Life as a pre med

[Dunlap25]

Just wondering but how much time do you have to socialize, how much time did you spend studying, and was it stressful?

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[Low Flow]

Not as bad as people make it sound. If you're of the caliber to make it to med school, undergrad pre med should be a breeze. It's all about time management. If you sit there on FB, twitter, listening to music while you're trying to read bio.... That's when your social life will disappear.

 

[Radon XP]

You can find time for a social life, as long as you know when to buckle down and study and do so effectively. Personally, I frequently had to take advantage of weekends to study, which is kind of a bummer, but I could usually afford to take evenings off.

 

[el_duderino]

I don't really get why life as a premed would be much different from life as a student of any other major.

 

[DifferentialDiagnosis]

I mean, it's obviously stressful and you have to have a higher standard in regards to what activities you engage in (nothing illegal/academically improper) but ultimately it's a calling. No one of sound mind would put themselves through this (volunteering, school, MCAT, AMCAS, Steps, matching, etc) unless they truly loved the idea of practicing medicine.

That's just my two (undergrad premed) cents though

 

[Dunlap25]

In terms of the workload do you get much homework or is it usually just quizzes/tests and labs

 

[Low Flow]

In terms of the workload do you get much homework or is it usually just quizzes/tests and labs

Differs for every class. You will be taking a wide array of subjects.

 

[iowaiowacity]

In terms of the workload do you get much homework or is it usually just quizzes/tests and labs

Lol we dont get much homework in the sense you are thinking of. We get a lot of "homework" in the fact that you really need to study every day outside of class if you want to keep your grades up.

 

[Zelda840]

Just wondering but how much time do you have to socialize,

lots

how much time did you spend studying,

I'd say maybe 2-5 hours a week for me, with the exception of organic chemistry and the MCAT. I studied a lot more for those.

and was it stressful?

not terribly. I didn't take insane course loads though. A lot of people on here take a lot of credits each semester. I chose to do 12-16 credits at a time, but I went in the summers too.

 

[allantois]

I've been told by instructors that I have too much time on my hands as reflected by my work

 

[Radon XP]

There were some classes where I had lots of graded homework. Other classes had few grades besides exams. It all depends on the class. However, you should plan to study and work outside of class even if it's not for a grade.

 

[Hobakie]

If you make time for a social life then you will have time. I didn't study 24/7 aside from readings and the week of a test and I could still go out every weekend if I wanted to (again that's up to you, I didn't cause every other week is enough for me) I think they trick was doing things on time and early. If I had an hour gap between classes I'd use it to catch up on online homework or start next weeks reading/notes. I took mostly science an language classes so I always had homework but compared to people who had little homework I never felt as "swamped" as them. Being premed is not hell it's just work and what you put in is exactly what you get out.

Another thing I suggest is writing everything down in a planner. Takes 5 min and will save your life. Don't be lazy about it either once you know how you week is looking you'll plan accordingly for your social life

 

[Radon XP]

If you make time for a social life then you will have time. I didn't study 24/7 aside from readings and the week of a test and I could still go out every weekend if I wanted to (again that's up to you, I didn't cause every other week is enough for me) I think they trick was doing things on time and early. If I had an hour gap between classes I'd use it to catch up on online homework or start next weeks reading/notes. I took mostly science an language classes so I always had homework but compared to people who had little homework I never felt as "swamped" as them. Being premed is not hell it's just work and what you put in is exactly what you get out.

Another thing I suggest is writing everything down in a planner. Takes 5 min and will save your life. Don't be lazy about it either once you know how you week is looking you'll plan accordingly for your social life

Definitely a good idea to use a planner. One of the things I did was write down all exam dates for all classes and due dates for any major projects at the beginning of the semester, so that way nothing was a surprise and I knew when to start studying for a test.

 

[dbeast]

Not as bad as people make it sound. If you're of the caliber to make it to med school, undergrad pre med should be a breeze. It's all about time management. If you sit there on FB, twitter, listening to music while you're trying to read bio.... That's when your social life will disappear.

Facebook is my social life

 

[thisguy66]

Just wondering but how much time do you have to socialize, how much time did you spend studying, and was it stressful?

