If you could go back and start the entire school process over....

[jscarbrough]

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What would you do different? What do you think the best path is...

 

[Nora]

I would have steered clear of the basic sciences since I had no intention of becoming a scientist. I would have studied something I really enjoyed (literature), obsessed less about EC's that would look great to an adcom, not have put up at all with snotty professors thinking I may need an LOR someday, and spent less time kicking myself for not doing better on the MCAT.

 

[....]

Make more A's

 

[bnichols0330]

I would have not gone to a private liberal arts college for my undergrad. Instead I would have chosen the medical school that was my top choice and done my undergrad there. However, that would have required my knowing that I wanted to go to med school before my third year of undergrad.

 

[Chronotropic]

I would of spent more of my time trying to make contacts at the various schools.

 

[wolferman]

I wouldn't have gone to MIT and graduated with a 2.6 GPA. Instead I would've gone straight to Boise State (where I ended up anyway to repair my undergrad GPA) and gotten straight A's. If I had done this, I'd be starting my 3rd year of medical school this fall rather than deferring and reapplying to my state medical school.

 

[RLMD]

I would have done the Howard combined BS/MD program in 6 years since I am going there in the fall anyway. I dont know if it would have been cheaper in the long run but it would have been 2 years shorter.

 

[kingcer0x]

I would have got a 4.0

and taken Biochemistry before I graduated... its so cool!

 

[ussdfiant]

Originally posted by wolferman
I wouldn't have gone to MIT and graduated with a 2.6 GPA. Instead I would've gone straight to Boise State (where I ended up anyway to repair my undergrad GPA) and gotten straight A's. If I had done this, I'd be starting my 3rd year of medical school this fall rather than deferring and reapplying to my state medical school.

I wouldn't have gone to Penn and gone tens of thousands of dollars in debt. I would have gone to West Chester, spend like 5 thousand dollars for the whole nut, gotten those straight As and graduated medical school in 1998 instead of 2006!

 

[SaltySqueegee]

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't obsess about what I could have done better... 😉

Seriously, what's done is done, dwelling in the past is just wasting the present and future. 😀

 

[exmike]

Originally posted by MDTom
If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't obsess about what I could have done better... 😉

Seriously, what's done is done, dwelling in the past is just wasting the present and future. 😀

I wouldn't have found SDN so I wouldn't have to waste my time here instead of writing my secondaries

 

[Naphtali]

I would have eaten more Twinkies. Oooooohhh, that golden sponge cake with the cream filling. How can you ever get enough?

I also would have drank more booze. I'm really going to have to exercise my liver in med school.

 

[Can U Feel It?]

I would have majored in Economics & Life Science instead of engineering. I really enjoyed Econ (& in the 2 econ courses I took I got the highest grades in both classes). As far as life sci, at my school it only would have required an extra 4 bio courses beyond what is required for med school/

 

[HouseHead]

Wouldn't have gotten married my first year. I'll bet everything would have been a lot easier, shorter, and more pleasant. 🙁

 

[WelchAg04]

Originally posted by bnichols0330
I would have not gone to a private liberal arts college for my undergrad. Instead I would have chosen the medical school that was my top choice and done my undergrad there. However, that would have required my knowing that I wanted to go to med school before my third year of undergrad.

THANK GOD! I thought I was the only person around here that made the decision to do this late. Fortunately I had some of the pre-req's done because of my major. I don't understand how people can know what they want to do straight out of high school.

I also should have made a few more A's early on, but not knowing what the hell I wanted to do with my life didn't give me much motivation.

 

[jscarbrough]

The reason I ask is I am 26 years old and just starting out. I know I can learn the best from the people who have already been through the hard times and learned the hard way. Also it sounds like I should choose a major that I love and pick a state university to attend.. Thanks guys.

 

[2badr]

I would have majored in Clinical Science right from the beginning. I not only like the classes I would have been taking, I consider it an excellent prep for the MCAT. ( I would have had to take all the pre-reqs anyway for the major.)

I could have used the two years I have spent in college to take the Clinical Science core courses. If I go that route now
🙂( ) I will be two years later than planned entering medical school.

So I guess for now I'll stick with the"program".... But I really regret not doing that from the beginning.

 

[~EnnI~]

I would've had the guts to take on the premedical curriculum from the very first day I started school. That way, I would've avoided unecessary classes that I have so many of on my transcript and would've avoided wasting 2 years of precious time. I would've gone to Berkeley (although I love UCLA) and I would've tried harder after going to UCLA.

Well, that's enough b!tching for me. Only thing to do now is to get my butt into med school. 😀

 

[kmnfive]

i guess id do much the same as mentioned by everyone else..


sigh...


the only true sin is great.

 

[IrishOarsman]

1) asked out more girls out of my league

2) learned to pay more for beer earlier

3) drank more of aformentioned good beer

4) thrown more themed parties that require limited or highly unstable clothing (toga, beach, thugs+hoes, etc)

5) Etc etc etc



But wait! All is not lost! Senior year remains!

 

[ashkan33]

getting laid is much easier by giving a girl a 40oz of O.E. rather than a nice dinner and a movie....

 

[IrishOarsman]

God, OE. I think you missunderstood my "good beer" theme.

But cheers anways!

 

[Dr. Xavier]

Be a non-science major.

 

[kgal16]

1. would have studied much harder in my pre-med classes, cuz my science gpa sucks

2. would have done study abroad cuz it is TOTALLY POSSIBLE, especially if you dont take your mcats in undergrad

3. would have been comp sci major, so i have a real job to fall back on

4. would have done more interesting things to make me more unique

5. would have gotten to know my professors better so i could have had a better chance of getting kick ass recs

 

[jscarbrough]

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Originally posted by kgal16
3. would have been comp sci major, so i have a real job to fall back on

In this economy... HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA...

At my alma mater... the enrollment numbers for comp sci and biology flip flopped because of the technology bubble popping a few years back...

comp sci... aha hah...hahah...ha...eh ... whatever.... 😉

 

[ussdfiant]

MD Tom, I think it's hilarious that you quote yourself in your signature.