cardiomegaly Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I lived by these rules: 1. Whatever you do, stay on top of your coursework, don't fall behind and never screw up your GPA 2. Do what you love for extracurriculars, because when you're passionate about something you will shine 3. Write your MCAT when you have a decent background in bio, physics, chem and don't work full time and write after 4 months of studying 4. Take courses you like, take subjects you're good at and take a physiology or anatomy course before you hit med school (it'll make life so much easier) What I wish I had known earlier? Getting in early is great but it's not the end of the world if you have to do another year. There are lots of people who have non-traditional backgrounds or took some time doing other stuff before getting into med, and they usually had a ton of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiomegaly Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I lived by these rules: 1. Whatever you do, stay on top of your coursework, don't fall behind and never screw up your GPA 2. Do what you love for extracurriculars, because when you're passionate about something you will shine 3. Write your MCAT when you have a decent background in bio, physics, chem and don't work full time and write after 4 months of studying 4. Take courses you like, take subjects you're good at and take a physiology or anatomy course before you hit med school (it'll make life so much easier) What I wish I had known earlier? Getting in early is great but it's not the end of the world if you have to do another year. There are lots of people who have non-traditional backgrounds or took some time doing other stuff before getting into med, and they usually had a ton of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiomegaly Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I lived by these rules: 1. Whatever you do, stay on top of your coursework, don't fall behind and never screw up your GPA 2. Do what you love for extracurriculars, because when you're passionate about something you will shine 3. Write your MCAT when you have a decent background in bio, physics, chem and don't work full time and write after 4 months of studying 4. Take courses you like, take subjects you're good at and take a physiology or anatomy course before you hit med school (it'll make life so much easier) What I wish I had known earlier? Getting in early is great but it's not the end of the world if you have to do another year. There are lots of people who have non-traditional backgrounds or took some time doing other stuff before getting into med, and they usually had a ton of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiomegaly Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I lived by these rules: 1. Whatever you do, stay on top of your coursework, don't fall behind and never screw up your GPA 2. Do what you love for extracurriculars, because when you're passionate about something you will shine 3. Write your MCAT when you have a decent background in bio, physics, chem and don't work full time and write after 4 months of studying 4. Take courses you like, take subjects you're good at and take a physiology or anatomy course before you hit med school (it'll make life so much easier) What I wish I had known earlier? Getting in early is great but it's not the end of the world if you have to do another year. There are lots of people who have non-traditional backgrounds or took some time doing other stuff before getting into med, and they usually had a ton of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naspec Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I really wish I would have taken a degree I enjoyed. Do you like your courses? I took biochemistry because I was told by a professor I trusted that it was the only way to get into medical school. I was by told by him that med school wouldn't take any other degree seriously. I changed majors from something I loved (biomed) to something I hated (biochemistry). It is the biggest regret I have. It made going to school a nightmare and I often didn't have the drive to go to classes... I was very bitter throughout my undergrad, and by the time I realized I had made a huge mistake it was too late. The fault was entirely mine... You need to listen to your heart, I wish I would have earlier on. Do extracurriculars you enjoy, take some time to have fun with your friends, take classes that appeal to you, stay healthy, and keep a strong support system around you. Also, use the resources that are on this website for everything: MCAT, admission statistics, interview advice, extra-curricular advice. And take each day as it comes I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naspec Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I really wish I would have taken a degree I enjoyed. Do you like your courses? I took biochemistry because I was told by a professor I trusted that it was the only way to get into medical school. I was by told by him that med school wouldn't take any other degree seriously. I changed majors from something I loved (biomed) to something I hated (biochemistry). It is the biggest regret I have. It made going to school a nightmare and I often didn't have the drive to go to classes... I was very bitter throughout my undergrad, and by the time I realized I had made a huge mistake it was too late. The fault was entirely mine... You need to listen to your heart, I wish I would have earlier on. Do extracurriculars you enjoy, take some time to have fun with your friends, take classes that appeal to you, stay healthy, and keep a strong support system around you. Also, use the