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What was the hardest part in preparing for med school? |
The stress of the 6 month application process
Jessica Smith at Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) (DO), class of 2013.
Pre-med: Ohio University, Pre-Proffesional Biology degree. Answer posted 1/16/2009 |
Learning how to become a better test taker and taking the MCAT.
Iggy at State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine (MD), class of 2013.
Pre-med: University of Maryland- College Park, Biology and American Studies degree. Answer posted 1/4/2009 |
The hardest part in preparing for medical school was all of the nights that I spent studying. Although there were a lot of requirements, being a single father is not easy.
James Tolbert at Harvard Medical School (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: Harvard University, B.S. Chemistry & Biology degree. Answer posted 10/23/2008 |
The hardest part in preparing for medical school was probably the finances and also the status of the undergraduate college I attended. My school didnt have an official premedical program so I had to figure out how I would get my letters of recommendation complete before the process. I did this through my wonderful academic advisor who not only served me as a teacher but also guided me through the process and ultimately into medical school (this was not in her job description by the way...lol). Im definitely greatful for that.
Secondly its the big bad KAT!!! yup the MCAT put a pretty big hurting on me like many from my school, but fortunately for me I only had to fight it once. Thank God!!!
Yusuf Ali at University of Maryland School of Medicine (MD), class of 2012.
Pre-med: Morgan State University, Biology degree. Answer posted 6/13/2008 |
MCAT and finding relevant research opportunities
Sandro Corti at UMDNJ--New Jersey Medical School (), class of .
Pre-med: Answer posted 3/24/2008 |
I think the hardest part was ignoring all the people telling you negative things, no matter how well-meaning the individual was. Everything happened in my life to lead me to this point, and many times I didn't understand them. Focus on your goal, and figure out what you need to get there.
Lynn at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) (DO), class of 2010.
Pre-med: Cedar Crest, Genetic Engineering degree. Answer posted 6/19/2006 |
studying for the mcat while youre still in school.
(gpa may suffer a little for that period-- but doing well on the mcat is worth it)
Sarah Tran at University of North Texas Health Science Center - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ft Worth (UNTHSC-TCOM) (DO), class of 2012.
Pre-med: Houston Baptist University, BS degree. Answer posted 1/23/2008 |
Probably waiting for year 12 final results....
Emily Lehman at University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine (Internat), class of 2014.
Pre-med: none, none degree. Answer posted 12/21/2007 |
Getting in
Paul Nielsen at New York Medical College (MD), class of 2010.
Pre-med: Cornell, Human Biology, Health, and Society degree. Answer posted 10/11/2006 |
Starting and ending med school and doing the tasks and job right.
STEPHEN BROSNAHAN at University of Utah School of Medicine (MD), class of 2013.
Pre-med: Communication, Pschycology degree. Answer posted 9/29/2007 |
being around all the rabid pretentious pre-med kids. thank goodness for engineering school.
it's going to be hard adjusting to the med school environment. please forgive me (if you're in my class) if i'm a bit anal retentive or weird for the first month or so.
update: my predictions were correct.
emily at University of Mississippi School of Medicine (MD), class of 2011.
Pre-med: University of Mississippi, B.S. Chemical Engineering degree. Answer posted 3/20/2006 |
The hardest part of preparing for medical school was learning to think like a scientist.
Maria Reyes at University of Utah School of Medicine (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: university of utah & westminster college (2nd BS), psychology & biology degree. Answer posted 5/10/2007 |
Applications...Secondaries...Interviews...and then just not hearing anything. I was disappointed how many schools that cash application fees and then never have another communication with you.
George Dunham at St George's University School of Medicine (Caribbean), class of 2010.
Pre-med: Wake Forest University, Biology degree. Answer posted 5/2/2007 |
The hardest part about preparing for medical school was not knowing if I would get in. Its rough devoting time and money to a career that may not accept you. I made a commitment to give it everything I had; I worked hard and I made a lot of sacrifices. In the end, I was accepted to my top two choices on the first possible day that you could be accepted (without being early decision). I was lucky, in my case the hard work paid off.
Erik Amoroso at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2010.
Pre-med: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, B.S. Computer Science degree. Answer posted 8/17/2006 |
By far trying to study for the MCAT and trying to finish organic chemistry with decent grades as well as working 30+ hours a week at the same time. Other classes such as biology and gen chem came much easier to me on the other hand.
Chad Hall at The Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) (DO), class of 2009.
Pre-med: Utah Valley State, Biology degree. Answer posted 3/7/2007 |
During the summer, I studied for the MCAT and that was pretty tough. Although I did not need to take the MCAT before I applied to medical school, I definetly would consider that to be very difficult.
Having the mental toughness to do well in school while pursuing extracurricular activities is very challenging. Time management is key.
Brian Wolf at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (MD), class of 2011.
