Ask the med student: advice to undergrads

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
81

<p>hi princess,</p>

<p>I am going to graduate from high school soon and well i guess luck didnt work out too well for me and undergrad so i will most likely be going to uc irvine or santa barbara but most probably irvine</p>

<p>aspirations : cardiologist</p>

<p>what do i do?
i feel like irvine isnt good enough. i feel like i was cut out for ucla atleast.
will irvine really kill my chances?
should i go to a junior college and transfer to berkeley or ucla
oh also my major is biological sciences but i am planning on doing a minor in psychology</p>

<p>what should i do? any tips, suggestions, advice?</p>

<p>any more information needed on me?</p>

<p>=( i am thoroughly confused too
thank you for your time as well =)</p>

82

<p>I have a couple of questions.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>I am currently trying to decide between two schools (Northwestern Univ. and Univ. of Minn.). While there are many factors that I need to take into consideration, I was wondering which school you thought would better prepare me for med school? I know that Northwestern is more prestigious, however I was admitted to the College of Biological Sciences (fairly prestigious) at the University of Minnesota. Also, I know that the University of Minnesota offers classes where students get to work with cadavers. I believe this would be a great benefit for me considering most other universities have their students work with cats or some other animal.</p></li>
<li><p>I am fairly certain that I want to be a doctor. It’s the only job that I can see myself doing with a passion as of right now. However, I want to know what the full experience is. I was wondering if there were any books that could help me understand what it is like? I am also considering shadowing (but probably not anytime soon).</p></li>
<li><p>(Okay 3 questions is not a couple, but I am going to ask a third anyway) How much time do you spend studying for medical school? I am just wondering how much time I should be willing to spend studying (I would probably be willing to do a lot since going to medical school is so high on my list right now).</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses. I am sorry if you have already answered these questions before. I did not read through the other pages. Thanks again.</p>

83

<p>Hi MVaish09, </p>

<p>I think you should go to UCI with an open mind and really try to do your best there. Who knows, it could really give you an opportunity to be a standout student on campus. While I understand your disappointment at not getting into UCLA (which IMO is one of the hardest schools in the country to get into), Irvine is a pretty good school in it’s own right. It may not have the reputation of the other schools you mention, but you can definitely get a great education there. Remember that the UC system is by far the best public school system in the country. If you go to Irvine and after a year hate it and are not being challenged there, then apply to transfer; but you actually may end up liking it! DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR UC SPOT FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE. </p>

<p>** I also think that it is important to mention here that driven and passionate people become successful no matter which college they attend, and there are people at EVERY college who do great things.** I know people get tired of hearing that, but it really is the truth. In fact, many argue that the reason that the highest-rated schools have such successful students has more to do with the qualities inherent in those students and less to do with the particular colleges themselves. </p>

<p>On my first day of medical school, our dean gave a speech that has really stuck with me. In it she said, “Medicine is marathon, not a sprint.” While many people may discuss the process of becoming a doctor as having a linear path, for many people it is far more circuitous. Not getting into your ideal college is just the first hurdle you have to overcome. You will face many more. You say you want to be a cardiologist, so you’re looking at 4 or more years of college, 4 years of medical school, 3 years internal medicine residency, 3 (or more years) of cardiology fellowship, and then 40+ years of practice. Becoming a doctor is a lifetime committment, so make sure to enjoy your life along the way. Be proud that you have been given the privilege to attend UCI and do your best there.</p>

84

<p>Hey Stewie, </p>

<ol>
<li>You’re right about NW’s prestige (it’s very highly regarded), but I can’t answer for you, “which school will better prepare me for medical school”. Both will prepare you academically if you work hard and do everything you have to do to learn the material. But remember that you need to excel both academically and in other areas, so you need to go to a school that is the best fit. If you go to a school end up miserable there, you will not do as well, period. Take a piece of paper and answer these questions for each school: Which school will give me the best academic opportunities outside of class (i.e. research, abroad programs, etc)? Which school and community do I see myself becoming more involved in? Which school allows for balance? Which school can I afford? Which school am I likely to have a social life/fun at? At which school will I have the strongest support network? It should become clear which one is the fit for you. </li>
</ol>

<p>I would avoid picking any school for a specific course that is offered there. You will get to cadaver dissection in medical school (although I understand your excitement because it is a cool experience). If you really want to get this experience in undergrad, there are summer programs that offer human anatomy that you can apply to. </p>

<ol>
<li>Did you ever watch that show Hopkins on ABC? If you google it they probably still have episodes online. I thought that was a great documentary-style reality show on what it’s like to be a doctor. Made me fall in love with the profession all over again.
Books I like:
a. Body of Work, by Christine Montross
b. Mountains beyond Mountains: the Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, by Tracy Kidder
c. Choosing a Medical Specialty, by Brian Freeman
d. Life After Medical School: 32 doctors describe how they shaped their careers, by Leonard Laster</li>
</ol>

