Pre-med blues

[PaulsRightNut]

Applying to med school is such a bummer. :dry:

[thejetstolehome]

my cousin just started med school.

[noodledancer]

so i hear... but it'll be worth it in the end. keep your head up!

[Clarett'sGreyGoose]

yeah i'm a freshman aiming towards being an anesthesiologist and I'm already nervous when people say "med school" or "MCAT"

[richter915]

Applying to med school is such a bummer. :dry:
that's me in a year.

[richter915]

yeah i'm a freshman aiming towards being an anesthesiologist and I'm already nervous when people say "med school" or "MCAT"
lol, stick with it. The number of freshman who wanna go for medicine decreases by half or 3/4 by ur junior year. Chemistry makes kids realize that they're dumb and should major in film (sorry to film majors, but it's not as hard as a science major)

[Clarett'sGreyGoose]

lol, stick with it. The number of freshman who wanna go for medicine decreases by half or 3/4 by ur junior year. Chemistry makes kids realize that they're dumb and should major in film (sorry to film majors, but it's not as hard as a science major)
Haha I'm struggling in chemistry right now.

I'm not sure if it's because it's been 3 years (10th grade) since I took it in HS, because I switched into the class on the 3rd day, or a combination of both.

But I'm going to keep trying my best.

[richter915]

Haha I'm struggling in chemistry right now.

I'm not sure if it's because it's been 3 years (10th grade) since I took it in HS, because I switched into the class on the 3rd day, or a combination of both.

But I'm going to keep trying my best.
Chem just gets tougher and tougher bro. Gotta keep ur chin up and face it like a man. Chem is very very intimidating but if u give it ur all, it eases out. If ur class offers workshops/recitations...go to em...do ur hw...if ur textbook has an answer key book (with answers AND explanations) I suggest getting it...don't shy away from extra help...and just talk with ur classmates, ur not alone in this and sometimes knowing that and working with a team helps people.

are u going to a SUNY?

[Clarett'sGreyGoose]

Chem just gets tougher and tougher bro. Gotta keep ur chin up and face it like a man. Chem is very very intimidating but if u give it ur all, it eases out. If ur class offers workshops/recitations...go to em...do ur hw...if ur textbook has an answer key book (with answers AND explanations) I suggest getting it...don't shy away from extra help...and just talk with ur classmates, ur not alone in this and sometimes knowing that and working with a team helps people.

are u going to a SUNY?
Yeah, we have upperclassmen tutors now, we just got the schedule for them on Friday.

I've been doing the HW. I'm kind of wondering if I'm struggling only because what we're doing right now is just SO simple (unit conversions, calculating g/mol...aka the basics).

I have the textbook with the answer key/explanations and I've been studying from that, but everything in it is just so long-winded, it confuses me more.

...I'm actually not going to a SUNY now. I enrolled at Niagara University because they have the #1 program for undecided majors, supposedly. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was applying to colleges and such, the idea to be an anesthesiologist sort of popped up in early summer, and I gained more interest in it as I thought about it more....I do plan on going to SUNY Buffalo as either a sophomore or junior though, because hopefully that will help me with getting into the med school there (yeah right!)

[richter915]

Yeah, we have upperclassmen tutors now, we just got the schedule for them on Friday.

I've been doing the HW. I'm kind of wondering if I'm struggling only because what we're doing right now is just SO simple (unit conversions, calculating g/mol...aka the basics).

I have the textbook with the answer key/explanations and I've been studying from that, but everything in it is just so long-winded, it confuses me more.

...I'm actually not going to a SUNY now. I enrolled at Niagara University because they have the #1 program for undecided majors, supposedly. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was applying to colleges and such, the idea to be an anesthesiologist sort of popped up in early summer, and I gained more interest in it as I thought about it more....I do plan on going to SUNY Buffalo as either a sophomore or junior though, because hopefully that will help me with getting into the med school there (yeah right!)
word...at my school those uperclassmen are called TAs (teaching assistants)...I was gonna do it but I have a knack of making fun of people when they make mistakes...I hate myself for it.

The basics of unit conversions is very simple but I suggest u master it cause it will come into play many many times in ur pre-med career. The intro stuff with chem is a lot of like...stochiometry, solution making, formulas, etc. Very mathematical. Later on in the semester you'll go into shapes of molecules...bonds and bond angles...then next semester you'll go heavily into the kinetics of reactions.

Ya sometimes the books can be overly wordy but they do so in an attempt to cover all bases. You'll develop the skill of knowing where to look and weeding out what is useless vs. what is useful. It takes time but it's definitely doable.

SUNY's are pretty good for kids going towards medicine...that's why I go to SUNY Stony Brook which is seen as the best SUNY for the sciences. Buffalo does have the med school there but don't count on it to completely help ur chances of getting in. Not sure of their stats but I know at least at stony brook...in the previous years...15-20% of the entering class to Stony Brook med have their undergraduate degree from Stony Brook. Look into it for ur prospective schools. If you need a run down of the basics of what it takes in becoming a doctor..I suggest u go here: http://people.howstuffworks.com/becoming-a-doctor.htm . Nice overview of the entire process and what to expect. And of course if u ever need help, me and others here on the forum I'm sure will be glad to help answer anything u got.

[Juliana101]

Chemistry = death.

