pre med program

Jul 16 2019

How the top pre-meds start off the semester strong

One of the biggest mistakes many premeds make is not starting the semester off strong. The beginning of the semester represents one of the greatest opportunities to put yourself in line to secure that A in your class! Its very important to start off strong because that will the set the tone for your whole semester. Remember, it is always easier to maintain an A in a class once you already got it than it is to work your way up to one from a lower grade. So by getting off to the right foot from the very beginning you increase your chances of making an A greatly. Not only that but it is also way less stressful knowing you are in a good situation rather than worrying if you will make the grade you want or not. We are going to go over some of the best methods to make sure you start the semester off right!

Before we go any further, make sure to read my article “How the A student starts their next semester“. This gives advice more on how to prepare for your next semester, but some of the content overlaps. However in this article though I really want to emphasize the point of staying ahead and being one step ahead of your teachers. Yes, this method takes more effort than to not do it. But the real secret to making good grades is hard work. Work smart and work hard and you will definitely achieve your goals. So how do I stay ahead of the class?

The main ways to stay ahead of your class are by:

Pre-reading the powerpoint before class
Reading the chapter in your book before your teacher lectures on it
Watching youtube videos on the topic
Doing practice problems

The reason it is so important to do this is because the material is ALWAYS easier to understand the second or third time you see or hear it. You want to already have been exposed to the material your teacher will go over in class before they do. Especially if it is hard material. By having already read the powerpoints, the book chapter, watching videos, and doing practice problems you will be way ahead of everyone else in your class. And then when finally your teacher lectures on the topic, they will only help to clarify anything that confused you. By having already pre-read and prepared for lecture, you will also have a list of questions you can ask your teacher. While the other students are hearing this for the first time and trying to just even understand whats going on, you will be solidifying what you know or clarifying on things that confused you.

This is especially important during the beginning of the semester because you will be introduced usually to a bunch of brand new content. In the beginning of a semester, usually the easiest tests and quizzes are given out. So you want to take advantage of that and grab those easy A’s early on! Getting off to the right start early on will set a good pace for your whole semester. The momentum of how you do in the beginning is often carried throughout the entire semester, so you want to get this right! So make sure you read ahead and are prepared for your next lecture! This will definitely help you achieve the grades you want!

For more pre-med tips and advice, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

Download a comprehensive medical school rankings report and get the free ebook, The Pre-Med’s Beginner Guide, right now! Download here! Don’t miss out!

Get your Free Pre-Med ebook! Download now!

(You definitely want this!)

Jun 08 2018

Pre-Med 101: What are BS/MD programs?

We all understand the traditional route of getting into medical school. Complete four years of undergrad, do your pre-med required coursework, take the MCAT, do extracurriculars, apply for the medical schools you would like to attend, interview at those schools, and hopefully get accepted. But what if there was a faster and more guaranteed route into medical school? That’s what we will be talking about in this pre-med 101 article.

What is a BS/MD program?

A BS/MD program is exactly as it sounds. It is a combined BS (Bachelors of Science) and MD (Medical Doctor) program. A BS/MD program allows you guaranteed acceptance into a specific MD program after completion of your Bachelor’s degree. This guaranteed acceptance into that medical school does require that you meet certain requirements while in the BS/MD program. Often these programs have specific minimum GPA and MCAT score requirements that you must meet while in the program if you are to obtain acceptance into the medical school. So while it does make life easier to know that you have guaranteed acceptance into medical school upon completion of your Bachelor’s degree, it is still no walk in the park. The BS/MD program is good for high school students who know they want to become a doctor early on. If you are certain that medicine is the career you want to pursue then this could be a great option for you.

There are accelerated BS/MD programs that allow you to complete your Bachelor’s degree and get your MD faster than the traditional path. It normally takes 8 years to complete both a Bachelor’s and MD. However, there are some BS/MD programs that let you complete both programs in 7 years or even 6 years. In order to do this, you will have to take a more condensed and packed curriculum and will have to sacrifice more free time during those 6 or 7 years.

What about if you are already in college and still want to get guaranteed acceptance into medical school? Well you are in luck, because there are also programs which are known as early assurance programs (EAP). These are not the same thing as a BS/MD program but serve a similar function. An early assurance program is one where you are already working towards some degree at a university and you apply for early assurance of your acceptance into their medical school. An early assurance program is for university students who want the guarantee that they will get accepted into medical school upon graduation. For most early assurance programs, you will be able to apply when you are a sophomore in college. These programs are for highly qualified college students who know they want to pursue a career in medicine. Just as a reminder, high school students will be applying to a BS/MD program and college students will be applying to an early assurance program.

How do you get accepted into a BS/MD program?