<p>BTW, I recommend shadowing ASAP. I’ve known many people who after shadowing decide they love medicine, and then are motivated to do the best they can in their courses. There are also people who decide they hate medicine and drop premed immediately. Test your intitution by getting clinical experience as soon as you can. </p>

<ol>
<li>Medical school is fulltime job. I probably spend at least 12 hours a day studying/doing school stuff. But I still work-out everyday, eat balanced meals, sleep at least 7 hours a night, find time to do social things, catch Desperate Housewives every Sunday night, etc. Once you start medical school, you have to be willing to be fully dedicated to becoming a doctor. </li>
</ol>

<p>You’re welcome, and hope this helps.</p>

85

<p>Hey future doctors,
Will somebody please teach me how to quote other responses in those dark gray boxes??? I can’t figure it out.</p>

86

<p>Type “[ quote],” use the part that you want, and then to close it off use “[ /quote].” I’ve inserted spaces so that you can see the code; take those out.</p>

87

<p>What is the general opinion about applicants who take organic chemistry at another school. I’ve been planning to take it at Northwestern (my school) this summer, but I’ve heard so many bad things over the last two years and I’ve heard it’s easier to do well at Harvard (I know so many kids at NU who took it there). Would it look bad or raise some sort of a red flag if I took orgo at Harvard instead of NU?</p>

<p>Also, PND, I was just curious what you thought about Pritzker and why you chose it over other med schools? Thanks</p>

88

<p>Thank you for your lenghty answer, PrincessND, on the second page of this forum (I left for a couple of days…and I couldn’t find the forum I’d posted on!</p>

<p>I have another question that ties along with my question #3:</p>

<p>you replied (partially):</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>My son will most likely be attending Case Western Reserve U, and I was curious if this was a good “well-known” pre-med school?</p>

89

<p>Hi jgd661,

  1. I don’t think an admissions committee would care if you took it at Harvard vs. NW. </p>

<ol>
<li>I was very fortunate to be accepted into several wonderful med schools, but for my personal preferences, Pritzker just stood above the rest. I really felt at home at Pritzker. From the students, to the administrators, to the faculty, to the patients, I was just enthralled. I’ll never forget that the day I interviewed when the admissions staff greeted us by name and had remembered tidbits from our applications. They discussed ways in which we could benefit from the school and ways that the school could benefit from having us. On our hospital tour, nurses, attendings, and even some of the support staff stopped to talk to us. The medical center really has the teamwork philosophy down. (I didn’t sense this at most other schools…at many medical institutions, roles are quite rigid.) And every student that I met was just so passionate about their interests, and I did not once sense any pretense. These were people who loved learning for learning’s sake. At the end of my interview day, I just knew I wouldn’t find a place that was a better fit. I also am very interested in urban medicine and I liked the interdisciplinary opportunities available at U of C. </li>
</ol>

<p>Since I’ve been at Pritzker, it has definitely delivered. I know I made the best decision for me. Can’t believe I’m staring down the barrel of my last 4 weeks of classroom work. Time flies.</p>

90

<p>Hi collegebound,
Yes, CWRU is a solid school overall.</p>

91

<p>mvaish- do not assume UCI is sub-par. It is not famous around the country and world as are UCLA & UCB, but UCI has focused a great deal on their bio program that past decade or longer. Whatever you do, assume you will need to work hard at UCI, just as hard as at UCLA, then do your best and stand out from the crowd. Be involved on campus and connect with profs. You can absolutely go to med school from any UC, if you stay focused and do well.</p>

<p>The thing to be careful of is your own disappointment in yourself defeating you. You did not want to go to UCI, you expected better, do you then make the best of it and have a great 4 years there or do you resent it and do average…maybe 3.0-3.3…and defeat your own med school aspirations.</p>

<p>The trick is to get over your disappointment and invest yourself in your college experience wherever it may be!</p>

92

<p>

</p>

<p>Hey bud, I am a freshmen at NU and also pre med like you.</p>

<p>Med schools wouldn’t care but you would not receive credit for orgo at Northwestern. The only way to now receive orgo credits from NU is to take it at NU. They no longer accept credits from anywhere else.</p>

93

<p>Hey PrincessND</p>

<p>I’m having some trouble deciding on my undergraduate choice as a pre-med course. Ok, I’ve pretty much limited my college choices to between either WashU or Emory (13K per year i think), but now I’m thinking about my state school as well (University of Oklahoma is giving me a full ride). My parents are in a good income bracket (~200K) so they say they are perfectly willing to pay for me if I decide to go to either of the private schools. However, since I’m probably going to follow a career in medicine, how much of an advantage is it to go to a quality undergrad school? Could you fill me in on the pros and cons of selecting a more prestigious school over my full-ride state school, especially since I could just be applying to these medical schools four years later?</p>

<p>here’s the link to my thread on the washU forum:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-university-st-louis/681979-washu-worth-money-pre-med.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-university-st-louis/681979-washu-worth-money-pre-med.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I would really appreciate any help/insight. Thanks!</p>

