Pre-Health Advisors

[chizledfrmstone]

So right now I'm in my junior year and I'm planning on taking the MCAT in April 2008. Doing well in class so far and trying to build up my EC's and all that.

I just realized I haven't meet with the pre-health advisors yet. I'm not sure if I should go sometime soon just so I can build a relationship or if I should hold off until I take the MCAT and need help applying to school.

Before scheduling an appointment they make you read a website full of the basics of being a pre-med student and then make you fill out a form. This pretty much eliminates me being able to ask elementary questions.

If it is a good idea to meet them early on what type of questions should I have ready for them?

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[Isoprop]

if you don't need to speak to an adviser, then don't. maybe someone else has had a different experience, but i never felt compelled to build a relationship with the premed office at my school. i never talked to mine (except during ugrad orientation).


what it sounds like you want is a mentor.

 

[TheElement]

Sometimes they don't even know what they're talking about. So if you don't feel like you need them then it wouldn't hurt if you didn't..

 

[Dienekes]

I agree. I have no use for or tolerance for the insipid organic chemistry professor who is our premed advisor. There is a joke that goes around among the premeds, who are evenly split between being attached to his ass like a lamprey or hating him with every fiber of their being, to the effect of "Never trust anyone named after a baitfish" (his last name is a common specie of fish). If you have any clue as to what the heck you are doing and can read and follow basic instructions, then you should have no need to debase yourself before someone just because they are an advisor.

 

[TheRealMD]

If you are going to be interviewed by some committee, then yes. Some schools also have a specific system for creating LOR packets (mine used Interfolio) which should not be skipped.

 

[luv2sd]

after spending so much time on SDN, I've actually gained knowledge that I could use to teach my pre-med advisor. No kidding.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

So should I pick up a copy of the SDN admission guide or any other resource for the admission process?

 

[Dienekes]

after spending so much time on SDN, I've actually gained knowledge that I could use to teach my pre-med advisor. No kidding.

I did that. I pointed out the mistaken beliefs he was repeating and he started to stammer. It was great. What an ass.

 

[foreverLaur]

a lot of schools require a letter from an admissions committee. might not hurt for them to know you before they write that letter...

 

[J-MUNCH]

If I were in your shoes, I would go meet with your advisor and see if developing a relationship is beneficial for you or not.

At my school the premed advisor was very helpful. Others on SDN will tell you their premed advisor doesn't know jack.

 

[mvenus929]

after spending so much time on SDN, I've actually gained knowledge that I could use to teach my pre-med advisor. No kidding.

Yeah, pretty much. Our pre-med adviser started scaring transfer students in saying that if you don't take your MCAT right after your sophomore year, you have to take a year off from school, no questions asked. All of us that are applying this year were just staring at him in shock... And it didn't sound like he knew the classes necessary to get into medical school or anything.

 

[Drogba]

I did that. I pointed out the mistaken beliefs he was repeating and he started to stammer. It was great. What an ass.

Haha, what was he claiming that was incorrect? Didn't you feel bad for him ;[

 

[foreverLaur]

The information they can give you isn't beneficial because it is easy to find out on your own. However, since I have a medical school here as well, they have strong ties to our med school admissions committees and can give us "insider" type information.

Plus - that LOR...

 

[J-MUNCH]

Writing a good cover letter can be very beneficial.

 

[Dienekes]

Haha, what was he claiming that was incorrect? Didn't you feel bad for him ;[

-If he didn't help us pick out our classes (down to the section), we did not stand a chance.
-Membership in the premed club (known as the "Dr. ------ ----- Fan Club" by most premeds here) was something you need to have as an EC on your application
-Research outside of biology, chemistry or physics really should not be regarded as true research for the purposes of the application
-That a publication by an undergraduate without a faculty member on it, even in a peer reviewed journal that is highly ranked, does not count as a real publication; this came up as a way to try to malign me when he learned I had more publications than he did. The endowed chair promptly told him to shut his mouth.
-That you should take your MCATs at the end of your sophomore year or else you are going to be delayed.
-That majoring in a non-traditional field- read as "other than biology, chemistry, or physics"- puts you as a serious disadvantage.

No, I didn't feel bad for him. Not even a little.

 

[Dienekes]

a lot of schools require a letter from an admissions committee.

Only if your school has one.....

The information they can give you isn't beneficial because it is easy to find out on your own. However, since I have a medical school here as well, they have strong ties to our med school admissions committees and can give us "insider" type information.

Plus - that LOR...

Apparently you go to a school that has such a committee letter. Most of us don't. In fact, I would take my chances skipping the committee letter even if we had one here, rather than let the little bastard anywhere near my application.

 

[FloridaSun]

Uhoh. Committee letter? Is that *really* necessary? Because I'm not crazy about my pre-med advisor and I think it may be mutual.

Note: If I'm in grad school and my undergrad institution didn't have an committee do I still have to sending in a committee letter? I really want to avoid this committee letter -- I have enough people that DO know me to waste a letter on a person/group of people that's just going to spout out some B.S. about me.

 

[Dienekes]

Uhoh. Committee letter? Is that *really* necessary? Because I'm not crazy about my pre-med advisor and I think it may be mutual.

Note: If I'm in grad school and my undergrad institution didn't have an committee do I still have to sending in a committee letter? I really want to avoid this committee letter -- I have enough people that DO know me to waste a letter on a person/group of people that's just going to spout out some B.S. about me.

If your school does NOT have a committee, then schools should not expect you to submit a committee letter. ForeverLaur should have, like that Persian ambassador at the opening of 300, chosen her words more carefully.

 

[Vvandenn]

If your school does NOT have a committee, then schools should not expect you to submit a committee letter. ForeverLaur should have, like that Persian ambassador at the opening of 300, chosen her words more carefully.

 

[luv2sd]

Uhoh. Committee letter? Is that *really* necessary? Because I'm not crazy about my pre-med advisor and I think it may be mutual.

Note: If I'm in grad school and my undergrad institution didn't have an committee do I still have to sending in a committee letter? I really want to avoid this committee letter -- I have enough people that DO know me to waste a letter on a person/group of people that's just going to spout out some B.S. about me.

I think that most medical schools require you to have committee letters if your college has a pre-med committee.