The Hardest Part of Being Pre-Med

[Microglia]

I think you're missing the point. I think part of what people are so viscerally put off by in the OPs point is what appears to be a lack of perspective. The people that are further along in the process, whether they have acceptances, or are currently med students, or residents, or whatever, aren't being critical because they "have already made it and are passed that neurotic stage of worry" as you put it. You don't get to a point where you're beyond worry, only that the things that you worry about change.

There's nothing innately more difficult about being a pre-med. You are at one particular point on a continuum that's filled with varying levels of self-doubt, panic, worry, sacrifice, and many other emotions. Many people have been in your shoes before you, and will be in the same position after you. Many people are having similar experiences in a variety of other fields, walks of life, and disciplines. But walking around with a very stereotypical pre-med lack of perspective makes it difficult to see that.

So much truth here.

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[medschoolmyname]

I was given an honorary bachelor's degree from all five HYPSM programs, raw-dogged the MCAT to receive a 44T, and was offered a position at Harvard Med before the application cycle began. What is this doubt you speak of?

A 44? Well kudos to you my man, but most ppl aint socring no 44's on the mcat, and while I don't know your app, im certain in some period of your premedical career you had a point where you were worried if you had everything u needed going into medicine, perhaps before you found out your mcat? If you haven't then you are a very special exception my friend and I am happy for you not experiencing that feeling.

On another note never knew schools can just offer you a position like that.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

A 44? Well kudos to you my man, but most ppl aint socring no 44's on the mcat, and while I don't know your app, im certain in some period of your premedical career you had a point where you were worried if you had everything u needed going into medicine, perhaps before you found out your mcat? If you haven't then you are a very special exception my friend and I am happy for you not experiencing that feeling.

On another note never knew schools can just offer you a position like that.

 

[medschoolmyname]

I think you're missing the point. I think part of what people are so viscerally put off by in the OPs point is what appears to be a lack of perspective. The people that are further along in the process, whether they have acceptances, or are currently med students, or residents, or whatever, aren't being critical because they "have already made it and are passed that neurotic stage of worry" as you put it. You don't get to a point where you're beyond worry, only that the things that you worry about change.

There's nothing innately more difficult about being a pre-med. You are at one particular point on a continuum that's filled with varying levels of self-doubt, panic, worry, sacrifice, and many other emotions. Many people have been in your shoes before you, and will be in the same position after you. Many people are having similar experiences in a variety of other fields, walks of life, and disciplines. But walking around with a very stereotypical pre-med lack of perspective makes it difficult to see that.

You are absolutely right and I am sorry if my response came out as being indifferent to the self-doubt being experienced by other premeds and all other people from other walks of life. Perhaps my perspective along with the ops will mature as we proceed later on in our medical career or if that doesn't work out the other path we choose to follow. But even with this realization, there is an inherent selfishness that we as individuals posses that at times overtakes us and causes us to lose perspective. And those times are highlighted at moments of high anxiety and uncertainty in our lifetime, such as the school application cycle. You speak much truth my friend and you have taught me something I will always keep in mind. Thank you

 

[Levitin]

SDN. Putting the premed in premedona.

 

[T3ckFr3s]

Hardest part of being premed has been the waiting for me. Seems like every step in the process takes a month to hear back from. Yeah I've had to work hard, make sacrifices, etc. but it's done and I don't regret anything because it's always been my choice. And the choice is still available to opt out if you decide medicine isn't for you.

And OP, if you wanted to have a discussion on the challenges of being a pre-med, I think you should've just asked that more directly instead of providing a very weak example of a premed challenge.

Just my .02

 

[terp720]

It always seemed to me that there is this believe that you need to sacrifice every other part of your life in order to be premed... and then somehow that makes being a premed harder than being a different type of student. Maybe this is harsh, but it seems to me that people just want to make a martyr of themselves sometimes. There is always a balance. If you are sacrificing relationships at the premed level, what is going to happen during medical school, residency, or as a practicing physician. It is tough for me to believe that those are going to be easier times than being in college.

OP, in my mind, if you're friends are ditching you because you're premed, either a) they are bad friends anyway or b) maybe you're pushing people away by creating this gap between you, as a premed who has to sacrifice so much, and them. Considering your original post was off-putting to other premeds on this site... I can imagine that if you have that same attitude when talking to your friends, they may have perceived it the same way.

 

[mehc012]

Hardest part is accepting the reality all the work you've done could be for naught. And for those critical of the op as a classic pre med: its easy to be critical when you have already made it and have passed that neurotic stage of worry.

I actually almost missed the boat on the whole med school thing because I find the stereotypical premed mentality SO frustrating.
Being a premed does not make your life particularly difficult; being neurotic does. Most of the people I hung out with in college did far more than the premed curricula and years of research...and they did it without feeling sorry for themselves (well, any more than the average college student ) They actually enjoyed the material and saw research as more than just a stepping stone to a 'more important' end.
My family makes sure to point out to me whenever I seem to be getting all up in my head and losing perspective about this whole thing , which is nice.
I have yet to accept that my work could be for naught, though...for one, I haven't done anything other than some volunteering and scribing which I wouldn't have 100% done without medicine as a goal (considering that I finished college before considering it)...and I regret nothing about those activities, they are awesome. For another, I don't accept the possibility of defeat until I actually lose (and I don't really do 'stress about things that haven't happened yet'...my lack of stress used to actively make my friends stress out!)

 

[mcloaf]

Maybe this is harsh, but it seems to me that people just want to make a martyr of themselves sometimes.

 

[KnuxNole]

I'm only critical of the long facebook post. It's like those girls who write an essay about "finding the right man" They write statuses as a blog post.

