DON'T Listen to Your Premed Advisor | Here's Why
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- When should you follow the advice from premed advisors and when should you look elsewhere? Here's how to decide and position yourself optimally to get into medical school.
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TIME STAMPS:
00:45 - What are Premed Advisors Good For?
01:55 - Their Credentials (or Lack Thereof)
02:44 - Lacking Understanding of Statistics
04:12 - Minimal Medical School & Residency Understanding
05:45 - Easily Manipulated Due to Lacking Expertise
LINKS FROM VIDEO:
My Caribbean Medical School Experience: • My Caribbean Medical S...
My Caribbean Experience Follow Up (Second Video): • Caribbean Medical Scho...
MD vs DO vs Caribbean: • MD vs DO vs Caribbean ...
Best Major for Premeds: • The BEST PRE-MED MAJOR...
#medicalschool #medicalschoolapplication #premed
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Disclaimer: Content of this video is my opinion and does not constitute medical advice. The content and associated links provide general information for general educational purposes only. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Kevin Jubbal, M.D. and Med School Insiders LLC will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death. May include affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you).
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I feel bad for any pre med advisor watching this. We don't hate you, we just don't get the motivation we need from you.
I have personally selected multiple people to advise me because I noticed that my pre-med advisor did not fit my specific situation. She is use to advising certain type of people and it shows.
You ha e no idea how right you are. My pre med advisor to me that since her husband teaches med students she knows what she is talking about and told me I will not get into med school since my chem was not very powerful.
motivation shouldn't be coming from an advisor
It’s not about motivation. It’s about needing accurate information.
@@M16xDr0pSh0tz wish I knew that freshmen year
My pre-med advisor literally majored in art history
Lol
It’s bad that it’s art but the fact that it’s the history of art is a whole new level of useless.
@@RobertA-bj7ou thats not what art history is lol
I know someone who majored in queer studies... she currently works at target and sephora
@@RobertA-bj7ou proceeds to fail art, history, and art history
You also forgot that a lot of pre-med advisor can be VERY discouraging. My freshman year of college during mid terms I went to see my advisor and I had a “C” in my zoology class but an “A” in history and she told me , verbatim....
“I don’t know doesn’t look like you’re doing too good in your science class , medicine might not be for you but you look like you might like history “
I ended up getting an “A” in that class at the end of the semester
3 years later I was having a conversation with a freshman that was in the same pre -health professional club as me and she had basically told her the same thing because she made ONE “C” in anatomy class and told her she wasn’t going to get into nursing school, now she’s about to graduate from it
Ultimately, looking beyond comments like this is part of the conviction needed to get into medical school. The suck, but this is a barrier that all pre-meds need to overcome to do well when applying. Just like your nursing friend, she pushed past the negativity and did well for herself regardless of what anyone said. Good for her!
Your advisor is probably right with 90% of the scenarios, but it's important to remember they are an "advisor" for a reason. Anyone can make the change if they really work hard enough.
If I would have listened to my premed advisor, I wouldn't be the US MD I am today or gotten my 5 US MD acceptances in 2016. Some of them are just atrocious.
This is pretty much what my advisor told me, except I'm not even planning on medical school. I had a "C" in my chemistry class, despite the pandemic.
I guess only time will tell, but I purchased the chemistry book I will be using next semester and plan on reviewing it before classes begin.
My Gen Bio I and II professor was also my advisor, and she pulled this one on me. I hadn't hit my stroke in undergrad, yet, so she encouraged me to ask my English professor what kind of creative arts jobs I could get... I still got top 8% on the MCAT and I'm halfway through medical school now.
That’s terrible your premed advisor was so discouraging!
My Premed advisor had a Masters in Biomedical Sciences and regularly took the MCAT and Caspr. He also met with the Dean of Admissions at our state medical school regularly. I was pretty fortunate to have an advisor who's education was essentially based on being a premed advisor.
wow
That is an amazing professional
These are the type of people I like. They go above and beyond to learn the process and stay updated with the process to see how students can really be their best.
what college you went to
I decided I was going to change gears and go to medical school during my junior year of college.
