My questions

[SBMD]

Hi, everyone! This is my first time posting questions here. I am going into my 2nd year and doing a biochem specialization program as a pre-med student. I have some questions I hope some (a lot will be awesome) of you’ll respond to with your broader experience, knowledge and opinions. I am quite a novice. So here go the questions:

1) This is probably a question with a obvious answer but I’m gonna ask anyway. Through your 3-4 years of undergrad degree as a pre-med student, have you changed a lot with increased maturity, well-roundedness and such? To be more specific, how have you changed and which of those things contributed/will contribute to your success in medicine?

2) How do you think the Adcoms will look at someone who’s kinda shy or quiet (or both) ? Do quiet/shy people have a chance of getting into med school at all if they are really nice, compassionate, thoughtful, mature, smart and so on but they’re not outgoing, quieter than general people and are not so much fun to be with? (I wonder how many people like this there are out there though…hmm)

3) How much ECs is considered to be too little? Can you give some examples or something? Compared to MCAT scores and GPA, how important are ECs? In case I’m doing some curricular activities during the school year but then I don’t do in school as well as I did before and I quit to give more time to my studies, I will continue doing ECs in the summer. But I would feel bad that all I do is study if ECs is more important than I thought and ECs over the summer only wouldn’t seem enough then?

Anyway, I hope to get some great and encouraging ideas/suggestion from you guys and hope the answers will be helpful information to not only me but also other pre-med students. THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

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[aertzin]

Hi, everyone! This is my first time posting questions here. I am going into my 2nd year and doing a biochem specialization program as a pre-med student. I have some questions I hope some (a lot will be awesome) of you’ll respond to with your broader experience, knowledge and opinions. I am quite a novice. So here go the questions:

1) This is probably a question with a obvious answer but I’m gonna ask anyway. Through your 3-4 years of undergrad degree as a pre-med student, have you changed a lot with increased maturity, well-roundedness and such? To be more specific, how have you changed and which of those things contributed/will contribute to your success in medicine?

2) How do you think the Adcoms will look at someone who’s kinda shy or quiet (or both) ? Do quiet/shy people have a chance of getting into med school at all if they are really nice, compassionate, thoughtful, mature, smart and so on but they’re not outgoing, quieter than general people and are not so much fun to be with? (I wonder how many people like this there are out there though…hmm)

3) How much ECs is considered to be too little? Can you give some examples or something? Compared to MCAT scores and GPA, how important are ECs? In case I’m doing some curricular activities during the school year but then I don’t do in school as well as I did before and I quit to give more time to my studies, I will continue doing ECs in the summer. But I would feel bad that all I do is study if ECs is more important than I thought and ECs over the summer only wouldn’t seem enough then?

Anyway, I hope to get some great and encouraging ideas/suggestion from you guys and hope the answers will be helpful information to not only me but also other pre-med students. THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

1. Am definitely more well-rounded ... by about twenty pounds. Too much beer.

2. Shy, quiet, compassionate people have no chance in medical school. Apply to nursing school.

3. Varsity beer pong team
Olympic keg stand bronze medalist
President - Monty Python Fan Club

Hope this helps

 

[Robizzle]

won't notice urself maturing but after 3 or 4 years and u look back at other freshmen u will definitely notice a difference.

its fine to be quiet and self spoken but learn to get your points across. few hours of your damn life just force yourself to speak! (but be yourself at the same time!)

 

[SBMD]

Hey, Thanks both of you. I hope to get some more responses later on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aertzin
"2. Shy, quiet, compassionate people have no chance in medical school. Apply to nursing school. "

I won't give up that easily though because I've been going toward becoming a doctor through all my life.

 

[leahmaria]

there was a thread on here earlier about a personality test, and if i remember right, a lot of people were introverted or "I" on that test.

 

[ParvatiP]

Hey, Thanks both of you. I hope to get some more responses later on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aertzin
"2. Shy, quiet, compassionate people have no chance in medical school. Apply to nursing school. "

I won't give up that easily though because I've been going toward becoming a doctor through all my life.

Ignore aertzin's comment...I am quite shy and quiet myself (everyone is always telling me to speak up!), but I'm not going to let that keep me from medicine. We have just as equal a shot at med school as an outgoing person. I'm better in one-on-one situations, such as interviews, and as long as you can keep up a conversation, you'll be fine!
To answer your last question, ECs ARE important, esp. clinical experience. If you don't do some form of hospital volunteering/shadowing/other med. related experience, you will not get into med school no matter what your scores. Apart from that, you don't need a ton of activities. Quality>Quantity. Find something you really enjoy and focus on that activity for several years. You don't need a bunch of ECs, just something to set yourself apart from other applicants. To get into top 20 schools is another question...but to get into ANY med school, you'll be fine. You're lucky because you're just starting your 2nd year, so you have plenty of time to get involved in activities. Good luck!!

EDIT: 100th post!!! Woot!

 

[Dr.TobiasFünke]

Hi, everyone! This is my first time posting questions here. I am going into my 2nd year and doing a biochem specialization program as a pre-med student. I have some questions I hope some (a lot will be awesome) of you’ll respond to with your broader experience, knowledge and opinions. I am quite a novice. So here go the questions:

1) This is probably a question with a obvious answer but I’m gonna ask anyway. Through your 3-4 years of undergrad degree as a pre-med student, have you changed a lot with increased maturity, well-roundedness and such? To be more specific, how have you changed and which of those things contributed/will contribute to your success in medicine?

2) How do you think the Adcoms will look at someone who’s kinda shy or quiet (or both) ? Do quiet/shy people have a chance of getting into med school at all if they are really nice, compassionate, thoughtful, mature, smart and so on but they’re not outgoing, quieter than general people and are not so much fun to be with? (I wonder how many people like this there are out there though…hmm)

3) How much ECs is considered to be too little? Can you give some examples or something? Compared to MCAT scores and GPA, how important are ECs? In case I’m doing some curricular activities during the school year but then I don’t do in school as well as I did before and I quit to give more time to my studies, I will continue doing ECs in the summer. But I would feel bad that all I do is study if ECs is more important than I thought and ECs over the summer only wouldn’t seem enough then?

Anyway, I hope to get some great and encouraging ideas/suggestion from you guys and hope the answers will be helpful information to not only me but also other pre-med students. THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

1) I think my maturity actually regressed
2) Alcohol will make you come out of your shell
3) The only club I was in was the grilling society

I got into med school

 

[Law2Doc]

Do quiet/shy people have a chance of getting into med school at all if they... are not so much fun to be with?

The shyness is not really the issue. If they can actually tell from the interview that you are "not fun to be with", you will not get into med school. Interviewers generally select people they hit it off with, and would enjoy running into on campus. And if they are clinicians, they are looking for future colleagues. A profession is a club; They are deciding if they want you in their club - i.e. who is a "good fit" for their school. So no, they won't want someone who isn't fun to be around. There are enough smart people applying who have the stats and are fun to be around.