Premedical Concerns

[crystal02]

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After speaking with a premedical student looking to medical school, I have a few fears about what I'm going to embark on. He said that, for instance, if 4000 people at OSU start out in premed the number is going to be 2000 sophomore year and 1000 or less by graduation. He said it was due to 'weed out' classes. What I'm asking is, are these figures reasonable? Can you avoid weed out classes? How do you pass them? I'm beginning to question if I'm intellectually capable enough to make it through college and get into med school.

 

[moo]

Weedout classes are the gen chems, physics and ochem classes you are talking about. Typically about 25-40 percent fail each class (at my school anyway). But people often change their minds about med not because of grades but because they've found something more interesting. One of my friends started out premed microbi then switched to business cuz she found economics and accounting so intersting (don't ask me why). ANother of my friends started out premed but is now planning on going to grad school in biophysics to become a medical physicist just cuz she doesn't like the lives doctors live. SO the point is, things will change, no matter how certain you think you will want to go into medicine right now. (And no, you can't avoid these weedout classes)

 

[PeterY]

If you really want to go into medicine, you'll get there...eventually. weed out classes "weed out" people who do not want to really do medicine. harsh grades force some to reevaluate their career goals. almost all of my freshman year friends started out premed first semester. in the end only 2/7 of us are in med school. the others are doing PHDs, arts degrees, working, dropped out, grad school, law, etc.

the moral of the story is that college is a great place to discover yourself. maybe medicine is for you, maybe not.

good luck,
Peter

 

[gower]

College is not high school; you and Toto are not in Kansas any more. Students weed themselves out. College professors, science and non-science, demand more and expect the college student to do more for her/himself. Any teacher is happy to be able to give all A grades if all earned the A. Earning high grades does not require high end IQs, but good study discipline and motivation. Undisciplined and excessive partying, for one instance, are more fun but except for a very talented few, are a but short step on the road to "she GAVE me a C." Of course, teachers never GIVE A grades; "I EARNED an A."

Professional and graduate schools select students who earned their high grades because of their motivation. Medical schools tend to take the stronger students because in medical school even more will you have to stand on your own two feet.

The sooner students accept responsibilty for their own education rather than expect to be given an education, the sooner they earn high grades.

 

[Scooby Doo]

1,000 by graduation?? hahah...that's a HUGE number! What exactly is the size of your class? At Berkeley, we have maybe 10-20% who say they are premed in the beginning and make it through to the end. It's interesting to see who drops out. I know one guy who had amazing scores and got all the way up to applying. He tried the MSTP thing and got rejected everywhere...quite a surprise. He then decided to scrap the whole thing. Basically, if it's something you really want to do, nothing will keep you from it. If you really want it, you will take all the extra steps to succeed. Simple really. Those people who drop out if it, either lost interest, didn't dedicate enough time, or just got screwed. I know a girl who is the hardest worker!! She studied like crazy, worked hard with volunteering, but still could not get her GPA or MCATs up. Alas, she is not applying now b/c of this. However, I would say people like her are not very common. Most of my friends decided to go into Econ or Business or Comp Sci b/c that's where the money was...oh well....

 

[bluegill]

Great speech, Gower. I agree completely.

At my school, 700 people started off pre-med. About 350 were pre-med after first year. About 250 were pre-med after second year.
92 people in my graduating class applied to med school, and 80 of us got accepted for 2000 or 2001.

I think the first year drop is slightly due to people hating all the studying - if you want to call that "weeding out," fine - I call it "you should thank your professors for showing you that you do not have the desire to study enough to be a doctor." After the first year, I attribute it more to people just finding out that medicine is not what they want to do.

 

[crystal02]

Thanks for the responses...they're encouraging because if I have anything at all going for me it's motivation and desire. Hopefully that will help me out on the road to come.

 

[Amy B]

I was actually told by our cell biology instructor she was there to weed out at least 1/3 of the class because there were too many biology majors. Cell bio is a requirement for the biology BS. 😱