Is it just me?...

[priam18]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm starting to think there's nothing worse for a pre-med student than a BAD pre-med advisor.

Now, I just had a talk with my pre-med advisor a few hours ago and was surprised at just how much she did not know. I came to her with my intent of applying to DO schools...she didn't know much about them, and I kept expecting her to refer to the DO doctor right on our campus, but she never did. Heck, if I had never searched out and spoken with the guy myself, I would've had no idea he was even available. She was spacy, incosistent, and seemed to have little or no idea what she was talking about. Yet she is the only pre-med advisor for a campus of about 2700 students. Maybe I'm just used to good advisors (my high school college counselor was stellar), but if I didn't have a general idea of what options were available to me, I would be f*cked beyond belief.

I guess what I'm trying to say is...
Thank God for SDN.COM

/shameless plug

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[maxhealth]

I hear you priam. My pre-med advisor was basically a pompous jack*ss. He assured me that my GPA and MCAT scores would not get me into any medical school (29, 3.3) and to consider something else. I believed him, why wouldn't I. Unfortunately I didn't do much research on my own back then, went back for a Master's and floundered from there. I've been working in a pharmaceutical lab for the last 6 yrs, thinking I would grow old there until one of my old bosses started talking to me about Osteopathic Medicine. I applied and got in (after busting my as* studying for the MCAT and retaking it 5 yrs. post college). Had my pre-med advisor gotten off his high horse and helped me out a little, I probably would be in my first or second year of residency by now.

Moral of the story? Don't rely on your pre-med advisor or ANYONE else to tell you what you can or can't do. Especially if he's a douche bag!

 

[Dr Trek 1]

If there is one thing I learned throuhgout the application process, it is to rely on SDN and yourself. You will learn more from SDN and the school's website to which you are applying than any premed advisor.

We have lots of premed advisors at my college (since lots of people go to med school), however the only time I ever talked to mine was when I had to get their LOR. I do have friends who would make appointments all the time to speak with them, but I don't really see why.

It's not like many premed advisors get any special training in medical education, they (mostly) are glorified guidance counselors who have probably read a few websites about medical school- but you can do that on your own.

Good luck!

 

[Captain Fantastic]

It's not like premed advisors get any special training in medical education, they simply are glorified guidance counselors who have probably read a few websites about medical school- but you can do that on your own.

Good luck!

The good pre-med advisors are members of organizations like the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (http://www.naahp.org/) and do take advantage of special training in advising pre-health students (medicine, dentistry, PA, optometry, etc.).

 

[Redneck]

Highschool and college advisors are tools. Take your future into your own hands. If things go wrong you only have yourself to blame. Just what I learned/experienced.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm starting to think there's nothing worse for a pre-med student than a BAD pre-med advisor.

Now, I just had a talk with my pre-med advisor a few hours ago and was surprised at just how much she did not know. I came to her with my intent of applying to DO schools...she didn't know much about them, and I kept expecting her to refer to the DO doctor right on our campus, but she never did. Heck, if I had never searched out and spoken with the guy myself, I would've had no idea he was even available. She was spacy, incosistent, and seemed to have little or no idea what she was talking about. Yet she is the only pre-med advisor for a campus of about 2700 students. Maybe I'm just used to good advisors (my high school college counselor was stellar), but if I didn't have a general idea of what options were available to me, I would be f*cked beyond belief.

I guess what I'm trying to say is...
Thank God for SDN.COM

/shameless plug

The purpose of advisors is to discourage everyone from applying. Thus the weak-minded will give up, and they will have filtered out those not cut out for medical school.

 

[wolfram241]

My guy told me I needed a 3.7 to get into schools which in fact have around 3.5 averages (allo schools), and that schools don't even look at kids with 3.5s.

Then he told me to make sure my volunteering didn't include shadowing, because that is the worst thing you could do. I wanted to vomit on the spot.

 

[DarkWingDuck]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm starting to think there's nothing worse for a pre-med student than a BAD pre-med advisor.

Now, I just had a talk with my pre-med advisor a few hours ago and was surprised at just how much she did not know. I came to her with my intent of applying to DO schools...she didn't know much about them, and I kept expecting her to refer to the DO doctor right on our campus, but she never did. Heck, if I had never searched out and spoken with the guy myself, I would've had no idea he was even available. She was spacy, incosistent, and seemed to have little or no idea what she was talking about. Yet she is the only pre-med advisor for a campus of about 2700 students. Maybe I'm just used to good advisors (my high school college counselor was stellar), but if I didn't have a general idea of what options were available to me, I would be f*cked beyond belief.

I guess what I'm trying to say is...
Thank God for SDN.COM

/shameless plug

I'm in a school of ~20,000 and my pre-med coun. is just as incompetent. All she does is take trips to Caribbean and bring us students back pictures of her swimming with sharks or dolphins or whatever.

 

[Canuck99]

My pre-med advisor was a complete crack head. After a few visits with him early on in my pre-med career I realized that he would be of no help. Other than a pre-medical committee letter you really dont need them for much.

 

[RD330]

Pre-med advisors? I was really unlucky with mine. I couldn't make him remember me for the life of me b/c I wasn't super involved in the pre-med club at our university. I have good grades and a decent MCAT and great medical experience and he was still never positive about me going to med school. All he could do is remind me of the C I made in statistics over my first summer semester. uhhhh...good one. Well, I'll be going to med school in Fall '06 b/c I wanted to and I took the challenge into my own hands. I got most of my help from other pre-med students (that I trusted, haha) and doctors that I worked with.

 

[PlasticMan]

The purpose of advisors is to discourage everyone from applying. Thus the weak-minded will give up, and they will have filtered out those not cut out for medical school.

Applies to mine At first he grilled me a little and tried to dissuade me; however, when I persisted he apologized for grilling me but had be sure I was serious.