Your Biggest Regrets...?

[Twiigg]

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Hello everyone! I'm a freshman with a clean slate... As I begin my journey on the treacherous path to gaining acceptance to a medical school, I was hoping you could all share a couple of your greatest regrets in your own preparations so that those of us who are just now beginning the voyage might benefit by learning from your mistakes 🙂. Even if they are just a few words of advice, a couple tips, hints... please share! Thank you so much!

 

[Arjunsi]

I would have regreted not taking a large amount of english and philosophy courses during the first two years of college, if I hadn't done so. But I did so I don't regret anything.

Oh one time I got a B in creative writing. I got an A on everything I ever handed in but the professor decided to come up with an attendence policy 3/4 of the way through the semester. I regret not filing a complaint with the academic actions committee on my campus.

 

[0Complications]

My mistakes:

- Finished my Degree in Psych before Bio (pushed my MCAT back two years).

- Took College Physics 1 and 2, and Gen Chem 2 without any Algebra background (That really sucked).

- Tried to stack too many classes when working (I filed a dean appeal to get an additional class added on and had to drop it...) *Smacks forehead*


Of those the one that I think could apply to anyone is the course load. I would say just stack on what you are absolutely sure you can handle, so you don't end up having to drop a class mid semester.

Good luck!

 

[Arjunsi]

Oh yeah I would have regretted taking my premed coursework right away as a freshman before I became the excellent student that I currently am. However, I waiting a few years and am now kicking ass in the required classes, so I obviously don't have anything to regret there!

Sorry - do hypothetical regrets I managed to avoid count?

 

[littlealex]

I regret not being efficient in my first 2 years. I kinda screwed around a lot, wasted too much time watching TV, and ended up both not getting great grades AND not partying enough.

Also there was that one afternoon when somehow everything just went perfectly and then... I didn't have protection so it didn't happen.

Then nothing ever happened again. I regret it to this day.

 

[brianmartin]

This isn't really a "regret", but I got my major in humanities, and I took my science pre-reqs very late in my college career. I kind of wish I had done them earlier, maybe hooked up with some professors and done some research or pursued upper division science classes more. This is the opposite of most people probably 🙂

 

[cheezer]

not studying harder

 

[Isoprop]

i regret trying to take all my science classes as early as possible and as fast as possible

i regret taking chem my first qt of freshman year with all the gunner premeds.

i regret dorming.

i regret being so arrogant: "i know how to study and don't need improvement." "class is such a waste of time." etc. etc. ugh 👎

 

[ComicBookDude]

Taking a break from an all nighter - pardon the grammar:

1. Should have majored in physics rather than Math- Physics classes here are small (<20) and the professors kick ass, which means Physics pre-meds (all 10 or so) are guaranteed great science rec letters. Be sure to check up on profs before signing up for their classes. Nicer profs tend to be more personable, which can come in handy when you need those rec letters.

2. Study hard! But be sure to enjoy freshman year as well - it's probably your last "easy year" of school. Sophomore year is where it starts to get really tough when you hit Ochem and higher level science courses, and junior year is extremely demanding with more upper level sciences courses as well as the MCAT. My biggest regret is that I did too many ECs freshman year (esp clinical). Many of these could have be easily done during the summer or Christmas Break.

Other tips (Friends' regrets)
1. If you MUST party - don't get caught. The last thing you want is a questionable record (read: misdemeanor) when interviews come up.

2. Keep at least a decent profile with ALL profs - some may be on the premed committee your junior year (if your school has one) and the sour relationship could come back to haunt you!

 

[decafplease]

The thing I recommend (which I did, but later) is to define your goals. What do you want for ECs? What grades do you want (be realistic, "all A+s" is not realistic) what MCAT do you want? Print them out on a nice clean sheet of paper and hang it somewhere where you will see them often, maybe in a place where you find yourself procrastinating. Mine is above my computer. If I was a TV type, it'd be near my Tv... get it? It helps.

Show up to class, do the homework, have fun with your electives.

 

[Inuranic]

My biggest regret is not studying abroad.

 

[Geekchick921]

Ooh, I had a good cry about this to my fiance' last night.

1. I wanted to be a doctor or scientist when I was little, then decided in high school I wanted to be an actress. That was my first mistake.

