Difficulty of Premed Classes

TopTier
Mon, 02 Jun 2014 18:58:41 +0000

I am sure you’ll soon receive excellent advice from current Duke undergraduates and recent alumni. I hope, however, this input will have some value. I’m an older, experienced alum who has remained very close to the University through service in a large number of senior volunteer alumni and governance positions. Through these experiences, my knowledge of Duke has remained current and, in fact, is much deeper than it was during my student tenure.

For many decades, Duke has had a remarkably successful record in pre-medical education. This area has been a great University forte, for approximately 80+ years, and it has unceasingly improved. Proof of this assertion is found both in the exceptionally large percentage of successful pre-Med’s who are admitted to respected professional schools and in the substantial number annual accepted by first tier medical schools.

Unquestionably, the pre-Med tracks are demanding; you’re going to work hard, or move to another curriculum, but not so hard that you won’t have both a complete undergraduate experience and some fun, relaxation and opportunities for learning beyond your pre-Med courses per se. Duke, after all, epitomizes the “work hard, play hard” culture.

So, I respectfully offer a few overriding suggestions:

1. Mange your time with great discipline; by doing so, you will probably be able to optimize your academic, recreational, personal and societal engagement priorities with greater success.

2. NEVER hesitate to request scholastic (or personal) advice from Duke professors, senior staff, administrators, advisors (and the pre-Med advisors have a superb reputation), fellow students, alumni and so forth.

3. As you conclude your undergraduate education and consider what medical school to attend, remember that your professors and advisors have aggregate centuries of valuable experiences to guide your decisions – and their extensive connections and shared respect with medical faculties can be a decisive factor in your acceptance by “the best” medical programs.

4. Also remember that a great deal of valuable learning takes place beyond the classroom, the laboratory and the library; in the long term, such enduring and highly valuable attributes as integrity, leadership, teamwork, self-sacrifice, character, empathy, and so forth not only will complement your formal education, but may actually prove more essential.

5. Have some fun; undergraduate life is supposed to be broader than academics and professional school preparation alone.

6. Finally, be GRATEFUL every single day; I know nothing of your background and your family’s circumstances (nor should I, obviously), however I do know that you have been blessed with an incredible set of very rare opportunities.

Good luck and my congratulations on your impending matriculation at Duke – a truly exceptional university that changes and enhances the lives of so many students.