Regrets?

[Abulcasis]

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For the junior/senior undergrads and all med school students, is there anything you regret NOT doing (or even regret doing- excessive drinking and countless hangovers, anyone?) during your college years that would've helped you in the admissions process?

Time for inner reflection!

 

[cbrons]

For the junior/senior undergrads and all med school students, is there anything you regret NOT doing (or even regret doing- excessive drinking and countless hangovers, anyone?) during your college years that would've helped you in the admissions process?

Time for inner reflection!

Sometimes getting in a little trouble is a good thing for the soul... so long as it doesn't harm others or do any lasting harm to yourself. Not saying do anything illegal, but going out and drinking at the bar, making yourself look stupid here and there benefits you in the long-run. When you look back at college do you want to say, "Damn, I'm proud I spent all my time on research, studying for exams, and extra-curriculars" or do you want to say, "I'm glad I got my work done, did what I had to do when I had to do it, didn't sweat the small stuff and went out and lived a little here and there."

 

[robynrich]

I regret that I dropped general chemistry my freshman year on the advice of my non pre-med, upperclassman friends (we had only taken ONE test in the class, which I didn't do well on.) This led me to completely push aside my pre-med dreams, only to struggle with them until finally deciding to pursue medical school again during my junior year. I will be applying to medical school as a fifth-year senior. Not late, by any means...but I knew I wanted it for a long time and I shouldn't have let anyone stop me or make me think I couldn't do it!
But yeah, have fun and all that good stuff, too 🙂 And keep checking SDN...my pre-med advisors have been worthless compared to this website!

 

[ar2388]

i regret not taking more astrophysics classes and maybe actually doing an astrophysics major on top of my chemistry major....

 

[fizzle]

I live without regrets. So, none. 😀

 

[deleted74029]

Seriously...simply doing better in my classes. I was way too lazy in college. By the time I got my act together, the damage was done. I'm a reapplicant and it's only because my grades were lackluster. I ended up having to do an SMP. On the other hand...I've had some very cool experiences that I wouldn't have had if I had gotten accepted the first time...so things happen for a reason I guess.

This is me as well, I went ahead and applied this year but I know my chances are quite slim. I'm now looking into post-baccs.

 

[Jolie South]

I don't have a lot of regrets. I wasn't pre-med in college, so I didn't live with the "OMG, what if I get a B?" fears. I did what I wanted to do and got involved in things that interested me. I made a lot of good friends along the way and did alright gradewise.

I think I turned out better for it and am glad I had time to explore rather than starting out pre-med. I think a lot of people miss out on cool stuff because they're too afraid the adcoms might not like it or it might jeopardize their grades.

Because of my circuitous path, I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do. I'm positive I'm where I'm supposed to be now.

 

[rama kandra]

I regret having to deal with the attitude's against pre-med life.

Man, hearing from everyone about how 'hard that sounds,' drove me crazy. I didn't think being pre-med was bad at all. I had lots of friends and had fun while enjoying my major and still had time for the things I wanted to do on the side. But it made me feel stupid when people think you are busting your ass and not enjoying your life.

Like when a religious studies major says something about you being a gunner... yeah, I know its tough to swallow wanting to do something really productive and professional with myself, but don't make me feel like im missing something in my life b/c im not a total hippie.

PS No offense to anyone who is a religious studies major, as long as you are still pre med ;O)

 

[cyclin M]

Regrets? I've had a few, but then again too few to mention. I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption.

 

[MadEvans]

PS No offense to anyone who is a religious studies major, as long as you are still pre med ;O)

I was a religious studies/pre med at one time, but I wasn't a total hippie. 😎

I agree with you completely with the whole, "damn, that sucks for you" comments you get as a pre-med. I was still able to take plenty of leisure trips, have a decent social life, and work in a satisfying job full time all while being pre-med. Just because our typical days are stacked full does not mean we aren't enjoying every minute of it.

 

[katarina90]

Academically, I suppose I regret not taking Chemistry freshman year (I kept putting off the placement test lol). I regret waiting so long to get involved in ECs (good thing I found this forum, haha).

Socially, no regrets, I've met a lot of fascinating people.

 

[hedgehog1]

Not getting my act together sooner. I think SDN has been way more helpful than any adviser at my school...I just wish I had been more aware of what I had to do earlier.

 

[flaahless]

I don't like regrets...

So what would I do differently?

I would have studied abroad.

I would have actually learned a foreign language.

I would have tried harder to get published.

 

[Josey]

.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Definitely woulda done more clinical volunteering; I really have a bare, bare minimum number, and though I've obviously wound up doing alright this cycle in the end, this glaring weak point on my app caused me a TON of undue stress during my application process.

 

[TRN1983]

For the junior/senior undergrads and all med school students, is there anything you regret NOT doing (or even regret doing- excessive drinking and countless hangovers, anyone?) during your college years that would've helped you in the admissions process?

Time for inner reflection!

Things I would do that I didn't:
- Pay more attention in class**
- Do homework**
- Volunteer a lot & get lots of clinical exposure

** Having to re-learn stuff for the MCAT is something that shouldn't ever occur IMHO. Reviewing is normal, but re-learning is stupid

 

[Oxygen206]

I wish this scenario had happened about 3 years earlier:

Beginning my junior year in college, a light bulb came on in my head and I realized, "oh, I should actually go to class." So, I started going to class.

While in class that same quarter another light bulb came on and I thought, "oh, while I'm in class I should actually pay attention." So, I started to pay attention and go to class...