resources that are on this website for everything: MCAT, admission statistics, interview advice, extra-curricular advice. And take each day as it comes I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naspec Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I really wish I would have taken a degree I enjoyed. Do you like your courses? I took biochemistry because I was told by a professor I trusted that it was the only way to get into medical school. I was by told by him that med school wouldn't take any other degree seriously. I changed majors from something I loved (biomed) to something I hated (biochemistry). It is the biggest regret I have. It made going to school a nightmare and I often didn't have the drive to go to classes... I was very bitter throughout my undergrad, and by the time I realized I had made a huge mistake it was too late. The fault was entirely mine... You need to listen to your heart, I wish I would have earlier on. Do extracurriculars you enjoy, take some time to have fun with your friends, take classes that appeal to you, stay healthy, and keep a strong support system around you. Also, use the resources that are on this website for everything: MCAT, admission statistics, interview advice, extra-curricular advice. And take each day as it comes I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naspec Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I really wish I would have taken a degree I enjoyed. Do you like your courses? I took biochemistry because I was told by a professor I trusted that it was the only way to get into medical school. I was by told by him that med school wouldn't take any other degree seriously. I changed majors from something I loved (biomed) to something I hated (biochemistry). It is the biggest regret I have. It made going to school a nightmare and I often didn't have the drive to go to classes... I was very bitter throughout my undergrad, and by the time I realized I had made a huge mistake it was too late. The fault was entirely mine... You need to listen to your heart, I wish I would have earlier on. Do extracurriculars you enjoy, take some time to have fun with your friends, take classes that appeal to you, stay healthy, and keep a strong support system around you. Also, use the resources that are on this website for everything: MCAT, admission statistics, interview advice, extra-curricular advice. And take each day as it comes I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobodycirclesthewagons Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Umm...what? There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobodycirclesthewagons Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Umm...what? There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobodycirclesthewagons Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Umm...what? There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobodycirclesthewagons Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Umm...what? There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". The president of the premed club at my school the year prior to the one I graduated actually didn't get in. She gave a talk about what she did wrong in hopes that the future students could avoid her pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". The president of the premed club at my school the year prior to the one I graduated actually didn't get in. She gave a talk about what she did wrong in hopes that the future students could avoid her pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". The president of the premed club at my school the year prior to the one I graduated actually didn't get in. She gave a talk about what she did wrong in hopes that the future students could avoid her pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 There are no guarantees. You could be the president of the premed club, but if you don't hit a certain GPA, have a certain MCAT score, and have a poor interview, you won't get in. There is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect". The president of the premed club at my school the year prior to the one I graduated actually didn't get in. She gave a talk about what she did wrong in hopes that the future students could avoid her pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerena Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Did the same thing happen to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerena Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Did the same thing happen to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerena Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Did the same thing happen to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerena Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I hate when that happens. Sometimes basic science professors think that their subject is the end-all be-all of medicine, but really we might spend 3 hours max on their subject in medical school. Just ask the orthopedic surgeons how much biochemistry they use on a daily basis. Did the same thing happen to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 not necessarily things I didn't do or regretted doing... just a list of advice for premed's off the top of my head: 1. GPA is by far the most important thing for getting into med school... without a high GPA, it is extremely difficult to get in 2. Know the 'rules' of getting into med school before starting university. A lot of people, including myself, don't, and you often end up having an average first year, and don't do much in terms of EC's. While this isn't too hard to recover from, you could've made it easier for yourself just by knowing. 