What tips/ recommendations do you have for first year pre-med?

[A P]

I'm starting my first year on the pre-med route at my undergrad. Do any of you have recommendations on what I can do to start building credentials (volunteering, etc) or any other advice that you wish you would've known? I've heard a CNA or EMT certification can be beneficial to have on apps for med school, is that a good idea to pursue at some point? Is it worth investing in a 7 book set to study for the MCAT at this point yet or is that not necessary because I'm not too deep in coursework?
Thanks for the help in advance I truly appreciate it!

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[Ismet]

Are you going to be a freshman or are you just starting the pre-med courses after being in college for a year or two?

If you're going to be a freshman, don't overload yourself during your first semester, especially if you're doubling up on sciences. Focus on transitioning to college, eating well, exercising, and doing well in your courses before you add on a bunch of extra things.

EMT certification is worthless unless you plan to use it and actually be an EMT. Being a CNA or EMT is good clinical exposure, but they are jobs, and you would need to be able to juggle a job and doing well in courses. There are other ways to get good clinical exposures that aren't as time-intensive as those jobs. Volunteer, shadow, look into scribing. Also look into research.

MCAT books are review books. You need to learn the material first. Hold off on that until you're closer to the MCAT.

 

[777137]

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[eteshoe]

GPA first. Worry about ECs after securing a solid first year GPA, if you can avoid fighting an uphill battle do it. You can start your ECs in the summer after your freshman year.

 

[chibaddie]

GPA first. Worry about ECs after securing a solid first year GPA, if you can avoid fighting an uphill battle do it. You can start your ECs in the summer after your freshman year.

This. If you can't handle the coursework, the rest is not going to do you many favors. At the same time, you should also focus on getting to know peers and faculty in order to figure out what activities you may be interested in.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Focus on maintaining a high GPA above all else.

GPA is the most expensive, difficult, and time consuming thing to fix so getting it right the first time will save you trouble later.

 

[MoDiddy]

No IA's, get grade & get laid

 

[aalamruad]

0th step: Get good grades and stay out of trouble.

1st step: Make sure medicine is really for you.

2nd step: Pursue extracurriculars that you're truly passionate about.

 

[jwilliams1993]

The first things med schools will see about you are your mcat scores and your gpa. ECs, shadowing, and working come after that. If you don't have the basic knowledge they require, the number of hours you spent cleaning rooms in an emergency department won't matter. You will be tempted to take on all sorts of activities to make you seem like a better applicant and sometimes it will be too much to handle. Be willing to admit when you have too much on your plate and make studying your top priority.

If I could tell freshman me one thing, I would grab her shoulders and shake her and say "no relationship is as important as school". More than likely, you won't find your soulmate at your undergrad college. If you luck out and DO, that person will respect your dreams and support you enough to let you put your studies above them. YOU are the most important person in your life.

 

[A P]

Thank you for all the help everyone I truly appreciate. I also am going to be a collegiate athlete, so hopefully that will help a bit as well with ECs, but it will make school tougher as well. I found all the advice very helpful and I'm looking forward to pursuing a career in medicine, it's something that I'm truly passionate about.

 

[aymar]

Thank you for all the help everyone I truly appreciate. I also am going to be a collegiate athlete, so hopefully that will help a bit as well with ECs, but it will make school tougher as well. I found all the advice very helpful and I'm looking forward to pursuing a career in medicine, it's something that I'm truly passionate about.

Also a collegiate athlete here who recently graduated! Juggling both commitments is definitely challenging, but very rewarding. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about managing the sports/premed combo.


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[confidentandgood]

Identify and secure your best learning habits during freshman year. Figure out how to study for your courses (different classes may require different approaches) and set aside enough time to do well. Don't break from that schedule and it's a surefire way to do well while keeping a social life and staying involved in extracurriculars. Discipline = success.

 

[breezy16]

Don't cram; really learn things and find ways to retain for your MCAT. It makes it much easier in the long run. Understand/be able to conceptualize and apply rather than blunt memorization (this will help immensely when you transition into upper div classes like organic and p chem).

Do a little bit of volunteer/shadowing on the weekends when you can, but don't make it your first priority. Maybe even take that time to try and network with some of the doctors in the area to find who actually allows shadowing.

Enjoy yourself, go make friends, be social, be humble. On the trail this year, I met way too many people who were socially inept. I am sure they had wonderful numbers and EC's (especially because they awkwardly tried to brag about these things as their "most interesting thing" about them), but I didn't see them during SLW or on our current class list. Remember that the MS3's and MS4's most likely will be interviewing you (to some extent) and they want to see someone they can work with in the future, not a complete douche bag or someone who can't keep a five minute conversation going.

 

[MaxPlancker]

******HARD WORK BEATS TALENT*******

BY HARD WORK, I MEAN REALLLLLLLL HARDDD WERKKKK.

 

[PathoTurnUp1865]

Frat frat frat

 

[Goro]

Get this book and read it cover to cover.
(Shill alert: Dr Hartwig is an old pal of mine).


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I'm starting my first year on the pre-med route at my undergrad. Do any of you have recommendations on what I can do to start building credentials (volunteering, etc) or any other advice that you wish you would've known? I've heard a CNA or EMT certification can be beneficial to have on apps for med school, is that a good idea to pursue at some point? Is it worth investing in a 7 book set to study for the MCAT at this point yet or is that not necessary because I'm not too deep in coursework?
Thanks for the help in advance I truly appreciate it!

 

[ilovegrapesoda]

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