I spoke to a pre-med advisor from my college once. She kinda seemed to blow me off since I guess she figured I wasn’t serious, so I decided I’d do it without her.
I did. I’m going to DO school this fall.
Congrats. And unfortunately the advisors at DO schools will suck just as much as your pre-med advisors. The residency matching advice is just god awful.
That’s dope!
That’s great! How did you get around getting the premed advisor recommendation when applying? It seems like a lot of DO schools ask for that and a lot of undergrad premed advisors aren’t really that great.
Roman Loper
Usually it’s considered not as potent as a premed board letter, but letters from 1 science professor and 2 other professors can serve as a replacement for a lot of medical schools.
So I had a professor who I was a research assistant for, my biomechanics professor, and my physics 2 professor write letters.
In the end, I feel it kinda worked better than the board interview for me since firstly, I don’t interview very well. Secondly, I had a good, professional relationship with the research professor, the biomechanics professor respected me and was the head of the department, and I’d absolutely aced my physics 2 course so she was more than happy to get to know me and speak to my character.
They kinda just knew me better than a random board would. You know?
@@romanloper1610 Just substitute the letters. DO schools are not that anal about pre-med committee letters as MD schools are. My school didn't have a pre-med committee luckily (it did have an advisor, who of course was useless).
It is really surprising that Premed advisors do not need a proper qualification and can advise so out off their comfort zone! Great video!
Well you got PhDs without a teaching degree or certification teaching your classes. Its not really a surprise that standards are not that high for advising.
I hire pre-med advisors at The University of Texas at Dallas: hired 8 in the past 2 years, screened hundreds of applicants. Their previous education hardly matters--there's no BS Pre-med Advising. Instead, you hire someone who's smart and sensitive, who cares deeply about helping students succeed, then train them in pre-med advising using the wealth of current info available only to professional advisors through AAMC and NAAHP, through the mentorship of veteran advisors, and by sending them to professional development conferences. It takes about 3 years for an advisor to become thoroughly knowledgeable.
Also, this video is trash. I'm sorry the "dozen advisors" this guy met weren't knowledgeable, but his implication that they're all giving wrong answers, or that they're all corrupt because some have visited a Caribbean school, is absurd. None of the bad advice he describes is at all common, or aligned to the best practices of the NAAHP.
At UT Dallas, students who work with pre-health advisors have double the admissions rate to med school of students who don't. If you find different advice on the internet than what your advisor gives, do NOT assume the internet is correct. Instead, ask the advisor to explain the discrepancy.
My premed advisor : you must get good grades
Me after seeing the title : hmmmmmmmmm
Rajeev Vij getting good grades is important you fool and what does whoosh mean
@@davisjohn1517 It means the sarcasm of the original post went over their head.
When's the diss track coming out?
Good luck everyone and thanks for watching! And yes, all the examples I listed in the video were based on real conversations I had with a dozen different premed advisors.
For someone complaining about an entire field of workers being underprepared and lacking the ability to provide research based information, you sure went all in on making claims without any valid research methods of your own. I know not every advisor is good at their job, but neither is every doctor. I sure won't be making a video called "doctors are lying to you" making broad claims about all just on conversations with a few of them.
@@buffalostreeter I kind of agree with you... A video criticizing premed advisors using anecdotal evidence to give advice based on anecdotal conversations with premed advisors at unnamed schools...the premed advisor at my school was actually very good and there is nuance to this topic.
Had my college's pre-med advisor look at my scholarship essay - didn't even spot a few grammar error. Can't answer a lot of my med school application related questions (very generic questions) I think maybe she was hired because she was principle's relative?😂😂😂
"They say Caribbean isn't a bad option" that's all I needed to hear.
Nobody ever says that. But I have some colleagues who did med school in the Caribbean and they are excellent physicians.
suzipuzi2001 actually yeah they do say that and you’re entitled to your own opinion 😁
Hmm well that surprises me. I thought it was common knowledge that Caribbean schools are inferior and viewed inferiorly by the medical community.