Life was fine. The only semester which I couldn't party as much was when I took biochem and physics, and when I was writing my thesis.

 

[masaraksh]

Its a hard knock life. Little known fact, that Jay-Z single was actually all about how challenging his life was as a pre-med. He couldn't handle it. Thats why he's not a doctor.

Dr. DRE on the other hand made it through. And all his work is a reference to the challenges of pre-med and medical training:

Nuthin' But a G Thang - Refers to nothing but Guyton's Physiology
F* Tha Police - The medical library closed at midnight and security guards were keeping him out.
Keep There Heads Ringin' - Refers to what the attendings did when they never stopped yelling at the med students
Guilty Conscience - How he feel when going to the club and not studying
Still D.R.E. - Inspired after getting recertified by the boards.
Bitches Ain't **** - He had a very tough OB/Gyn rotation.

and my favorite:
The Next Episode - Next chapter of anatomy.

 

[05silvergt]

I mean, it's obviously stressful and you have to have a higher standard in regards to what activities you engage in (nothing illegal/academically improper) but ultimately it's a calling. No one of sound mind would put themselves through this (volunteering, school, MCAT, AMCAS, Steps, matching, etc) unless they truly loved the idea of practicing medicine.

That's just my two (undergrad premed) cents though

lololol Get over yourself.

Looking back, I could have gone through undergrad standing on my head. Aside from maybe organic and physics. I had plenty of time to drink and socialize an irresponsible amount during undergrad and still found myself in med school. And no, I'm not some special butterfly who is incredibly brilliant.

 

[listener23]

I don't really get why life as a premed would be much different from life as a student of any other major.

because students of different majors (pre-med is a track not a major) don't have to take science courses while maintaining a 3.7+ GPA. They would be happy with a 3.0. Also the MCAT is not like the GRE or any other graduate admission exam....

 

[NickNaylor]

If you have minimal or no time to socialize and be a normal human being as a pre-med, you're doing something wrong - plain and simple.

 

[masaraksh]

If you have minimal or no time to socialize and be a normal human being as a pre-med, you're doing something wrong - plain and simple.

So much truth!

 

[virtualmaster999]

What I believe is the only part about being pre med that is hard is that you have to try harder than others since you're attempting to get into the hardest kind of post college school. Classes shouldn't be too much if you put in the work. It's just competing for a spot and getting into med school that's hard. The difficulty for many other majors such as engineering have much harder classes but for pre med, it's just hard to get into med school. You can still have a hard schedule and extracurriculars and still have a social life. I'm usually free on the weekends for example at least one of two days (unless there's some really big exam coming up and I'll stay in that weekend). Like many said before it's all about time management. Sacrifice is vital as well for pre meds so get used to it! This is what we want, so you gotta work for it!

 

[doc4lax]

I still have time to play a collegiate sport and become a frat star Its all about time management and how well you keep up with material. Good luck!

 

[Gregor Wiesmann]

If Youtube, SDN, and Facebook wouldn't have been invented, I would have PLENTY of free time. It's not really if you will have time, it's what you spend that time doing.......

 

[solitarius]

I don't really get why life as a premed would be much different from life as a student of any other major.

Not sure if serious. At my low-ranked state school, the grade curve distributions are vastly different for premed courses vs all other classes. I'm not joking. There are intro classes where well over 50% of the students get an A-/A. That's just absurd grade inflation.

Also, what other career/major has a litany of extracurricular accomplishments expected of them? None.

OP, premed sux ballz, and the experience will only worsen as the process becomes more competitive. Suck it up and deal with it like the rest of us have.

 

[drabberbadge]

I do agree with the other posts that pre med is like any other major and that you do have time to live life and socialize. However pre meds do have to be extra cautious in comparison to any other major due to the competitive system. Business majors can graduate with a 3.2 and be fine. Pre meds have to be extra extra cautious if they want to be successful
There is no easy way out or shortcuts
All my opinion
Anyone disagree?

 

[el_duderino]

Not sure if serious. At my low-ranked state school, the grade curve distributions are vastly different for premed courses vs all other classes. I'm not joking. There are intro classes where well over 50% of the students get an A-/A. That's just absurd grade inflation.

