Pre Med Advice for 1st Years (or any year!)

PreMedAlum
Mon, 05 Aug 2013 20:25:17 +0000

As many know, the pre-med track can be pretty challenging. It is important to excel to the best of your ability while taking a demanding course load. The following pre-med reqs are required: 1 year of general biology with lab, 1 year of general chemistry with lab, 1 year of organic chemistry with lab, and 1 year of physics with lab. My best advice is to take these courses in that order. I would not recommend taking physics and organic chemistry within the same academic year. Some students may find that they excel in the more introductory courses, such as biology or chemistry, and struggle with the more challenging courses such as organic chemistry and physics. The best rookie advice I can give is SEEK HELP when it’s needed. There is no shame in asking for help and reaching out to a tutor. In fact, getting a private tutor was my saving grace while taking my pre med courses! For anyone looking for an excellent pre-med tutor, whether it be one on one session, or a small group session, I would HIGHLY recommend Steve Donaldson ([Premed Tutor](http://www.stevedon.com/sciencemathtutor/)) (srd2z@virginia.edu). He is amazingly brilliant in ALL courses (orgo, chem, and physics). He also has MCAT (medical college admission test) tutoring available. Along with his strong academic background, he is extremely personable and makes a personal investment in his students. I used Steve as my tutor throughout my college career, and my grades improved significantly 1.5-2 letter grades! He is priced reasonably and located close enough near Grounds where 1st years can reach him via University Bus System. Despite Steve being my tutor, he also served as my academic mentor, in which he was able to provide beneficial insight into perspective medical fields.

GOOD LUCK PRE MEDS!