Opinion regarding the term "Pre-med"

[Amadeus89]

How do you guys feel about saying you are in pre-med? It doesn't feel right saying my major because I'm not really interested in biology.

 

Med students, what is your opinion on undergraduates who say they are in pre-med? I ask because of this: http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tumblr.com/post/25794261417/when-a-undergrad-tells-me-she-is-premed

 

Is it considered tacky? Naive?

[Birdy]

I only refer to myself as a premed on here and on my blog. Otherwise, I simply say I'm a bio major and if my future plans come up, I mention my goal.

[Robin Hood]

How do you guys feel about saying you are in pre-med? It doesn't feel right saying my major because I'm not really interested in biology.

 

Med students, what is your opinion on undergraduates who say they are in pre-med? I ask because of this: http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tumblr.com/post/25794261417/when-a-undergrad-tells-me-she-is-premed

 

Is it considered tacky? Naive?

 

For a lack of better terms who are short.

Also, even calling us undergrads is not an appropriate term, because medicine is an undergraduate program in Canada.

Also, why are you asking med students about this, they too used to make the same mistake.

[1234]

if you call urself a premed, you better be sure you are going to get in. For most, you are whatever your degree is.

[future_doc]

^ There aren't enough med schools.

[PhoenixFlare500]

I called myself a premed. I think it's quite hypocritical for some people to bash premeds without giving themselves that label, even though they know full well they want to get into med and are not there yet (hence the pre).

 

You might say it's arrogant to call yourself a premed. I prefer the term confident. Either way, it's necessary to have at least some confidence/arrogance about your ability to get into medicine, otherwise you might just not try as hard or give up altogether with a self-defeating attitude.

 

As for identifying yourself by your major instead of your real aspirations, is there really a point? I majored in biology, but did I really want to study pure animal biology (or plant or fungi or whatever you're taking)? No offense to any people interested in being vets (or pre-vets, shall we say?), but screw animals, I wanted to work with people and I wanted to do it in the field of medicine.

 

If you're avoiding calling yourself a premed, ask yourself, do you personally have a problem with the term, or are you just trying to impress (or avoid alienating) other people that might have a problem with it. If it's the latter, maybe their attitude just needs to change. Most adults really shouldn't care what you think you're going to take, plans change and everyone knows it but we know that we still make plans. Your peers in undergrad might care, but let's face you're pretty much still a kid for half of your undergrad if not all and beyond.

[Birdy]

My university has one of the few veterinary colleges in the country (I think there's five or so total.) Lots of people in my program call themselves prevets, as a side note.

 

But, I just avoid the term because when I hear 'premed' I generally think some bright-eyed 18 year old with rosy aspirations and no real sense of the world yet. It's just the picture I have in my head, and I very much don't fit that (not that there's anything wrong with being a bright-eyed optimistic 18 year old premed.)

 

Also, while I am confident in both my academic ability and my ability to do incredibly well in interviews, wrenches get thrown into the machinery of life. It's not for lack of confidence that I avoid the term. Simply an appreciation of how things can change when you least expect it.

[future_doc]

In Quebec, ahem.. many kids go directly into med at age 18/19. Coming from cegep, they don't call themselves premeds, they apply for med, denistry, etc and for many Bingo.

[Birdy]

In Quebec, ahem.. many kids go directly into med at age 18/19. Coming from cegep, they don't call themselves premeds, they apply for med, denistry, etc and for many Bingo.

 

That makes me feel rather old. Haha

[bored]

you shouldn't be offended by it.

 

From what I have been told, A long time ago, in the US, there was an actual 'PreMedical Major' and people would get a degree for premedical studies.

Thats why a lot of old profs just say "so you are a premed" when you tell them you wanna go to med school.

 

Now I think Premed just means you intend on applying to medical schools

[lolelol]

I personally refer to myself as a bio major (but now that I think of it I only do so sarcastically)

What will you call premeds if you don't wanna call them premeds? "Undergraduate students that aspire for a career in medicine?"

Now that you mention it, the euphemism used by my school is "students wishing to apply to professional programs".

Realistically though, the only time I use the word "premed" is when I'm bashing the keeners, in which case it adds to my point to use the word to it's fullest repulsive capacity.

[BrendanJ]

Is it considered tacky? Naive?

 

Yep. It's like a med student saying he/she is pre-plastics or pre-rads. Except that woulld be significantly more probable.

[taboo]

If you talk about having premarital sex, are you being arrogant in assuming someone will eventually marry you?

[future_doc]

No, it just means out of marriage.

[Alai]

A few reasons why I would never consider myself a premed:

 

1. There's more to my life than being a 'pre-med', sure it is very likely that I will go for med, but I am doing my current major first, which I really enjoy, and I am a premed second. If someone asks me that I'm a premed, they're really missing the point on what my priorities in life are, and right now I see undergrad as a standalone experience that is fun for its own sake.