3. Don't worry about doing the typical premed things that you may think gives those who do a leg up - ie) volunteering in Africa, throwing your name on clubs and not actually doing anything, etc. 4. Do some research in you can... my advice would be to apply for the summer student scholarships that most of the hospitals in Toronto have available... but APPLY EARLY (something I would never do)... aside from the research aspect itself, it is also a chance to get to know a PhD and/or MD well and will likely lead to the potential for a strong reference letter... but if you hate research, don't worry about it 5. Do extracurriculars you enjoy... if you like sports, do sports related EC's/volunteering... if you like music, do music related things... etc... when you are writing an essay, or autobio, or whatever, it will look much better to the adcom if they see someone who's experiences 'make sense' in the context of them trying to see who you are as a person, as opposed to them reading an application crammed with tons of scattered/random 'premed' experiences... the best way to do illustrate who you are as a person - do what you enjoy, things that illustrate what you would like to do in the future, etc... this is one of the things premeds will be advised, but often don't take the advice... if you just do all of the typical premed things because you think that's what it takes to get in, then you will end up being just be a typical premed and maybe get in, maybe not... if this is your approach, it also works, but just make sure to have a very high gpa and mcat 6. In terms of experiences, the most important qualities you want to be able to demonstrate come application time (in my opinion) are: leadership, teaching, compassion/charity 7. If you find a professor whose style you really like, take as many of his/her classes you can over the years. 8. Don't study to the point where you would consider your life as being boring. Still see friends, family, do things you enjoy, etc. 9. Don't volunteer at a hospital, other than in high school and maybe first year or something... in my experience, it is relatively useless, and doesn't really add much value to your application at all... there are many better things to do with your time 10. Write the MCAT in the summer after 2nd year. 11. Take courses you are good at / enjoy. For example, don't take genetics if you hate it, because you think it will look better then say, child psychology... there's no point 12. Don't take more than 2 complete bird courses per year. By that I don't mean take 8 hard classes. You can take some science classes because they are supposed to be easy. But I mean don't fill your schedule with things like "Gemstones", "Natural Disasters", "Intro to Mythology", etc. Take some bird courses for fun and easy marks, but too many just makes for an ugly transcript lol. 13. A huge criteria when choosing classes should be the layout of the class, so look into that beforehand. For example, if you are an AWFUL presenter, look to see if classes have a significant allocation in grading to presentations. If you aren't the best at writing essays, look to see if the class requires essays. For me personally, I would always try to take classes that had all or most of the grading allocated to tests, because I was most confident in getting top marks via test taking more so than anything else. 14. Do everything you can to keep every class above 80. If it means taking a significant hit in a class in which you are sitting at a 93% (i.e. even down to a 83%), just to pull a 79% up to an 80%, it is worth it. 15. Eat healthy and keep fit. Even though most pre-meds treat it as if they don't have time, you will feel much better, and be more efficient with studying and everything else. 16. Do everything you can to never have to drop a course, but if you are sure it was a huge mistake to take the course and you are going to get 65 or below, probably drop it. 17. Everyone says pick an easy school, but I don't really buy that. You can do well at any school if you are smart and do the work. Go wherever you think you will have the best university experience. 18. Work hard first year. 19. Even when choosing bird courses, choose something you're interested in. So many people will take a class because they hear it's a joke, and then they find out while easy, it is so unbelievably useless that they don't study and end up with an unnecessary A-. 20. Whenever a science student says "I might want to do medicine, but I'm not sure yet" what they really mean is "I desperately want to do medicine, but I am too insecure to admit it in case I don't get in" 21. Have a balanced life 22. Move out if you can. You will grow more as a person. Some people live at home through undergrad + med school... you can always tell who they are... 23. Live in res first year. 24. Only join clubs if you are truly interested in what they are about and plan on getting very involved with what they do. Otherwise, there is absolutely no point. 25. Get a place with friends if you can. 26. If you are just saying to yourself you can't wait for undergrad to be over, you aren't doing it right 27. Avoid 8:30am classes 28. Don't worry if you don't get in right away. The average age of most classes are 24 or something(?) i believe... also, don't worry if you screw up a semester or a year... it's not the worst thing 29. Don't hold the test tube in orgo lab for your partner while he tries to pour chemicals into it with his unsteady hands 30. Depending on your program, avoid classes heavy on group projects - especially in lower level courses with a more diverse class. There are too many morons in university; you don't want your mark to rely on their work. And if you're anything like me, you'll volunteer to be the 'editor' and just end up just redoing everyone's parts the night before because they're garbage, or even not bad but still not up to your standards. 