Thread: any doctors about?

right now i am a senior in highschool and next year in college i plan on doing pre med
eventually i hope to work in emergency medicine, although i know things change

i was wondering a few things...


how was your college experience doing pre med? did you feel more over worked than other students?

did you take a year off before med school?

as for the job does it consume your life or do you have a decent amount of free time?

does the job remain fun and exciting or does it grow old?


that's about all i can think of but if there's more info that you'd like to share, that would be great
thanks

Well shoi, im not in pre med, or going to medical school. However, i am in the medical field. Im currently in RN School and plan to specialize in oncology/virology. One tip that i can give you, is never take a "break". If you take time off, youll never want to go back. Second, scholarships, scholarships, scholarships! Apply for every single one that you can. Chances are that you will be unable to work while you are in school so you can make the grades for med school...cause trust me, youll need a 4.0 without question. I had to raise my GPA from a pitiful 2.4 to a 3.5 before i even got accepted to nursing school.

Good luck to ya sir....

"pre-med" essentially means a biology major. You can waver a bit and get more into biochemistry, or more physiology and anatomy.....but in the end, it's a B.S. in biology (which I have).

did I feel overworked? No. If you've got what it takes to get into medschool, then going to college, where you take 2 or 3 classes a day at the most for a few hours a day leaves you with more than enough free time to study, date, socialize, and play videogames. You'll never do more of those things than when you are in college (hopefully).

The real key to making it as easy as possible is to plan out your schedule carefully.

never, ever take too many difficult classes at once. Don't be that senior that has a bunch of cushy classes in their last 2 semesters, where in your earlier semesters you got C's or worse in calculus, statistics, biochemistry, or organic I or II. That only happens because you think you HAVE to do what your advisor tells you to do....and you don't.

Bio I and II are cake....essentially more detailed repeats of what you already took in BIO II in highschool (which you better have taken).

Chem I is the same thing, assuming you took Chem II in highschool. Same goes for physics I and II.

you need to make A's in all of those so that the pressure isn't on you as a junior or senior to make A's in biochemistry, organic I and II, anamoty and physiology, genetics, molecular genetics, comparative chordate anamoty, microbiology, physical chemistry, and and and and anda adn......get b's in all of those....fine. But if you got A's in all the intro chem's, bio's, and physics....then you're sitting on a 3.5+ in your science core classes. And that's good stuff.

I also hope you didn't waste any time or money in advanced placement testing or AP credit for your math, biology, or chemistry classes. None of that is going to count towards your science major classes (biology, chemistry, math). AP is for people that aren't going to be in that major. In your case, it would make sense to AP out of english classes, or language classes ( but I wouldn't, and say why below). For a business or other major, it makes sense to AP out of science classes.

But again...the "credit" you get for this AP is similar to taking a course at a community college, where more legit universities will not accept, or will not directly transfer that course onto your transcript for credit towards your science requirements. Instead, it will be seen as a elective science course....and essentially worthless. No GPA credit. Just hours.

translation: If you are a biology major, you can't take Bio I at a CC, and have that count toward your biology major requirements at a university. It's 100% worthless, since the university granting you a biology major degree doesn't want you halfassing your way to it at a CC. It's true.

of course....you need hours.....but more so, for medschool, you need a GPA.

That brings me to another point.....don't place out of shit you know you'll get a good grade in.

Did you take calculus in high school? Then take it again your freshman year in college, and get an A in it.

Did you take advanced language courses (spanish, german, etc)? Then take that language FROM THE BEGINNING again in college. Tell them your highschool courses were worthless and you can't speak worth shit (it's probably true). Then.....get A's in the early level language courses. Most intro language courses are 4 or 5 hour credits. That's HUGE on your GPA. Massive. Big money A's. Same as having those intro bio and chemistry A's because you're taking chem II and bio II in highschool.

