10 Tips for Pre-Med Students

You enter college bright-eyed, free from the shackles of high school cliques, and excited to explore yourself and everything your new world has to offer. However, the seemingly endless opportunity that college provides is daunting — how are you supposed to fit so many experiences into four short years? What makes this even more intimidating is that on top of wanting to make memories you’ll try to impress your kids with one day, you also have to spend time in class and carve out a path to your future profession.

I’m a senior now, and it feels like yesterday when I stepped on campus for the first time as a freshman pre-med. Like most pre-meds, I was happy to be in college, but also nervous as hell about the amount of work I would have to do over the next four years to get ready for medical school. To make matters worse, pre-meds don’t necessarily start off in the most encouraging conditions. I remember sitting in a room packed with freshmen pre-meds during an advising session early in my first semester. Our advisor went over literally everything we had to do as pre-meds: get extremely good grades, join a research lab and try to get published, log countless volunteer hours at a hospital, shadow physicians, get an internship and, oh, don’t forget to make yourself stand out! At one point, she told all of us to look around the room at our peers. Out of the hundreds of students in the room, she said, only a select few would make it to medical school. At that point, our bright eyes gave way to Dustin Hoffman’s and Katharine Ross’s empty, overwhelmed expressions from the end of The Graduate. Hello darkness, my old friend…

I look back at that moment now, and I can’t help but laugh. Sure, the typical pre-med angsty void was pretty awful and, at times, you’ll feel almost as tense as Donald Trump’s dance moves to Hotline Bling. However, being pre-med is definitely not nightmarish, although some make it out to be, and there are ways to make the experience very enriching. But, how? Without further ado, here are 10 tips for every freshman pre-med on the verge of a premature existential crisis.

1. Make a study plan from the get-go

You enter college and you decide you want to be pre-med. Chances are you did well in high school — you were probably very involved with clubs, aced all of your tests and, hey, you might’ve even been your class valedictorian. So, when you see that your first college biology test is coming up, you’re not too worried. I mean, you did well in AP Biology in high school, so you’ll definitely destroy this first biology exam. Well, not really. It turns out college exams are more detailed and conceptually-driven than the typical high school test. In order to be as prepared as can be for your upcoming biology or chemistry exam, it’s very important to make a study plan. Mark the date of your next exam and cover a section of lecture notes each day leading up to your test. While studying, come up with questions you think your professor will ask. Better yet, go to office hours and ask your professor about anything that confuses you. The required pre-med classes may be tedious at times. But, the more engaged you are with the material, the more you’ll learn and the more you’ll enjoy the class itself. Take it from someone who crammed five-never ending chapters the night before his first college exam, souped up on Red Bull, fighting and flighting.

2. Dude, relax

You get your first exam back and you nervously check your grade: C-. You panic instantly. Your mind becomes flooded with the voice of your advisor telling you all about how med schools won’t accept you if your GPA is too low, followed by Mandark’s evil laugh from Dexter’s Laboratory. It’s very easy to panic when you do poorly on an exam. I get it — I’ve been there. You may be upset for a few days, but you have to get over it. Use it as a learning experience. And, try to understand that one test grade does not, in any shape or form, define your capabilities or speak to your desire to be a physician. It’s easier said than done, but take a step back and realize why you’re pre-med to begin with, and don’t let a single test get in your way.

3. You don’t have to major in a natural science

When I was a freshman, I was under the impression that I absolutely had to major in a natural science, and many of my fellow pre-meds thought the same. If you asked all the freshmen pre-med students what they were majoring in, I’m sure that the vast majority would either tell you biology, chemistry, or neuroscience. The reality is that many medical schools don’t really care whether or not you major in a life science. So, why waste your precious college years studying something that you don’t want to, but feel like you have to? Here’s the bottom line: major in a subject that truly interests you. Whether it’s biology, sociology, studio arts, economics, you name it. If you enjoy it, do it. You may be surprised by how a major like linguistics, for example, can provide you with a different perspective on medicine.

4. Don’t be scared…meet with your advisor

Sometimes, it seems like your advisor’s only job is to freak you out. While they may come off as somewhat discouraging at times, their advice can be extremely helpful. This is especially true when you’re a pre-med student who has to meet certain requirements to apply to medical school. Figuring out what classes you need to take and when can be confusing, and that’s where your advisor can actually help you out. It helps to meet with your advisor early on, so that you can plan out your schedule over the next four years.