94

<p>Hey Everyone,
You guys have been asking fabulous questions, and I currently have several private messages to catch up on. I’ll try to get these done (I want to do them with good quality answers) by tomorrow…if not, please be patient.</p>

95

<p>Hey PrincessND- </p>

<p>Thanks SO much for all of your great advice to the anxious premeds on this forum! I have a questions about research. If I’m planning to apply to top research-ranked medical schools, how important is it that I be published as an undergraduate? I know that first authorship is pretty rare for an undergraduate, but do research-heavy medical schools expect applicants to be at least co-authors? I’m a freshman and I’m already doing research, and I just want to know how important it is that I get published before I apply. I’ll probably just apply MD, although I haven’t ruled out MD/PhD yet.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

96

<p>Hey K1N6,
It is most important to choose the school that is the best fit–that is where you feel you will be happy and do well…I guess I will have to keep saying this again and again. Really guys, this is not lip service, it is true. If you go to Harvard, are miserable and get a 3.0, you will struggle getting into medical school. That’s not to say, though, that people that go to rigorous schools are always miserable: some people love that environment and do well under that kind of pressure. You have to know what kind of student you are. </p>

<p>I went to a fine undergraduate school and we started with about 900 premedical students freshman year. When it was time to apply to medical school, there were only 220 of us around. Out of 220, about 84% of us got in. What happened to everybody else??? Business school, liberal arts majors, etc. Why? Science at top schools is VERY TOUGH. Think about it, you’ll be taking orgo, gen chem, etc (very tough subjects to begin with) with a class full of valedictorians who are good at taking tests (judging from their SAT scores). Most tests will be tough and graded on a curve, which means that at least half of the class is at a B- or below. The quest for As among the premed crowd has been known to produce some pretty fierce competition and at many schools and it’s not always the most productive learning environment. This is not to say that everyone who drops out of premed did so because of the academic environment (many learn they simply don’t want to be doctors), but there are people who just don’t do well in that kind of competitive environment, and who would have done much better at a less competitive school or a smaller school.</p>

<p>Despite the above, many people cite connections as a reason for going to a prestigious school because graduates from these schools are able to make in roads in so many lucrative fields. If you were to look at the composition of the classes at the most highly ranked medical schools, “prestigious” undergraduate programs are well represented. But many will argue that since the prestigious undergraduate programs attract top students, those students are more likely than others to do well in medical school admissions anyway. I must say, again, that there are plenty of very talented, intelligent students at less well known schools that end-up doing just fine too. </p>

<p>So in the end it’s a balance of what you like, what’s important to you, where you think you will learn the best, and what you can afford. So do your research, make a decision, and don’t look back. </p>

<p>In terms of “is it worth the money”, I have to say that your education is priceless, so I think going to a school that is right for you, be it Wash U or UO, is definitely worth the longterm investment.</p>

97

<p>Hey rer,
Research definitely strengthens your portfolio, and if you’re published even more so. But I wouldn’t be too stressed out about publishing. There are plenty of graduating medical students who don’t even have a publication when they’re applying for residency. It’s more important to show dedicated intellectual curiosity than to be published before medical school. If this is a goal of yours, however, go for it. But just know it’s most definitely not mandatory. Make sure you understand and can explain your research project in an interview though.</p>

98

<p>PrincessND,</p>

<p>I was offered admission to Vanderbilt with a good FA package (even though left with about $13k/year to pay), however, I was also offered admission to the University of Tulsa with a full-ride. I want to go to med school and I heard about grade deflation at Vandy and how GPA is important to Med School. Any insights on which way to go?</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>Cancun</p>

99

<p>Hi PrincessND, I’ve recently been admitted to UC Irvine undergrad for the major of biological sciences and had a few questions.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I am a bit worried about doing well GPA wise as I am very weak at chemistry and mathematics in general. The last math class I will be taking before graduation is pre-calculus. Math has never really been my thing. Will this affect me later on in undergrad / med school? </p></li>
<li><p>For college I have the choice of either going to UCI or UCR. Neither are on the “level” of big-time schools like UCLA and Stanford but I’ve heard that UCI has an extremely good bio program, supposedly even better than LA’s (I’m not sure about this). Would it be better for me in the long run to stick with UCI, where it will be harder for me to get a higher GPA for four years (for the education and preparation), UCR (for the relatively easier grades and sizeable scholarship), or just go to my local CC and transfer to a big name school?</p></li>
<li><p>Do you have experience or know anyone who has double majored in undergrad? Is it even possible to do this while balancing ECs and other activities? Does this have any weight in admissions decisions for med schools?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks for all your help. :)</p>

100

<p>Hey PrincessND, thank you so much for answering all these questions. They really help. </p>

<p>Just wondering, you sort of went over this answering other questions, and a lot of people seem to debate low-ranked school with easier grading vs. high-ranked/prestigious school with harder grading. What percentage of your class comes from top-ranked ivy material schools? Do you know their opinions on if their undergrad helped them with med school admission?</p>