WashU vs Barnard for pre-med

blossom
Thu, 04 May 2023 22:15:23 +0000

OP- yes, you can do pre-med and have a social life. But you will need to do three things to make that happen.

1- Develop excellent work habits (which you may have already done). When you are reading, you aren’t checking your phone. When you are writing a paper, you aren’t taking coffee breaks every five minutes. When you have a midterm on Friday, you aren’t partying on Thursday night until 2 am. You’ll need to be well organized and prioritize staying on track.

2- Be fully present. Don’t skip labs, lectures, review sessions just because nobody is taking attendance. You are paying to hear from professors, instructors, ask questions of TA’s. Get your money’s worth.

3- Know your own limits. Every college has its superstars who have a 4.0 GPA, are working part-time as an EMT, volunteer to do health screenings at a homeless shelter, and are part of the ultimate frisbee team and an a Capella group. If this is you- congrats. If this is not you, figure out what brings you joy AND advances your professional goals, and prioritize accordingly.

It is not easy to maintain a high GPA anywhere if you are taking the required courses to apply to med school. But MCAT’s aren’t easy; med school isn’t easy; rotations aren’t easy; residency isn’t easy. So understanding the demands of the path you are on is good practice for what comes later.

Good luck!