Most students that start the premed path drop out of this track because they are not able to maintain a competitive gpa. The premed classes are called “weed out” classes for a reason. Many will pursue other paths and even the best students will take gap years to gain more experience before committing to the expense of medical school. One bad semester and it becomes very challenging to bring that gpa up to a med school worthy gpa.
Premed is not a major. It refers to a set of classes you will need to apply to med school. Premed classes are not taught with the MCAT in mind so you will need to do your own self study for the exam. Everyone needs to have a plan B in case med school is not an option for them in the future.
If you were a straight A student in high school do not expect that the same level of effort will lead to all A’s in college. Everyone needs to come in knowing how to study efficiently and with good time management skills. Expect more than 75 percent of the students that start out as premed will never apply to med school and those that apply many will not be accepted and will have to reapply in another cycle. There are a lot of premeds out there but not all of them become med school students.
In undergrad you need to learn how to manage your time wisely. It’s up to you how you maintain that balance between academics and social activities. You get to set your priorities and decide your plan of action to be successful. Even in med school it is important to maintain a balance between academics and social to avoid burnout. You need to have an identity outside being a med school applicant. Med schools don’t just want students that know how to study but also interest/hobbies outside of the medical field.