In 2017, can you be pre-med AND play "Power 5" football or basketball?

[availableusername]

I'm talking about in 2017, not 2014 or some other year.
I'm talking about RIGHT NOW.

Is there anyone you have heard of who is playing "big-time" men's football or men's college basketball, at a "Power 5" school, and also is pre-med?

If so, I'd like to read about them. In other words, I'd like to know their names.

I personally don't think it can be done. Not enough time to study!

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[CJhooper123]

I'm talking about in 2017, not 2014 or some other year.
I'm talking about RIGHT NOW.

Is there anyone you have heard of who is playing "big-time" men's football or men's college basketball, at a "Power 5" school, and also is pre-med?

If so, I'd like to read about them. In other words, I'd like to know their names.

I personally don't think it can be done. Not enough time to study!

It can be done - although not easy.
I played D1 basketball at mid-major school x 4 years. Commitment is insane.

Graduated w/ a double major in "getting buckets" and "chemistry"

 

[boogiecousins94]

There was on the UConn mens team (won national championship 2011 and 2014) and is currently MS2 I believe in the Harvard MIT HST program.
Another guy is in med school at UConn who was on the team as well- won in 2014 I think also.

Another person I can remember is the guy on OSU who went to med school (I think?) who was a starter but idk his name

 

[availableusername]

Very interesting. But I mean someone who is doing it today, in the 2017-2018 school year.
And who is doing it in football or men's college basketball at a Power 5 school, as we speak.
I just don't think head coaches care about academics. In other words, I think they want their players to graduate, because it looks good for the head coach if they do,
but they're not going to let
a player cut back on weight-lifting, watching game films, jogging, or miss football or basketball practices so that he can study.

I think they want athletes to be great on the playing fields, but not in the classroom. I say that, because that's what the fans want. They want winning teams, and they only
want the athletes to graduate because the NCAA and Congress are keeping track of graduation rates, right?

So, I think student/athletes are discouraged from being pre-med, and encouraged
to take easier majors, like African-American studies, or astronomy, or something like that.

I'd like to see a really highly-recruited basketball or football player tell a coach: "I'll come to your school. I'll stay for 4 years. But I want to study when I get out of
classes. I don't want to have to practice or lift weights. I'll play in the games though."

What could the coach say? Is he going to tell someone like a Pat Ewing or a Peyton Manning, "Then I don't want you. I'm not going to give you special permission
to skip practices so that you can study. You don't have to have a 4.0 GPA in college. A 2.5 is fine."?

 

[Coltuna]

Aaron Craft was point guard for Ohio State who was pre-med with 4.0 when they were in the thick of things in NCAA tournament a few years back. I think he might've gone pro instead of med school though.

Edit: Graduated in 2014 lol.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

These are experiences that I personally know about. These med students were Div 1 football players in top 25 football-ranked schools.... They went to "good" undergrads....for anonimity sake, similar schools would be Oregon, Florida or Ohio State.

Each chose a major they liked and would do well in. NEITHER one did their premed prereqs while playing, so that they were sure to have HIGH GPAs. Both did postbaccs for the premed prereqs AFTER they graduated. Both got into top 50 MD med schools and graduated within the last 2 years.

I would recommend this path for a football or bball player at a Div 1 ranked school because science labs are often in afternoons when players are practicing. Also, players sometimes miss some class days due to travel.

 

[WhiteCoatWonder]

idk anything about this power 5 thing, but there was a guy in my class who was training for the olympics during M1-M2

 

[begoood95]

There was on the UConn mens team (won national championship 2011 and 2014) and is currently MS2 I believe in the Harvard MIT HST program.
Another guy is in med school at UConn who was on the team as well- won in 2014 I think also.

Another person I can remember is the guy on OSU who went to med school (I think?) who was a starter but idk his name

This has nothing to do with the thread, but your username makes me feel like we're cousins of SDN lol

 

[Terry Toma]

I tutor student athletes at a school with a football team that is currently ranked in the top ten, so I have some familiarity with what kinds of schedules these athletes have. Doing the whole premed thing would be incredibly difficult for a football player at my school, though not impossible. Even spring semester is pretty busy with lifting and workouts, but a bright student could probably survive by knocking out the more challenging coursework in the spring and summer. Finding time for ECs might be an even bigger challenge than getting good grades, but probably doable if you start early.

