<p>It is unquestionable that the post-undergrad process of medicine is very standardized. Everyone has to take boards, get certified, go through residency, etc. However, I think the pre-med process itself is pretty cookie cutter.</p>
<p>The application essay, although it encourages different explanations, ultimately asks one question only: "Why medicine, and what will you bring to medicine?" This is in stark contrast to the essay for undergraduate admission. Additionally, everyone has heard the advice that pre-meds should explore research, volunteering, clinical experiences, and leadership- which promotes the cookie cutter mentality. Many pre-meds do these activities to check off a list- but can you blame them when the system encourages them to?</p>
<p>On the other hand, I think there is some creativity in the process- at my school, pre-meds can design their own internship and choose freely among several many research labs. However, among pre-meds, I think freedom is somewhat limited compared to other pre-professionals. Because law schools have more lax set requirements, you get more diversity in the law school classroom.</p>
<p>Is pre-med truly cookie-cutter, or is there a lot of freedom in the process? Discuss.</p>
<p>There are some things which you must do: research, hospital volunteering, etc.</p>
<p>But, that’s only 2-3 out of our 15 EC slots. The rest of your EC’s should reflect your own personal interests whether it’s starting your own company or playing a varsity sport or being a concert pianist or being president of a club.</p>
A little bit of both. You gotta satisfy some required elements, but, at the same time, you have a lot of freedom to choose how the rest of your applications will look like.</p>
<p>Tons of freedom, really. It’s all about not being a “cookie cutter” applicant. Be who you are. What norcalguy mentioned is sort of true, but even that has a HUGE amount of potential variation:
what kind of research? (subject? applied vs basic?)
where to volunteer? (I’d suggest avoiding hospitals…)
where to work? (clinical? non-clinical?)
hobbies?
interests?
sports?
etc…</p>
<p>The bigger the UG school, the more likely you will receive cookie cutter advising. This does not mean you will need to be a cookie cutter, just that you will be advised via that formula!</p>
<p>You need to know yourself well enough, and avail yourself of resources like CC & SDN, to confidently set your own path. My DD got a lot of contradictory and cookie cutter and even perfunctory advice at Berkeley. In the middle of her junior year we decided to no longer seek their counsel and instead I began researching the process on SDN/CC. She was admitted to med school last fall, early in the season, especially for some one with a fairly low MCAT (29).</p>
<p>One of the things that helped her complete her apps and confidently apply despite her MCAT is that she created and followed her own authentic path. She tried things she wanted to try for the express purpose of deciding whether she wanted to be doctor or one of her other considered careers. She found volunteer opportunities in all sorts of health care arenas, shadowed, observed, etc. Her overall profile indicated who she was other than the numbers and it also worked for admissions ;)</p>