Pre-med: University of Miami 07, B.A Psychology degree. Answer posted 7/8/2006 |
Juggling work, school, and social life, at the same time volunteering and maintaing all that is expected of a pre-med student.
Zack Gangwer at Arizona Podiatric Medicine Program (AZPod) at Midwestern University (Podiatry), class of 2011.
Pre-med: Weber State University, Microbiology/Clinical Laboratory Science degree. Answer posted 12/29/2006 |
Staying dedicated when all of my friends were out partying.
Brian Dix at College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (Podiatry), class of 2011.
Pre-med: South Dakota State University, BS Biology degree. Answer posted 12/20/2006 |
The application process, studying for the MCAT and trying to maintain my grades.
Joel Hallam at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Georgia Campus (GA-PCOM) (DO), class of 2011.
Pre-med: Indiana State Univeristy, Chemistry degree. Answer posted 12/20/2006 |
For me, the hardest part was preparing for the MCAT entirely on my own. Living in such an isolated area, I had no peers to commiserate with or tutors/prep courses in the area; I was also working full-time. It definitely built character, and now I'm used to getting home at night after working for 8-10 hours and hitting the books for an additional 3-4.
Sarah Levin at Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University (AZCOM) (DO), class of 2011.
Pre-med: Wesleyan University, Neuroscience & Behavior degree. Answer posted 11/26/2006 |
Affording the plane tickets to interviews
Doug Christensen at Des Moines University - College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM) (Podiatry), class of 2011.
Pre-med: Loras, BA Secondary Education degree. Answer posted 10/10/2006 |
3 things. The MCAT for sure because of the preparation (it's like taking an extra 15 hours in college) and the mind-numbing 9 hours of total test time. Next one is the application itself. Gathering information and countless personal statements make this task tedious. But the hardest part is the waiting. You wait for months before the MCAT scores come out. Another few months before you hear if you got an interview. And then another few months before you find out if you got in, if you're in the waiting list, or if you have to do it all over again. The application process is like a roller coaster ride with peaks and valleys.
Chris Cruz at University of Texas Medical School at Houston (MD), class of 2010.
Pre-med: Texas A&M University, Biomedical Science degree. Answer posted 5/20/2006 |
the interview. everyone has good grades and mcat scores or they wouldnt bother applying. get some clinical experience and volunteer work on your resume if you want serious consideration.
Ehren Dueweke at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2010.
Pre-med: Kalamazoo College, Chemistry degree. Answer posted 8/21/2006 |
Sorry to have to say it, but school is a piece of cake compared with running your own business. I had so much time for my family and hobbies while I completed my undergraduate degree that it always felt like I was on vacation. After a year of medical school, it still feels that way.
If anything was hard about the process, it was not knowing if we were going to have to sell our house and move--and if we were moving, where we were going.
Bill Holmes at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: University of Arizona, Molecular & Cellular Bio/Anthropology degree. Answer posted 1/6/2006 |
Seeking out the necessary clinical experiences and studying for the MCAT.
Dana Marie Smith at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) (DO), class of 2010.
Pre-med: Ithaca College, B.A. Biology degree. Answer posted 6/24/2006 |
The hardest part for me was preparing for the volume of material taught in medical school. While in college, a topic may be covered over a week. In medical school, the same topic may be covered in less than an hour. Medical students must do tons of reading and studying on their own to acquire and master the topics.
Andrew Doan, MD, PhD
Andrew Doan at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (MD), class of 2001.
Pre-med: Reed College, B.A. in Biology degree. Answer posted 6/11/2006 |
The hardest part in preparing for medical school for me was the MCAT. Standardized tests have always been my enemy and I knew that the one thing that would potentially stop me from getting into medical school was the MCAT. Preparing for the MCAT as well as taking the test itself were very stressful for me.
Scott Larson at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: Idaho State University, Microbiology degree. Answer posted 10/23/2005 |
The length of time required to complete my pre-reqs. Oh, and studying for and taking the MCAT BEAST!!
Mindy Williams at Morehouse School of Medicine (MD), class of 2010.
Pre-med: University of South Alabama, BSN degree. Answer posted 5/31/2006 |
Organic Chem. :-)
I didn't think anything was really hard. But if I had to choose one thing, I would say the MCATs. I chose to take them cold turkey.
Robert Greenhagen at College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (Podiatry), class of 2008.
Pre-med: Briar Cliff University, B.S. in Biology degree. Answer posted 5/30/2006 |
Getting volunteering and shadowing experience.
Matt Tallar at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: UW-Milwaukee, Microbiology/Biotechnology degree. Answer posted 2/7/2006 |
Being humbled and having to step back to re-learn in order to move forward. My post-bac program did an excellent job of that.
Y.L.Rucker at Ohio State University College of Medicine (MD), class of 2011.
Pre-med: University of Rochester, Microbiology degree. Answer posted 5/12/2006 |
The harderst part in preparing for medical school is the pressure . You always hear people say how extremely hard it is and how competitive it is , so when it comes time for you to be ready youre never really sure if you are or not.