Getting into a BS/MD program is not an easy feat. This is because most BS/MD programs are very competitive, with most only offering 20 to 30 spots per year. And there are many programs that offer less than 10 available spots annually. To get into a BS/MD program requires a very competitive college application. With most students who get admitted having a 4.0 GPA and SAT/ACT scores that are around the 95th percentile. The best way to get accepted into these programs is to not only have the grades and standardized test scores needed but also show your commitment to pursuing a medical career through extracurricular activities. Such as doing summer research programs, volunteer work, and even shadowing. The more well rounded your application is the better your chances of getting into the program. Take a look at the programs you are interested in to know the exact requirements for getting accepted.

What schools have BS/MD programs?

Accelerated BS/MD programs: (Seven years)

Normal BS/MD program: (Eight years)

BS/MD programs provide a great opportunity to high school students that know they want to pursue a career in medicine and become a Physician. One of the main benefits is knowing that you will get accepted into medical school as long as you meet the program’s requirement’s during college. Another benefit of the BS/MD program is that you will not have to deal with the medical school application process like traditional pre-med students do. If you are a high school student with the grades and a strong desire to pursue a career in medicine, I would recommend applying for a few BS/MD programs. And if you are a college sophomore or freshman with good grades, I would suggest looking into an early assurance program.

I hope this helps! Tell us what you think by leaving a comment down below! For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

Did you find this article helpful? Let us know!

[yop_poll id=”12″ tr_id=“bsmdprogram”]

Apr 15 2018

5 Tips Every Pre-Med Needs To Hear Now

The process of applying to medical school is long and complicated. It requires pre-med students to use their undergraduate years wisely to build up a good application. As a pre-med it is important to know what to focus your time on and to have a game plan on how to accomplish what you need to. After applying to medical school, these are my 5 most important tips I can give to pre-medical students.

1.GPA and MCAT are not everything. Don’t underestimate the value of your extracurriculars

Many pre-med students fall into the trap of thinking that their MCAT and GPA are the only factors that matter to whether they get accepted into medical school. This is definitely not the case! Your GPA and MCAT are certainly important but they are not everything. Your extracurricular can be even more important to some schools than your GPA or MCAT. This will be especially obvious when you are filling out your primary and secondary applications. Medical schools care about your shadowing, research, and volunteering! If you don’t have a good list of activities you have done, you will have a very hard time impressing any medical school even with a good GPA or MCAT. Remember, GPA and MCAT are just one component of your medical application. Don’t get so caught up in them that you forget to do your extracurricular activities! In fact, if you have a bad GPA or low MCAT score, your extracurricular activities can be what still give you a chance at getting accepted!

2. Start early on building your “pre-med resume”

What I mean by “pre-med resume” is your list of activities and extracurriculars that you can write about on your primary and secondary applications. You should begin working on building up your pre-medical resume as soon as possible. It is much easier to get in a variety of volunteering, extracurricular activities, and shadowing in when you have 3-4 years before applying than if you waited till the last year. My advice is START EARLY on building your pre-medical resume. Start looking for physicians to shadow as soon as possible and getting those volunteer hours in. It looks better to medical schools as well if you have a long history of volunteering than if you just tried to grind it out over a month or two. Another advantage of starting early is that you will have more time to build relationships that can lead to quality letters of recommendation.

3.Try to start finding opportunities that will present you with memorable experiences

Medical schools love to ask about memorable experiences that you have had that is related to medicine or motivated you to pursue medicine. There will be questions about this all over your secondary applications and during your interview. That is why it is important you seek out opportunities that other pre-med students probably aren’t doing. This could be things such as a volunteer trip to help serve people in an underserved area or country, volunteering for hospice, being involved in some non-profit organization, going on a trip to present your research at a conference, or even just something memorable from shadowing.

4.Learn about the school’s you plan on applying to

If you haven’t done this, do it right now. Knowing about the schools you are applying to will help you realize what the ideal applicant is for their school. If the school you are applying to values research a lot, you better make sure to get some research experience under your belt. You will have a big advantage by knowing what the schools you are applying to are looking for in applicants. This will help you tailor your application to the schools you are interested in applying to.

5. Plan out your pre-med years

Take the time to plan out your pre-med years ahead of you. Figure out what your goals are for your freshmen, sophmore, junior, and senior year as a pre-med. Come up with a game plan for how you are going to get in your shadowing, research, and volunteer hours. You also want to come up with a general timeline for when you want to take the MCAT and when you plan on actually applying for medical school. Take some time to create a document where you basically outline the way you want to allocate your time as a pre-med. This will help you stay organized and be on top of all your pre-med goals. Doing so will make your life much easier!

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment down below! For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

Did you find this article helpful? Let us know!

[yop_poll id=”12″ tr_id=“5tipstohearnow”]

Dec 01 2017

Pre-Med 101: Are Caribbean Medical Schools bad?