I think you'd really need to come into college with a clear plan from day one to make it work. If you schedule your prereqs and ECs really well, it's probably doable. There's probably no deciding "hey, I want to go to med school" in the middle of junior year for those guys, though.

Postbacc is probably the more realistic way to go. Just major in something easy, get a good GPA, then knock out the prerequs after you're done playing.

 

[aaronrodgers]

Very interesting. But I mean someone who is doing it today, in the 2017-2018 school year.
And who is doing it in football or men's college basketball at a Power 5 school, as we speak.
I just don't think head coaches care about academics. In other words, I think they want their players to graduate, because it looks good for the head coach if they do,
but they're not going to let
a player cut back on weight-lifting, watching game films, jogging, or miss football or basketball practices so that he can study.

I think they want athletes to be great on the playing fields, but not in the classroom. I say that, because that's what the fans want. They want winning teams, and they only
want the athletes to graduate because the NCAA and Congress are keeping track of graduation rates, right?

So, I think student/athletes are discouraged from being pre-med, and encouraged
to take easier majors, like African-American studies, or astronomy, or something like that.

I'd like to see a really highly-recruited basketball or football player tell a coach: "I'll come to your school. I'll stay for 4 years. But I want to study when I get out of
classes. I don't want to have to practice or lift weights. I'll play in the games though."

What could the coach say? Is he going to tell someone like a Pat Ewing or a Peyton Manning, "Then I don't want you. I'm not going to give you special permission
to skip practices so that you can study. You don't have to have a 4.0 GPA in college. A 2.5 is fine."?

Astronomy is basically a physics major tho

 

[Coltuna]

Just as an aside, I know 2 people currently in medical school who played D3 college footall. They had MAYBE 2-3 EC's outside of football and had no trouble getting into a state school. I think that some ADCOMs really really really like to see collegiate sports on applications.

 

[begoood95]

Just as an aside, I know 2 people currently in medical school who played D3 college footall. They had MAYBE 2-3 EC's outside of football and had no trouble getting into a state school. I think that some ADCOMs really really really like to see collegiate sports on applications.

I think ADCOMs really really really like having and strive to create a diverse class—and being in sports is one such way to achieve that diverse end.

 

[Coltuna]

I think ADCOMs really really really like having and strive to create a diverse class—and being in sports is one such way to achieve that diverse end.

Should've mentioned they're both in the same class at the same school from the same team haha. The key take away was the lack of other EC's. I don't disagree with what you said though!

 

[eaddie27]

Well, it's not big-time men's basketball, but I did play D1 women's basketball, as a starter, while completing all of my premed reqs.

When I was weighing scholarship offers, strength of the premed program was one of my biggest (unusual for bball) factors. My school had pros and cons.

Pros: During the summer we did not do summer school, and workouts were on our own ("personal accountability"). This meant I could cram in shadowing, research, etc over my summers

Cons: We did not have summer school- I couldn't space out any of my harder courses during the summer. Our school also did 0.0% academic support for athletes- no study halls, no tutors, no game accommodations, etc.

In short, playing D1 sports while being a premed student utterly kicked my ass for two years. But once I acclimated I became a much better, more efficient student and it really helped after graduation when I was working while taking courses/studying for the MCAT.

 

[Goro]

I'm talking about in 2017, not 2014 or some other year.
I'm talking about RIGHT NOW.

Is there anyone you have heard of who is playing "big-time" men's football or men's college basketball, at a "Power 5" school, and also is pre-med?

If so, I'd like to read about them. In other words, I'd like to know their names.

I personally don't think it can be done. Not enough time to study!

Would this guy do?
From Being A Small Town Basketball Star to A Player In The Big Ten

 

[statlin98]

A 2 year walk-on at UMD basketball (Big 10) was pre-med and graduated last year. They always brought up on broadcasts he had a 3.9+ GPA.

 

[shortcoatdream15]

Varun Ram, played ball at Maryland, >3.9 GPA majoring in physiology & neurobiology, all around baller

Also, adcoms LOVE student athletes

 

[mydogmolly]

Would this guy do?
From Being A Small Town Basketball Star to A Player In The Big Ten

That guy is now an M1 at vandy. Total stud

 

[aldol16]

Absolutely possible. There are many D1 athletes in my class and many of them played major D1 sports at powerhouse schools. It makes their application all the more impressive that they were able to commit and excel at both athletics and academics.

