Being the first generation in my immediate family to pursue a career in medicine, I’ve always heavily relied on what society and movies/TV-shows portray about the process of becoming a doctor. Growing up, being able to actually sit down and talk with someone that has been through this experience or knows of someone who did was rare. Technically, I knew medicine would be a career that would teach me more about the human body and the diseases that affect it. It would enable me to help others with my knowledge and empathy. But it would also be a very challenging career, where I would have to prove myself over and over again and surpass many obstacles along the way. Sure, I knew that. What I didn’t know was that the years before that would be a whole lot of overwhelming preparation for what was yet to come.
Don’t get me wrong. I love what I study and I love the future I envision having as a doctor, but being a premed is quite taxing. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. Here are some things about what the pre-med track would be like that I wish I knew before starting out college:
(Disclaimer: I advise you to take all of this with a grain of salt. It’s only a reflection of my experience and it shouldn’t be taken as an example of everyone else’s)
- Your willingness to follow through with your dreams will be challenged at least more than once
When I started out college, I was taking what pre-med students at my university call “La tripleta”. Which is General Chemistry, General Biology, and a math-related class. The fact that that mix of classes has its own name should tell you all you need to know about it.
At first, things were going great and I was on top of everything… Until I wasn’t and I got my first bad grade. And then another one. And then another one in a different class. I, a student that graduated with a 4.0 GPA from high school, was borderline failing two classes. I immediately felt like a failure and like I just wasn’t good enough to keep going through this route. I remember crying about how I would have to leave a path that I had been so excited to pursue since I was a kid. Now, how am I still here you might ask? Because of that last sentence. I cried over the possibility of leaving something I had been working so hard towards. Something I really wanted to accomplish with my life. In that moment I learned that the most precious piece of information you can hold on to during these years is the reason why you even embarked on this path in the first place. And also know that you won’t always be a straight A-student, and that’s totally normal. You’ll have courses where you’ll do better and some in which you’ll do worse and it’s just part of the process.
- There will be times when you’ll feel like you’re behind in everything
With this, I don’t mean just behind with tasks and assignments. I also mean behind in “goals” and “achievements”. As a pre-med student, comparison is always creeping up on your back. Inevitably you see how everyone else has X amount of research projects and extracurricular activities and you’re left feeling like there’s still so much stuff you should do to potentially compete with them when it comes to medical school application season. And yes, I know that that is one thing they always criticize about us pre-med students, but it’s just the sad reality of it. There is only a small amount of seats available at each medical school, and you want the odds in your favor. I’m here to remind you that while your feelings will be valid, they don’t define you and your success story. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone’s path is unique and definitely never linear. Everyone has their ups and downs. Just keep working hard, strive for the opportunities you want, and take things one step at a time. If you receive a rejection from any of your endeavors on the way, take it as redirection to where you have to go.
- Controversial Topic: First-gen pre-med students have it worse
So… this is kind of a full circle moment towards the introduction where I mentioned that I’m the first in my close family to pursue medicine. I find that it is controversial to say we have it worse because I in no shape or form want to invalidate other student’s feelings, BUT I must say that if you’re a student on the pre-med track and your parents or uncles or grandparents work as doctors, you immediately have an advantage over everyone else. Right off the bat, you have direct communication with someone who knows the system because they’ve already gone through it. They know first-hand what medical schools are looking for, how a doctor should be, and what a doctor does. Heck! They can even connect you to shadowing and clinical volunteering opportunities not many people have. If you, reader, are in the same situation as me, don’t feel discouraged. Luckily, we live in a time where information and communication with the outside world is always at your reach. With a simple Google search, you’ll find tons of information and a lot of people in your area you could potentially go to for advice. Some Instagram accounts I love that do exactly this are @cianchinimed and @puertorromed in Instagram. So make sure to check out their pages.
- There is no guidebook to this and you don’t have to do things you don’t feel a passion for
There is no right or wrong way to make your pre-med years count. There isn’t really a list of activities you “have” to do or “things” you should have on your resume. Sure, there are some qualities you should demonstrate with the things you do, but there is no formula for getting into med school. The best thing I can tell you is, make sure you meet the requirements for med school, but be true to yourself and what you’re actually interested in. Don’t participate in activities, leadership roles, or research proposals, if you’re really not passionate about it. Sooner or later, your lack of interest will show.
- Seek methods to control your anxiety before you dive into this major. You’ll need them.
Given the great majority of students in this field of study that suffer from burning out constantly, mental health is extremely important to keep up with. Although one can always learn to handle things as they come, if I could go back in time, I would make sure to develop better coping mechanisms for anxiety before starting college. This will not only help you at the moment, but you’ll eventually build upon those mechanisms and evolve in the way you respond to stressful situations. By the time you reach medical school, you’ll be more prepared to handle whatever comes your way.
Although it’s true that college is a learning process for all and there are just some things you must experience and understand on your own, it’s always good to have someone there to guide you and tell you what you should look out for. I hope this article helped you out a bit if you’re planning on embarking on the pre-med track, know that there will be times when things will get hard, but things always come back around. Don’t give up!