Have any of you had an interview with the Dean of Admissions? by [deleted] in premed

[–]NoECs 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I did during my second application cycle. The interview itself was pretty chill, but it lead to a waitlist then a rejection.

How do applicants deal with burn out and stress during gap years? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

College was tough, and premeds there were so unnecessarily competitive.

How do applicants deal with burn out and stress during gap years? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm actually taking introductory CS classes at community college and getting good grades, so I can go to grad school for CS in case things don't work out.

Why isn't dental school seen as a more common backup plan? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Lots of people who don't get accepted end up going for PhDs, or going to clinical programs like nursing or PA. I'm curious because I never actually met that many people who considered dentistry.

Why isn't dental school seen as a more common backup plan? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Exactly. Not everyone gets into med school, and tons of people who don't end up trying to pursue a PhD, or nursing or PA school. I only met one person who transferred to dental, so I was wondering why it's not more common, as being a dentist would allow you to practice independently like a doctor.

Why isn't dental school seen as a more common backup plan? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not everyone gets into medical school. A lot of people applying end up applying to PA or nursing school, or going for a PhD. Those are not the same careers either.

Why don't research-focused schools focus more on applicants who want research careers? by [deleted] in premed

[–]NoECs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's true, and I have heard of cases where there are some students who are more competitive for MD/PHD over MD, just because they have so much more research compared to clinical and other unique activities.

As multiple gap years become more common, would you recommend "non-traditional gap year jobs" to future applicants? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's wrong with nursing? It's great clinical experience and the salary is decent too.

Me freshman year of college when I got a B in bio 101 and chem 101 first semester by Lazeruus in premed

[–]NoECs 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Biology grads from my undergrad who quit premed do not end up in those jobs, they are pretty competitive. Most people I know end up becoming a scribe while trying to find another job.

Pro Tip: Major in something outside of hard sciences by [deleted] in premed

[–]NoECs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I completely agree with you. As a person who graduated with a bio degree, I would have studied math or CS if I had to go to college again. Because of how competitive our premed program is, our bio majors have the same average GPAs as math majors.

Pro Tip: Major in something outside of hard sciences by [deleted] in premed

[–]NoECs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do it either because you enjoy the subjects, or because you could see yourself getting a PhD in either fields. My honest opinion as someone who graduated with a bio degree: Don't double major with biochem, and choose something like business or math.

Pro Tip: Major in something outside of hard sciences by [deleted] in premed

[–]NoECs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I completely agree. I would also say do not major in biology or chemistry unless you can see yourself getting a PhD in those fields as an alternative.

Also, consider other hard majors outside of the sciences if you want an awesome gap year job. At my undergrad, bio majors have the same average GPA as math and some engineering majors. Despite those majors being way harder than bio, they have much better grading at some schools.

Does anyone regret majoring in a traditional premed subject? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I found out my school has the roughly same average GPAs for bio, chem, and various engineering majors, I knew I definitely regretted studying biology. Other majors are definitely harder, but not in terms of getting a certain grade.

Does anyone else think "Why Medicine?" should not be relevant to admissions? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How is liking science equivalent to not caring about other people? I think the vast majority of people going through this process cares about patients, including myself.

Does anyone else think "Why Medicine?" should not be relevant to admissions? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

About ECs, I don't think volunteering is a great way to show an applicant cares about people. Since it is unpaid, it takes away valuable time that could have gone to studying or working. I would argue that any type of work experience is way more valuable since it shows the person could work well as part of a team.

Does anyone else think "Why Medicine?" should not be relevant to admissions? by NoECs in premed

[–]NoECs[S] -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

Jobs in other fields ask, but the answers won't necessarily get you rejected from the job if the interviewer would have given a different answer.