 

[rain4venus]

Hardest part of being a premed? Try writing an answer to the "biggest challenge" essay as a white, middle-class individual from the diverse perspective of the Midwest without feeling like a tool.

lemme tell y'all what it's like...

 

[PreMedOrDead]

lemme tell y'all what it's like...

...so today, right after I finished my latte from Starbucks, my Prius had a blow out. It was cold out! I had to call my parents to bring me a jack and help me replace the tire. Worst. Day. Ever. Talk about experiencing adversity.

 

[mehc012]

...so today, right after I finished my latte from Starbucks, my Prius had a blow out. It was cold out! I had to call my parents to bring me a jack and help me replace the tire. go back in the Starbucks and have another latte while my mom called AAA and had them take care of my flat for me. Worst. Day. Ever. Talk about experiencing adversity.

ftfy
Don't forget to complain about the calories, the sugar high, and the caffeine headache you go the next day. Oh, and the stress is making you break out. Eww.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

ftfy
Don't forget to complain about the calories, the sugar high, and the caffeine headache you go the next day. Oh, and the stress is making you break out. Eww.

I said I'm middle class, I never got that upper-middle class privilege you all did! You don't even understand the troubles.

 

[mehc012]

I said I'm middle class, I never got that upper-middle class privilege you all did! You don't even understand the troubles.

No AAA? THE HORROR!!!! At least you had a hybrid so you could be hipster and deplete the planet of nonrenewable lithium instead of nonrenewable fossil fuel. Or should I say in addition to non renewable fossil fuel, since your power grid is probably still using coal...

 

[BlackBox]

I never understood the "pre-med stigma" until I faced what it was like to be directly stigmatized in the workplace and even by the people I thought were my true friends.

I was sitting in an interview for a federal work study law clerk position with the UCLA School of Law two days ago where I endured, for the first time, what was a complete and utterly senseless battering from my interviewees who insisted on asking highly charged questions surrounding my major and career goals. Questions like:
"So I understand you are pre-med. You have here on your resume alot of laboratory and medical experience. Why don't you just apply to another research position here?"
"How do you think you will make the transition from interacting with people in a medical or biomedical setting to a legal office setting? You do understand that it is different, right?"
"How will you make the time for your work commitment with us? I know that "you guys" are constantly busy with your academics and extracurricular activities. Are you going to be joining any other extracurriculars?"
"You understand that the only other students who have applied to this position are all pre-law. They have a lot to gain from this opportunity. What do you think you will be able to gain from this and can you please describe to me why you think you are better suited for this job over all those students who want this more than you?"

All I could do was laugh it off and jestingly tell them: "As a pre-med we have backup plans ranging from A-Z. I'm coming to the realization that law might be a direction I should seriously consider as I am a classics and philosophy minor. Law is my plan A." Needless to say I got the job and ironically enough, the woman who was perhaps the most scrutinizing decided to take me on and is my current supervisor.

Notwithstanding, perhaps the hardest reality I've had to grip is coming to terms with how being pre-med and doing the things I have to do to get to medical school and taking them seriously affects my personal relationships.

This was a post I made out on Facebook today in response to those feelings and the differences that have contributed to my conscious separation of myself from my friends:

"For all of my friends who I have lost touch with and to all of the hard working pre-meds who can empathize with me when I say this:

Wanna know the hardest part of my path to becoming a doctor? It's not the scared feeling you get when you don't get an A, it's not the thought of my dreams crumbling down with every class and obstacle that gets in the way of my education that I sometimes have to face, it's not the hours and holidays that I sacrifice in my lab commitments, it's not the endless studying or painful daydreams of getting "there" and knowing it's all tentative. All up in the air. It's not the pressure from the competition, it's none of those things. It's sacrificing your sense of worth in the process. It's giving every piece of you to all the parts of this process and having nothing left to give to anyone else let alone yourself. It's sacrificing your friends when they turn to you and tell you you are nothing more or less than essentially an uninteresting and depth-less glory hunting sack of guts and ****. It's when you realize you are alone in all of this and that no one understands that through all of this I actually find happiness. It's when people don't understand your happiness and end up turning to you someday to save their life so that you can perpetuate their time with the ones that they love. So that you can perpetuate their happiness."

I guess at the end of this long and fulminating anecdote I just want to let others know that there are others out there who are just like you. I want to know you and I want to ask you what you think the hardest thing about your path to becoming a physician is. Feel free to contend with my arguments and share those things that you struggle with as you go through this process too.

The questions were fair and FB post was way over-the-top.

I think you seriously need to step-outside of the situation and reevaluate some of these ideas. Remember, it's all about perspective. A single mother who works two jobs while raising her children sacrifices a heck of a lot more than you.

 

[Zelda840]

The hardest part so far has definitely been the uncertainty and the waiting. I am fortunate enough to have wonderful friends and family who have been incredibly supportive though, so I can't complain.

 

[BlueLabel]

Alright guys I think it's about time somebody started asking the important questions. As usual, I guess I have to step up to the plate:














OP, How many likes and comments did you get on that Facebook post?

 

[Emerge NC]

For me, the hardest part about being a pre-med is having to deal with other over-dramatic self-righteous pre-meds such as OP. Get some perspective bro. The fact that you are obtaining a higher education, with aspirations to follow "your dreams" of becoming a doctor means you are more privileged than most.

 

[rudziutki]

The hardest part of being premed is keeping all the girls off me when they see my o-chem grades.

 

[Vorspiel]

I faced what it was like to be directly stigmatized in the workplace

I got the job

I'm so flummoxed. What am I missing?