Preparing for Medical School - Page 1

3 Preparing for Medical School

Program of college studies

Succeeding in college

Extracurricular and summer activities

The premedical advisor and/or committee

Postbaccalaureate programs

Humanistic aspects of premedical education

Checklist of college activities

PROGRAM OF COLLEGE STUDIES _________________________________

You should realize at the outset of your college career that every medical school admis-

sions committee will initially screen your application by viewing your grades as a

whole. This is expressed by your grade point average (GPA), which simply represents

the total of your average for each academic year divided by the number of years you

have attended college (usually three at the time you apply, plus any summer school

work completed). Then your science course average, your achievement in your major

and in the more challenging premedical requirements (such as organic chemistry and

physics), and honors work or independent study are all scrutinized. This means that it is

imperative that you apply all your talents (and remedy any deficiencies) at the time you

begin college studies. It is risky to wait until you are faced with serious academic prob-

lems to decide to buckle down to the demands of your courses. It is difficult, although

certainly not impossible, to rectify the results of one unimpressive semester, let alone an

entire year. Thus, for example, a B or 3.0 for your first freshman semester will give you

a maximum B+ or 3.5 average for the year only if your second semester is straight A or

4.0. Similarly, a 3.0 for the entire freshman year would demand a perfect sophomore

year to bring you up to a B+ level. In addition, a mediocre semester or a mediocre year

can seriously undermine your self-confidence and raise doubts about the wisdom of

your career decision. This type of situation is undoubtedly one of the underlying factors

in the significantly high incidents of changes in majors among freshman premeds.

Your Major

Historically, premedicine has changed to keep pace with advancements in medical edu-

cation. In colonial America, premedical education as such was nonexistent. However, as

medical education became more sophisticated, so by necessity did premedical education

come into existence. During this century there have been varying trends in premedical

programming. The older school of thought was that a specialized preprofessional pro-

gram was mandatory. As a result, a formal "premedical major" with a prescribed pro-

gram of study was established. A strong movement away from this approach began in

the mid-1950s. Students were encouraged to select any major that was of interest, but if

it was in one of the sciences (as was frequently the case) they were also urged to obtain

broad exposure to the humanities and social sciences as well. Currently the pressure,

due to diminished time allotted to the basic sciences in medical school, has given impe-

tus to encouraging students to complete more science courses in college, so that the pen-

dulum has swung somewhat in the direction of a science major. While completing a

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