Also, what other career/major has a litany of extracurricular accomplishments expected of them? None.

OP, premed sux ballz, and the experience will only worsen as the process becomes more competitive. Suck it up and deal with it like the rest of us have.

What is a premed course? The only "premed" courses I took were basic science courses.

 

[solitarius]

What is a premed course? The only "premed" courses I took were basic science courses.

They're the science pre-reqs required for medical school. You know, the ones with the nasty curves where fewer than 10 or 20% can get As / A-'s.

 

[el_duderino]

So chemistry, biology, ochem, and physics? A lot of non-premeds take those too...

 

[solitarius]

So chemistry, biology, ochem, and physics? A lot of non-premeds take those too...

Really, a lot? Most schools have the fluff science classes that the humanities kids can take to fulfill their Gen Ed requirement.

 

[el_duderino]

All of my science classes were filled with kids who weren't considering med school yeah. The only students I ever saw who had real issues with time management were the architecture kids. But then again I did most of my undergrad at an engineering university.

 

[Essee]

So chemistry, biology, ochem, and physics? A lot of non-premeds take those too...

I agree with you. Not to mention that plenty of non-premeds also engage in a lot of ECs.

I don't understand why premeds in particular treat "wanting to go to med school" as if it is a special type of lifestyle. Just do well in whatever major youre in and get involved in things you're passionate about and you'll have a good app if you choose to apply.

 

[Wasted Energy]

Really, a lot? Most schools have the fluff science classes that the humanities kids can take to fulfill their Gen Ed requirement.

You mean "fluff sciences" like the algebra-based physics courses that many premeds take?

 

[DifferentialDiagnosis]

lololol Get over yourself.

Looking back, I could have gone through undergrad standing on my head. Aside from maybe organic and physics. I had plenty of time to drink and socialize an irresponsible amount during undergrad and still found myself in med school. And no, I'm not some special butterfly who is incredibly brilliant.

I guess that's just not my cup of tea. A DUI isn't worth my future. I'm glad you had fun though

 

[WedgeDawg]

I'm in a fraternity so I "partied/party" pretty regularly, and I spend a lot of my free time during the day hanging out with people, napping, and playing video games. Of course there are those crunch times where it feels like I'm working 24/7, but I would say that those are the exception, not the norm.

 

[ortnakas]

I guess that's just not my cup of tea. A DUI isn't worth my future. I'm glad you had fun though

Drinking and socializing and getting a DUI aren't the same thing.

 

[allantois]

Being a premed is not a special type of life. However, deciding to pursue a career in medicine is absolutely a major life decision. From my observations there are not many people in college who are not pre-meds and who are concerned with getting stellar grades in every course they attempt. Also those "basic science" lectures are filled by the students majority of who want to pursue some sort of professional career. My OChem professor once asked those students interested in pursuing OChem as a PhD to raise their hands; not a single hand went up in a class of 300+ students. The competition is undeniable.

 

[DifferentialDiagnosis]

Drinking and socializing and getting a DUI aren't the same thing.

I realize that, and yes, I do have a life as a premed, but I am not of drinking age yet so yes, I refrain from drinking NOT because I'm some uptight nutcase, but because I've seen the effects of underage drinking (and getting caught). That's all.
Such vitriol. -_- I'm going to stop commenting now.

 

[Gregor Wiesmann]

Being a premed is not a special type of life. However, deciding to pursue a career in medicine is absolutely a major life decision. From my observations there are not many people in college who are not pre-meds and who are concerned with getting stellar grades in every course they attempt. Also those "basic science" lectures are filled by the students majority of who want to pursue some sort of professional career. My OChem professor once asked those students interested in pursuing OChem as a PhD to raise their hands; not a single hand went up in a class of 300+ students. The competition is undeniable.

Plot twist: What if all OChem professors were once pre-meds who got rejected, so they went back to school to teach and make OChem as miserable as possible for other pre-meds?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Plot twist: What if all OChem professors were once pre-meds who got rejected, so they went back to school to teach and make OChem as miserable as possible for other pre-meds?

