Hi all, I’m going to be a freshman next year and, like most others, are on a pre-med track. Any advice would be great, whether it be about clubs, activities, classes, or the MCAT. My decided major at the moment is biochemistry. Is it “an easier way out (better gpa, etc)” to major in biology or chemistry instead of a combination of both? I do understand I’d still have to take similar coursework regardless of the major.
Your major is irrelevant. Med school adcomms really do not care what your major is. All that matters is that you have completed all required pre-reqs and have excelled in all of them.
Pick something you like and will do well in academically. It could be English lit or forestry or theology–if that’s your interest and where you academic strengths lie. (BTW, I know students with all those majors who went to med school and are now physicians. English lit–>surgeon; forestry–> MD/PhD ; theology–>medical oncologist. Neither of my kids majored in bio or chem–and guess what? One’s a doctor; one’s 4th year med student.)
Pick a major that gives you excellent Plan B career options. Why? Because 75% of freshman pre-meds never actually end up applying to med school and of those who persevere to apply, 60% will fail to get a single acceptance.
Advice:
-
don’t try to take on too much your first semester/year of college. Give yourself time to adjust before adding on ECs.
-
once you know you can handle college academics, gradually add activities.
To see what activities adcomms value in applicants, look at p.4 of the annual survey of med school admission deans:
https://www.aamc.org/download/462316/data/2017mcatguide.pdf#page=9
Pre-meds often over-emphasize the importance research experience and undervalue community service.
-
Get outside your comfort zone. Volunteering at nice suburban hospital is fine, but it’s not what medicine is really like. Think about volunteering with vulnerable populations like the mentally ill, the elderly, the dying (hospice), the physically disabled, the homeless, the urban poor, the rural poor and non-English speakers/recent immigrants.
-
Do some fun stuff in college! College is time to explore and grow. Take the time to enjoy yourself before real world responsibilities set in.
No one cares what your major is except maybe for interesting convo during an interview. “Oh, you’re a French History major? Cool! What was THAT like?”
If you’re strong in Bio and Chem, and WANT to major in biochem, then do so. Look over the req’ts and see if they include most/all of the premed prereqs.
The most important thing is too start slow. Being a successful premed is like being a marathon runner. A mad dash early in leads to early crash and burn.
It means that first semester, you take calculus 1, English composition or communication, freshman seminar, a gen ed class like sociology, and EITHER chemistry with lab OR biology with lab. You can add one credit in sports to stay in shape and healthy. For clubs, join as many as you wish, make friends, and have fun.
Second semester, you add level 2 of that science with lab and level 1 of the other one, biostatistics, and two distribution requirements.
Another key moment during that year will be when you hear freshmen head out to party. Will you be able to go to the library or will you join them? During the first couple weeks, some freshmen will party every day of the week; they’ll realize too late that they haven’t met the new expectations of college. If any were premed, they already start behind. The first science exams are always a slap, regardless of how good you were in high school. Some never recover. Don’t be one of them.
Despite what fills would have you believe, you’re not at college to have fun every minute. College is an education, 24/7 from Sunday afternoon till Friday afternoon. Fun is for weekends, and 'fun’s down’t mean ‘engage in dangerous behavior’.
During that second semester, look into a research position, training as an EMT or CNA, shadowing opportunities.
At the end of the year, you reassess: do you have a 3.5+ gpa? If not, you’ve probably met many distribution requirements anyway so no harm no foul, you’re on track for any major. If you’re good, summer means level 2 of the second science along with some experience. Then next step is orgo, the make/break (mostly break) class for Premeds still in the race.
<<<
The most important thing is too start slow. Being a successful premed is like being a marathon runner. A mad dash early in leads to early crash and burn.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
Yes, I think one of the main causes of “weed-out” amongst otherwise-strong students is that they take on too much as an incoming freshman (the other main cause would be going to a reach school).