@@suzipuzi2001 Actually Pre-meds who never even took step 1 or any medical licensing exams, are viewed as inferior by the medical community, also Caribbean medical graduates ARE the medical community. The schools that match the most residents are the Caribbean. Also kind of hard to call someone inferior when they outperform the average US medical student on board exams. And yes a good number of carib grads will get board scores, you would never get in 10 years of studying.
#1 thing I love about Dr. Jubbal: my man always tells the truth and doesn’t give a f*** what others think of his honest opinion. We need more people like you Dr. Jubbal.
My premed advisor told me it's better to graduate in four years will subpar grades than spreading my classes out, graduating in an extra semester or two but end up with A's. Yeah right, definitely not listening to her.
Worst advice I’ve ever heard
so dumb omg! No my friend GPA is the king
Better to graduate in 4 years but not at the cost of your grades and quality of learning.
I just got into an accelerated DO medical program. I know DOs aren’t as noticed as MDs but I think this program is a good fit for me, partly because they have really good faculty and advisors. The advisors have been doing this for a long time and know exactly how to help. I’m nervous, but excited and hopeful. Your channel has been a huge help for me and my parents throughout this process!
Phil Sheridan I had no idea there’s an accelerated Do program! Do you mind sharing the name of your school?
DO's are going to be doing their residenship along MD's so the differences will be even less now
Of my many DO colleagues, I can't think of one who wasn't an excellent doctor and delightful colleague
thenightdances21 Yours To Lose accelerated medical program. It is at Missouri Southern State University partnered with Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, accepts your to 25 students per year. Waives tuition for the three years of undergrad. You get a bachelors in Biology in the first three years. Every course you take is geared towards the medical field, even the Spanish class focus on patient interaction. I highly advise checking it out. KCU-MB is one of the top DO medical schools and I know several doctors from there that are amazing. Right now there is literally no competition in that program, they interviewed 17 and accepted 16, 2 declined. Minimum ACT is a 28 with a 3.5 gpa I believe. During the summer of second year the students take a trip to Italy to learn about the history behind early medicine as part of a history class. It’s a really cool program that has everything I wanted, best of luck!
When it comes to major choosing, here is something I realized
1. Bio major: typical major, cookie cutter when getting into med school, but will understand med school content
2. Biomed major: same, but will have greater familiarity with med school content. Downside could be lower grades as it can be challenging. However, the upside I have personally seen is the excellent connections with likeminded students. (You get all the latest inside news though). It can prepare you for back ups such as optometry in case medical school does not work out.
3. Non-science major: uniqueness which will help a candidate stand out from the applicant pool, however there would be less familiarity with med school content unless they focus on their own. Depending on the difficulty of major, it can definitely help increase one’s GPA.
4. Engineering major: I heard they do well on the MCAT, could help them stand out from other majors in the applicant pool, but since it’s a more challenging major, there’s a chance for a lower GPA than the rest of the applicant pool. If one knows how to be an good engineer, they can start making money before med school or pursue engineering if nothing else works.
6. Health science major: I was a health science major. Lab technology to be specific. Low GPA due to the challenge but provided a back up health science related career in case med school didn’t work. The upside is having a career with a bachelor’s degree and also understanding diseases from a clinical perspective.
If anyone wants to add anything, feel free to do so. ☺️
This is super helpful! Thank you so much. I’m a struggling pre-med student right now.
I feel like most of the pre-meds I've encountered thus far are chemistry majors, I'm not sure why this is though. There seem to be many chem majors going into pharmacy as well. It also seems like other kids going the biology route are more interesting in PA and Nursing for some reason even with our more related health science majors. I'm also a math minor in addition to my biology major and looking at MCAT results it appears math majors score the best in many categories, but I think this is due to the critical thinking skills developed and not necessarily specific things learned in undergrad. Plus, nobody is going to turn down a candidate because they are good at math, who wouldn't want one of them around.
