What was the single most annoying thing you hated about being pre-med?

[baconshrimps]

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Caveat: you can't list any of the pre-reqs!

I didn't like the idea of having to volunteer over an extended period of time when everything I learned about the clinical setting (in the capacity of a volunteer) I learned in about the first two months of my time at the hospital where I volunteered.

 

[Pacna]

I didn't like listening to people bitching about being a pre-med.

 

[baconshrimps]

I didn't like listening to people bitching about being a pre-med.

I can't tell if this is a passive-aggressive mean post, or if you're simply just saying this was the thing you didn't like about being pre-med.

 

[aspiring20]

i dont like the often suffocating atmosphere at my alma mater.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Yeah, feeling forced to volunteer a ton was probably the most annoying thing for me.

 

[ChemNerd07]

Definitely agree. Volunteering showed me how much I didn't want to be a CNA lol. I guess the worst part I have to say is all the biotchy 'pre-meds' who think they're going to medical school but probably won't. They really got on my nerves. You know all the ones that expect A's but don't actually earn them then get all mad and blame the professors. Gah!

 

[SunsFun]

Doctors using HIPPA as an excuse for why you can't come in and shadow them.

 

[Pacna]

I can't tell if this is a passive-aggressive mean post, or if you're simply just saying this was the thing you didn't like about being pre-med.

It's a joke. 😛

 

[Shaq]

the application process was probably the worst part of the whole thing. it is super discouraging at times. it is important to have a good support system during the process

 

[Jimsy]

I hated the feeling of being useless or being in the way during my volunteering days at the hospital

 

[darklabel]

Getting groans when people ask what I'm doing with a bio degree and I said "get into medical school"
Asking teachers for a LoR and hearing them groan after they ask "For what?" and I say "For medical school"
Man seriously, everything else I get, but saying you want to go into medical school has a negative connotation until you're actually accepted. I enjoyed volunteering, but the second I asked for a LoR, it sometimes felt like an "Oh ok, so thats why you're here?"

 

[baconshrimps]

Getting groans when people ask what I'm doing with a bio degree and I said "get into medical school"
Asking teachers for a LoR and hearing them groan after they ask "For what?" and I say "For medical school"
Man seriously, everything else I get, but saying you want to go into medical school has a heavy connotation until you're actually accepted. I enjoyed volunteering, but the second I asked for a LoR, it sometimes felt like an "Oh ok, so thats why you're hear?"

100% agree with this. In my experience, saying "I'm applying to medical school" is never met by enthusiasm or interest, just kind of gets passed off as "oh okay whatever" but then saying "I'm beginning medical school in august" people actually start barking up your tree. Funny story - suddenly, a lot of women in my graduate program are hitting me up, asking me questions about my application and such, and these are people who wouldn't even give me the time of day last year - so that's their loss now...because they can figure it out on their own 😀 lol

 

[darklabel]

100% agree with this. In my experience, saying "I'm applying to medical school" is never met by enthusiasm or interest, just kind of gets passed off as "oh okay whatever" but then saying "I'm beginning medical school in august" people actually start barking up your tree. Funny story - suddenly, a lot of women in my graduate program are hitting me up, asking me questions about my application and such, and these are people who wouldn't even give me the time of day last year - so that's their loss now...because they can figure it out on their own 😀 lol

Should offer them 1 on 1 sessions to go over their AMCAs....credentials

 

[baconshrimps]

Should offer them 1 on 1 sessions to go over their AMCAs....credentials

#castingcouch lol

 

[DoctorWhoo]

Application process for sure. Nothing like working yourself to the point of insanity balancing school, ECs, leadership positions, and the MCAT, all to enter into a process that leaves you with extended periods of silence, rejection, and -if you're lucky- a few acceptances.

 

[lobo.solo]

I would say being surrounded by whinny premeds who are for the most part clueless, yet they think they know their ****. Maybe I'm bias here because I hate arrogant people who don't know what they're talking about.
Also the process of actually applying, the anxiety of waiting that we go through is annoying....

 

[Jimsy]

I would say being surrounded by whinny premeds who are for the most part clueless, yet they think they know their ****. Maybe I'm bias here because I hate arrogant people who don't know what they're talking about.
Also the process of actually applying, the anxiety of waiting that we go through is annoying....

What about pre-meds who wore long white coats around school and while volunteering?

 

[baconshrimps]

What about pre-meds who wore long white coats around school and while volunteering?

Peöple actually did this?? Wæring whitecóats to class? I can't even...what...umm...

 

[lobo.solo]

Peöple actually did this?? Wæring whitecóats to class? I can't even...what...umm...

Yep. There is pic floating around on sdn of a guy who hand wrote [his name] MD PhD or something like that. Ohh I also found annoying that some people put those kinds of pictures on Facebook/Instagram, etc.

 

[ChemNerd07]

Peöple actually did this?? Wæring whitecóats to class? I can't even...what...umm...

