Older pre-meds (3rd/4th years): What would you tell your 1st/2nd year self?

[DiavoloAlighieri]

Title. Although this site has countless posts, and this question has likely been asked numerous times, I wondered what current third and fourth-year undergrads would tell their first and second-year selves.

I'm finishing up my first year of undergrad with a mediocre GPA (3.7/4.0-I know, gotta get that up ASAP), and so far I don't really have any regrets in terms of stuff I could have done differently versus high school where I screwed up my academics big time. I'm volunteering at my institution's college of medicine in an immunology lab that is going to evolve into a paid job over the summer, so I suppose I have the experience box checked off at the moment (my foot's in the door at least).

But maybe I'm being blind right now to potential issues that could be deleterious to my chances of getting into med school.

Therefore let me know if there's anything you would go back and change if you could.

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[Frigidcold]

Study abroad. Take more risks. Find what you're passionate about.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

A 3.7 is fine esp for freshman year. Don't get neurotic about these numbers already please.

I'm an older premed 10 years into an engineering career and attempting to apply this cycle. I wish I had taken more time as an undergrad to smell the roses and figure out what I wanted to do. I graduated in 2 years and spent the next decade wandering around trying to figure **** out.

I've now been working toward this part time for about 3 years alongside a more than full time technical job and doing 9h+ of volunteering, 9h+ clinical, 6+ hours of hobbies, and 1-2 lab classes a semester since I had no prereqs done.

The best possible advice I can give you is to learn to handle your time and your stress. A lot of people would crumble under this schedule, but I've maintained it for most of the past 3 years without too much heartache.

Never risk your grades because my academics have definitely suffered a bit due to being overloaded, but you have a 50h+ a week advantage over me already in terms of a job taking up half my waking time. Find and try out lots and lots of things, be sure that you really want to be a physician before you commit to this slugfest.

 

[LizzyM]

Did you take o-chem as a freshman?

Frankly, 3.7 as a freshman is not bad. Go for that upward trend.

Learn about your learning style and use what you know to really learn and retain the material.
Go to office hours. Get to know faculty members who are teaching you as you'll want to ask some for letters of recommendation. Don't burn any bridges or ghost mentors or instructors. You may need them later.

Stay away from anything that might end up getting you written up by university police or even a resident assistant. I don't expect that you will cheat but don't even loan your materials or devices to others who might cheat off of you as this can get you included in an accusation of cheating.

Find something you enjoy that you can list on your application as an activity. Performing arts, studio arts, athletics, creative pursuits of any kind that helps you relax and recharge.

Find an opportunity on a regular basis to help those who can't help themselves (elderly, very young, very poor, etc). The equivalent of 8 hours/month over the next 2-3 years should be what you are aiming for.

 

[DiavoloAlighieri]

Did you take o-chem as a freshman?

Nope, I'm taking it next year. Not thrilled about it since we all know it's typically a GPA-sink course, but I'm really just trying to use Khan academy and other resources to study for it. We'll see how that goes.

Find an opportunity on a regular basis to help those who can't help themselves (elderly, very young, very poor, etc). The equivalent of 8 hours/month over the next 2-3 years should be what you are aiming for.

What can you foresee me doing with this opportunity? I suppose it would give me material for personal statements and other resume fluffs, but why specifically opt for serving people who cannot help themselves versus doing service such as cleaning and maintaining parks over long periods of time? Is it because taking care of others now could foreshadow the makings of a good doctor who can take care of patients to med school admissions?

 

[LizzyM]

Nope, I'm taking it next year. Not thrilled about it since we all know it's typically a GPA-sink course, but I'm really just trying to use Khan academy and other resources to study for it. We'll see how that goes.


What can you foresee me doing with this opportunity? I suppose it would give me material for personal statements and other resume fluffs, but why specifically opt for serving people who cannot help themselves versus doing service such as cleaning and maintaining parks over long periods of time? Is it because taking care of others now could foreshadow the makings of a good doctor who can take care of patients to med school admissions?

Your patients will include people of all kinds, including many who are different from yourself and who you are not likely to bump into in your life as a college student. Getting to know such people, to hear their stories, to develop an understanding of their circumstances can help you build empathy for real people with real problems as well as give you a reality check with regard to the difficulties you can experience when trying to help people in difficult circumstances. Given that you are not a health care professional yet, some of the best service you can provide is non-clinical.

While caring for the environment is a noble cause, you are unlikely to get to know people unlike yourself or gain an understanding of the poor in your midst.

 

[DiavoloAlighieri]

Study abroad. Take more risks. Find what you're passionate about.

Have any particular examples of this or regrets from your earlier years? If you don't wanna share that's fine too.

 

[Rachapkis]

Explore what really interests you, rather than chasing money or prestige. It may be hard (at least, for some of you) to do, but you'll wear that white coat for a long time. Make sure that you're actually happy in it! Not only will you be smile more, but you'll also more likely to succeed.

 

[toastedbutter]

find clinical experience first, and service next. don't worry about getting involved in research until you've spent a full semester both doing something clinical and volunteering somewhere. not only are these more important than research in the long term (except for like 15 schools in the T-10), you'll find out way faster if you really want to go into a career that both involves the healthcare environment and is all about serving others. I started my first clinical position halfway through college and the first time a patient yelled at me for something I had no control over it was a really humbling experience. Get that out of the way FIRST. you can always take a gap year and do more research/hunt for a publication if that is really what you need before applying, but rarely will an adcom forgive starting clinical and service work for the first time right before applying.