Carson Heinze I can confirm my math skills DID help me during the MCAT. It’s a timed test, and I found shortcuts that I bet others didn’t. So yes, good for you. Keep it up.
Kawaii Potato Absolutely. Keep an open mind there’s always more than this list. For example; my former coworker is a bioengineering major, but didn’t want to reveal his GPA.
Zhanè Washington minors can definitely help enhance an application. If your major or minor is Spanish, it can help you stand out as a multi-lingual and give you a little more access to underserved Spanish-speaking communities. Many medical schools seek a candidate with cultural sensitivity and experience with underserved communities. You being able to speak Spanish and communicate with those who aren’t fluent English speakers can mean a lot to many schools.
However if your minor is negatively impacting your GPA, it is best not to have one at all! Unless if your school absolutely requires it.
This is super true! I saw this at my university. It is a huge public university in my state. We have 4 pre-med advisors for over 400 students. 2 of which are part-time and travel between two campuses. Unfortunately, three out of the four give HORRIBLE advise. Most students just ask other 3th and 4th years who are applying in the cycle for advise. It's very unfortunate and I think it can be fixable as long as the advisor does their homework (independently) and is very transparent about the advise.
However, I am super blessed to have an adviser that is very transparent about her recommendations for medical school. She is very truthful about the fact that she did not apply to medical school (she has a degree in teaching). She also goes to extreme lengths to find people who are knowledgeable about the med school app process and is not afraid to say that she will get back to us if she does have an answer. (And she always follows up!)
Pre-med advisor here and I appreciate this video lol. Have a bachelor's in Biomed and love Med School Insiders videos, so I hope some of us are ultimately better examples of pre-med advisors! Overall though, agreed that there are a lot of misconceptions in advising unfortunately.
After being in medical school, my chemistry degree helped me in maybe 2? 3? subjects Useless. Wish I picked a major that covered metabolism, immunology, and microbiology. These topics are so important.
Same here! But I enjoyed chem.
Which majors do you suggest?
Good to know people are lookin out for us!
It seems like a lot of you all have negative experiences, but I’ve only had positive experiences with my pre-health advisor. She is all about you majoring in what you want and taking the right classes and gaining clinical experiences. She connects people with clinical research opportunities on campus and in the area, and is really an amazing advocate for students. I think each person should look for certain things in their advisor to help see if they are helpful or worth your time. Blanket statements that they’re all useless isn’t helpful, and building a good relationship with a pre-health advisor can be helpful. I go to George Mason University, not the biggest named school, but she wants her students to succeed.
Sounds like you’re fortunate! There’s a wide range of abilities out there in advisors. Lucky you!
My pre-med advisor actually discouraged me from becoming a MD enough over the course of 3 years that I switched degrees, which resulted in me wasting even more years of my time looking for another path that held any of the same interest... I was aspiring to be a pathologist or MD since childhood, now post "career change", I am two months away from becoming an RN (wound care certification eventually... Hopefully in the next year). I am appreciative to be able to work within the healthcare system with such a diverse and flexible job, but it just was not my ideal future that I had envisioned for myself... Meh, life goes on.
Still not too late
This has actually made me really appreciate my school’s premed advisor! She’s awesome and actually is a epidemiology/public health professor at my school as well.
My college has no pre-med advisor. I have to do everything myself. My major advisor helps me as much as she can, but she’ll tell me most of the time that she doesn’t know. My doctor is my advisor. She’s so awesome 🥺
As a medical student in Australia, I had no clue what was going on in this video, and I am thankful for it. That seems like an unnecessarily complicated system.
Yep
what's different about med school in Australia?
@@virgilmatenoplous Essentially nothing. As an Australian medical student I think I can say it is equally as complex as the US system but in different ways.
I’m honestly so shook. Thank you for for this video!
I feel like no matter what the situation its always good to compare and contrast multiple sources of information. This video outlines some things to look out for, for sure!
