One Thing

[almo88]

Hi! I have a question for all of those who have applied to medical school. If there was ONE THING you wish you knew back when you were a sophomore in college, what would it be?

This may be a repeat thread, sorry! I'm new here. Thanks!

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[jp104]

Pick an easy major, get a 4.00 overall gpa and rock my pre-reqs.

Oh yeah and get ____ more often! (insert choice of word)

 

[WALKE219]

I would agree with everything posted above. One thing to really consider if you are SET on medical school, is that the major doesn't matter at all! Pick a relatively easy one where you can get a 4.0 or close, and Rock and Roll on your few science pre-req's. Will make MCAT studying a lot easier when you are not taking : Eukaryotic Cell Biology, Genetics, and Anatomy at the same time..

 

[KeyLime]

I wish I would have known what I was doing the first time I took the MCAT. You don't want to have to study for it twice!

 

[Lfribble]

I wish I would have known I wanted to go to med school. Could have saved myself 7 years and a post bac program...

 

[Entgegen]

Oh yeah and get ____ more often! (insert choice of word)

...and get poop more often? What? That doesn't make sense...

 

[almo88]

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback!

I would agree with everything posted above. One thing to really consider if you are SET on medical school, is that the major doesn't matter at all! Pick a relatively easy one where you can get a 4.0 or close, and Rock and Roll on your few science pre-req's. Will make MCAT studying a lot easier when you are not taking : Eukaryotic Cell Biology, Genetics, and Anatomy at the same time..

Wouldn't it be easier to get your major in Chem or Bio since you have to take all of those courses anyway??

 

[iwilldlvr]

I agree- pick a really easy major instead of taking upper level bio and chem courses that just drop your gpa. If I had done that, I would have had time to study for the MCAT.

 

[grinchick5]

Wouldn't it be easier to get your major in Chem or Bio since you have to take all of those courses anyway??

It depends. A bio or chem major, at my school anyway, required quite a few additional upper level science courses (courses that weren't med-school pre-reqs). Also, some of your med school pre-reqs might not count towards your science major -- organic II, inorganic II, and physics I & II, in my case. Essentially, as a science major doing pre-med requirements, you’ll end up taking WAY more science classes than would be necessary to complete your major or your pre-reqs independently. I hope this make sense.

My advice, choose a major that you enjoy – as the subjects that you like to study will likely be the ones in which you excel. I chose a bio major b/c it was what I enjoyed and where I excelled. My grades in the “easier” classes sucked b/c I wasn’t as into them.
My advice: don’t worry about easy vs hard STUDY WHAT YOU ENJOY!!

 

[almo88]

It depends. A bio or chem major, at my school anyway, required quite a few additional upper level science courses (courses that weren't med-school pre-reqs). Also, some of your med school pre-reqs might not count towards your science major -- organic II, inorganic II, and physics I & II, in my case. Essentially, as a science major doing pre-med requirements, you’ll end up taking WAY more science classes than would be necessary to complete your major or your pre-reqs independently. I hope this make sense.

My advice, choose a major that you enjoy – as the subjects that you like to study will likely be the ones in which you excel. I chose a bio major b/c it was what I enjoyed and where I excelled. My grades in the “easier” classes sucked b/c I wasn’t as into them.
My advice: don’t worry about easy vs hard STUDY WHAT YOU ENJOY!!

Great advice! Thank you!

 

[BradenDO]

Great advice! Thank you!

BUT....a biology major will help you more in med school than a music major would...

 

[grinchick5]

BUT....a biology major will help you more in med school than a music major would...

I can only assume that medical schools require certain standard pre-reqs b/c those are the classes you need to be a successful medical student. Sure taking more science might help you in med school (and I'm not even sure about this, any current students want to weigh in?), but there's a whole lot to be said for being well-rounded academically. IMO, forcing yourself to complete a major you’re not interested in b/c it might provide a slight edge in med school isn’t worth risking science burn-out later on.

 

[scpod]

BUT....a biology major will help you more in med school than a music major would...

I agree with that to a certain extent because it HAS helped me. With a Biology major and Chem minor I took many of the classes (albeit very watered down versions) that you are responsible for in med school. For me, they serves as wonderfull introductions to some of the more advanced matrerial that med school covers. I look at some of my classmates who are having trouble with the material and, for quite a number of them, it is because they have very little background in it. However, you can certainly learn ALL you need to know while in med school, but I think you have to work a little bit harder. When you get into in depth kidney physiology, for instance, it helps to have a general understanding of the concept beforehand, just because it doesn't take you quite as long to "catch on" to it.

OTOH, if you are a premed, there is still no guarantee that you will ever get into medical school. What will you do if that happens? There reall aren't that many good jobs for a Biology major available, unless you want to teach or you obtain an advanced degree first. Another point is that science majors have to spend a lot more time in undergrad than some others do. A piddly little one extra hour for lab doesn't make up for the extra 3 to 4 hours you spend in lab, the pre-lab work you have to do, lab quizzes to study for, and papers to write whn it is over. Taking just three 4-hour lab classes takes about the same amount of preparation and class time as six psychology classes-- and, you only get 12 hours of credit instead of 18. While you are writing your 14th lab report for the semester, your friends will be out at the pub watching TV and taking shots. You have soooooo little time to do anything else in med school that maybe you really should make good use of your time in undergrad-- while you still have the chance.

 

[almo88]

I am currently majoring in Bio with a minor in Chem. I plan to graduate in 3 years, instead of 4, so I don't have enough time to major in something fun (Mathematics).

I was also wondering if there was any relationship/correlation between ACT and MCAT scores??

BTW, thank you so much for your replies. They are VERY helpful!

 

[clc8503]

I can only assume that medical schools require certain standard pre-reqs b/c those are the classes you need to be a successful medical student. Sure taking more science might help you in med school (and I'm not even sure about this, any current students want to weigh in?), but there's a whole lot to be said for being well-rounded academically. IMO, forcing yourself to complete a major you’re not interested in b/c it might provide a slight edge in med school isn’t worth risking science burn-out later on.

There is a girl that I do research with that has an older sister that could not get through biohem in med school because she didn't take it as an undergrad. They taught biochemistry as if you already had a background in it. That's why although it is not a prerequisite, all schols will tell you that they recommend it. The school simply told her that if she took the class at an undergraduate institution then she could come back to the med school and try again, since she was doing well in all her other classes. I know this girl wouldn't lie to me. She wasn't making excuses for her sister. She told me this story out of concern because i told her i was thinking about NOT taking biochem. Her sister took Biochem at an undergraduate institution and then went back to med school and she's doing fine, so if I could recommend one upper level class to take it's Biochemistry!

 

[Dr. Josh]

well if you know in your soph yr that you want med school, you're well ahead of many of us.

 

[CTrainSJU]

BUT....a biology major will help you more in med school than a music major would...

One of the profs that interviewed me at DMU actually told me he prefers psychology majors

 

[MJB]

If I could go back and talk to my 18-19 year old self...I would slap me in the head and say "just study a LITTLE bit" and you'll do much better...

Yes, it might have meant one or two less games on the Playstation 2, and about 15 less cases of beer..but I could have still had fun and pulled above a 3.5

As it was, I got me a 3.1....and that NEVER went away.

Probably would have gone with a Business major and then done the pre-reqs...