31. Get to know one doctor well if you can. Shadow him/her if you can for as long as he/she will let you. Apparently it's difficult to find doctors that will let undergrads shadow them nowadays, but I guarantee there are still a fair number that will. While it's not necessary by any means, it's always nice to have a staff doctor working in a university-affiliated academic centre write you a strong reference letter. 32. Naps are the best. 33. While keeping up would be ideal, unless you are well-trained, realistically, learn to cram well. lol long list... can't think of anything else right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 not necessarily things I didn't do or regretted doing... just a list of advice for premed's off the top of my head: 1. GPA is by far the most important thing for getting into med school... without a high GPA, it is extremely difficult to get in 2. Know the 'rules' of getting into med school before starting university. A lot of people, including myself, don't, and you often end up having an average first year, and don't do much in terms of EC's. While this isn't too hard to recover from, you could've made it easier for yourself just by knowing. 3. Don't worry about doing the typical premed things that you may think gives those who do a leg up - ie) volunteering in Africa, throwing your name on clubs and not actually doing anything, etc. 4. Do some research in you can... my advice would be to apply for the summer student scholarships that most of the hospitals in Toronto have available... but APPLY EARLY (something I would never do)... aside from the research aspect itself, it is also a chance to get to know a PhD and/or MD well and will likely lead to the potential for a strong reference letter... but if you hate research, don't worry about it 5. Do extracurriculars you enjoy... if you like sports, do sports related EC's/volunteering... if you like music, do music related things... etc... when you are writing an essay, or autobio, or whatever, it will look much better to the adcom if they see someone who's experiences 'make sense' in the context of them trying to see who you are as a person, as opposed to them reading an application crammed with tons of scattered/random 'premed' experiences... the best way to do illustrate who you are as a person - do what you enjoy, things that illustrate what you would like to do in the future, etc... this is one of the things premeds will be advised, but often don't take the advice... if you just do all of the typical premed things because you think that's what it takes to get in, then you will end up being just be a typical premed and maybe get in, maybe not... if this is your approach, it also works, but just make sure to have a very high gpa and mcat 6. In terms of experiences, the most important qualities you want to be able to demonstrate come application time (in my opinion) are: leadership, teaching, compassion/charity 7. If you find a professor whose style you really like, take as many of his/her classes you can over the years. 8. Don't study to the point where you would consider your life as being boring. Still see friends, family, do things you enjoy, etc. 9. Don't volunteer at a hospital, other than in high school and maybe first year or something... in my experience, it is relatively useless, and doesn't really add much value to your application at all... there are many better things to do with your time 10. Write the MCAT in the summer after 2nd year. 11. Take courses you are good at / enjoy. For example, don't take genetics if you hate it, because you think it will look better then say, child psychology... there's no point 12. Don't take more than 2 complete bird courses per year. By that I don't mean take 8 hard classes. You can take some science classes because they are supposed to be easy. But I mean don't fill your schedule with things like "Gemstones", "Natural Disasters", "Intro to Mythology", etc. Take some bird courses for fun and easy marks, but too many just makes for an ugly transcript lol. 13. A huge criteria when choosing classes should be the layout of the class, so look into that beforehand. For example, if you are an AWFUL presenter, look to see if classes have a significant allocation in grading to presentations. If you aren't the best at writing essays, look to see if the class requires essays. For me personally, I would always try to take classes that had all or most of the grading allocated to tests, because I was most confident in getting top marks via test taking more so than anything else. 14. Do everything you can to keep every class above 80. If it means taking a significant hit in a class in which you are sitting at a 93% (i.e. even down to a 83%), just to pull a 79% up to an 80%, it is worth it. 15. Eat healthy and keep fit. Even though most pre-meds treat it as if they don't have time, you will feel much better, and be more efficient with studying and everything else. 16. Do everything you can to never have to drop a course, but if you are sure it was a huge mistake to take the course and you are going to get 65 or below, probably drop it. 17. Everyone says pick an easy school, but I don't really buy that. You can do well at any school if you are smart and do the work. Go wherever you think you will have the best university experience. 18. Work hard first year. 19. Even when choosing bird courses, choose something you're interested in. So many people will take a class because they hear it's a joke, and then they find out while easy, it is so unbelievably useless that they don't study and end up with an unnecessary A-. 