Thanks so much.This piece really means a lot to us high school students
Graduate on time? Huh, my pre-med advisor wants me to take 1 science class per semester. If i listened to everything that uneducated person told me i would finish my undergraduate studies in like 6 years.
This is why it’s so important for premed students to get a mentor who has actually been down the premed route and can actually give beneficial advice...
Loving the videos! I’m going into my first year of undergrad and am finishing up high school and I came across your anki videos a while back. I’ve been using it this semester for bio and kin and my marks have been about 5-6 % higher than my average.
I'm so glad!
Thank you for looking out for us!
Great video! I would love to see a video on academic enhancing masters program and other post bacc programs. Thanks for your no bs takes.
This helps me out soooo much. I'm just finishing my freshman year in undergrad and trying to figure things out for medical school, but my premed advisors don't help! These videos have honestly helped me so much. Thanks!!
I like how the eye test chart says "MED INSIDERS" at the bottom, hahaha.
;) glad someone noticed that
I have been drawn into this video by such a bold-sounding title
“-but if you are a pre med advisor, and were not a fan go ahead and leave a thumbs down” 🤣🤣
Kevin - many good points made. You indicated many advisers take too narrow of approach in their recommendations (either this or that, when the reality is much more complicated), but then produced a video that similarly viewed advisors through a very narrow lens. Like anything, advisors fall on a spectrum, as does the advice even the "best" advisers give. I think the best advice to an undergraduate underclassmen who is considering how much to trust an advisor would be to pursue a strong relationship (as it will pay dividends in research opportunities, tutoring if needed, class schedules, a letter of recommendation, a long-term friend in academia, etc) but always seek multiple opinions. If you are applying to a medical school in the same state or region as your undergraduate institution, your advisor may have direct connections with faculty at that medical school or direct access to someone who does, and can therefore provide quality insight specific to certain medical schools that cannot be found on TH-cam (not to say TH-cam and your channel isn't a tremendous resource). You have made a career out of increasing the access to quality info that pertains to the undergrad to med jump, and then subsequent UME to GME leap, but its also important for students to stay bigger picture oriented, as there is no magic recipe. Work hard, put in the time, develop a genuine passion for people, learn to be collaborative, and you'll be just fine.
Saw this in my recommended, this ALSO happens for PA school. Advisors have no idea the requirements needed for various schools. They usually just “advise” on getting good grades... it’s sad. I take what they say with a grain of salt and utilize mentors and actual PAs for advice
I am so glad this is a video.
your videos made me wanna try med school out!
Hello! Can we hear your thoughts about MSF or Doctors Without Borders? We would love that. Thank you so much and stay safe!
agreed!
Yes and the general NGO/charity atmosphere for physicians. Some of us want to target populations that simply aren't profitable to serve!
This would be a great video
Thanks for this video. I spent a lot of time doing my own research, and was shocked when I asked for help from the premed advisor on my personal statement. She didn't even know what AMCAS is. How can you advise people when you don't know what the application service is. Love this channel!
Another great video. I don't know if you have touched on this during your other videos - but the bias against DOs and Carribean grads are real. I am a US MD. During the 2020 ERAS interview cycle, some of my interview sites didn't interview DOs or Carribean MDs. Keep in mind this is FM too.
My premed comittee at my post bacc college gave me a 2/5 even after getting all A's in 54 credits in my DIY postbacc. (3.19 GPA raised to a 3.45). Ridiculous, wish me luck in applying this year guys!
Why tho? Maybe because of stuff other than grades?
Your committee used more than just GPA for your rating, right?
@@user-hk9gf4zp9o all I know is that I'm a 3rd year med student now :) so fk the committee and move on!
@@bryanalfaro6438 I think it was solely grades, because my extracurriculars were average like everyone else
*deep breath* thank you!
This very helpful ...thanks!
This video is gold
Got an ad for St. George’s med school about how they’re the “number one provider of doctors for US residencies” during the Caribbean med school segment 😂
I’m a pre med major. SUBSCRIBED!
