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How Premeds Can Avoid 4 Common Academic Mistakes

Discussion in 'Pre Medical Student' started by Dr.Scorpiowoman, May 24, 2018.

  1. Dr.Scorpiowoman

    Dr.Scorpiowoman Golden Member

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    Prospective medical school students can take steps to minimize poor academic performance in college.

    It should come as no surprise that a strong academic performance in the premedical years is crucial for getting accepted to medical school. Too often, premed students do not perform strongly because of strategic mistakes.

    Some think if they are not doing well, it must be because they are not smart. But typically, poor academic performance is not a result of incompetence.

    This is good news for anyone planning to apply to medical school. By avoiding a few common mistakes, you can ensure strong academic performance. Even if you are in the later stages of your premed career, taking these measures can help you turn around your grades and become more competitive.

    1- Taking too many classes at once. Too many premedical students cram three to four difficult science classes with labs into one semester. This is a recipe for disaster because it is not realistic to excel in organic chemistry, physiology, biostatistics and physics all at the same time.

    Many students do this because they are eager to graduate early and start medical school sooner, but ultimately, they perform poorly and have to spend an extra year or two making up for bad grades.

    This doesn't mean you can take one class a semester and graduate in seven years. In fact, medical schools want to know that barring any extenuating circumstances, you are able to handle multiple difficult courses.


    Having said that, it is good to be realistic and not bite off more than you can chew, even if it means graduating a semester late. It's a good idea to take two difficult science courses each semester or quarter and balance those with one or two courses that require less time.

    2- Overloading on extracurriculars. There is a temptation among many premed students to get involved in as many extracurricular activities as possible so they have a long list when they complete their medical school application.

    But if you are running between the hospital where you volunteer, the two research labs where you work and the three campus clubs in which you hold officer positions, you won't have much time to thoroughly review and understand the complex concepts in physiology and chemistry.

    Stay focused on a limited number of activities that you can do well in without compromising your academics. Medical schools pay much more attention to the GPA on your transcripts than the number of clubs you have participated in.


    3- Cramming for exams. This might be an obvious one but it's worth mentioning because it is especially relevant to the premed student.

    In high school, it may have been easy to study the night before the exam or the weekend before finals and receive good grades. In college this is much trickier because it takes time to learn the material in sufficient depth to do well on exams. As a result, it is paramount to develop the proper discipline to study regularly during the term and gradually master the concepts.

    Even if you are one of those rare individuals who can pull of cramming before college exams, make sure you develop a consistent study routine during the term because this skill will be necessary in medical school. Premed students who develop good study habits early in their college career tend to do better in medical school where discipline is key to success.

    4- Not planning enough. Premed students who do well academically tend to plan early. They sit down with their adviser and map out what courses they will take each term, when they will study for the MCAT and in which extracurricular activities they will get involved.

    Of course, this schedule will likely change as you go through your undergraduate career, but having a general idea of your overall academic plan will prevent you from having to scramble later in college to finish prerequisites or take recommended courses before applying to medical school.

    Make sure you know what courses medical schools require or recommend and plan to complete most if not all of these courses by the time you are ready to apply.

    Remember, good academic performance does not just mean having a good undergraduate GPA but also taking a number of upper division biomedical courses such as immunology, physiology and genetics even if they are not required. This is why planning your coursework early is key.

    It is never too late in your premed career to adopt a good strategy and improve your academic performance. Even if you did not do well early on, an upward trend in your grades will leave a positive impression on medical schools and help you secure admission.



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