 

It's not like its FACTUALLY UNTRUE that I'm a premed, of course I am, but do I really want to go around with that label? Picture this: you are single, and you have a serious boyfriend you probably want to get married to; now if all your friends started treating you like you weren't an individual, but already a part of a marriage, and making jokes about it, and making a big deal about it, you would at least have a right to protest if you find it annoying. If one of them tells you, 'but you ARE a pre-married person, so why would you be annoyed about it?', the fact is, that is meaningless (because they are treating you differently for it). It's like constantly being sad because you are 'pre-dead' and have it pointed out to you, you're not THERE yet, your life is in the PRESENT.

 

2. The term pre-med is actually actively stigmatized; premeds have done ridiculous things in the past to up their marks, and they have sensitized all TAs and profs with their antics. I've noticed research PIs have conversations about how a premed student got into a masters program and then left it half way for med, but she had never told the supervisor about her application, and just walked away. I've heard a professor tell me how much a premed stressed her out for a couple of marks, in an ENGLISH course, that she didn't get, and tried to get the TA fired. And so on, and so on. The term pre-med is now actually an active source of stigma that is heavy with the implication of over-achieving, backstabbing, selfish undergrads.

 

Am I saying you guys are like this? No. Are all black people criminals? No, and yet they get stereotyped for the worst out of them, and so it is for us. But that is a perfectly legitimate reason to at least avoid the label when possible. I like to be viewed as a person, not a walking talking 'goal', because I'm self-actualized and it has little to do with my ambitions as a premed.

[Robin Hood]

I never called myself premed in real life, only here. It would sound ridiculous to tell my entourage "I'm a premed" because it implies I'm going to medicine in the future, and no one knows if he will even get it.

[future_doc]

I was like you in that respect.

[obi]

I personally always told people I was a pre-med.

 

The term holds more weight in the states but it applies just fine in Canada

 

It just makes life infinitely easier to tell people you're a pre-med. They are like "ah cool" and immediately know what your interests / intentions are, academically at least. I would say i'm one of the least keen pre-meds out there, and there's tonnes of stuff in my life outside of the pursuit of medicine. Its just a really convenient term.

 

It would sound ridiculous to tell my entourage "I'm a premed" because it implies I'm going to medicine in the future, and no one knows if he will even get it.

 

I find this quote kinda pointless / stupid. Literally anyone who wants to become a doctor can become one. Simply look at the admission stats for the Carib / Ireland etc and you can see what I mean. If you are determined to be a doctor, you WILL become one eventually. If you're dead set on working in Canada or in some super competitive specialty, sure, you're pretty screwed. But if you just want to become a doctor and treat sick people somewhere in the world, however, there is very little stopping you.

[bpatient]

Haha does anybody actually think they are a "keen" premed. Most premeds I talk to find some way to show they are not a gunner. Thoughts?

[Robin Hood]

I personally always told people I was a pre-med.

 

The term holds more weight in the states but it applies just fine in Canada

 

It just makes life infinitely easier to tell people you're a pre-med. They are like "ah cool" and immediately know what your interests / intentions are, academically at least. I would say i'm one of the least keen pre-meds out there, and there's tonnes of stuff in my life outside of the pursuit of medicine. Its just a really convenient term.

 

 

 

I find this quote kinda pointless / stupid. Literally anyone who wants to become a doctor can become one. Simply look at the admission stats for the Carib / Ireland etc and you can see what I mean. If you are determined to be a doctor, you WILL become one eventually. If you're dead set on working in Canada or in some super competitive specialty, sure, you're pretty screwed. But if you just want to become a doctor and treat sick people somewhere in the world, however, there is very little stopping you.

 

Is getting citizenship in these countries easy?

[future_doc]

Is getting citizenship in these countries easy?

 

Absolutely not.

[Robin Hood]

Absolutely not.

 

Thanks for confirming my point.

[obi]

you guys work like a team. Rofl. I know TONNES of IMG's.. some that have left Canada after their undergrad for professional schooling and others that have done their schooling entirely outside of Canada and decided to move here after practicing in another country. I can assure you that if you are dedicated to becoming and practicing as a doctor, it can be done.

 

Don't talk to the immigrant about immigration please.

[apache]

what's your opinion on pre-jd-md-mph-or-mpp-mp-author…

 

How do you guys feel about saying you are in pre-med? It doesn't feel right saying my major because I'm not really interested in biology.

 

Is it considered tacky? Naive?

[apache]

im me, why are our jobs so important to out projected identities… i agree

 

A few reasons why I would never consider myself a premed:

 

1. There's more to my life than being a 'pre-med', sure it is very likely that I will go for med, but I am doing my current major first, which I really enjoy, and I am a premed second. If someone asks me that I'm a premed, they're really missing the point on what my priorities in life are, and right now I see undergrad as a standalone experience that is fun for its own sake.