FINALLY !! A factual based presentation on the nuances of pre-med advising that also calls out the lack of qualified guidance by these academic advidors
I would love to see you interview some DOs like Dr. Cellini on how they matched into competitive specialties!
Elaine “i got a high step1 score” short video lmao
My pre-med advisor has been phenomenal. She did not recommend Caribbean medical schools, but definitely recommended DO.
Great advise
I lucked out and went to a school with a GREAT pre-med advisor. She has a PHD in chemistry and all of her siblings went to medical school so she knew what was up. She had helped at least 10-15 people get into Harvard from my school and has set up multiple early assurance programs from my IS MD medical schools (programs that give you a guaranteed seat if you reach their GPA and MCAT requirments). She looked at my PS and told me to completely scrap it...4 times. I am convinced that if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have got in this year.
What school do you go to? Asking for a friend
You're such a quality!
My pre med advisors were (are) HORRIBLE! They completely don’t care about what is best for me and they forgot to put my major down my freshman year, but always told me everything “looked good.” I was told that I was right on track for 3 years. Now, I’m coming up on my senior year in the fall and I’m missing out on classes I need. To make it easier on THEM so they look better, they even suggested I change my major so I can finish on time (which was their fault to begin with!)! Now I might have to drop out of school bc I can’t afford to take another year. 😫😫 School advisors are horrible. Never listen to them for serious advice. Do it yourself.
oooof shots fired fam.. I knew the one from my school didn't have my best interests from the first time I talked to him.
My advisor was very good at helping me get into medical school but the biggest thing that I wish I actually got from her is what medical school would actually be like. Looking back, I had no idea what I was getting into with medicine at the time. Also like the video says, I was advised to go into a non Biology discipline and only took the med school preqs as my medical sciences background before starting school. In my opinion, both of these factors really hurt me when I got to med school compared to my biology peers and I struggled a lot academically throughout my time in med school
4:31 anyone else notice med school insiders?
As a recent US MD graduate (currently PGY2 resident), couldn’t agree more with Kevin. These people are worth their advice in navigating particular nuances in scheduling undergrad classes, but that’s about it. There are so many excellent resources available on the internet for free, with much better advice than pre-med advisors. Never used the school-provided advisors for high school, college, or med school, and I truly believe it would’ve hurt me. Their advice is geared to the lowest common denominator
Thank you! Premed advisor advice is likely worse than you even expect. At least it was when I spent a week with 15ish of them.
I honestly believe a student who spends considerable time consuming high quality free online resources (our YT videos or blog posts) will know far above and beyond more than a premed advisor.
My advisor has been a huge help. She advised me to change my second major to transfer studies, so by the time I transfer to a four year, 90% of ALL my premed prereqs will be completed.The only thing she was weary about was my choice to major in Neuroscience with a molecular, cellular, physiological concentration.
It was helpful 😊
Dr. J: Premed advisors are LYING to you!
Me, not even a premed student: I fucken KNEW IT
Damn the pre med advisors at my undergrad school are spot on with their advising. I didn't realize that most schools had bad advising like this.
Before I even started college, when I went on tour of the campus, I met with the head of the pre-med concentration program. He literally told me that if you make more than 2 Bs in college you should probably reconsider trying to go to medical school
That’s ridiculous! You do NOT need all A’s to get into medical school per my independent (of my post-bacc) advisor
B’s aren’t bad at all, wth.
You can have several Bs and still have at least a 3.6 GPA (especially if the Bs are early on). As long as your GPA and MCAT are good (even if not straight As), you're good. If the GPA's bad, you can still take a postbacc and show an upward trend via postbac GPA.
@@chengalvalavenkata2401yea it’s total bs that they tell people that. I had plenty of B’s and ended with a 3.7 and am now a 1st year medical student
Can you do a video/give advice about doing Pass/No Pass given the current pandemic situation and how it might affect your chances of getting into medical school?