Remember...there's your GPA...but there's also your GPA in your core/major classes. And for med/grad school...that's even more relevant. Anyone can get a good GPA if they stay in school forever and pad their shit with art and gym classes. Nothing hard about that. But not everyone can get a 4.0 in their science courses. If fact, don't count on it.

And one last thing....go to summer school. Maybe for your first summer between freshman and sophomore...come home and go to a CC near you. BUT....remember....you aren't going to get the GPA points for the courses you take in CC. Just the hours. So if you take all the easy english, history, or social classes in CC.....then your GPA is going to have to stand alone on just the HARD classes that you PROBABLY WON'T GET ALL A'S IN.

My advice.....fuck CC's. Stay at your school, and take your summer courses AT THAT SCHOOL. Benefits of this?

#1. Small classes. Nobody's there in the summer, so you get to have closer relationships with your teachers. Closer relationships and small class sizes mean they are much more lenient in the way they grade, curve, and instruct. It's EASIER TO MAKE A'S IN THE SUMMER.

#2. Lazy professors in the summer. They're not happy to be there on their "vacation" either. so....the course structure is made simpler for them, just as much as it is for you. More focused curriculum, less waste of time, easier A.

#3. you only take 2 classes at a time, making it easy to focus. My advice? Do what I did. Take english 3 and physics 1 in June, and then english 4 and physics 2 in July. Or any other similar combination. Art 1 and Organic I, then Gym II and Organic II.

Do NOT think you are some kind of badass and take Physics I and Organic I, and then Physics II and Organic II. 9/10....you're to wind up with at least 2 C's, if not worse.

Plan your shit out. Take what you need, and balance out the hard with the easy. Fuck everyone else for thinking they have to knock out all their science courses in the first year, or thinking they're going to take some easy 12 hour semester of english and P.E. If you're not taking 15+ a semester......then you aren't the kind of person that will do well in medschool.

Trust me. I know what I'm talking about. I got my BS in Biology in 3 years playing more videogames and seeing more women than I ever will again. Proof? My freshman year, I unlocked all the cheats on N64's Goldeneye. Not half. Not most. all of em. I spent more time on my N64 playing WWF Raw and Goldeneye than I probably did in class. And, I fucked around my first summer and went home to HCC to take history and something else....can't remember.

AND, I worked the entire time. At the bookstore, at a few restaurants.....always had a job.

Just don't be lazy, never miss class (ever), take notes....but more important than taking notes....fucking listen in class. The teacher is likely saying, out loud, the test questions, since professors are not "teachers" but instead people with Ph.D's that are pissed off they have to step away from their reasearch and come lecture for an hour or two a day. So....how do they lecture? they hold the final in front of them, and talk about the questions, 1 at a time, till they get to the end.

My anatomy class was taught exactly like that.

edited a bunch of stuff.....added some stuff.

Originally Posted by shoi

as for the job does it consume your life or do you have a decent amount of free time?

not until you're 30.

I mostly agree...

However, I would argue that premed includes physics and layers of calculus that are normally not on a biology students plate for the BS level. A good scientist will of course take the physics sequence anyway just to be a good scientist...

In Oregon, I can take major related science courses at the CC and transfer it directly to the university to get my BS. Perhaps the rules are different in the Texas university system. In Oregon there is a minimum number of credits that must be taken at the university for a BS, and another minimum number of credits that must be taken in that specific major at the university. Usually this number reflects upper division courses only.

So for example, were I a Biology major, I could take my LD Bio sequence (251, 252, 253 and their labs) at the CC, plus all my english composition, health, etc. and transfer it to the university where I would transfer in as a Junior and continue on in the UD credit load. That is in fact what I did for Mathematics and Environemental science. Like I said, different states may have different rules.


Personally, I took Calc I (251), Calc based physics (221), General Bio (251) and Environmental science I (201) all at the same time... I was busy... but got straight A's and did a triathlon and a marathon to boot. I continued that way for the rest of the year (finished each sequence, we have a quarter system) except I added Geology (201, etc) for a total of 21 credits each quarter that year. I found it easy, but I geeked out and swore off video games for that year. That was my 3rd year though and I wanted to maintain my 4.0...