 

[Gurby]

Forget college ball, spend a few years in the NFL so you can avoid taking out loans

Myron Rolle's journey from NFL to neurosurgery - CNN

 

[UnassumingToad]

I didn't do football or basketball, but I was a four year athlete (letter winner last 3 years) at a BIG 10 school. I know for a fact that we didn't practice as much as the starting football players, but we did have between 20 and 35 hours of commitment per week, year round. It was closer to 35 hours during bad weeks during season and closer to 20 during the off-season/summer. I played a sport where you really couldn't take more than ~2 weeks off a year if you wanted to be competitive. I personally took summer lab classes to lighten my load during the semester and because I missed too much class to take labs during season. Overall, college was a GRIND... and although my grades didn't suffer, my body definitely did. I didn't manage my time well my first two years and as a result I was perpetually tired and got injured a LOT (surgeries, concussions, the gamut). It took me two full years to find a routine/method to balance everything I had going on in an effective, sustainable way. If you decide to pursue serious athletics and a rigorous major, be ready to work. That said, it can totally be done. You just have to seriously maximize your time. You'll have no time to to waste time and every passing period counts. You can also get a TON done while doing rehab/icing!

And I will say that despite the struggle, I think doing serious D1 athletics and serious academics really paid off for me. My cycle has gone far better than I ever could have imagined.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Is he going to tell someone like a Pat Ewing or a Peyton Manning,

Lol Pat Ewing and Peyton Manning wouldn’t be who they are by not practicing or lifting weights.

To answer your question yes it happens every year. And yes those people still lift weights and practice.

 

[SpringsHTTR]

I played division 2 college football for a year. Was absolutely brutal and at least for me was not going to be feasible. Long story short... I suffered a significant injury ending my days on the turf and transferred for financial reasons. Like a blessing and a curse because it allowed me to refocus on my education, save my GPA, and opened up more opportunities to embark on other things. At the D2 level it was extremely tough on me for just a year and I couldn't imagine how life would be for football players in the Big 10 SEC or Pac 12. Probably can be done, but takes a truly truly "special" kind of person.

 

[redrover44]

Another NFL to med school story:

Former NFL Player Now a SLU Otolaryngology Resident : SLU

 

[VincentAdultman]

The best example of this IMO was Myron Rolle. Someone beat me to that one tho I see.

 

[bananafish94]

Reading about people who make it into the NFL or other extraordinarily competitive levels of sports and then go to medical school simply amaze me. Like, can't you leave some talent for the rest of us?

 

[aymar]

I was an athlete in the ACC, albeit not in football or basketball. Spent a lot of time with some of those guys though, and I personally can't fathom how it would be possible without taking gap years. As a student athlete in a non-revenue (but still time consuming) sport, I barely could fit in everything I needed to (and that included 2 summers of summer school and a gap year)

 

[eaddie27]

I second the conclusions of @UnassumingToad - the premed+athlete combo is a trial by fire, but if you can get through it, you end up with a really beneficial skill set for the future. I also agree with the multi-tasking while rehabbing. Gameready was always a great time for either note review or a power nap

I was able to get all of my pre-reqs done during undergrad, but nothing beyond that. I took gap years afterward to take some additional science courses (genetics, microbio, etc), take the MCAT, and do apps. To do all your pre-reqs and apply during college as an athlete would be a very impressive balancing act. I chose work for the gap years over pursuing my WNBA/international pro options. I wanted to get some clinical experience (which has been very beneficial), and my body was also ready to step away from the court.

 

[William Shakespeare]

I'm talking about in 2017, not 2014 or some other year.
I'm talking about RIGHT NOW.

Is there anyone you have heard of who is playing "big-time" men's football or men's college basketball, at a "Power 5" school, and also is pre-med?

If so, I'd like to read about them. In other words, I'd like to know their names.

I personally don't think it can be done. Not enough time to study!

Vanderbilt’s QB went to med school after graduating. I guess it CAN be done, but I personally don’t think I could’ve done it