Hey if you search the medical school you plan to attend they should have info but a whole many schools are taking the PASS/FAIL for Spring 2020 remember many colleges over the world have switch to the system and you are not alone😊
I took a class P/NP in the summer of 2020 and most med schools will accept classes as long as they are passed
"Confident in giving bad advice". That is the main problem I see with many people claiming to know the ins and outs of the admissions process. No nuanced analysis of the factors at play. Using anecdotal evidence and personal accounts to justify recommending Caribbean schools is just isn't right.
Even as a post-bacc I know why Caribbean schools are a bad idea
Go off, King.
My premed advisor told me to drop out of school and that I wouldn’t get into a medical school or masters program. Let’s just say, I don’t like her for lack of better words
That’s awful! An advisor should meet students where they are at and help them find ways to succeed, not discourage them
I was a premed advisor for over 18 years. The premed advisors you are describing here are not the same in all Universities. Select smaller schools and not large state universities to have better advisors. Usually at smaller schools the premed advisors are Ph.D. Scientists and have had statistics. This video is focusing on larger Universities that hire B.S. grads and pay them a lower wage. You should expect more from your Universities. Students should seek out professors who are in the sciences and have taken the curriculum. As for the reason why Caribbean medical school are not competitive is that the best students are able to get into US medical schools. Usually students who have lower MCAT scores and grades go to a less competitive medical schools and the residency programs know this. If the best and the brightest went to Caribbean schools then they would be competitive. Excellent content and well done.
This is especially true for large public universities!! Theres too many pre-med students and few advisors.. they give generic advice
I’m already preparing to hear it bad when I apply..
I have a BA in Psych, 2016. Worked ever since. Matter of fact, I worked full time while getting my degree. But I know they’ll bring up why I waited to start Pre-Med after 4 years 😓
Try to live without regrets, but I wish I would’ve started on my journey to become a physician much sooner. I know what ever advisor I have will bite me in the ass about that.
#medschoolinsiders I love your videos your amazing!!❤😘🥰
Pre-Med advisors work to try and get students into medical school, but I do agree that the requirements are low. However, the resources are very important:
1) Class advice
2) Committee letters
3) Getting your application on line with regards to essays, letters of recommendation, mock interviews, and possibilities of activities you can pursue.
With regards to advice I heard from advisors. They mention they do not have experience with the classes themselves, but they use MSAR day and anecdotes from student experiences. I heard them tell me of lucky and great outcomes and other students that were not as lucky.
In the end, I cannot advocate for ALL pre-med advisors, however one cannot shut them all down either.
Be informed of who your advisor is and be skeptical of whether their advice is good before you determine whether to trust them or not.
I do believe there is A LOT of dangerous misinformation floating out there from pre-med advisors, but it should be noted that good pre-med advisors do exist (my own pre-med advisor included). She does a fantastic job prepping pre-meds at my school for the application process, whether that be putting on mock MMI's, practice MCATs, or personal statement workshops.
She is very well acquainted with the admissions staff from our only in-state MD program (University of Mississippi), going so far as to have the associate dean of admissions from UM visit to have one-one-one's with our pre-meds! She's also very well connected with volunteer and research opportunities around campus to help us build up our applications (she helped me get into the research lab I'm in now). She makes it very clear what med schools expect from applicants nowadays as opposed to the way they used to be, and she never blatantly steers students in the direction of D.O programs, Caribbean programs, or non-science majors.
Everything Dr. Jubbal said is absolutely true! Pre-meds definitely need to be wary of what advice they're getting from their advisors, but don't write them off immediately. Just use your best judgment during your interactions with your advisor, and hopefully you'll be blessed to get one as good as mine!
Hey Dr. Jubbal, can you make a video about post-bacc programs
Would you say pre-med advisers vary in competency based on the ranking of the university? I'm attending a top undergrad and while I watch all these videos I'd like to ask specific questions to my adviser.
Can you talk about being a pathologist?
A few of my friends are planning to take a biology bachelors in attempt to get in MED with a good GPA. I am aiming for dermatology in MED too. I haven’t seek much advices yet, but I really love the content in biochemistry as well as some nutrition! However, Biochem degree is known as a GPA killer at my university (UBC @CA), what’s your insight??
