You’ve all heard the horror stories. From weed out classes like Gen Chem to the impossible Organic Chemistry, the unofficial statistic is that about only 30%-40% of students who enter college as pre med actually apply to medical school. Unofficially, about 40% of pre med students drop pre med during or after Gen Chem. When I heard this before entering college, I was terrified that my dreams of becoming a doctor would never become a reality. After one year of being pre med I can confidently say that I am still pre med, but I understand why many students change their paths after the first year. Gen chem is like a slap in the face to many students, including myself. It can really lower your confidence and your self-worth. I’m here to tell you that yes, it’s tiring, and yes, it’s laborious, and yes, you will want to crawl in a hole many times—but its also worth it. If you are of the 50 kids left in your 150 student Gen Chem lecture at the end of the year, you will feel on top of the world.
Pre med isn’t just about passing the pre requisite courses. It also requires a good deal of involvement in extracurricular activities, work experience, hours of shadowing, leadership, a long interview process for medical school, and of course acing the MCAT. Don’t let the extensive preparation discourage you, if medicine is really what you want to do, don’t let anything hold you back. Even if you fail a pre requisite, you can always take it again. If you don’t do well on the MCAT the first time, take it a second time, or a third. If you don’t get a research job one summer, try again the next summer. Medical school admissions committees are not merciless but they are also not full of mercy, so if you fail a class and take it again and get an A they wont be thrilled about the F, but they will be thrilled about the A.
You also don’t have to go straight to medical school right after college. In fact, more and more students are starting to take time off between college and medical school. Whether its taking time to get a masters, take more pre requisite courses, take the MCAT, work for a few years, or even travel, this option is becoming quite popular.
Pre med is not a major (at least at most schools), it’s a track. There are certain classes you have to take to apply to medical school (Chem, Bio, Orgo, Physics, Biochem, Calc, ect.), and you can take these classes with any major. In fact, most doctors would encourage you to major in something other than a science. You’re going to be studying science your entire life, so if you have other interests, this is the only time you’ll have to explore them. If you don’t have interests other than science (like me!), that’s okay too! Majoring in a science may be more time consuming, but the most important thing is that you study what you love.
Now, I’m going to list some myths and some facts about being pre med
Myth: Pre med students can’t study abroad
Fact: If you are pre med, you can absolutely study abroad! You just have to plan ahead and make sure that you take the pre med requirements in the U.S. (or Canada).
Myth: I failed orgo, I should give up on becoming a doctor
Fact: People fail classes. It’s just something that happens. You can always retake the class for a better grade. One setback should never cause you to give up on something you love (just don’t do poorly in too many classes!).
Myth: I should be a doctor because I want to make a lot of money
Fact: You should be a doctor because you love medicine. The road to becoming a doctor is pretty long (college, med school, residency, fellowship), and if your heart isn’t really in it, it will become exceedingly difficult.
My advice to anyone who is considering being pre med is to never give up. I know it sounds cheesy, but to become a doctor you’ll have to work harder than you ever have before. But if its something you really want to do, its so worth it. I still have a long road ahead of me, but staying optimistic and working hard is what will get me through.