2. I never should have gone to a college that wouldn't have given me a full ride right off the bat. I had a 1560 SAT (before the writing section), a 4.0, a f*ckton of extra-curriculars, etc. I started at NYU for theatre, which I was enamored with all thru high school and absolutely stoked I even got in. Despite my grades and everything, they only gave me about 6K (NYU at the time was 41K a year), but I didn't care. I only stayed 1 semester, too. And other schools never give transfers as much money as they do incoming fresman.

3. I should have stuck with the psychobiology major I was in after a year of theatre. Even though I was tearing up the psychobio stuff, I switched back to theatre because I missed it, but by the time I started senior year all the joy had been completely sucked out of it for me. But I was so miserable I just wanted to be done with school, so I finished out the year and graduated. HUGE mistake. Would you believe it was something I saw ON THE DAY THAT I GRADUATED that really threw me back onto the science/medicine track? Ugh. 🙁

I just realized that I'm only a year's worth of credits away from the Psychobiology bachelors, too. I e-mailed them last night to see if I could possibly come back and finish those classes even though I already graduated. Please pray for me!

4. I probably would have gone into a full-time, 1-year post-bacc program instead of working full-time and taking a class or 2 every semester.

 

[Jacks Mannequin]

My biggest regret is not studying abroad.

Same here.

 

[Candlestick Man]

-not taking my chem labs (wasn't pre-med)
-not taking more than one class with a science prof.
-not using interfolio
-not applying to more schools/broader range

 

[Techmed07]

High School

• Come back in a couple of years.

During School

• Take college grades seriously, you'll be thankful when application time comes.
• If you're asking to do something because it might look good on your application, chances are you aren't interested enough to commit to it right now.
• Go to office hours, even if you are getting an A in the class because rec letters need to come from somewhere.
• Overstudy your freshmen year in college. Better to get an A+ in all your freshmen classes then wonder if that was time well spent than screw up your freshmen grades and wonder whether you have a chance.
• Work hard to get a stellar GPA so you can count on the MCAT as additional evidence of your academic capability, rather than a stressful redeeming factor.
• Don't hesistate to take on a leadership role in your activities. The work you put into it will benefit you twofold, you will learn a lot about time management and build interpersonal skills.
• Don't think that a great MCAT will compensate for a low GPA.
• Clinical extracurricular activities show admission comittees you have been exposed to the realities of medicine and you can handle them.
• Pursue ECs you are passionate about, don't try to do a little of everything.
• Compete ONLY against yourself.
• Time is better spent pursuing a mastery of the course material rather than calculating the minimum grade you can get by with for a 90 or planning how to spread a rumour that the date for the final has been postponed (when in fact it hasn't.)
• Moderation is key. Take the time to enjoy college but keep in mind that your grades and ECs will be important in the future.
• Remember that medical schools do not want a textbook memorizing machine. What you do outside of class is just as important and what you do inside as far as growing into a well rounded, articulate prospective physician - you can't develop socially if you don't put yourself in social situations and some of the best things do talk about in interviews are interesting things you do for fun!

MCAT

• Don't take the MCAT until your full-length practice scores are exceeding your target score (generally accepted to be 30+ total, with nothing less than a 9 in any section).
• It's MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), not MCATs (Medical College Admission Tests) as there is only one test not multiple ones.
• Stop reading SDN when you're studying for the MCAT. It'll stress you out when you're inevitably reading those score report threads, and it seems like everyone's getting 36+.
• If you find yourself asking, "Should I use this book or that book?" it's a good sign that you should probably use both.

Applications

• If you're asking questions about having to "study" after completion of med school, then you shouldn't be applying to doctorville.
• Take things one-step at a time, rewarding yourself along the way as this process is a marathon, not a sprint.
• APPLY EARLY!
• MDApplicants.com should be used to see on average what kind of people get into certain schools, but it's skewed extremely upwards and don't use a single profile as a ray of hope.
• When a school offers you an interview, learn as much as you can about the school, its focus, and its history. They have shown interest in you and you must do the same.
• Look at the mission statements of each school to see if you fit what they are looking for and to answer their secondaries
• Send Transcripts in MAY even if you don't want to start working on the AMCAS application
• A good personal statement takes time to write (1+ months) if it's been thoroughly edited and you've had time to reflect on what you really want to say.

