<p>although my views on becoming a dr. may change, for now i will be a premed student this fall (majoring in human bio at ucsd-revelle..perhaps also minor in managerial science). does minoring add a good impression to med schools?</p>
<p>My question is..what kind of guidline/timeline should i follow or any advice for me that u regret not doing earlier during ur undergrad yrs..to help set myself up as a competative student (aside from trying to get the highest gpa i can and MCAT scores)</p>
<p>right now im thinking:</p>
<p>1st yr: join and search around premed/med related interest clubs; volunteering at local hospital near ucsd (i hear there are 3), get to know profs (letter of rec)?; volunteer elsewhere with children (cus i like working with them--disabled or not)</p>
<p>2nd yr: gain officer position in one med club i like and commmit. perhaps be a continuin member of another premed club; continue volunteering at local hospital and look for possible research opps (during school/summer); get to know profs?</p>
<p>3rd yr: cont club office, prep MCAT for april..?</p>
<p>4th yr: apps? I also want to study abroad in japan so would this yr be a good yr to do it?</p>
<p>thats all i can think of right now. of course i will be involved in non-med stuff like intramural sports or just othr interest clubs. maybe play in local orchestra or volunteer (at nonhospital..such as helping disabled children) i consider myself well rounded so i wont just be hitting the books</p>
<p>please share any advice i should know or u wish u had known earlier so u could be a strong applicant. THANKS IN ADVANCE! sorry this is so unorganized</p>
<p>thanks warblesrule 86. other than the links though, anyone have anecdotal advice? something they experienced firsthand or noticed among peers? someone who can relate</p>
<p>Yes don't just limit yourself to pre-med interest groups. I was heavily involved at my University, but had only minimal involvement with pre-med groups - I was involved on student advisory boards, my fraternity, a student ambassador for the College of Arts & Sciences, a group that did PR for the Greek system, my college curriculum commitee, volunteering as a youth mentor, a TA for a Leadership Class, a couple of honor societies, as well as having a job waiting tables. So feel free to get involved in many things. </p>
<p>Also, don't feel like you have to be a science major. If there is something else you are passionate about, go do that and enjoy those classes. Just keep up on your pre-med requirements. The statistics show that science majors are not at any advantage getting into medical school.</p>
<p>Finally, have fun: No wasted effort was my motto, so be sure to work hard and play hard.</p>
<p>I will also be on the pre-med track this coming fall though I haven't decided on a major and/or a minor yet. I also was going to post a topic like this a month or so before fall semester would begin anyway.</p>
<p>is it good to just start volunteerting for a local hospital once i hit college? is it hard to become a volunteer, like is there usually a screening process? </p>
<p>im not too clear on research, but lets say after a yr of volunteering consistently, what should i do to get ANY research/doctor-shadowing opp perhaps summer after frosh yr. or is this unlikely? </p>
<p>i know i shouldnt have high standards cus its hard to get a good research opp, but i would like to get a head start...advice? thanks</p>
<p>In terms of volunteering, there is a screening process. At my local hospital, all prospective volunteers attend an information session, usually held every month or so. After that, those interested in volunteering have to go for an interview, bring two letters of reference, immunization records, and pass a criminal records check. </p>
<p>The only problem I've encountered is that there simply isn't any room for new volunteers, or at least not for the times that I'm available; there are more people that want to volunteer, than there are spots.</p>
<p>Yes you can apply early to some schools, Einstein is one of them. But you sure as heck have to stand out above the crowd. You usually need to be in your soph year when applying though, and have your pre-med curriculum finished. Basically you need to take your MCAT after soph year, and apply everywhere in the summer. By fall hopefully you get interviews, but its hard.</p>
<p>You could also apply to an Early Assurance program. Those programs usually have you apply in your sophomore year, after completing the pre-med requirements (not sure if the MCAT is required; you could investigate that yourself) If you get into the program, then you are guaranteed a spot in medical school after you graduate with your Bachelor's degree, as long as you maintain a certain GPA (there may be other requirements, depending on the school)</p>
<p>Yeah, there are a very small portion of schools that allow you to apply for admission after your third year of undergrad. </p>
<p>Why anyone would want to do this is beyond me though. I'd reccomend everyone stay in school for four and a half to five years if you can afford it. </p>
<p>Graduating in 4 years is like leaving a really great party at 10:30, then having everyone you know continually drunk dial you for the next 6 hours to tell you how great it is.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yeah, there are a very small portion of schools that allow you to apply for admission after your third year of undergrad.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually, I think it's far more than just a 'very small portion'. There are about 120 MD schools in the country and about 25 or so OD schools. Most of them are no-name schools. While I haven't done the analysis, I would suspect that at least a quarter of them, especially many of the no-name schools, allow you to apply if you have completed 3 years of college, but not actually completed a bachelor's degree.</p>
<p>For example, none of the UC med schools, notably UCSF, do not require a degree.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Why anyone would want to do this is beyond me though. I'd reccomend everyone stay in school for four and a half to five years if you can afford it. </p>
<p>Graduating in 4 years is like leaving a really great party at 10:30, then having everyone you know continually drunk dial you for the next 6 hours to tell you how great it is.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, I don't know about that. Sounds like a Johnny Lechner thing.</p>
<p>Personally, I think we as a nation should be encouraging early graduation. Students should be encouraged to work hard to graduate. They should not be encouraged to simply lounge around in school for years at a time, not when the US is engaged in a global war of talent and brains with China and India.</p>
<p>Think of it this way. If you graduate a year early, you can take that entire year, and the money you would have spent on tuition to travel for a whole year.</p>