Pre-med / College Misconceptions

[Braaains]

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Hey all, long-time lurker here.

I just graduated from college and I'll be attending med school in the fall. I've still kept in contact with a high school teacher that I had through all 4 years, and I have been invited to go back and give a little talk or Q&A session for the students interested in pre-med. I'm looking for input on any misconceptions you guys had when entering college or maybe things you wish you had known when you were coming in? I have a few things on my list, such as it not being necessary to major in biology or a science and it's not necessary to maintain a 4.0. I'm also going to touch briefly on the MCAT. Any other suggestions? I know there are a lot of high schoolers on SDN, so I'm sure this can help them out as well.

Thanks in advance! 🙂

 

[235788]

thats its going to be hard as ****. A lot of freshman pre-meds think its going to be a cakewalk. And to a fraction of those, it is a cakewalk.

 

[campbellsoup29]

I've participated in very similar Q and A sessions/informal presentations with high school kids enrolled in a pre-med program. I've found that their primary interests included: what gpa is good enough, how hard is the MCAT, is O chem really that terrible, what major to select, how much free time do you have, what EC's should I do, what is the difference between DO and MD, what was your hardest/easiest/most liked class.

Also, even though most of them will be future pre-meds, right now they are concerned with what college they will be going to and enjoying their senior year. We all know the dreaded disease that presents around that time...

 

[jesse120]

Also, even though most of them will be future pre-meds, right now they are concerned with what college they will be going to and enjoying their senior year. We all know the dreaded disease that presents around that time...

until physics and ochem hits them hard

tell them to start lurking SDN and follow advice given by LizzyM, catalystic, etc.

 

[jesse120]

- do not go to an undergrad notorious for grade deflation. Although you don't need a 4.0 to get into med school, it will be difficult with a 3.1 from Cornell for example (which takes a lot of work to get, I've been told)

- minimize college debt. If the choice is between sticker price top tier vs. cheap / full ride mid tier, go to the mid tier.

- stay away from grey's anatomy. volunteer at a hospital / hospice and shadow physicians early on

- join only one or two clubs you think you'll really like. don't go too crazy and join 7 unrelated clubs during your first week

- being "pre-med" doesn't make you any better than your non pre-med classmates. that's just silly. 🙄

- work hard, play hard

 

[Neurosis]

until physics and ochem hits them hard

i always heard that general chemistry and physics are the same level of difficulty (algebra based physics)

 

[Valadi]

Tell them to not go overboard with classes their first year. Take normal semester pre-reqs (most colleges usually have a schedule for premeds) and maybe 1 other per semester. Being overzealous and tanking freshman year has killed many a premeds chance. I heard a lot of "omg I'm going to take roman history and psychology and this cool philosophy class and it'll be cake because the premed classes are a lot harder" then watched people dig themselves into a bigger hole as the semester went on and they realized even humanities require lots of work for an A.

 

[Neurosis]

Tell them to not go overboard with classes their first year. Take normal semester pre-reqs (most colleges usually have a schedule for premeds) and maybe 1 other per semester. Being overzealous and tanking freshman year has killed many a premeds chance. I heard a lot of "omg I'm going to take roman history and psychology and this cool philosophy class and it'll be cake because the premed classes are a lot harder" then watched people dig themselves into a bigger hole as the semester went on and they realized even humanities require lots of work for an A.

wow, that type of reasoning is just really ******ed. maybe it was a good thing that they dug themselves into a hole. weeding out the incompetent.

 

[jesse120]

i always heard that general chemistry and physics are the same level of difficulty (algebra based physics)

I took calc based physics which was harder than gen chem. I didn't even realize that premeds could take algebra based physics until I found SDN

 

[tantacles]

I took calc based physics which was harder than gen chem. I didn't even realize that premeds could take algebra based physics until I found SDN

Try this on for size: I took the second semester of calc based physics alongside calc II. I am SHOCKED I still finished with a B+.

 

[HH Holmes]

Make sure they can pass Bio I and Chem I before calling themselves pre-meds 🙄

So many 'future docs' on their third attempt at freshman level classes.

 

[Neurosis]

Make sure they can pass Bio I and Chem I before calling themselves pre-meds 🙄

So many 'future docs' on their third attempt at freshman level classes.

just pass? anything below an A and top scorer is an embarrassment to the pre-med title. 😉

 

[HH Holmes]

just pass? anything below an A and top scorer is an embarrassment to the pre-med title. 😉

I honestly can't believe the shenanigans that goes on at my school. I am sure it's the same at many others as well. 👎

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Whether they are premed or not, tell them that their gpa follows them way more than they think it will.

 

[HipChick]

Whether they are premed or not, tell them that their gpa follows them way more than they think it will.

+1
I so which I would have tried in undergrad. But by the end of high school I just wanted to enjoy classes so at college I just enjoyed classes. But 170 credits later there's nothing that can bring up that cum :?

 

[Ismet]

Mention that there are many med schools that will not accept certain AP credits, even if your undergrad accepts them. In many cases, it might be easier to take the college level class anyway so your science GPA isn't based on the more difficult upper-level science courses. You always see people that can handle it, but most people will flounder when they start freshman year with upper-levels.

Try this on for size: I took the second semester of calc based physics alongside calc II. I am SHOCKED I still finished with a B+.

I did this as well (plus calc-based physics lab) and got an A+ in both. You really don't need calc 2 concepts for calc-based physics 2

 

[thlaxer]

I would suggest not rushing through the pre-reqs as quickly as possible. Even if you don't do any science classes during your first year, there's still enough time to complete them before graduating. I'd also suggest keeping an open mind throughout college in case something else catches their interest. For admissions purposes, keep your GPA as high as possible even if it means taking a slightly lighter courseload. Knowing when to cut back could save you years of GPA repair down the road..

 

[campbellsoup29]

Mention that there are many med schools that will not accept certain AP credits, even if your undergrad accepts them. In many cases, it might be easier to take the college level class anyway so your science GPA isn't based on the more difficult upper-level science courses. You always see people that can handle it, but most people will flounder when they start freshman year with upper-levels.



I did this as well (plus calc-based physics lab) and got an A+ in both. You really don't need calc 2 concepts for calc-based physics 2

+1👍 Make sure that they are aware of this.

 

[CuttingCorneas]

Tell them to major in what they like, not just a life science because they think it'll make them better equipped to learn docterin'.

 

[NinersFan0]

Tell them to eat well, sleep well, exercise, and make an effort to meet new people. Everything else will take care of itself.

 

[MedBound1]

Don't worry too much.

In reference to medicine, regardless of whether you're asked 1000 times "What kind of doctor do you want to be??", try not to tunnel vision any particular specialty in regards to shadowing, experiences, etc. Your interests will most definitely change along the way and your best chance at practicing in the one you want is to be open-minded and experience as much as possible.

 

[SpecterGT260]

at that level, you are more likely to encounter the type of kids who skated through HS and think college is going to be a breeze. I would present it from this angle because those are the kids who are probably bright enough for med school but will have to forever fight a couple crappy semesters in order to get the GPA they want. Be realistic. You may not need a 4.0, but maybe go in there with some AMCAS figures on acceptance rates.

 

[neuro nephrons]

a low GPA will anchor you to the bottom of the sea....do well your first two years.

 

[thehillsarealive]

Tell them to actually like the students they go to class with. I know it sounds silly, but when you're nice with you're classmates, they'll be nice back and it will allow you to receive help on concepts hard to grasp on, labs, and even knowing what's going on to better you're chances with grad school. Plus, it's encouraging to know there are people in the same boat as you! 👍