Other

• Show a little cleavage.
• Show a lot of cleavage.
• Use the search feature before asking routine questions
• Take deep breaths.
• Believe in yourself.
• Don't ask other peoples' opinions of your chances unless you're prepared for an honest answer.
• Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
• Slow down! Taking an extra year to do things well is much better than rushing through and having to deal with the consequences later.
• Learn some humility. If you haven't been beaten down to the ground yet, you'll get used to it during this whole process.
• When deciding what kind of prep material to use, sometimes its a good idea to go to amazon.com and read the reviews before you buy your material.
• The farther you go, the more you are in the public's eye. Treat everything you do seriously, respect everyone, and be aware that people will be critiquing you more and more. But don't get paranoid.

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This is a list complied by some of the premeds that are in med school now. I posted this list to be updated and lets just say nothing is better than the original. check it out and good luck. I am freshmen currently. All As' my current regret is concerning signing up for classes God willing everything will work out in the spring for me. Good Luck.

 

[154465]

My biggest regret is not studying enough for the MCAT. But at the rate I'm going I'll be doing it all again real soon.

 

[scowdeva]

My biggest regret is taking all of the most difficult courses rather than sticking with the safe basics. Adcoms arent impressed that you got an A in a bunch of advanced sciences- rather, they are unimpressed that you pulled a 3.5 in a class you didnt even need to graduate. Dont try to take courses to impress someone! Your GPA will likely suffer as a result!

 

[batman1983]

Regrets......I have lots of them:

1. Going to a harder school (schools really dont seem to matter with the admissions)
2. Putting off the MCAT till I graduated (I was really rusty on the material since I hadn’t taken those classes in 4 yrs). I probably could have scored a 37-38 if I had taken them after taking the premed courses.
3. Taking the harder classes instead of the GPA boosters
4. Not having the time to get to know my science professors better
5. Not doing research, even though, I really am not much of a research person anyways. It just seems to really make a difference with admissions.

 

[BoilerWolverine]

To start, I had a GREAT time in college. That being said, I really wish I had focused more on school, because I found I could party a lot while still getting good grades. Specificially, I would have gone to EVERY class. I skipped a lot of classes and this hurt me big time. Also, I wish I would have just put in the extra 10% effort in most of my classes as an undergrad, as that usually is the difference between a B and an A. I learned these lessons late, and have had to take considerable time to recover from them. Oh well, I guess in the end it doesn't really matter as long as you make it work.

 

[etf]

grades grades grades grades grades grades grades grades. they are the only thing that matters.

 

[themule]

I regret not going to a bigger school with a better science department and better faculty. I also regret not getting a nursing degree. As a non-trad I took multiple years off working crap jobs but having a really good time, with a nursing degree I could have worked in the field I enjoy the most, made good money, and still had a really good time.

TM

 

[Bartelby]

My biggest regret is not studying abroad.

Same here. I also regret not having founded or been president of an active club. It would have been kind of cool to have that experience, not for the resume but just for my own entertainment.

I would also say I regret focusing more on partying and hanging out with friends in my free time than developing serious romantic relationships. A weird regret, I know. But I feel like college might have been somewhat more enjoyable with a serious girlfriend, at least at some points.

Overall just keep good grades and have fun. These years may not ultimately be the best of your life (that's a bit of a depressing thought now that I have graduated), but they should feel like it while you are living them!

 

[BoilerWolverine]

grades grades grades grades grades grades grades grades. they are the only thing that matters.

This is just not true. Grades are very important, but it is equally important that you mature and become a well rounded individual.

 

[FutureeMD]

Education before romance......do not date seriously

 

[zanzounita]

Seriously, education before romance. I noticed a strong inverse correlation between dating and grades. It was only when I was dating that I made B's, otherwise, I would make straight A's.

Also, make sure you volunteer beginning your freshman year. Do activities that you enjoy, not because they will look good on your application.

Also, GRADES, GRADES, GRADES, GRADES, GRADES.

Finally, hone in on your people skills, because you will be meeting people with different cultural identities as a physician.

Good luck!