My Orgo professor explicitly told us this.

Edit: Just asked a friend who was in the class to refresh my memory and what the professor actually said was that he knew most of us were premeds and the he too was premed but now he teaches organic chemistry. So I guess that is less explicit, but it's certainly implied.

 

[Blizzard18]

It depends on what kind of premed you want to be. I know/knew pre med majors in my department (chem) that socialized plenty and did just enough studying a couple nights before an exam and did their lab reports the night it's due. I don't know any of those who got into med school though except maybe one of my buddies but he barely got it because of his kinda low mcat. I was the other kind that studied all the time and when I wasn't studying I was doing extra curriculars that would help me get in to med school. I did take every Friday evening off as date night for me and my gf. The thing about choosing to be a physician is that the learning never stops, you have to actually begin to enjoy learning. Convince yourself that reading your biochem book for hours is fun, and eventually you learn to love it because it's your future. Being a doctor is being a student for life. I did great on my mcat, 4.0, accepted on November 1st last year and it was such a relaxing feeling my entire senior year. Sure, you sacrifice a lot, but you do it for something you love.

 

[WedgeDawg]

It depends on what kind of premed you want to be. I know/knew pre med majors in my department (chem) that socialized plenty and did just enough studying a couple nights before an exam and did their lab reports the night it's due. I don't know any of those who got into med school though except maybe one of my buddies but he barely got it because of his kinda low mcat. I was the other kind that studied all the time and when I wasn't studying I was doing extra curriculars that would help me get in to med school. I did take every Friday evening off as date night for me and my gf. The thing about choosing to be a physician is that the learning never stops, you have to actually begin to enjoy learning. Convince yourself that reading your biochem book for hours is fun, and eventually you learn to love it because it's your future. Being a doctor is being a student for life. I did great on my mcat, 4.0, accepted on November 1st last year and it was such a relaxing feeling my entire senior year. Sure, you sacrifice a lot, but you do it for something you love.

That's not to say that you have to dedicate every second of your life to studying/etc. Will it make it easier for you in the long run? Most likely. However, I am a huge proponent of compartmentalization of time. I have a lot of colleagues who are always in the library doing work. I go to the library perhaps 3 times a term, if that, and I always seem to have at least some free time, and I'm still pulling a very respectable GPA and did decently well on my MCAT. I attribute this to the fact that when I'm working, I do nothing but work, and thus am very efficient, and when I'm doing fun things, I don't think about work, I focus on relaxing and having fun. Same thing when I'm in the lab or volunteering or whatever else. Doing this allows me to make the most of what I'm doing at that moment. I suspect that a lot of people who are always in the library spend a lot of their time on Facebook or youtube or sporcle being distracted some other way, which is why they're in the library for hours upon hours each day, and for some people that works. However, I prefer to have my free time be real free time and my work time dedicated to work, so I put in an average of probably 2 hours of solid academic work each day (probably climbed to 3, maybe 3.5 when I was taking orgo) where I sat down and did my work and didn't let anything distract me and then the rest of my day I could focus on other things. Everyone is different when it comes to their learning habits and ultimately it's up to you to find what works best. Some people really feel it's worth it to spend a lot of time studying while others might see it as a waste, and you know what? Both of these viewpoints are absolutely valid. People run into problems when they try and stick with a routine that's clearly not working. Doctors are going to be students their entire lives, and college is a chance to figure out how to be the best student you can be, and that is going to be different for every individual.

 

[Blizzard18]