Mayra Coelho at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (MD), class of 2010.
Pre-med: University of Miami, Neuroscience degree. Answer posted 3/19/2006 |
I would have to say the verbal section on the MCAT (since English is NOT my first language)
Dina R at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Chicago Medical School (MD), class of 2008.
Pre-med: University of Toronto, Hon BSc degree. Answer posted 3/19/2006 |
I hated waiting and trudging through all that O-chem and chemistry to get to where I wanted to be. It was necessary at the time and I accepted the importance it played in my entry to med school, however, it seemed like I couldn't do what I really wanted to...you know rectal exams, inserting foleys that sort of thing.
Casey Lythgoe at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of .
Pre-med: B.Y.U.-Hawaii, Biochemistry degree. Answer posted 10/25/2005 |
The hardest part for me was finding the motivation and time to do all the extra-curriculars that I felt I needed to do in order to be competitive.
Jeff Hanson at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: Utah State University, Biology degree. Answer posted 2/11/2006 |
choosing activities that would set me apart from other applicants, choosing which schools to apply to, and paying for trips to interviews
Gregory Thom at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: University of CA, San Diego, BS; Management Science degree. Answer posted 2/8/2006 |
Mostly getting the motivation to get all the applications/essays/forms finished in good time. Also, the overall stress of "wondering" about what will happen was a pain in the rear, especially while trying to finish undergrad.
Marc Biedermann at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, BS Human Biology Health Sciences degree. Answer posted 2/6/2006 |
Being patient. I was always looking forward to the next step, whether that was the MCAT, or applying, or interviewing. I think it is hard to get through all the hurdles while still being patient enough to allow everything to sort itself out.
John Gannon at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of .
Pre-med: UCLA/ University of Utah, biological chemistry degree. Answer posted 1/10/2006 |
For me, the hardest part was quitting my job and going back to school full-time. I also had to get over my math and science phobia, since those were the courses I needed to take for medical school.
Amy Raubenolt at Ohio State University College of Medicine (MD), class of 2010.
Pre-med: Bowling Green State University, Spanish degree. Answer posted 1/13/2006 |
Figuring out who you are and whether or not you have the true desire to take on this profession that will have a major part in defining you as a person.
Joe Behn at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point, Biology degree. Answer posted 1/4/2006 |
To be honest, the application process was the hardest thing for me. After that I was quite relieved and just ready to begin!
Adam Mehring at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) (DO), class of 2008.
Pre-med: Grove City College, Molecular Biology degree. Answer posted 1/10/2006 |
One, the isolation that my major required. I went to a really small undergraduate university and there were very few Biology majors at my school. Moreover, being cooped up in a science lab with only the professor and maybe some other student got sorta discouraging.
Secondly, the MCAT had to be the toughest part of it all. There is so much you have to know for the test, and you can never feel like you know enough.
Jonathan Taylor at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) (DO), class of 2011.
Pre-med: Tennessee Temple University, Biology degree. Answer posted 1/2/2006 |
The toughest part was coming to grips with the fact that this application process is all a game... a very expensive game if you pay for all those blasted secondary applications. It's a big scam if you ask me. But I think all the hoop jumping prepares a person to become a physician because now that I'm 3 years into medical school, I am realizing that the hoop jumping never ends.
J Chang at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2007.
Pre-med: BYU, Neuroscience degree. Answer posted 7/28/2005 |
That stinking MCAT prepwork, but it pays off.
Aaron Beck at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: Concordia University Wisconsin, General Biology degree. Answer posted 1/3/2006 |
Knowing exactly what the process entailed. I really had only a vague understanding of the application process even months into my first application cycle. Websites like this one really help out in understanding where you stand and what you are up against.
Jesse Stringer at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Biology degree. Answer posted 8/31/2005 |
Choosing which schools I was most interested in and narrowing down my search. Also, the secondary applications were much more time-consuming than I had thought they'd be.
Kim Bentley at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: Duke, Biomedical Engineering degree. Answer posted 10/31/2005 |
I think that the hardest part is the MCAT. The stress, the studying, the remembering what you studied from a year ago, the waiting for the scores. Just work harder than I did and you should be fine.
Eric N. Swensen at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB-COM) (DO), class of .
Pre-med: Idaho State University, Bachelors of Arts in Spanish degree. Answer posted 8/1/2005 |
To me, trying to do all the extra-curricular activities and attending school full time besides spending time with family was hard. Moreover, we had decided that I would complete my BS degree in 3 years (I started over at zero credits since none of my credits from my first degree transferred). To do this, I had to take a very heavy class load and take courses each summer as well. To still have some family time, I could not work and our finances suffered.
Christian Becker at Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), class of 2009.
Pre-med: Idaho State University, Zoology degree. Answer posted 7/26/2005 |