20. Whenever a science student says "I might want to do medicine, but I'm not sure yet" what they really mean is "I desperately want to do medicine, but I am too insecure to admit it in case I don't get in" 21. Have a balanced life 22. Move out if you can. You will grow more as a person. Some people live at home through undergrad + med school... you can always tell who they are... 23. Live in res first year. 24. Only join clubs if you are truly interested in what they are about and plan on getting very involved with what they do. Otherwise, there is absolutely no point. 25. Get a place with friends if you can. 26. If you are just saying to yourself you can't wait for undergrad to be over, you aren't doing it right 27. Avoid 8:30am classes 28. Don't worry if you don't get in right away. The average age of most classes are 24 or something(?) i believe... also, don't worry if you screw up a semester or a year... it's not the worst thing 29. Don't hold the test tube in orgo lab for your partner while he tries to pour chemicals into it with his unsteady hands 30. Depending on your program, avoid classes heavy on group projects - especially in lower level courses with a more diverse class. There are too many morons in university; you don't want your mark to rely on their work. And if you're anything like me, you'll volunteer to be the 'editor' and just end up just redoing everyone's parts the night before because they're garbage, or even not bad but still not up to your standards. 31. Get to know one doctor well if you can. Shadow him/her if you can for as long as he/she will let you. Apparently it's difficult to find doctors that will let undergrads shadow them nowadays, but I guarantee there are still a fair number that will. While it's not necessary by any means, it's always nice to have a staff doctor working in a university-affiliated academic centre write you a strong reference letter. 32. Naps are the best. 33. While keeping up would be ideal, unless you are well-trained, realistically, learn to cram well. lol long list... can't think of anything else right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 not necessarily things I didn't do or regretted doing... just a list of advice for premed's off the top of my head: 1. GPA is by far the most important thing for getting into med school... without a high GPA, it is extremely difficult to get in 2. Know the 'rules' of getting into med school before starting university. A lot of people, including myself, don't, and you often end up having an average first year, and don't do much in terms of EC's. While this isn't too hard to recover from, you could've made it easier for yourself just by knowing. 3. Don't worry about doing the typical premed things that you may think gives those who do a leg up - ie) volunteering in Africa, throwing your name on clubs and not actually doing anything, etc. 4. Do some research in you can... my advice would be to apply for the summer student scholarships that most of the hospitals in Toronto have available... but APPLY EARLY (something I would never do)... aside from the research aspect itself, it is also a chance to get to know a PhD and/or MD well and will likely lead to the potential for a strong reference letter... but if you hate research, don't worry about it 5. Do extracurriculars you enjoy... if you like sports, do sports related EC's/volunteering... if you like music, do music related things... etc... when you are writing an essay, or autobio, or whatever, it will look much better to the adcom if they see someone who's experiences 'make sense' in the context of them trying to see who you are as a person, as opposed to them reading an application crammed with tons of scattered/random 'premed' experiences... the best way to do illustrate who you are as a person - do what you enjoy, things that illustrate what you would like to do in the future, etc... this is one of the things premeds will be advised, but often don't take the advice... if you just do all of the typical premed things because you think that's what it takes to get in, then you will end up being just be a typical premed and maybe get in, maybe not... if this is your approach, it also works, but just make sure to have a very high gpa and mcat 6. In terms of experiences, the most important qualities you want to be able to demonstrate come application time (in my opinion) are: leadership, teaching, compassion/charity 7. If you find a professor whose style you really like, take as many of his/her classes you can over the years. 8. Don't study to the point where you would consider your life as being boring. Still see friends, family, do things you enjoy, etc. 9. Don't volunteer at a hospital, other than in high school and maybe first year or something... in my experience, it is relatively useless, and doesn't really add much value to your application at all... there are many better things to do with your time 10. Write the MCAT in the summer after 2nd year. 11. Take courses you are good at / enjoy. For example, don't take genetics if you hate it, because you think it will look better then say, child psychology... there's no point 12. Don't take more than 2 complete bird courses per year. By that I don't mean take 8 hard classes. You can take some science classes because they are supposed to be easy. But I mean don't fill your schedule with things like "Gemstones", "Natural Disasters", "Intro to Mythology", etc. Take some bird courses for fun and easy marks, but too many just makes for an ugly transcript lol. 13. A huge criteria