<p>how is the atmosphere at harvard for those doing pre-med and science majors? </p>
<p>i’ve heard a lot of stories about students who really wanted to be doctors, were focused etc etc who went to harvard (and others like it) and suddenly switched…</p>
<p>This is true in every college on the planet. The legend even when I was in school was that orgo separated out those who would continue and those who fell by the wayside. My daugher is premed and says its great with lots of opportunities to do research at HMS affiliated hospitals.</p>
<p>I made it past Orgo, and still decided not to be a doctor.</p>
<p>I think there are probably two combined phenomenon - an overly high number of talented high school seniors wanting to be doctors (perhaps because being an MD is the most visible/elite profession?). And then maybe an effect on the other side, where some students who truly want to be MDs (even after learning about everything else that’s out there) give up being premed because the process of becoming a doctor is so hard (rigorous premed requirements, MCAT, 4 years of expensive med school, the hell that is residency, etc).</p>
<p>In any case, I think Harvard is a great place to be premed. Our premed classes are challenging, but also supportive and students in them cooperate a lot with each other (I took most of them and have no regrets, even though I don’t “need” them now). And the House system works wonders for pre-med advising (writing letters of rec, finding appropriate med schools, pairing premeds with current doctors/current med students for advising). We’re also a school with a touch of grade inflation (or at least - no active “grade deflation” policy), which helps with GPA-sensitive med schools.</p>