 

[student12x]

My biggest regret, taking calculus based physics without the prereqs. I didn't even take geometry in HS. So taking a course for engineers my first quarter was a bit to much.

 

[Enthalpy430]

Getting booted from my first undergrad institution due to academic performance.

It's not so much that I regret it; because I learned a lot about myself and it really was sort of a wake up call. But, it sort of sucks that it set everything else back a few years.

 

[pennnylane]

Pursue ECs you are passionate about, don't try to do a little of everything.

This would be mine as well. As a freshman, I may have been a little tentative about the pre-med course and waited a while before getting involved in EC's. I'd use freshman year to scope out things that interest you, and then make a commitment. Something that starts out small can turn into a really important and valuable experience if you stick with it for a long time. Become one of the seasoned veterans in whatever you do. As far as admissions go, adcoms love to see depth. So choose something, develop it, learn from it, and (if possible, in the case of some clinical/research experiences) connect it to the rest of your education.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

1) taking the MCAT so early, The chem class I am in now would have realy helped as well as the biol
2) not getting serious about my Ecs right away.

 

[LikeClockWork]

Scheduling the MCAT for the week after finals/graduation. Definitely didn't give it the time it deserved.

I definitely don't regret being a freshman-hall RA my senior year, but I do regret the hit my grades took because of it. GPA dropped a good 0.15 because of that year...

 

[drizzt3117]

I'd say not going abroad during undergrad. I pretty much busted ass during my two undergrad degrees with work (40 hrs/week) and didn't enjoy them as much as I could have. It paid off career-wise at least until I realized I didn't really like the career I was in heh

 

[cardboardearrin]

Second the whole going to an expensive undergrad thing! My undergrad was HORRIBLE with money, but I was so infatuated with the school, I had to go! I'm now paying off the loans as punishment.....

 

[Aynsl156]

I regret not learning about auditing until my senior year. If I had known, I would have been all over all those interesting courses that I couldn't cram into my schedule.

I also regret not being involved in any ECs during college. Except for summer research. I got lucky with mine and managed to spin it to sound good, but many others don't get so lucky.

 

[drizzt3117]

My second regret was not matriculating at an Ivy and taking advantage of grade inflation 🙂

 

[CTtarheel]

I'd say not going abroad during undergrad.

+ a million on this one

seriously, if you can spare the coursework go abroad or something during the semester. If not, do it in the summer. There's always more time to do research, etc., but you have only 1 free summer after you start med school to go abroad.

Bottom line, consider your summers carefully. DO NOT EVEN THINK OF EVER DOING SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO. Your 4 summers are a gift that you should use to do things that are important for your PERSONAL development, not academic development.

 

[drizzt3117]

Oh, also, if you go abroad, make sure your classes are pass/fail. The point of going abroad is to experience cultures different than your own, see the world, and gain perspective about how things work outside the US. Spending all of your time trying to bang out As, especially with grading systems that are far different than the US and likely very arbitrary isn't going to give you a very good abroad experience.

+ a million on this one

seriously, if you can spare the coursework go abroad or something during the semester. If not, do it in the summer. There's always more time to do research, etc., but you have only 1 free summer after you start med school to go abroad.

Bottom line, consider your summers carefully. DO NOT EVEN THINK OF EVER DOING SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO. Your 4 summers are a gift that you should use to do things that are important for your PERSONAL development, not academic development.

 

[dabiophyz]

I regret not playing the gpa game. I took classes that were interesting and absurdly difficult. As a result my gpa is much lower than it would have been had I taken easy classes with easy profs. Hard to say I regret this because I learned a lot of great stuff, but even a great MCAT score isn't helping me this cycle. Seems like I am being passed over for having a thirst for knowledge and not taking easy bull****. Live and learn.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

1- Not applying to several Ivy's in high school. I got in everywhere I applied (6 schools) but I wish I would have tried a few more elite schools just to know it was an option

2-Not starting a history minor earlier- I am leaning towards it now but it is going to be rough

3-Not studying for Gen Chem 2 after acing Gen Chem 1

4- Signing up for a German Cultures course on study abroad- I got a B and A's in the other 2 courses but I think it looks bad that I "don't Get the German culture" when I do...

