Just decided I want to go to medical school, now what?

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1

Hey everyone,

I’ve posted before, but I guess I’ll give you all some updates on my stats.

I’m at SUNY community college right now with a 4.0. I’m in the honors program. I have some extracurriculars and volunteer experiences too. Nothing spectacular, just the average joe type of stuff (LGBT advocacy, soup kitchens, etc). I do work full-time as well. I actually do sort of interesting work with A-list celebrities, although I won’t name drop, but if you Google my company (which I assume admissions might) - you will see what I do.

Uhhh. I just decided I want to go to medical school, which I assume means I have to transfer into the pre-medical track at a SUNY school. I was thinking about SBU, but I don’t know?

What should I do from here? Where should I look? I’m new to this and first ever in my family to go to college at all. Also would I be able to still study English and/or Writing as a pre-med student?

HELP!!!

Thanks,
Amanda

2

There isn’t really a pre-med track. You need to take the pre-med pre-requisites, but can major in anything as long as you do that.

3

Okay, thank you for that info! See, I’m totally new to this. Totally lost. Dunno who I should even speak to about this? Haha!

4

This is what you need to do, overall:

  • find a major where you’ll be a stellar student
  • complete a set of pre-reqs that will serve as background for your actual medical studies (like: you won’t study math in med school, but if you don’t know the math concepts you’re supposed to have covered and mastered in college, you won’t be able to understand and do what you’re supposed to.) Be in the top 10-20% students in each class.
  • find a professor who does research on a topic of interest and ask if you can be an assistant in the lab. At first, you’ll do grunt work, and if you prove hard working and reliable your level of responsibility will rise.
  • get an EMT certificate or volunteer at a clinic
    In June of senior year, you’ll take the MCAT and apply to Med School.
    During Senior year, you’ll do research/work at a clinic (etc), and fly around the country to interview. This is called a “Glide year”. (You could also apply to med school as a junior but it’s virtually impossible since you’re just starting on the pre-reqs.)

More precisely:

  • absolutely, major in English. :slight_smile: It’s actually a good major for a premed, good results.
  • the pre-reqs are the following:
    1 semester of calculus, 1 semester of statistics or biostatitics (or both), 2 semesters of inorganic chemistry with lab, 2 semesters of organic chemistry, 1 semester of Biochemistry, 2 semesters of Physics for biological sciences, recommended 1 semester of neuroscience, 2 semesters of English (writing/composition, freshman seminar, literature, communication…), 1 semester of psychology, 1 semester of sociology, a diversity-focused class, and if possible a language spoken by immigrants (can be Spanish, but also Creole French, Urdu, Korean, Hmong, Thai, Wolof, Susu, etc. Some of these languages may not be taught at college and may be learned through community education and practiced at the local clinic.) Philosophy classes in Ethics and Logic are also useful.

Med Schools DO NOT care where you went to school. So, apply widely, and not just to SBU. Cortland or Geneseo or New Paltz could be excellent, too. Look at Barnard, Vassar, Skidmore, Hamilton, or St Lawrence if you’re willing to try for more selective schools (a good “brand name” in case the med school plan doesn’t pan out + smaller classes and more resources for premeds). Not sure what their FA policy for transfers is, though.
You could also apply to Cornell CALS - Communication and Health would nicely combine your interests, for instance, and since they’re part of the contract colleges at Cornell as a New Yorker, you’d pay “instate tuition”!
http://admissions.cals.cornell.edu/academics/majors/communication/
http://admissions.cals.cornell.edu/academics/majors/development-sociology/

5

These New York colleges are listed in an online source, “The Experts Choice: Colleges with Great Pre-med Programs”:

Hamilton
Colgate

Columbia
Cornell
Binghamton

Hamilton, in particular, has a nationally recognized writing program (as well as an open curriculum).

6

Hamilton would probably be a great choice. They do HEOP BU T I don’t know whether they applies to suny-cc transfers.