I dyed mine pink lol, but I do actual research so there's a point to wearing my now spotted lab coat from chemicals.

 

[ChemNerd07]

Yep. There is pic floating around on sdn of a guy who hand wrote [his name] MD PhD or something like that. Ohh I also found annoying that some people put those kinds of pictures on Facebook/Instagram, etc.

Someone I know went to Africa and took a selfy in a surgery room… you could partially see the patient and all the docs around her. It's was her profile pic for a good chunk of time.

 

[ChemNerd07]

Gosh… going of off what @darklabel said with the groans when you mention you're a pre-med or the 'uh huh…' expression. Now that I'm accepted and I tell family members or people in the community their FIRST response is 'Oh medical school… so are you going to be a pharmacist or a nurse or something?' *facepalm*

 

[baconshrimps]

Yep. There is pic floating around on sdn of a guy who hand wrote [his name] MD PhD or something like that. Ohh I also found annoying that some people put those kinds of pictures on Facebook/Instagram, etc.

I'm....guilty of this....but it was my senior year, I was shadowing an alumni of my university through a special program, at the cleveland clinic, and I was super excited about wearing a surgical mask and a surgical cap. It was just a headshot that the fellow took of me - not a selfie! lol

 

[baconshrimps]

I dyed mine pink lol, but I do actual research so there's a point to wearing my now spotted lab coat from chemicals.

Wearing it to lecture though?

 

[solitarius]

MCAT prep

 

[ChemNerd07]

Wearing it to lecture though?

Oh wait.. wtf?! Some people at my school will just forget to take their lab coat off after lab (our labs are upstairs, lecture down stairs). People ACTUALLY sit in lectures with lab coats on? Do I have permission to smack them?!

 

[lobo.solo]

Yes!! This also annoys me too. A lot of people don't know the career path of a physician... They all think that you gonna be rich, not have loans, etc. this makes me a bit mad too because I know I'm going to be pretty broke during the next 10 years.

Gosh… going of off what @darklabel said with the groans when you mention you're a pre-med or the 'uh huh…' expression. Now that I'm accepted and I tell family members or people in the community their FIRST response is 'Oh medical school… so are you going to be a pharmacist or a nurse or something?' *facepalm*

 

[EMDO2018]

Having no time to chase women, party, drink. There was always some organic, or genetics, or biochem, or biology etc test around the corner.

 

[Jennyfishy]

General arrogance of other pre-meds and seeing how obvious some were with their brown-nosing to get a LoR during OH (there's a lot more annoying things but this wins by a landslide in my book )

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Nosiness of premeds who wanted info on your application or were primarily interested in sizing you up as competition.

 

[Blizzard18]

Listening to punk chem professors in my senior classes talk about how important their class is and preaching about life and how our future depends on their class, and I'm already like "bro, in med school, kiss my ring "

 

[baconshrimps]

Listening to punk chem professors in my senior classes talk about how important their class is and preaching about life and how our future depends on their class, and I'm already like "bro, in med school, kiss my ring "

"punk chem professors" lmao

 

[deleted480308]

having everyone I know keep asking, "why don't you just go to (insert med school name)" as though I can just decide to show up

 

[medicalmnt]

Everybody- "why don't you just become an engineer?"

When I tell them I'm majoring in chem to get into medical school...
-"Why don't you just major in pre-med instead of chem?"

Pre-meds around me...
-"I've only taken this class twice. Plus if I get a C+ now I'm sure my chances at top med schools will improve. Plus my GPA is on a upward trend and ill retake a bunch of my classes! Ill get into a school like GWU easy." (GPA being under 3.0)

My #1 is GWU so it's a huge face palm for me.

 

[thisisansley]

having everyone I know keep asking, "why don't you just go to (insert med school name)" as though I can just decide to show up

I live in NYC and I was at a bar once and a guy was asking me about where I had gotten in and I told him a few schools, Stony Brook being one and he said, "Oh come on, no Columbia? No Cornell? Surely there are better schools than Stony Brook!" I literally just got up and left.

 

[baconshrimps]

having everyone I know keep asking, "why don't you just go to (insert med school name)" as though I can just decide to show up

I had a friend at Columbia med, and he and I were actually plotting to have me secretly attend the first year classes and ace all of the exams, and that would make for a really awesome EC on my AMCAS and especially for the Columbia app. For the record, we ended up just getting drunk instead.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

I hated the feeling of being useless or being in the way during my volunteering days at the hospital

+1 ... Shadowing in general is pretty useless.

 

[Burla]

Other pre-meds of course
and being grouped-in with those people in a negative manner by everyone else

 

[LabratABQ]

the title, then people look at you as if you are going to follow millions of other previous failures who would just quit when it gets tough....So when people ask what i wanna do when i grow up, i tell them i never want to grow up.lol

+1 ... Shadowing in general is pretty useless.

