Hey all,
I’m going to attend the University of Houston on a full ride this fall and I’m looking for ways to expand my resume.
I’m interested in going to medical school at Baylor College of Medicine for now but of course I am fresh out of high school and I am still open to many options.
Here is a list of things I’ve done outside of high school so far that MAY be good. You tell me, please.
-Rice University research internship (2 weeks)
- shadowed physicians at Texas Children’s Hospital (40hrs+ Viewed surgeries in OR, sat in clinic consults with over 5 physicians) also - I can still return to do this for as much as I want to
- Working at Kumon tutoring center (Beginning of 2015-present)
I’ve done countless googling about internships in the medical center and the ones I am most interested in is the summer ones at BCM and UT Health.
UH is a big school and I understand that there will be a lot of competition for research opportunities, but I should definitely email and approach professors right? Should I email them now?
Furthermore, I want to have a high GPA so would it be wise for me to take college algebra first before taking cal 1 because I took pre-cal senior year.
Other pre-med students please share what you are doing/have done/plan to do?
Any medical students, advice please?
All advice is welcome and will be MUCH appreciated. Thank you
Much too soon to be picking specific medical schools. You won’t know for a few years whether you’re competitive for BCM.
RE: retaking college algebra. Unless you did poorly in pre-calc and feel you have a weak math foundation, you should go ahead and take calc. Taking college algebra (which is basically high school algebra all over again…) could be construed as trying to pad your GPA and med school adcomms don’t look favorably on that. Also since UH requires its bio majors to take 5 (http://catalog.uh.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=6&poid=1578&returnto=1129) math classes, taking college algebra will just cut into your available electives and delay your required math sequence completion.
You can contact profs about research positions now if you want, but don’t expect to get many (or any) responses. (It’s summer! Even professors get to take vacations.) If you learned any specific lab techniques/skills at Rice, be sure to include these on your CV.
Consider that you may want to hold off on getting involved with lab research and taking on additional activities until you see how well you’re adjusting to the college workload. You don’t want to crash & burn and be one of those posters who comes back in year asking how to fix a poor freshman GPA.
I made on average a B in pre-cal and there were times where I would actually study and make an A but I was into that whole senioritis ordeal during second semester. My only concern is the placement test they make us take. You need a 65 to pass so should I study everything intensively for a few days before taking the test? There’s 2 tries, the test needs to be complete before orientation in order to enroll in the math class (I have orientation in 3 weeks).
Thanks so much
My $0.02 --study and try to place out of college algebra.
BTW, get used to studying intensively. For pre-meds (and med students), it’s a way of life….
“Consider that you may want to hold off on getting involved with lab research and taking on additional activities until you see how well you’re adjusting to the college workload. You don’t want to crash & burn and be one of those posters who comes back in year asking how to fix a poor freshman GPA.”
Pay attention! This is key. Most pre-meds crash and burn their first year because they under-estimate the workload. You want to have a social life, get enough sleep, and still do well academically. The only EC that’s important this year is your pre-med association where students more ‘advanced’ in the curriculum can give you advice.
Think about your EC’s a bit later. You may look for some like volunteering, but focus on your academics to begin with. With established high college GPA, it is not that hard to find internships at your college, it may take just one email to a person in charge. So, one step at a time. And make sure you live a balanced life and manage time effectively. If you were involved in many un-related ECs in HS, it is a bit plus as you got that time management skill already. Get involved in college life, find your “circle of friends”, you will need a lot of support away from home.
Agreeing with above as to academics/ECs: dont dig yourself into a hole GPA wise as a freshman. I know it’s easy to believe that if you do dig yourself into a GPA hole early, all you have to do is get straight As from then on, but believing you can get straight As and actually doing it may not be the reality and the mental stress of trying to do so may be too much and result in a change of career plans.