so I wouldn't have completed everything on time for graduation. Plus the MCAT ruined anything for junior year and interviews for senior year. I've been abroad, but only for vacationing and would love to have "lived" there for a bit. Hopefully I can do something in med school...

That is what makes lib arts degrees so great and flexible - tons of electives. I actually chose it because I knew I wanted to go abroad, and I did a full year where most kids can only manage one semester, but very few of the science and engineering majors can even do that. Graduated on time in 4 years...did another year abroad on a research deal...then came back and started the one year post bacc.

I really recommend this as a great path to med school. Easy GPA, lots of flexibility, and by the time you tackle the science pre reqs, hopefully you are more mature and more capable of buckling down without the distractions of college.

 

[DrCJU]

Work less, study more, party less, exercise more.

I wish I had known this earlier. When I started a regular consistent work out routine my grades shot up! I slept better, I was able to concentrate better, my stress levels went way down. Not to mention I looked much better too🙂

Some others:

1) Reading a science text book word for word (i.e physics, chem etc) is a huge waste of time. You've already seen the important info in the lecture notes. Just get started on the chapter problems and go back to read the text when you don't understand something.

2) Being an active member is sufficient for ECs. You don't have to be the head/president/chariman of everything you participate in. It eats up a lot of time. Pick one you're really passionate about and just join the mailing lists for the others and show up to their volunteer events/meetings.

3) Don't be afraid to say no to free-loading "friends". If you find yourself being asked to "help out" for assignments and they just copy your work, the prof doesn't care who did the actual work you're both liable for discplinary action.

4) If you know you are weak in subject area. Make sure you take it with easier coursework. Don't be afraid to play with your schedule. Just because it is recommended you take calculus, physics, biology,chem all in the same semesters doesn't mean you have to. SInce these 4 are your pre reqs and will make up your science gpa, it is in your best interest to do them on your OWN terms.

5) As much as you really want to go to this party tonight, there's gonna be another one just like it next week. And you won't regret not going to the party as much as you will regret not taking the extra time for your school work

6) All it takes to recover from a night out as a freshman is a shower. All it takes to recover from a night out as a senior is a shower, going back to bed for 5 more hours, pain killers, lying on the couch for the next two days, more pain killers, prayer....maybe that's just me🙄

 

[chemgeek62]

This is to pre-med/medical students that could give some advice to freshman/sophomore students that are working on their pre-reqs or have not begun yet.

The topics are study habits / which classes to study for before even taking the class / order in which you take the pre-reqs / etc.

Thanks!

SLEEP. Sounds super simple, but I know a ton of pre-meds who overstretch themselves with classes and ECs that sleep ends up getting sacrificed. Unless you're the small percentage of the population that can get along without sleep, everything suffers when you're sleep deprived. Prioritize your classes over everything else and don't go overboard on the ECs. You can also add to your resume, but that B that should've been an A won't go away as easily.

Study habits. Learn the stuff well the first time and studying for your MCAT will be much simpler. Don't learn it for the exam, learn it for the long-term. After a day of lectures, re-read your notes (out loud if you're by yourself and don't feel stupid) before you go to bed. Helps reinforce the info you took in that day and makes studying for exams and finals a lot easier.

Good luck to you all!

 

[allie1361]

Don't think that you have to study for every waking minute of every day. Take time out to do something else, like socialize with friends - not go to parties and get wasted, but just hanging out (coffee, dinner, movies, bowling, beach, what have you). Spending a few hours with friends and then going back to what you were doing is a great way to refresh yourself.

I also agree about the the sleep thing. You NEED to sleep a sufficient amount of time (shoot for 6.5-7 hours at LEAST) in order for your brain to process all the crap you crammed in it that day. Sleeping helps you remember stuff, so DON'T sacrifice too much of it too often.

And don't try to show off by taking really hard courses. In the end people like me who took the normal courses for my majors and got A's will laugh at those people who took ridiculously hard courses and got B's and C's. Grades are what matter, not how much time you spent busting your ass for that B. If classes are optional, research the ones that interest you and find out how hard they are before you sign up for them (ratemyprofessors.com was my best friend during class sign up).

 

[476515678234896]

but I would've loved to study abroad....