That's not to say that you have to dedicate every second of your life to studying/etc. Will it make it easier for you in the long run? Most likely. However, I am a huge proponent of compartmentalization of time. I have a lot of colleagues who are always in the library doing work. I go to the library perhaps 3 times a term, if that, and I always seem to have at least some free time, and I'm still pulling a very respectable GPA and did decently well on my MCAT. I attribute this to the fact that when I'm working, I do nothing but work, and thus am very efficient, and when I'm doing fun things, I don't think about work, I focus on relaxing and having fun. Same thing when I'm in the lab or volunteering or whatever else. Doing this allows me to make the most of what I'm doing at that moment. I suspect that a lot of people who are always in the library spend a lot of their time on Facebook or youtube or sporcle being distracted some other way, which is why they're in the library for hours upon hours each day, and for some people that works. However, I prefer to have my free time be real free time and my work time dedicated to work, so I put in an average of probably 2 hours of solid academic work each day (probably climbed to 3, maybe 3.5 when I was taking orgo) where I sat down and did my work and didn't let anything distract me and then the rest of my day I could focus on other things. Everyone is different when it comes to their learning habits and ultimately it's up to you to find what works best. Some people really feel it's worth it to spend a lot of time studying while others might see it as a waste, and you know what? Both of these viewpoints are absolutely valid. People run into problems when they try and stick with a routine that's clearly not working. Doctors are going to be students their entire lives, and college is a chance to figure out how to be the best student you can be, and that is going to be different for every individual.

True. I agree with the fact that when you work you should only work, don't screw around on fb. And definitely take time for relaxation just like I took Friday totally off after class for date night. However, maxing out at 3 hours a day studying may be a habit that doesn't quite work in upper level science classes (let's be honest, organic doesn't count) like inorganic or p chem and if you really get in a habit of studying a lot, it's a habit that will be required in med school. But yes, everyone is different and this is all open to interpretation. I just wanted to share what I found to be successful.

 

[plumazul]

Just wondering but how much time do you have to socialize, how much time did you spend studying, and was it stressful?

Best four years of my life (so far). It went by so fast. I had plenty of time for many EC activities and volunteering. The secret to a stress free semester is to never let yourself get behind on anything.

 

[WedgeDawg]

True. I agree with the fact that when you work you should only work, don't screw around on fb. And definitely take time for relaxation just like I took Friday totally off after class for date night. However, maxing out at 3 hours a day studying may be a habit that doesn't quite work in upper level science classes (let's be honest, organic doesn't count) like inorganic or p chem and if you really get in a habit of studying a lot, it's a habit that will be required in med school. But yes, everyone is different and this is all open to interpretation. I just wanted to share what I found to be successful.

You can make it work. I just did an upper division (cross listed as a graduate class) biology class and did fine. But yes, getting in the habit of spending a lot of time studying will certainly benefit you in medical school where classes are more information intensive.

I'm not taking super advanced chemistry courses, but friends of mine who are have said that p-chem is similar in workload to orgo, and inorganic is slightly easier. Hearsay, so take with a grain of salt.

 

[akaMondo]

I don't know, I didn't really do anything for pre-med undergrad. I studied for a few classes like biochem, microbio, and genetics, and I guess my first two years I did have lower GPAs than my last two, so studying more helped. But I really didn't do a lot outside of ECs, studying for a few tougher classes, and bumming around with my friends watching sports all the time. I didn't even go to class for most classes, just studied off lecture slides, etc. I look back and regret not studying for ochem and such. Could've done better than a 3.7, but it ended up alright.

 

[jjtheairplane]

I don't know, I didn't really do anything for pre-med undergrad. I studied for a few classes like biochem, microbio, and genetics, and I guess my first two years I did have lower GPAs than my last two, so studying more helped. But I really didn't do a lot outside of ECs, studying for a few tougher classes, and bumming around with my friends watching sports all the time. I didn't even go to class for most classes, just studied off lecture slides, etc. I look back and regret not studying for ochem and such. Could've done better than a 3.7, but it ended up alright.

Not to be putting down your posts or similar posts, as a 3.7 is clearly good, but I just wanted to mention in some regions (like east coast and California) students are expected to have great GPA's EC's and MCAT. It's sort of like a baseline.. that said. At my undergrad, many of my friends have these, BUT, I know they worked super hard and didn't really have social lives to achieve this. I mean we drink and go to a like 1-2 parties/bars a month depending on tests but nothing like non-premeds.

Just my 2cents. I believe many of the people on this thread saying pre-med is no different than anything else either are 1) Really smart 2) Don't experience as much competition, or the "baseline" notion

 

[WedgeDawg]

Not to be putting down your posts or similar posts, as a 3.7 is clearly good, but I just wanted to mention in some regions (like east coast and California) students are expected to have great GPA's EC's and MCAT. It's sort of like a baseline.. that said. At my undergrad, many of my friends have these, BUT, I know they worked super hard and didn't really have social lives to achieve this. I mean we drink and go to a like 1-2 parties/bars a month depending on tests but nothing like non-premeds.

