If the bags under your eyes are basically Gucci and google lines are part of your wardrobe, then you're probably a pre-med student. As a pre-med major, you've most likely gone through a few different stages in your google search history; here are just a few that we've all gone through at one point or another.
Stage 1: The Naive Freshmen
This is the step where every wannabe pre-med freshman gets their information from Google on how to be a doctor. A few signs that a pre-med is in this stage are their ample amount of ambition and energy, their classes are planned out for the next four years, and the sweet glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Stage 2: Why Can't I Science?
Someone usually googles all of these things in the midst of an anxiety attack while questioning all of their life decisions. The beginning of this stage usually comes after you realized that you aren't as smart as you thought, you fail your first biology exam, or when you realize that you aren't a morning person and hate your past self for signing up for an 8 AM chem lab. A few signs that someone is at this stage is the lack of will to live, sensitivity to sunlight, and all they talk about is how hard all of their classes are.
Stage 3: I Just Want to Graduate
People say that acceptance is the first step to recovery, but in this case accepting that you need to work harder is the third step and at this point, it's usually too late. This step usually happens to the few seniors that have made it through organic, physics, and all of the biology classes. You can spot these people by the abundance of cynicism, lack of empathy, and a dark aura that could only be achieved by years of emotional abuse from professors. Having a plethora of MCAT prep books, having mastered the art of procrastination, and slight alcoholism are also signs of being in this final stage.
Please don't let this discourage you from applying to med school or becoming a doctor. If becoming a doctor is your dream then go for it! Just be aware of how difficult it is before you jump into it or let it discourage you because that'd be better for me -- less competition.