[Clarett'sGreyGoose]

word...at my school those uperclassmen are called TAs (teaching assistants)...I was gonna do it but I have a knack of making fun of people when they make mistakes...I hate myself for it.

The basics of unit conversions is very simple but I suggest u master it cause it will come into play many many times in ur pre-med career. The intro stuff with chem is a lot of like...stochiometry, solution making, formulas, etc. Very mathematical. Later on in the semester you'll go into shapes of molecules...bonds and bond angles...then next semester you'll go heavily into the kinetics of reactions.

Ya sometimes the books can be overly wordy but they do so in an attempt to cover all bases. You'll develop the skill of knowing where to look and weeding out what is useless vs. what is useful. It takes time but it's definitely doable.

SUNY's are pretty good for kids going towards medicine...that's why I go to SUNY Stony Brook which is seen as the best SUNY for the sciences. Buffalo does have the med school there but don't count on it to completely help ur chances of getting in. Not sure of their stats but I know at least at stony brook...in the previous years...15-20% of the entering class to Stony Brook med have their undergraduate degree from Stony Brook. Look into it for ur prospective schools. If you need a run down of the basics of what it takes in becoming a doctor..I suggest u go here: http://people.howstuffworks.com/becoming-a-doctor.htm . Nice overview of the entire process and what to expect. And of course if u ever need help, me and others here on the forum I'm sure will be glad to help answer anything u got.
I wouldn't quite call them TA's though, because they aren't present during the class sessions. They're just kids who took the class previously (and are obviously up into the Chem 300/400 levels) and are offering their help.

[Vil de Locke]

Doing Italian Medical School.
Represent.

[Buried A Lie]

What's everyone's (who has gone to med-school) experience with getting into it??

[Spicoli hey bud]

applying to law school isn't much better.

[richter915]

applying to law school isn't much better.
word...same goes for dental school. All that shit is hard...it seems so easy getting into a graduate program that's not law/medicine/dental.

[IAmNietzche]

applying to law school isn't much better.
I was just about to say that.

[Spicoli hey bud]

word...same goes for dental school. All that shit is hard...it seems so easy getting into a graduate program that's not law/medicine/dental.

I was just about to say that.
at least the LSAT is shorter than all the med tests.

[richter915]

at least the LSAT is shorter than all the med tests.
the MCAT is now a little bit shorter, completely computerized...and u have 5.5 hours to finish (u can take longer if u like...up to 3 hours in break time including lunch)...how're the LSATs?

[Spicoli hey bud]

the MCAT is now a little bit shorter, completely computerized...and u have 5.5 hours to finish (u can take longer if u like...up to 3 hours in break time including lunch)...how're the LSATs?
4 hours. 5 sections and a writing sample.

[PaulsRightNut]

A couple of my pre-vet friends tell me that vet school is harder to get into then med school. I'm sure its just as hard, but they can all go suck a nut.

[richter915]

A couple of my pre-vet friends tell me that vet school is harder to get into then med school. I'm sure its just as hard, but they can all go suck a nut.
no, it's harder. Vets are crazy smart. I mean, think of learning all that u need for medicine...it's all human based...u can even tell "ya, this would hurt and I would say this and this to a doctor if need be"...now imagine doing that for an animal? it's insane.

[richter915]

4 hours. 5 sections and a writing sample.
word. MCATs...four sections...english composition, english comprehension...biological science, physical science.

[smallbutfeisty]

i was originally pre-med, switched to psychology, and now i'm psych AND pre-med. so i'll be applying to med schools in a year and a half.

[smallbutfeisty]

word...same goes for dental school. All that shit is hard...it seems so easy getting into a graduate program that's not law/medicine/dental.
clinical psychology PhD programs are actually harder to get into than med/law/dental schools...they have a less than 10% acceptance rate.

[beenbrokenx]

does anyone know anything about people doing postbaccalaureate (after getting a bachelors degree in somethign unrelated) premed programs and then getting into med school and such,.....

[xveganjenx]

Applying to med school is such a bummer. :dry:
Where are you applying?

[richter915]

mcats in may rawr

[richter915]

clinical psychology PhD programs are actually harder to get into than med/law/dental schools...they have a less than 10% acceptance rate.
depends on where ur going. I shoulda said that too.

[bduke13]

What's everyone's (who has gone to med-school) experience with getting into it??

Well I obviously haven't gone to med school but my sister has and she went to some school in the Carribean because she would have had to wait a year to go to all the med schools around here for some reason

[PaulsRightNut]

mcats in may rawr

good luck with that.

you know you're going to do amazing anyways

yeah

I'm going to school in Kansas City haha.

[richter915]

good luck with that.

you know you're going to do amazing anyways

yeah

I'm going to school in Kansas City haha.
haha the school with 2 brown people?? hahaha. Congrats though at least ur done with it all. I take the mcats in may and right away i gotta get started on AMCAS.

[PaulsRightNut]

haha the school with 2 brown people?? hahaha. Congrats though at least ur done with it all. I take the mcats in may and right away i gotta get started on AMCAS.

lol I hope there's more than two brown people there! :-( if not - then the first ones I see I'm gonna try and be their bff's. - haha. I got wait listed for UMDNJ so right now I guess I'm set on kansas city...anyways. yeah you'll do great. Please dont drive yourself crazy over the mcats - (ie - dont be like every other premed out there). you'll be fine.

[Palmtrees]

oh god. i'm seriously reconsidering my future major/aspiration.