Just my 2cents. I believe many of the people on this thread saying pre-med is no different than anything else either are 1) Really smart 2) Don't experience as much competition, or the "baseline" notion

Being really smart and being efficient can be easily confused. I wouldn't say I'm any significant amount smarter than my peers, but I believe that I have found a system that makes me very efficient. I'm at an Ivy League school, so there is definitely extreme competition and all of my peers are highly intelligent and motivated, and this obviously means people set their baselines pretty high (one of my friends told me he'd be "happy" with a 38).

I'm not trying to be contrary or argumentative (I sincerely apologize if that's how I come across), I'm just trying to point out that a lot of these traits and behaviors might be common, but not universal, and they don't necessarily adhere to a single set of rules.

 

[akaMondo]

Not to be putting down your posts or similar posts, as a 3.7 is clearly good, but I just wanted to mention in some regions (like east coast and California) students are expected to have great GPA's EC's and MCAT. It's sort of like a baseline.. that said. At my undergrad, many of my friends have these, BUT, I know they worked super hard and didn't really have social lives to achieve this. I mean we drink and go to a like 1-2 parties/bars a month depending on tests but nothing like non-premeds.

Just my 2cents. I believe many of the people on this thread saying pre-med is no different than anything else either are 1) Really smart 2) Don't experience as much competition, or the "baseline" notion

No offense taken! I went to a very good undergrad school, met some brilliant people way smarter than me, but you're right. In the midwest, the competition isn't like it is in California. I interviewed with like 5+ Californians at every school I was at. It's unbelievable how many people there are there, and how even with a bunch of med schools, they still have to apply everywhere else.

I'd like to think I'm pretty smart. It was also a matter of learning efficiency. I had a 3.2 my first year in college skipping all classes and trying to learn out of the book, I definitely modified that method. I wasn't smart enough to make that work. I learned what I had to do to get the grades I wanted. Not a good method for everyone, but efficiency certainly has its perks. I'm assuming I'll have to have a similar adjustment to medical school.

 

[akaMondo]

Being really smart and being efficient can be easily confused. I wouldn't say I'm any significant amount smarter than my peers, but I believe that I have found a system that makes me very efficient. I'm at an Ivy League school, so there is definitely extreme competition and all of my peers are highly intelligent and motivated, and this obviously means people set their baselines pretty high (one of my friends told me he'd be "happy" with a 38).

I'm not trying to be contrary or argumentative (I sincerely apologize if that's how I come across), I'm just trying to point out that a lot of these traits and behaviors might be common, but not universal, and they don't necessarily adhere to a single set of rules.

I replied to the same post before seeing this. I'd argue that being able to be efficient enough to get grades you want at an Ivy makes you smart. It takes a smart person to figure out what needs to be done, to recognize diminishing returns, to figure out what a professor is expecting. So I think that, by finding that system, you ARE smart. I'd go the other route, actually, and say "Being really smart and studying all the time can be easily confused". I have a lot of friends who put way too much work into things, and I think that's just wasting time that could be better allocated elsewhere. But if you say you study for hours and hours every day, everyone assumes you're ambitious, smart, and successful in school. Just my two cents!

I took the "efficiency" approach to the MCAT and it worked out. I saw the 30+ guarantee SDN thread, got burned out within 2 days, blazed my own trail. Some people just study differently.

 

[Blizzard18]

I think it really comes down to balancing yourself correctly in all areas of your life because they truly do look at the person as a whole during the application process and interview. Just don't relax too much, they're looking for hard workers. Admittedly, I overworked myself in undergraduate because I wanted perfect grades in everything. Looking back now, I realize how little that mattered, and I could've graduated with the same 4.0 and spent a little more time with my friends. I don't regret it, but I could see how someone easily could. Just be weary of the path you are choosing, why you are choosing it, and what it is going to take from you on a day in/day out basis. Alrighty guys, i'm all adviced out lol.