It sounds so stupid, but the two "epiphany's" I had that quarter ended up giving me 4.0's in every class ever since...

It's unfortunate, however, that all these 4.0's are STILL having a difficult time making up for 3 years of belligerent drinking and skipping classes due to hangovers...

 

[funkydrmonkey]

I really wish I took Turkish last year, so I would be semi fluent by the end of the year...

I also wish I lived more... I just stayed in my room, or in the library too long, and I do not feel I have actually lived... now that being said, I have had opportunities, but I have morality up the wazoo, so that hinders my ability to do a lot of stuff...

 

[leNord]

Am generally v happy with undergrad 🙂. But in retrospect, I probably would've started off as a chemical engineering major instead of bio. More fun 🙂.

 

[otterpop]

Regrets? I've had a few, but then again too few to mention. I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption.

Sinatra!

 

[Forthegood]

Fluency in other languages would have been a perk. I wish I had spent more time away from the library... studying in undergrad was stupid. I could have been as effective studying alone for 1 hour as I was studying with friends for 10. The other 9 hours I should have been out having a good time!

 

[RoyBasch]

I really wish I would have taken Spanish instead of French and then studied abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. Wish I woulda held off on taking organic chemistry until I was more prepared (it almost destroyed my freshman year).
-Roy

 

[Abulcasis]

So do what you like over driving yourself crazy over grades, take foreign languages, do better in school, and join EC's earlier.

This list sounds helpful because I think a lot of us wouldn't do one or the other.

 

[cyclin M]

Sinatra!

👍🙂

 

[ar2388]

I really wish I took Turkish last year, so I would be semi fluent by the end of the year...

I also wish I lived more... I just stayed in my room, or in the library too long, and I do not feel I have actually lived... now that being said, I have had opportunities, but I have morality up the wazoo, so that hinders my ability to do a lot of stuff...

god, i hear you on that one.. my friends would keep inviting me out and Id never go because i had an early class the next morning or something..

 

[pianola]

I wish I'd only taken one year off instead of two. It's been a rewarding experience to take time off, but I think one year should have been quite sufficient -- had I planned a little better.

 

[chiz2kul]

I also wish I lived more... I just stayed in my room, or in the library too long, and I do not feel I have actually lived... now that being said, I have had opportunities, but I have morality up the wazoo, so that hinders my ability to do a lot of stuff...

I wasnt that extreme, but i did had to turn down a ton of invites to go out n do stuff...man I shld hav taken the best of that.

Also wish I took Calc in college...darn..I got placed in some stupid easy pre-calc class, n just never took calc...and now I got accepted to a med school that has calc 1 as one of their pre-reqs 😱

And ya, u cld never go wrong w the foreign lang. stuff...
I also wish I didnt study as much as I did...

 

[Abulcasis]

I also wish I didnt study as much as I did...

You say that now, but you got into the med school of your choice because of mostly that.

 

[RoyBasch]

You say that now, but you got into the med school of your choice because of mostly that.

👍
Yeah it's pretty easy to say you "studied too much" once you are on the other side of the admissions process.
-Roy

 

[Zona Pellucida]

The only thing I sort of "regret" would be not starting on ECs a bit earlier.

At the same time, I am happy I did not as not doing so gave me time to do well in my classes, especially during sophomore year as that was my hardest course load.

So I can't win either way I guess !

 

[funkydrmonkey]

I wish I'd only taken one year off instead of two. It's been a rewarding experience to take time off, but I think one year should have been quite sufficient -- had I planned a little better.

I actually kind of wish I took a year off to do something like travelling... But I would probably end up wasting my time...

 

[mkitty09]

i regret passing up an amazing research scholarship the summer after my sophomore year. i wanted to go abroad for the summer, even though i had already been the summer before. staying one summer at school wouldnt have killed me.

I feel as though my college years have been defined by a constant need to get that A in order to get into med school; and now that Im a senior, I realize that I havent truly accomplished anything. I'm a double major - chemistry and humanities - and I've already gained acceptance to a number of med schools, but really, what have i achieved? I've taken a million chem classes and a million humanities classes, i can argue about orientalism and organic chemistry, but i still feel that i'll be graduating this may without a worthwhile achievement. i look at friends who have started up international charity organizations and others who have built up national projects for aid, and I realize that theyve done something lasting and amazing, something thatll be around for a while and can benefit tons and tons of people. So if i have any regrets, I guess its that I didnt apply myself to something other than school, to projects that I could have helped in building and now be proud to say I was a part of starting.

 

[rama kandra]

well you could have started one of those organizations, but they are not actually as hard to do as getting multiple acceptances to med schools!

In the long term you could do even better with research/progress as a doctor if you got involved with that in your professional life. You will be older but do significantly more day to day life altering things compared to your peers. Sadly I know how you feel - that you could have somehow done more... but I think you've already overcome a huge hurdle - being able to do science and humanities in sync. Doctors can learn a lot from that philosophy too. Perhaps you could help other pre meds in the future with your advice.

 

[newtonsfriend]

this is absolutely correct. I mean most people on this thead are intelligent people but sometimes we sacrifice too much and need some fun here and there. I agree it is good to reflect back and say "you know I worked my ass off these past four years, but I still got to be a college kid and have fun"

 

[CCLCMer]

For the junior/senior undergrads and all med school students, is there anything you regret NOT doing (or even regret doing- excessive drinking and countless hangovers, anyone?) during your college years that would've helped you in the admissions process?

Time for inner reflection!

I would have joined SDN sooner.