5-Being a Biology major- yes it was the easiest way to get all pre-reqs but I would have liked to do humanities and wish I would have picked a school with a biol and chem major.

 

[VoiceofReason]

I guess I could say I regret my high school academic record, since it landed me in state school and not an Ivy. But in reality, I was just too immature. It's not like I really understood the gravity of it all, and still decided to goof off.

 

[darkelven29]

crammed lots of activities in the summer and failed MCAT in August

 

[SoFlaKnight]

Not going into the 7/8 yr BA/MD programs at UMiami, George Washington, or URochester after getting accepted...There was no way I could justify taking out a loan for that much money, and asking my parents for it would have been the equivalent of patricide/matricide...State University system it was🙁

 

[SoFlaKnight]

Education before romance......do not date seriously

Actually I take back my previous one...This is emphatically true👍👍👍

 

[onemoreyear]

Too many hours of work study during the school year. Hurt grades and didn't dent student loans...

 

[chizledfrmstone]

- Trying to take Calculus when I should have revisited my algebra.

- Not checking my professors ratings to get a small feel for their teaching style. Some teachers suck ass and there is nothing you can do about it.

- Not studying hard enough my first year because the professors were soo lax.

- Taking electives which sounded good over ones that were easy as hell. (Big mistake)

- Caring about how I did on small quizzes and getting upset when I missed a few points here and there.

 

[caliprincess]

-Working during school (50+ hrs a week). It doesn't matter how bad you need the money, just take out loans. Who cares how much you will owe when you get out? You will be in a crap load of debt anyway after med school. Working hurt my grades a lot...just imagine taking 50 hrs out of your study week and think of what happens.
-Being a science major. I loved it, but this is what I am going to do the rest of my life. Choose a major that you are PASSIONATE about and you find really really interesting. College is the last time that you can do what you want when you want. So...I shoulda been poli sci or history. But if science all day everyday gets you super excited, then go for it.
-If you go to a big school, attend office hours because professors won't know you otherwise.
-NETWORK as much as you can. Sometimes, it really is all about who you know 😎

 

[Geekchick921]

Second that! NYU was HORRIBLE with money, but I was so infatuated with the school, I had to go! I'm now paying off the loans as punishment.....

I was SO upset with how disappointed I was with NYU, and am so very glad I only stayed 1 semester (though, like I said, I shouldn't have gone at all). I felt like a scorned lover when I left. "I loved you! I was so good to you! Why are you doing this to me!" Etc.

 

[jace's mom]

I don't know if I can articulate this clearly enough, and even if I can, I'm not sure that it's something you can learn until you've put in lots of years. The most important thing I've learned is how much fun it is to work hard and do a good job. I've come to appreciate having and keeping a schedule. I enjoy going to bed at night knowing that I've crossed items off the "To Do" list, and that those items were done well. My work ethic has helped me develop my sense of self-worth, has earned the respect of my peers, and has carried me through both happy and stressful situations. It's been a constant source of comfort to me. So I guess I would tell you to start early on building a strong devotion to and love for work, because later you'll realize the legacy you've been building for yourself.

 

[beachblonde]

taking organic chemistry freshman year.

it ended badly.

and I took too many science classes-I should have taken more history/government/english while I could. now that I'm taking all science, all the time, I really miss having the opportunity to pick classes that sound interesting and are totally unrelated to my major.

 

[xx216xx]

1. Did not enjoy undergrad enough, studied waaaay too much, far too neurotic when in fact the difference between a 4.0 and a 3.8 does not matter to anyone

2. Did not study abroad, though I'm gonna make up for it by backpacking eastern europe or the likes for a month or two

 

[etf]

-Working during school (50+ hrs a week). It doesn't matter how bad you need the money, just take out loans. Who cares how much you will owe when you get out? You will be in a crap load of debt anyway after med school. Working hurt my grades a lot...just imagine taking 50 hrs out of your study week and think of what happens.

actually, one of my biggest regrets is not working during school. having my parents pay for everything made me take a lot of things for granted; i also feel like having a job would have forced a schedule on me. i was taking some upper div science classes (sort of an informal postbac situation) last semester while also working part-time, and i think that knowing that i had to work forced me to study at appropriate times.