To help you feel a little bit at ease, I compiled my Top 5 Pre-Med Tips! I hope this helps.
1. Utilize Support Systems: I say systems, plural, because you are going to need more than one!
- You definitely need someone you can cry to. This person (or people) should probably be removed from pre-med life so that you can vent without making him/her anxious as well. For me, this was my parents and my therapist. Side note, I highly recommend seeing a therapist just to check in on your stress level!!!
- Find an inner circle of pre-med friends. I cannot stress this enough. You will need people who will study with you and who will understand what you are going through. I could not have survived Berkeley without Bri, Dina and Angie.
- Find out what type of academic help your school provides and USE IT. Seriously, there is nothing wrong with getting extra help in classes you struggle with if it will help improve your grades. For example, I went to the Student Learning Center twice a week while taking Organic Chemistry because they offered a student lead lecture/study group. I 100% attribute my A's in Ochem to these study groups.
- Visit your advisors often! A lot of schools have pre-med advisors that can be helpful in planning class schedules and finding extracurriculars! Honestly, I went to mine sometimes just to make myself feel better about what I was doing.
2. Do NOT Over-Do It: Grades are a huge part of your medical school application so you do not want to sacrifice your performance by over-extending yourself.
- Be careful with how many technical classes you take in one semester
- Before signing up for classes, ask an upperclassman if the classes you are taking will be too difficult together. For example, it was a big no-no to take the first semester of organic chemistry and the first semester of general biology at Berkeley because it would be way too much work. You will have to stack pre-med classes but you should just be careful about which ones you put together.
- Do not take on too many extracurricular activities at once! I know it's tempting to do everything at once but it won't give you the best opportunity for success. Space out activities and UTILIZE YOUR SUMMERS.
3. Find Extracurriculars that You are Passionate About: Yes, there are certain extracurriculars you "need" to be a competitive applicant (Check out my blog post about extracurriculars for more info), but you can still do activities you love!
- For example, I chose to do my clinical volunteering at a Children's Hospital because I truly love hanging out with kiddos! I got to run playroom activities, sit bedside, and bring kids toys. It made me so happy and while I was doing it *partly* because it was "required" for medical school, I really loved it. I also chose to work in a lab that studied neurology and empathy, subjects I intend to study as I move forward with my career.
- Find activities that suite your interests! Get creative and do things you love. It will make you happy and it will shine through in your application/interviews. No school wants a student who did the bare minimum activities just because they "had to".
4. Stay Organized: This applies to your day-to-day life AND your overall progression towards medical school!
- Start thinking about Letters of Recommendation early on! You can use professors from any year of undergrad so make sure to take note of any professor you connect with so that you can circle back when the time comes! You can even mention it to them at the end of the semester so they know to expect you back when the time comes.
- Keep track of medical school pre-reqs. Things like english can catch you off guard if you aren't paying attention early on! This is especially important if you are not a biology or " traditional pre-med" major.
- Keep track of your shadowing hours, volunteer hours, etc so that you don't have to estimate while doing your applications. I made the mistake of not doing this and it was such a pain later on.
- Think about what each activity will add to your application. This isn't to say you shouldn't participate in things that won't meet one of the "traditional pre-med activities" but it is definitely good to keep in mind. Side note - almost every activity you participate in will enhance your application.
- Stay on top of your classes! It will be so much harder (and more stressful) to do well if you get behind.
5. BREATHE and Enjoy Undergrad: This is sooo important. Go to parties, hang out with friends, draw, play sports, exercise, binge a trashy TV show.... basically do whatever makes you happy!! Try something new, meet new people, grow as a person! Most importantly, set aside time to take care of yourself! You will never get this time back (so cheesy but so true). Enjoy it!!!!
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