Just putting some advice out into the pre-med stratosphere, to be taken with a LARGE grain of salt (I'm still salty about it personally).
Some undergrad schools will tout their pre-med program strength by advertising that "X % of students get accepted after advising". For me, as a relatively uninformed high school student, those high percentages were impressive. Look at all those kids who got in! They could help me get in too with their great advising!
In reality, I went to one of those schools, and was pre-med there, and as many of you are already guessing the reality of the situation hit me real quick. Basically, those schools have great pre-med acceptance stats because they actively and strongly discourage applicants who they do not think are guaranteed an acceptance. In some cases they will withhold or write poor committee recommendations to prevent you from applying.
Now. Here is the saltiness. I very much DO understand the point of advising. Med school is hard, apps are expensive, etc, etc. I think conveying these realities is imperative particularly for young undergrads. But for seniors and post-grads who have shown dedication to the path, overcome early stumbling blocks to build an impressive resume, have unique life experiences, etc--> at some point advising should switch to giving actual, actionable advice on how to present your story and where to apply, rather than sticking to the discouragement train.
This is very much N=1, but the premed committee at my school (with only one doctor, who did not personally advise students) was pretty consistently discouraging and generally unhelpful during my 6+ years of interaction with them. Thanks to internet research (and threads on here!) I pulled together my own post-bac, polished my own personal statement, and have, as of last week, received two acceptances to med school. Both were received with champagne and a LOT of happy tears, because my premed committee pretty thoroughly convinced me that I likely would not get in.
So, TLDR; when picking a university/college for a "strong pre-med program", do not just rely on the stats. Try to speak to students there about who the committee is and what they do. Are they simply gatekeepers for the school reputation? Or are they actually willing to work with you to give you a good shot? Something to consider for the rising pre-meds out there. <3
Some undergrad schools will tout their pre-med program strength by advertising that "X % of students get accepted after advising". For me, as a relatively uninformed high school student, those high percentages were impressive. Look at all those kids who got in! They could help me get in too with their great advising!
In reality, I went to one of those schools, and was pre-med there, and as many of you are already guessing the reality of the situation hit me real quick. Basically, those schools have great pre-med acceptance stats because they actively and strongly discourage applicants who they do not think are guaranteed an acceptance. In some cases they will withhold or write poor committee recommendations to prevent you from applying.
Now. Here is the saltiness. I very much DO understand the point of advising. Med school is hard, apps are expensive, etc, etc. I think conveying these realities is imperative particularly for young undergrads. But for seniors and post-grads who have shown dedication to the path, overcome early stumbling blocks to build an impressive resume, have unique life experiences, etc--> at some point advising should switch to giving actual, actionable advice on how to present your story and where to apply, rather than sticking to the discouragement train.
This is very much N=1, but the premed committee at my school (with only one doctor, who did not personally advise students) was pretty consistently discouraging and generally unhelpful during my 6+ years of interaction with them. Thanks to internet research (and threads on here!) I pulled together my own post-bac, polished my own personal statement, and have, as of last week, received two acceptances to med school. Both were received with champagne and a LOT of happy tears, because my premed committee pretty thoroughly convinced me that I likely would not get in.
So, TLDR; when picking a university/college for a "strong pre-med program", do not just rely on the stats. Try to speak to students there about who the committee is and what they do. Are they simply gatekeepers for the school reputation? Or are they actually willing to work with you to give you a good shot? Something to consider for the rising pre-meds out there. <3
