A Bit of Medical School Advice
Written by Prerak Juthani (PEACE Advisor)
So, I’m applying to medical school right now, and I figured I would do a bit of reflecting (will do more of this as I finish up secondaries). With that being said, here are some things you should consider as you embark on your medical journey:
1) Do you LOVE science? If yes, awesome. If not, are you WILLING to fall in love with science?
Both of these questions are perhaps the most essential to the your journey. The classes that you will have over the next four years will be hard, challenging, and even surreal at times. And if you don’t have the willingness to put your time, effort and energy into learning, it will be difficult to stay committed. Personally, I didn’t have too big of an appreciation for science coming in, but Cal helped me see how freaking amazing it is. Having that open mindset was critical because I was able to mold my personality in a fashion that was conducive to the pre-med curriculum.
2) Are you willing to ask for help and grow to learn new things?
A lot of students at Cal (rightfully so) are not accustomed to asking for help. After all, most are coming from being the top of their respective classes in high school. Nevertheless, I can’t tell you how many times I was clueless in college. During those times, I learned from others and spent tons of time just going to OH. This was huge for me because I came to see how much there is to learn. More importantly, it taught me that asking for help is NEVER (even after undergrad) a form of weakness. If anything, it makes you a more well-rounded individual and fosters your curiosity (both of which are essential should you want to become a physician eventually).
Those are the two main tips for now. I’ll add more as I come move forward. As usual, I am not trying to discourage anyone. I know you all are super competent, and I am sure you will be successful. I’m just sharing this because I personally feel that I would have benefitted from hearing this when I was in your shoes 🙂
Happy August!
1) Do you LOVE science? If yes, awesome. If not, are you WILLING to fall in love with science?
Both of these questions are perhaps the most essential to the your journey. The classes that you will have over the next four years will be hard, challenging, and even surreal at times. And if you don’t have the willingness to put your time, effort and energy into learning, it will be difficult to stay committed. Personally, I didn’t have too big of an appreciation for science coming in, but Cal helped me see how freaking amazing it is. Having that open mindset was critical because I was able to mold my personality in a fashion that was conducive to the pre-med curriculum.
2) Are you willing to ask for help and grow to learn new things?
A lot of students at Cal (rightfully so) are not accustomed to asking for help. After all, most are coming from being the top of their respective classes in high school. Nevertheless, I can’t tell you how many times I was clueless in college. During those times, I learned from others and spent tons of time just going to OH. This was huge for me because I came to see how much there is to learn. More importantly, it taught me that asking for help is NEVER (even after undergrad) a form of weakness. If anything, it makes you a more well-rounded individual and fosters your curiosity (both of which are essential should you want to become a physician eventually).
Those are the two main tips for now. I’ll add more as I come move forward. As usual, I am not trying to discourage anyone. I know you all are super competent, and I am sure you will be successful. I’m just sharing this because I personally feel that I would have benefitted from hearing this when I was in your shoes 🙂
Happy August!