5. Stay true to yourself

As a pre-med, it’s very easy to become close-minded. Coming into college, I had always enjoyed writing, sports, and music. There were a number of clubs and groups on campus that I could’ve joined to pursue my non-medical interests, whether it was writing for the school newspaper, playing on the intramural basketball team, or joining the college radio station. But, as a freshman, I shut myself off from many of these opportunities because they weren’t ‘medical’ enough. I didn’t see the point of pursuing them because I didn’t think they would impress medical schools or inform my pre-med experience. It’s understandable to think that way as a freshman because you’re overwhelmed by so many things. But, what you have to understand is that college goes by super fast! College provides the perfect time to pursue your other passions because, after you graduate, you’ll be embedded in all things medicine. Obsessing over whether or not med schools will be impressed by your extracurriculars is not a great mindset to have because, in the end, passion shows. What I’m really trying to say here is that life’s short. Do what you love!

6. Get to know your professors

There a lot of great professors in college who teach in an engaging way that inspires their students to delve deeper into the material. Unfortunately, there are also professors who’re the exact opposite. Either they lack interest in teaching, want to fail as many students as they can, or both. It’s a sad truth. But, don’t be afraid! Before you decide to take a class with a specific professor, it’s a good idea to refer to Rate My Professors or confer with friends who have taken a class with that professor before. Again, grades and understanding the material is important. With that said, you should try to to figure out who you’ll be spending your semester with before you commit to taking the class. Also, once you start taking a class, get to know your professor. Talk to them after class, or go to their office hours. Most of my professors have been very welcoming to students and enjoy talking to them, whether it’s about the subject they’re teaching or some other outside interest. Establishing a connection with your professor can go a long way, and they’ll be glad to write you a letter of recommendation once it’s time to apply to med schools.

7. Don’t be a ghost – shadow, shadow, shadow!

Pre-med life can be challenging and, at times, your only focus becomes doing well in your classes. You might get so bogged down in trying to get an A that you become disconnected with everything else — you spend all your time in the library, surrounded by books, lecture notes, caffeine, and your sad, sad tears. As a result, you may lose sight of why you’re pre-med in the first place: to eventually become a doctor. Doing well in classes is necessary, but you can’t forget your ultimate goal. That’s why it’s important to shadow as much as you can. Following a doctor around for the day gives you a better sense of what you’re getting yourself into. It can either reinforce your desire to become a physician, or you may realize that you don’t really want to get into medicine after all. In either case, it’s better to know early on.

8. Meet new people and expand your friend group

We all know that pre-med kid. The one who feels way too comfortable asking you what your GPA is, what grade you got on that exam, whether or not you got accepted to that fellowship you applied to….the list goes on. It’s great to be friends with your fellow pre-med students because you can share similar experiences. On the other hand, it can also be refreshing to hang out with people who are studying something entirely different. College is full of interesting, diverse people with unique backgrounds, which is why you have to break out of the pre-med bubble and make some new friends!

9. Consider studying abroad

Looking back on my college experience, I don’t have too many regrets. One regret I do have, however, is not studying abroad or exploring a different city over the summer. It would have been awesome to explore Alhambra in Spain or try every cheese imaginable in France. It is difficult for many pre-meds to find the appropriate time to study abroad, but there are plenty of research fellowships in several nations around the world that welcome pre-med students. There also a variety of summer programs around the United States that pre-med students can take part in. Coming from the blistering cold of the East Coast, it definitely would’ve been nice to enjoy the warm weather and sandy beaches of Los Angeles, all while conducting research for a summer fellowship.

10. Think about the possibilities of a gap year

Another misconception that some pre-meds believe in is that gap years are bad and that med schools look down on them. I’ll admit, I was a little weirded out by the idea of taking a gap year after completing my undergraduate studies. It turns gap years are actually pretty common — the average age of med school matriculant is 24. Gap years give you some time to further explore interests that you may not have had the chance to pursue as a pre-med. For example, let’s say you didn’t get the chance to study abroad, but still want to explore the world — consider taking a gap year! Otherwise, let’s say that, during your pre-med years, you find out that you really enjoy your research lab and you want to spend more time working on a project — take a gap year! Overall, a gap year(s) can allow you to do a variety of things — whether it’s traveling, working, or self-reflecting. It may even serve as a much-needed break before you commit the rest of your life to medicine.

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