What is pre-med like at U of M? I got accepted there and am deciding between there and the George Washington University. Anyone have any advice/experience? I am planning on majoring in biology but I also have an interest in minoring in poli sci.
It was years ago for me but I went from premed bio to Poli Sci. The weed out classes weeded me out quite effectively. Calc, chem, physics, and bio are brutal and designed to inspire a lot of kids to pursue social sciences. After being high school superstars, those classes let all of us know that we weren’t nearly as smart as we thought we were. That being said, my friends who were disciplined, hard working, and brilliant and didn’t party much all survived and got into med school. The upper level courses are on a much less harsh curve.
Well that’s a really broad question hahaha. I mean I guess it’s alright? I have nothing to compare it to, but it’s certainly manageable to be pre-med and still have a social life, which is what I’m assuming you’re question is trying to get at.
Class-wise, I think the classes here are run fairly. At least 20-25% of kids in all the pre-med classes will get an A, so there is no crazy grade deflation or w/e. With that being said, a lot of them are also challenging and require dilligence, so keep that in mind.
Advice-wise:
- Definitely take it slow. I guess this depends on what route you take (i.e. are you going to do a gap year, are you going to double major, etc.), but don't feel rushed in taking all the pre-med classes. Your first semester you should schedule moderately light (not too light though) and just get used to studying, and slowly add on a heavier load to where you feel most comfortable. It's worked really well for me, but that is just my experience. I've also witnessed kids who throw on a lot for themselves from freshmen year and they are doing just fine, so it depends on the individual.
- Take advantage of the pros of being at a large university. Everyone complains about the big size of UMich, but with a large university comes an abundance of different opportunities for you to take. From research to hospital volunteering to leadership positions, the opportunities are there for you to take. It's your job to make the most of them.
- Have fun in college, even as a pre-med... Like honestly it doesn't even have to be partying. You need to have hobbies in college and other things that are not school related. College is still meant to be some of the best years of your life. Let loose every now and then (not too often though haha).
Honestly, this advice could probably apply to any UMich student, but if you have any specific questions about being pre-med I can definitely answer them 