See I lucked out (if you can call it that) because I did not go to school between the ages of 12 and 24. So when I went to college finally I had to play catch up in math, but not other topics. So the first year I took Math 60, 65, 95 English composition (121, 122, 123, etc) and some Computer science classes that had no math prereqs. The next year I finally got to college algebra (111) Stats (243, 244) and Techical and Business writing (214, 227) and the General Psych sequence (201, 202, 203) then that summer I took precalc and more computer science and then for the third year (the first one posted above) I switched my major to Environmental Science, which required all that other stuff...

Finally after 6 years I have no BS yet, but I hav 270 credits in sciences across the board but now I have many credits in upper division Math, Computer Science, Environmental Science and Neuroscience. Plus a whole slew of other LD crap: Public Speaking (111) Parliamentary Debate (211) Nutrition (201, 202, 203) A bunch of Fitness Technology courses, Art History of American Art and Architecture (348, 347), Oregon History (399), Philosophy (201, 202, 203), etc.

Because I could not make up my mind, and I am a dedicated 4 point student, I have memeroized way too many trivial facts...

I have considered Medical School, but I think I am cut out the role of professor.


I did about 150 credits at Community College and it was far superior to the courses offered at the University. The University has very large classes and the professors have to "publish or perish" so many are not very concerned with helping you to learn. The instructors at the Community College are there purely to teach.

I hit my maximum number of transferable credits when I went to the university so I had to repeat some LD science. The curriculum at the community college was more challenging, and the teachers were more helpful. At the University, the exact same course had very low expectations as reflected in their scantron testing approach and single page lab reports plus the 215 person classes had zero personal interaction with the professor.

I greatly preferred the educating at CC compared to the university. They cared more and challenged me more; plus it was cheaper. Once you are in upper division courses things change a bit, the professors are more specialized and the classes are smaller. So it gets much more focused, although the expectatins seem more loose.

I say any LD courses are better learned at the CC. Stay focused, especially in Calc if you are not too math saavy.. Calc wasted half the CS and Engineering population when they went to take it...they decided to be english majors at that point. Since it is premed you are concerned with, and not a specific degree (although you need a BS in something so why not Bio? Maybe Psych?) do it on the cheap at the CC. and then get into a good school for your UD stuff.

Now if you can get some free money (write those essays for grants EARLY, like a year early) go ahead and take all your LDs at the big school...but you will not be hampered by the CC if you are a serious student.

And that is the key: serious student. In my experience it is not the school, or the teacher that make or break the knowledge gleaned from a course, but the willingness of the student to adapt and overcome. I made a point of switching instructors in any sequential course during my LD courses to make me readapt my methods. I did not want to get stuck catering to one teachers style. For me it was not about checking the block, but about gaining as much knowledge as possible. Most people want to check the block and move on... DOnt be that guy, especially if you want to be a doctor. By all means get your grade and move out, but focus on learning not on simply getting through.



BD, A degree in bio? I had no idea... Oustanding, sir!

In addition to CC courses being transferable differently in Oregon as compared to Texas, I believe though that AP courses mean nothing to any university or CC here in Oregon. You still have to start at Mth 111 even if you had Vector Calculus in HS.

Originally Posted by ...bigdog...

Just don't be lazy, never miss class (ever)

Worth repeating: Never miss class.
Very important. I rarely missed a college class. The few times I did were due to sickness or other very important ingagements. When I missed I felt like I was way behind. This is more critical in major classes. Alot of other classes govt, engl, spanish, etc I completly fucked off and pulled A's. Dont cheat yourself and shortcut in a majors class. Do not miss major courses they relate all the way through and missing hurts you. Also I'm no science major but biology and physics are important in all careers.

Big said it about staying away from CC's and stuff... Just the hassle of getting shit to transfer is a NIGHTMARE... Also the summer classes are easy too for the reasons he stated... Just stick to your school for credits.