<p>Pretty much all the premeds balance school and extracurricular activities, so it is doable. As a biochem major I volunteered 6 hours/wk last semester, did research 3 hrs/wk, was president of a club, and still had plenty of time to socialize (I was able to go out at least 2-3 nights a week). And I still ended up doing well enough in my classes to make Dean’s List. Of course, freshman year is a bit of a transition, but you should be fine as long as you manage your time.</p>
<p>It’s a little early to be contacting the hospital. They don’t hold orientation meetings until September or so. So contacting them the week before classes start or when you get on campus is probably sufficient. Also, will you have transportation available to you on campus? If you don’t have something lined up already, I’d recommend trying to find someone to carpool with, since cab fares to/from the hospital are $7 each way (for Memorial, but probably the same for St. Joe’s).</p>
<p>Freshman year is a balancing act. Unfortunately, you never quite know how things will go until the semester begins. It is wise to begin volunteering your freshman year but you should probably only do so if you are comfortable with and can handle your academic schedule. I found it easier to multitask my junior and senior years when things were more rigorous but far less overwhelming and surprising. Only you can really predict how you will be able to multitask. To get a feel for it, it might not be a bad idea to start volunteering at your local hospital during the summer. </p>
<p>As far as contacting hospitals goes I tend to agree with shellzie. I remember that getting positions during the summer was a bit of a chore because the volunteer coordinators at Memorial and St. Joe’s tended to take lengthy vacations during the summer. As the fall semester approaches you should have an easier time getting in contact with people. At the very least try and get a hold of a coordinator and express your interest. It might also be a good idea to let them know what you want to do specifically as a volunteer (ER, peds, etc.).</p>
<p>I stopped volunteering at Memorial about two years ago and I remember that there was a bus that dropped off a block or two away from the hospital. I am not sure if that route is still in operation. I am not too sure about St. Joes because I only took taxis or drove there. </p>
<p>As far as biking goes, you can definitely reach Memorial by bike in about 5-10 minutes from campus. I would recommend against riding there during the winter because of ice and snow. St. Joes is a bit longer ride by bike. The new St. Joes hospital in Mishawaka opens in December but biking there would be a bit of a chore given the distance and busy roads.</p>
<p>I have been strongly debating between Biochem and SCPP and the other premed options. I can’t seem to decide! I was going to take Biochem to keep career options open, but I think I really want to do med school as I am not interested in research or teaching. I feel I would not be unique (for med school apps) if I did SCPP and would face grade competition and less prep for med school… but that Biochem would be hard and would only be worth it if I truly knew I loved science…
Anyways, am I wrong about SCPP in terms of uniqueness/med school app?</p>
<p>Any program alone will not make you more or less unique. It really depends upon what you do with your free time and the knowledge you gained within your major. In SCPP, for example, you have ample time to pursue research and can easily pursue volunteering opportunities. I am pretty sure you also have an opportunity to set yourself apart in some way with a Biochem major. I can tell you are having trouble deciding between SCPP and Biochem now which is completely normal and rational. Just don’t think that if you select the wrong one you will be forced down that path for the next four years. You have plenty of time to change. Just be careful not to overwhelm yourself this semester with too much science.</p>
<p>Thanks, that is true. : ) It would be pretty hard to start with SCPP then switch to Biochem from what I can tell though.
I would choose Biochem regardless of the difficulty if I knew it was something I was really interested in. I do want to go to med school though, rather than research etc. I don’t want to ‘take the easy way out’ with SCPP, but I don’t want to choose Biochem just because it’s harder. SCPP looks like it would be nice as it would not be as specific…
Anyways, thanks for all the information you guys have given me. I have a lot to think about! :)</p>
<p>P.S. Is anyone here SCPP? I think I am going to do it, but I don’t remember seeing anyone that actually was. Just curious for some feedback from someone in it.:)</p>
<p>clairea11- I think you can take the bus from Library circle to St. Joe’s. I don’t know anyone who has done this though so I can’t tell you how long it takes/how convenient it is. I hate taking the bus, but it is free for ND students. You can bike (or even walk) to Memorial Hospital- it’s less than 2 miles. But this would probably not be an appealing option in the rain/snow and definitely NOT a walk I’d recommend alone at night.</p>
<p>hi I am currently in the process of transferring into notre dame with the goal of apply for medical school. If accepted I am planning on majoring in anthropology and I wanted to have the pre professional supplementary but the requirements for this might not be possible for me to complete by the end of my freshman year(notre dame faculty I have talked to say I would need to take organic chemistry which I would not be able to do but I have taken gen bio and gen chem I and II) </p>
<p>So I guess I am asking is it possible to take all of these science classes without having the pre professional supp. or do they close of science classes to non science majors. And would it possible to later add the pre professional supp after the requirements are met</p>
<p>mysoxarered: If you apply as an antro major and meet the requirements for transferring into the College of Arts & Letters, you should be fine. (However, you might not be able to apply to med school as a junior; you may have to wait until your senior year, depending on how the requirements work out.)</p>
<p>That being said, it sounds like you really should talk to the Transfer Office and ensure that you meet the requirements.</p>
<p>The supplementary major (ALPP) is just all the classes required for medical school anyways, plus 2 or 3 more. You only need to finish all the pre-med classes by the end of your junior year so you can take the MCAT; besides that, take whatever you feel like whenever, and you have plenty enough time to fit everything in. If all pre-med reqs by the end of your junior year isn’t doable, take the MCAT after your senior year, take a year off, and then apply to medical school.</p>
<p>Also, did you find the work to be overwhelming? Were you constantly stressed out? Finally, did you ever feel like the amount of work you had cut into your “play” time?</p>
<p>the work can feel overwhelming at times, but I did the Bio route which is more work than ALPP/SCPP. If you can do Orgo summer after freshman year. I still had time to have fun, just less than some people. It’s hard, but it’s a walk in the park compared to what the engineers do</p>
<p>In general, be aware that the core classes (Intro to Bio, Chem, Orgo, Physics, and sometimes Calc) are required for med school application. If you are going the ALPP route check with a few med schools to get an idea of other requirements or classes they recommend you take. It is not just science classes you need to keep an eye out for but also the literature and composition class requirements (or recommendations) that often get overlooked.</p>
<p>Hello- this question is for anyone doing anthro and ALPP at ND. I am a bio major right now (freshman year) and I’m considering changing to anthro. I realized that bio, although interesting, is a HUGE commitment and I have no time to volunteer, major in anything else, or pursue other interests. Of course, it’s also very difficult. I did some research and I think anthro would be perfect for me but I really have no idea what kind of work it requires. Can anyone give me a quick description? Thanks so much!</p>