When people talk about being pre-med, the countless hours of work and continuous drain of energy immediately come to mind. We know going through the pre-med requirements as undergraduates isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite activity, especially since the list of medical school expectations goes far beyond the scope of just classes. But is being pre-med really that bad?
Let’s take a look beyond the obvious.
Being pre-med doesn’t just mean you’re willing to study extra hours to get spectacular grades; it also means you make the most of your free time. You spend a majority of your hours doing something productive: volunteering, research, studying, reading, etc. In comparison with many other college students who spend hours socializing, hanging out, or watching “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”, you spend your hours pouring over textbooks and contributing to the community.
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So, does being pre-med equal being anti-social?
No! It definitely doesn’t. As a consequence of your involvement with extracurricular activities, you tend to work with various people throughout the day. This means you get to build relationships with the people with whom you work or volunteer. Since you are communicating with others, this automatically crosses off “anti-social” from the popular pre-med traits list.
You are also constantly being exposed to dynamic environments. Through volunteering, you have the opportunity to go into the community and participate in some project or movement that suits your specific interests. Ideally, being pre-med allows you to familiarize yourself with the community and get to know the commitment it takes to serve before you actually launch into the profession.
Apart from encouraging you to engage in activities within your school and community, being pre-med helps you find your passions. Through these activities, you will discover what aspects of your work ignite you. The more interested you become, the more you actively push yourself to achieve your goals and make a change.
Just because the undergraduate “pre-med” title comes with an intimidating workload, it doesn’t mean the work itself is dreadful. In the end, it’s only for you to grow as a person and get comfortable with the high standards and self-discipline expected of you once you move to higher institutions and become a practicing professional.
Through this journey, you are going to become a better educated, well-rounded member of the community. It is to your own benefit that you get the most out of your undergraduate pre-med experience.
So lighten up, because being pre-med isn’t really all that bad!
Feature Image Source: medical school brisbane (41) by bertknot