when choosing classes should be the layout of the class, so look into that beforehand. For example, if you are an AWFUL presenter, look to see if classes have a significant allocation in grading to presentations. If you aren't the best at writing essays, look to see if the class requires essays. For me personally, I would always try to take classes that had all or most of the grading allocated to tests, because I was most confident in getting top marks via test taking more so than anything else. 14. Do everything you can to keep every class above 80. If it means taking a significant hit in a class in which you are sitting at a 93% (i.e. even down to a 83%), just to pull a 79% up to an 80%, it is worth it. 15. Eat healthy and keep fit. Even though most pre-meds treat it as if they don't have time, you will feel much better, and be more efficient with studying and everything else. 16. Do everything you can to never have to drop a course, but if you are sure it was a huge mistake to take the course and you are going to get 65 or below, probably drop it. 17. Everyone says pick an easy school, but I don't really buy that. You can do well at any school if you are smart and do the work. Go wherever you think you will have the best university experience. 18. Work hard first year. 19. Even when choosing bird courses, choose something you're interested in. So many people will take a class because they hear it's a joke, and then they find out while easy, it is so unbelievably useless that they don't study and end up with an unnecessary A-. 20. Whenever a science student says "I might want to do medicine, but I'm not sure yet" what they really mean is "I desperately want to do medicine, but I am too insecure to admit it in case I don't get in" 21. Have a balanced life 22. Move out if you can. You will grow more as a person. Some people live at home through undergrad + med school... you can always tell who they are... 23. Live in res first year. 24. Only join clubs if you are truly interested in what they are about and plan on getting very involved with what they do. Otherwise, there is absolutely no point. 25. Get a place with friends if you can. 26. If you are just saying to yourself you can't wait for undergrad to be over, you aren't doing it right 27. Avoid 8:30am classes 28. Don't worry if you don't get in right away. The average age of most classes are 24 or something(?) i believe... also, don't worry if you screw up a semester or a year... it's not the worst thing 29. Don't hold the test tube in orgo lab for your partner while he tries to pour chemicals into it with his unsteady hands 30. Depending on your program, avoid classes heavy on group projects - especially in lower level courses with a more diverse class. There are too many morons in university; you don't want your mark to rely on their work. And if you're anything like me, you'll volunteer to be the 'editor' and just end up just redoing everyone's parts the night before because they're garbage, or even not bad but still not up to your standards. 31. Get to know one doctor well if you can. Shadow him/her if you can for as long as he/she will let you. Apparently it's difficult to find doctors that will let undergrads shadow them nowadays, but I guarantee there are still a fair number that will. While it's not necessary by any means, it's always nice to have a staff doctor working in a university-affiliated academic centre write you a strong reference letter. 32. Naps are the best. 33. While keeping up would be ideal, unless you are well-trained, realistically, learn to cram well. lol long list... can't think of anything else right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 not necessarily things I didn't do or regretted doing... just a list of advice for premed's off the top of my head: 1. GPA is by far the most important thing for getting into med school... without a high GPA, it is extremely difficult to get in 2. Know the 'rules' of getting into med school before starting university. A lot of people, including myself, don't, and you often end up having an average first year, and don't do much in terms of EC's. While this isn't too hard to recover from, you could've made it easier for yourself just by knowing. 3. Don't worry about doing the typical premed things that you may think gives those who do a leg up - ie) volunteering in Africa, throwing your name on clubs and not actually doing anything, etc. 4. Do some research in you can... my advice would be to apply for the summer student scholarships that most of the hospitals in Toronto have available... but APPLY EARLY (something I would never do)... aside from the research aspect itself, it is also a chance to get to know a PhD and/or MD well and will likely lead to the potential for a strong reference letter... but if you hate research, don't worry about it 5. Do extracurriculars you enjoy... if you like sports, do sports related EC's/volunteering... if you like music, do music related things... etc... when you are writing an essay, or autobio, or whatever, it will look much better to the adcom if they see someone who's experiences 'make sense' in the context of them trying to see who you are as a person, as opposed to them reading an application crammed with tons of scattered/random 'premed' experiences... the best way to do illustrate who you are as a person - do what you enjoy, things that illustrate what you would like to do in the future, etc... this is one of the things premeds will be advised, but often don't take the advice... if you just do all of the typical premed things because you think that's what it takes to get in, then you will end up being just be a typical premed and maybe get in, maybe not... if this is your approach, it also works, but just make sure to have a very high gpa and mcat 6. In terms of experiences, the most important qualities you want to be able to demonstrate come application time (in my opinion) are: leadership, teaching, compassion/charity 7. If you find a professor whose style you really like, take as many of his/her classes you can over the years. 