Pre-med 101: Are Caribbean Medical Schools bad?

Getting into Medical School is hard, in fact only about 40% of applicants get accepted into American medical schools each year. Those who don’t get in are left without options or to apply again the next year. That’s where Caribbean medical schools can come into the picture. But are Caribbean medical schools bad? There are a lot of myths about them and also a lot of stigma surrounding them. Hopefully by the end of this article some of those myths and stigma surrounding them. Let’s jump right into this!

Myths about Caribbean Medical Schools:

Caribbean medical schools aren’t as good as American medical schools
You cannot get an MD and practice as a physician in America

Myth #1: Caribbean medical schools aren’t as good as American medical schools

The first myth about Caribbean medical schools not being as good as American medical schools has some truth to it, but is not true across the board. While it is true that there are many lower quality Caribbean medical schools out there that you should avoid, there are several Caribbean medical schools that provide a medical education that is around on par with those of American medical schools. Caribbean medical schools will not hold your hand during medical school and are not an easy path to becoming a physician. They are second chances for dedicated and hardworking students who are determined to put in the work to become a physician. Caribbean medical schools such as Ross follow a basic science curriculum similar to those of American medical schools and even allow you to do your clinicals in the US. At the end of the day you are going to get a high-quality education at any good Caribbean medical school, just be prepared to work for it.

Myth #2: You cannot get an MD and practice as a physician in America

Another common myth is that you cannot get an MD from a Caribbean school and you can’t practice in America. This is definitely not the case. Caribbean medical schools will give you the exact same MD behind your name as any American medical school. The curriculum is very similar to those of American medical schools. You have to do basic sciences, clinical rotations, and take the USMLE. Some of the Caribbean medical schools such as Ross allow you to do your clinical rotations in American hospitals. At the end of the day you will receive your MD and be able to practice as a physician just like your American medical school counterparts. No one will be able to tell the difference between an MD obtained from an American medical school and a Caribbean medical school.

“Truths” about Caribbean medical schools

Now that we have debunked a few myths, lets talk about some of the “truths” about Caribbean medical school. The main two are that it is easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school and it is often harder to place into competitive residencies.

Caribbean medical schools let in a far higher percentage of applicants than American medical schools. This is often because they usually don’t use your metrics as the main qualifier for acceptance. This is good for students who have a low GPA or low MCAT score as this allows them a second chance at getting into medical school. Because the Caribbean medical schools don’t value these metrics as much, they take a look at you in a more holistic way. So students who demonstrate they really want to be doctors through other aspects of their application such as extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, clinical experience, shadowing, etc. are the ones who often get accepted into the Caribbean medical school.

The class sizes of Caribbean medical schools (Avg. class size of around 400-600 students) are often around two to three times that of American medical schools (Avg. class size of around 150 students). This also helps contribute to it being easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school. While it is easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school, that does not mean it will be easier during medical school. Caribbean medical schools are just as hard as American medical schools in many ways. They will not hold your hand and help you through medical school, you must be a very self-motivated student to succeed in a Caribbean school. Although the class size starts off much higher than those in American medical school that number often dwindles down as students are weeded out during the program. The main point I am trying to make is: Even though it is easier to get accepted into a Caribbean medical school, don’t think it is an easy path to becoming a doctor. You will still have to put in the work and effort to get that MD.

The next thing to know about going to a Caribbean medical school is that students often have a harder time getting into competitive residencies. Caribbean medical schools are known for having a lower match rate for residencies. If you want to be a heart surgeon or plastic surgeon you will have a hard time getting a residency from a Caribbean medical school. But if you just want to be a doctor of any kind then you still have hope at a Caribbean medical school. Know also that Caribbean schools in general have a lower match rate than American medical schools across the board. Make sure to check the match rate for the schools you are applying to. Take your time to learn about how well that school does at placing you into residencies.

Fun fact: The doctor I shadowed graduated from the Caribbean medical school, Ross. He is a successful Nephrologist who is soon to become partner for the practice he works at. Every day I shadowed him he was highly respected by all of his colleagues and patients. He always told me that no one cares about where you went to medical school at the end of the day. That was the truth as he was every bit as good of a doctor as anyone else at the hospital. So don’t think that going to a Caribbean school will be something that will haunt you. It can be a great opportunity if you make the most out of it.

What are considered the top Caribbean medical school?

In general, there are four Caribbean medical schools that are considered the best. These are:

There are other good Caribbean medical schools, however, these would be the better ones that you want to apply to. Make sure to thoroughly check each school you are applying to before sending in the application.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Caribbean medical schools can be a great back up plan for students who couldn’t get accepted into an American medical school. But don’t expect the Caribbean medical school to be an easy path to becoming a physician, they make you work just as hard as the American medical schools. The top Caribbean medical school will provide its students a high-quality education that mimics what one will get from an American medical school. The major downside of going to a Caribbean medical school is the lower match rate for residencies than American medical schools. However if you are a strong self-motivated student, at the end of the day you will get your MD and be able to practice as a physician in America.