The doc that i work with is freaking awesome, he teaches me in the room, let me do what he does and he supervises. Allows me to talk to patients, make assessments....we sniped some skin tags last week, he let me do local anesthesia and the entire procedure, patient was like ya let him do it so he can learn hahahahha.

@ChemNerd07 Smack the heck out of them, spit on their face....no jk don't do this LOL. I also like your made up curse words hahahaha.

 

[knv2u]

I can't tell if this is a passive-aggressive mean post, or if you're simply just saying this was the thing you didn't like about being pre-med.

I think his post was legitimately addressing something that he didn't like about being pre-med. For me, the thing I hated most was listening to the incessant whining of my fellow pre-med classmates who felt entitled to "A" grades without wanting to put in the required amount of effort.

 

[Stephanopolous]

Gunner pre-meds

 

[withoutlyrics]

I guess what I hated the most was the jaded attitude of professors, lab instructors, and pre-health advisors who are not interested in getting you help because they have seen so many people drop out of the track. There is a certain expectation that a really high percentage of people are not up to the task. That may be true in some schools, but not at a competitive college with a really high median SAT. I had a professor cancel office hours and hold half-hearted review sessions that would sometimes overlap with people's lab times for that very class. Maybe classes for my major were easier and that's why no one has trouble with them, but I liked the professors' attitudes in my department, and I cannot say the same thing for my pre-med professors. There was a real weed out mentality that was disconcerting. Every other career track, it seemed, had adults who were rooting for the students.

 

[ChemNerd07]

Listening to punk chem professors in my senior classes talk about how important their class is and preaching about life and how our future depends on their class, and I'm already like "bro, in med school, kiss my ring "

OMG! Right?! I was in my stupid inorganic class and my professor would not shut up about how important it was and how I'd need it in future classes and it was his responsibility that the class was able to do well in the next step. I literally blurted out ...so what's my next class over this? I'm going tomedical school. He couldn't answer me. Hahahaha

 

[ChemNerd07]

Everybody- "why don't you just become an engineer?"

When I tell them I'm majoring in chem to get into medical school...
-"Why don't you just major in pre-med instead of chem?"

Ugh right? It's like come on guys I'd like to have a decent back up plan.

 

[LabratABQ]

having everyone I know keep asking, "why don't you just go to (insert med school name)" as though I can just decide to show up

They think you can, hahahahaha Like why don't you become the king of the world?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Getting groans when people ask what I'm doing with a bio degree and I said "get into medical school"
Asking teachers for a LoR and hearing them groan after they ask "For what?" and I say "For medical school"
Man seriously, everything else I get, but saying you want to go into medical school has a negative connotation until you're actually accepted. I enjoyed volunteering, but the second I asked for a LoR, it sometimes felt like an "Oh ok, so thats why you're here?"

we premeds and reformed premeds have only ourselves to blame for that one...

Oh wait.. wtf?! Some people at my school will just forget to take their lab coat off after lab (our labs are upstairs, lecture down stairs). People ACTUALLY sit in lectures with lab coats on? Do I have permission to smack them?!

bro nobody 'forgets' to take their lab coat off by accident.

Yep. There is pic floating around on sdn of a guy who hand wrote [his name] MD PhD or something like that. Ohh I also found annoying that some people put those kinds of pictures on Facebook/Instagram, etc.

it doesn't stop in med school and it's something that really grinds my gears, med students posting how doctor-y they are on fb incessantly. grow some goddamn modesty for god's sake

 

[LabratABQ]

bro nobody 'forgets' to take their lab coat off by accident.

Listen to this wise person, i hated my lab coat, still hating it.

 

[literallybased]

Them - "What's this spot on my arm?"
Me - "I have no idea."
Them - "Come on, you're the doctor..."

 

[LabratABQ]

Them - "What's this spot on my arm?"
Me - "I have no idea."
Them - "Come on, you're the doctor..."

Congrats, you got AIDS is what I always tell them....seriously.

 

[ArtisticMed]

I guess what I hated the most was the jaded attitude of professors, lab instructors, and pre-health advisors who are not interested in getting you help because they have seen so many people drop out of the track. There is a certain expectation that a really high percentage of people are not up to the task. That may be true in some schools, but not at a competitive college with a really high median SAT. I had a professor cancel office hours and hold half-hearted review sessions that would sometimes overlap with people's lab times for that very class. Maybe classes for my major were easier and that's why no one has trouble with them, but I liked the professors' attitudes in my department, and I cannot say the same thing for my pre-med professors. There was a real weed out mentality that was disconcerting. Every other career track, it seemed, had adults who were rooting for the students.

I had the same issue at my university. Many of the science professors I had seemed unapproachable, and the classes were almost designed to weed out premeds early on. Originally, I intended to major in biology, but I ended up majoring in visual arts to keep some sort of balance. The professors in my major did have better attitudes as well.

At the state university where I completed my postbac, the professors had a completely different attitude. They encouraged questions during lecture, and the environment was more relaxed.