8. Don't study to the point where you would consider your life as being boring. Still see friends, family, do things you enjoy, etc. 9. Don't volunteer at a hospital, other than in high school and maybe first year or something... in my experience, it is relatively useless, and doesn't really add much value to your application at all... there are many better things to do with your time 10. Write the MCAT in the summer after 2nd year. 11. Take courses you are good at / enjoy. For example, don't take genetics if you hate it, because you think it will look better then say, child psychology... there's no point 12. Don't take more than 2 complete bird courses per year. By that I don't mean take 8 hard classes. You can take some science classes because they are supposed to be easy. But I mean don't fill your schedule with things like "Gemstones", "Natural Disasters", "Intro to Mythology", etc. Take some bird courses for fun and easy marks, but too many just makes for an ugly transcript lol. 13. A huge criteria when choosing classes should be the layout of the class, so look into that beforehand. For example, if you are an AWFUL presenter, look to see if classes have a significant allocation in grading to presentations. If you aren't the best at writing essays, look to see if the class requires essays. For me personally, I would always try to take classes that had all or most of the grading allocated to tests, because I was most confident in getting top marks via test taking more so than anything else. 14. Do everything you can to keep every class above 80. If it means taking a significant hit in a class in which you are sitting at a 93% (i.e. even down to a 83%), just to pull a 79% up to an 80%, it is worth it. 15. Eat healthy and keep fit. Even though most pre-meds treat it as if they don't have time, you will feel much better, and be more efficient with studying and everything else. 16. Do everything you can to never have to drop a course, but if you are sure it was a huge mistake to take the course and you are going to get 65 or below, probably drop it. 17. Everyone says pick an easy school, but I don't really buy that. You can do well at any school if you are smart and do the work. Go wherever you think you will have the best university experience. 18. Work hard first year. 19. Even when choosing bird courses, choose something you're interested in. So many people will take a class because they hear it's a joke, and then they find out while easy, it is so unbelievably useless that they don't study and end up with an unnecessary A-. 20. Whenever a science student says "I might want to do medicine, but I'm not sure yet" what they really mean is "I desperately want to do medicine, but I am too insecure to admit it in case I don't get in" 21. Have a balanced life 22. Move out if you can. You will grow more as a person. Some people live at home through undergrad + med school... you can always tell who they are... 23. Live in res first year. 24. Only join clubs if you are truly interested in what they are about and plan on getting very involved with what they do. Otherwise, there is absolutely no point. 25. Get a place with friends if you can. 26. If you are just saying to yourself you can't wait for undergrad to be over, you aren't doing it right 27. Avoid 8:30am classes 28. Don't worry if you don't get in right away. The average age of most classes are 24 or something(?) i believe... also, don't worry if you screw up a semester or a year... it's not the worst thing 29. Don't hold the test tube in orgo lab for your partner while he tries to pour chemicals into it with his unsteady hands 30. Depending on your program, avoid classes heavy on group projects - especially in lower level courses with a more diverse class. There are too many morons in university; you don't want your mark to rely on their work. And if you're anything like me, you'll volunteer to be the 'editor' and just end up just redoing everyone's parts the night before because they're garbage, or even not bad but still not up to your standards. 31. Get to know one doctor well if you can. Shadow him/her if you can for as long as he/she will let you. Apparently it's difficult to find doctors that will let undergrads shadow them nowadays, but I guarantee there are still a fair number that will. While it's not necessary by any means, it's always nice to have a staff doctor working in a university-affiliated academic centre write you a strong reference letter. 32. Naps are the best. 33. While keeping up would be ideal, unless you are well-trained, realistically, learn to cram well. lol long list... can't think of anything else right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerena Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 Matt, that is a great list! Could you explain your 14th tip: Do everything you can to keep every class above 80. If it means taking a significant hit in a class in which you are sitting at a 93% (i.e. even down to a 83%), just to pull a 79% up to an 80%, it is worth it. I'm not sure what you mean by "taking a significant hit in a class which you are sitting at 93%." I'm just trying to understand what you mean by this, thnx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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