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment down below! For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

Give us feedback!

Oct 12 2017

Why being a Pre-Med is awesome

Why being a Pre-med is awesome

Let’s get this out of the way. Being a pre-med is HARD. You have to stay up late studying for exams, you have the pressure of making straight A’s, you have the MCAT to prepare for, you are encouraged to do research and shadow a physician, and then you have to fit volunteering into what little free time you have left. And you do all of this without even the certainty that you will get accepted to medical school. But it is exactly this which makes being a pre-med awesome in its own right and why you should feel proud. In this post I want to focus on all the reasons that being a pre-med is awesome and hopefully, help motivate you all to keep up the great work you have been doing thus far and enjoy the process of being a pre-med no matter how hard it gets. Being pre-med is not easy but it is definitely worth it. Here are some reasons you should appreciate being a pre-med!

Being pre-med helps you grow as a person:

The main reason being a pre-med is awesome is because of how much you grow and develop as a person. The process of being a pre-med indirectly builds you into a person who has all the skills to succeed as a doctor. In my opinion, being a pre-med is a necessary step to prepare you to handle the life of a doctor. As a pre-med, you will be pushed beyond your limits in how hard you have to study, in discipline, in time management, and in so many other ways. The very difficult nature of being a pre-med builds character.

The only way we grow as people is through challenges. And being a pre-med is most certainly challenging! While most other students are out relaxing and going to parties, a good pre-med is staying at home studying. Instead of going to that concert everyone else is going to, you instead are going to volunteer or shadow. Sacrifice is the name of the game. And that sacrifice will definitely pay off as you mature into a person who will one day become a fantastic doctor.

The skills you learn as a pre-med are transferable to the rest of your life:

This goes with the previous point but all of the skills you obtain as a pre-med transfer over to your personal life as well. As a result of your hard work as a pre-med, you will also notice improved discipline, time management, and work ethics in your personal life. Apart from developing character, you also gain valuable knowledge from your studies that can be applied to your life. Although ironically as pre-meds we learn about the importance of sleep, then we never have time to maintain a good sleep schedule ourselves! For me, studying for the MCAT helped to develop work ethics and discipline unlike anything else! I had to maintain a very strict schedule studying for it and after I finished the MCAT, that discipline stuck with me! Spending years as a pre-med truly does help develop personal responsibility like nothing else.

Discover things you would never have realized you liked:

Being a pre-med gives you the opportunity to discover things you would have never realized that you liked so much. These could be things such as volunteering, research, tutoring, specific courses/subjects (biology, chemistry, etc.), running a club/organization, etc. For me, it was all the above! I never realized how much fun volunteering is until I went out to do it. The feeling of helping others, while also doing something new is amazing. If it wasn’t for being a pre-med, I would have never become a tutor at my school and have the joy of helping my classmates. As a pre-med, I took many classes that I never knew I wanted to learn about! I was surprised to find how interested I was in courses like genetics, organic chemistry, and even biochemistry. There are so many things that I love now and it’s all because of being a pre-med. I’m sure you will find many things that you love too as a pre-med!

It’s a journey:

Being a pre-med is a journey. From when you first start as a freshman to when you finally apply to medical school, the whole process is a rollercoaster of emotions. It has its ups and downs, and moments of triumph and defeat: the early morning exams and the long grueling waits to find out what your grade is, spending what feels like your whole evening in a research lab, meeting up with friends to prepare for that organic chemistry exam, the first time you shadow a physician in the hospital, when you make an “A” in a class you didn’t think you would. During this long and crazy journey as a pre-med, you will make new friends, discover new things you love, and develop into fabulous young adults. Being a pre-med is definitely a journey and it is one you will be thankful you had.

I know as a pre-med you have a lot to focus on right now, but take a second to appreciate how far you have already come and how much you have grown. Think about all of the friends and people you have met because of being a pre-med. Yes, being a pre-med is hard! But it is so so worth it. That is exactly why the journey of being a pre-med is so transforming and meaningful. Whatever you do, make sure to give it you’re all! You don’t want to have any regrets. Be proud of all the hard work you are doing and know that you are bettering your life because of it. The goals that are difficult are the ones most worth achieving. If it was so easy then everyone would be doing it. Being a pre-med is awesome and you will be a better person because of it. So be proud and be the best pre-med you can!

Why do you love being a pre-med? Let us know by leaving a comment down below! For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

Did you find this article helpful? Let us know!

[yop_poll id=”12″ tr_id=“premedawesome”]