 

[tal0137]

I raced through undergrad and graduate school. I have been out on my own for three years now, and will be starting medical school this summer. You can bet that I never planned taking a single gap year let alone three of them. I had everything planned out to a T when I started my first year of undergrad. While I somewhat followed the path I had laid out, life kept happening and I had to keep adapting. My younger self would be horrified that it took me this long to finally apply and start medical school. However, I couldn't imagine it any other way. I have taken on many different hobbies including painting and power lifting. I have worked a variety of jobs from supplemental instructor to patient care technician to operations manager. I have traveled and been in serious long term relationships and made the most of my time with my family. All this to say, the most important thing I would want to tell myself now is that it will all turn out okay. Just keep the end goal in mind, and live your life to the fullest. Keep taking steps towards that goal, but do not be afraid to explore all your options. You will never get these years back, and they are some of the most fulfilling I have had. Work hard, but remember to enjoy the process.

 

[deleted1136042]

Your patients will include people of all kinds, including many who are different from yourself and who you are not likely to bump into in your life as a college student. Getting to know such people, to hear their stories, to develop an understanding of their circumstances can help you build empathy for real people with real problems as well as give you a reality check with regard to the difficulties you can experience when trying to help people in difficult circumstances. Given that you are not a health care professional yet, some of the best service you can provide is non-clinical.

While caring for the environment is a noble cause, you are unlikely to get to know people unlike yourself or gain an understanding of the poor in your midst.

Good point. Was wondering if my care for others who are different from myself could be a clinical activity and if my non-clinical activity can be environment related.

 

[LizzyM]

Good point. Was wondering if my care for others who are different from myself could be a clinical activity and if my non-clinical activity can be environment related.

Some adcoms will discount volunteerism that is clinical in that it is a "two birds, one stone" situation. Those that like to see community service like seeing you do something that doesn't get you brownie points as "clinical" as well as "service to others". They like to see, too, that you can relate to and serve people who many people do not want to be around.

 

[DiavoloAlighieri]

They like to see, too, that you can relate to and serve people who many people do not want to be around.

Never thought of it that way before. Good point.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What can you foresee me doing with this opportunity? I suppose it would give me material for personal statements and other resume fluffs, but why specifically opt for serving people who cannot help themselves versus doing service such as cleaning and maintaining parks over long periods of time? Is it because taking care of others now could foreshadow the makings of a good doctor who can take care of patients to med school admissions?

Playing catch-up. I cite the AAMC Service Orientation competency definition a lot. Read it for the practical reasons for the application process.

Because it's the humane thing to do. Working in healthcare is not like a Hallmark-movie happy ending. The fact is that we all will die, and there will be a point where not even the most expensive treatments will save anyone. But everyone deserves the dignity of knowing that they are not going to be cast aside. How do you help others cope is as much a hallmark (sorry again) of a great doctor as your ability to keep people well. How you welcome people who may be outcasts in society to seek medical help when they are afraid of you is something you have to contend with.

Yes, you have to reflect on these realities, and you will have a lifetime to gain that maturity of experience and insight that you don't have now. But being receptive and humble to this important aspect of being in healthcare and the responsibility of being a physician is crucial for you to stay in a long career as a physician or other provider.

P.S. Climate change is real everyone. Healthcare is realizing it needs to make an effort to acknowledge and change things. Having strong communities through clean and safe spaces contributes to good health. So while environmental causes do not directly deal with alleviating a patient's distress, it sure does help with overall health outcomes. We need clean water, clean air, healthy food, and safe places to live and work as a society.

 

[deleted1136042]

Some adcoms will discount volunteerism that is clinical in that it is a "two birds, one stone" situation. Those that like to see community service like seeing you do something that doesn't get you brownie points as "clinical" as well as "service to others". They like to see, too, that you can relate to and serve people who many people do not want to be around.

That's interesting because I'm not doing activities per say to check off boxes. I want to do clinical volunteering over paid clinical for many reasons and therefore it's inevitable that I will be in service to others while partaking in a clinical activity. What would you say about this, especially if the population I'm serving as a clinical volunteer is underserved?

 

[LizzyM]

That's interesting because I'm not doing activities per say to check off boxes. I want to do clinical volunteering over paid clinical for many reasons and therefore it's inevitable that I will be in service to others while partaking in a clinical activity. What would you say about this, especially if the population I'm serving as a clinical volunteer is underserved?

Great but I don't think it absolves you from a responsibility to provide community service that is not clinical and that serves those who are at the margins of society. I've been doing this in my own community since the 1970s so I'm not asking you to do anything I don't do myself.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

That's interesting because I'm not doing activities per say to check off boxes. I want to do clinical volunteering over paid clinical for many reasons and therefore it's inevitable that I will be in service to others while partaking in a clinical activity. What would you say about this, especially if the population I'm serving as a clinical volunteer is underserved?

Shoot... we've definitely hijacked this thread. (Sorry!)

To the question at hand, to first-year students: we say it's a marathon and not a sprint. Don't try to take too big of a bite. Take time to savor every bite, and stay out of getting an IA. Going to the ER after partying too hard in your first weekend as a college student does not constitute clinical experience you should include on your application.