Obviously there are more options going MD, but tbh DO’s did relatively well in the first combined match. This was most likely due to the fact that former AOA schools still prefer DO students. For something like plastics, this isn’t helpful...ortho however did very well for this reason.
I switched my major from Biology Pre-Med to Psychology due to the lack of conversation and guidance from my advisor. It became overwhelming because I wasn't told what classes I needed to be best prepared for med school and they had me staying an additional yr just for Calculus courses...Dropped Biology to my minor and Psychology to my major. Fast forward 12 yrs I am looking back at Med school options but need tons of refresher courses and need to take the MCAT...Wish me luck...🤓
Tenille Hawthorne good luck! 🍀
Yes, on first hand experience, They are not the best person for advice on medical school related topics!! I mostly used the service in terms of my degree course work and graduating on time!! If you would like higher quality advice in medicine, I suggest first you do your own research on the subject, reach out to medical student, or even residents. Alot of premed clubs provide contact with students in medschool. I say they provide some of the best advice. Other options I ran to also include mentors in medicine, could be friends that are in medical school and so on. Medical schools are also a great source for advice!
Im a first-generation college student and the only premed advice I get is from a premed advisor. It can be hard knowing if I am getting the right information and resources.
Hey doc, I was wondering what's your advice for the option to take a No credit/credit grade than a letter grade. My school is giving us an option to choose Credit/No credit option which essetnially means on your transcript it will say Cr instead of a letter grade and it won't make a difference in your GPA. At this point in the semester I know the classes I will get As and Bs in, so do you think I should take the Credit/no credit option for those classes I will get a B in since it will lower my GPA? Do you think medical schools will look down upon it?
Dr. Jabbal,
I keep up with your channel. I haven't noticed the channel mention podiatric medical programs. I don't intend to argue that podiatrists are any better or worse than MDs or DOs, I just figured it would be a good thing to mention in the future. Most of the 9 podiatric medical programs in the US are directly linked to DO programs. My class, for example, will take courses with fellow DO students. Unfortunately, it took me a long time to find my way into podiatry, and I blame that partially on advisors and a general lack of awareness on my part that podiatry is a separate degree from an MD/DO. The curriculum at most of the programs (I interviewed at several of them) provides a full medical education from my limited understanding of what that is. I'm curious, what is your opinion of podiatric medical school? In my interviews, something I noticed the deans say a lot is that podiatry is one of the best kept secrets in medicine... their implication being the quality of life of a podiatrist is high while still allowing them to practice in a surgical specialty (work-life balance and what not). I would like to share this info with others because I think podiatry is an awesome specialty that provides a great opportunity for people to become great docs (DPM), but I was never directed to checking it out until after taking my MCAT. I just happened to come across an email advertisement from one of the programs. My fellow classmates have similar stories. Anyhow, I really enjoy your channel and all that your team provides/creates in the form of mostly unbiased, useful information. Blessings to you and the med school insiders team!
HA! I didn't see the pinokio nose before, lol. Also, my advisor was actually pretty helpful as she was able to guide me through courses pretty well. And went to her doctor husband about info.
Can you do a video talking about majoring in neuroscience like which curses you take, how hard it is...
It seems to me that medicine is a field where to get in it matters more what other people think of you rather than actual ability. So many people get turned off medicine because of professors and advisors telling them they can’t make it, instead of giving tips on how to make it. And don’t get me started on the application process itself- if you are not 100% confident of getting in to something, then the anxiety of starting the process can be crushing. Many people wonder if it is worth the time and money to even apply if they aren’t guaranteed a spot somewhere, and it is a valid concern! I wouldn’t want to waste hours upon hours of time and money for something that is not guaranteed to work with an even lower chance of acceptance if I try again. While tropical schools have their own problems, once you get your degree you can at a least practice as a primary care physician after an exam or two. Sure the money isn’t as good, but it is still pretty good.
Can you please do a video on credit/no credit system due to this semester's weird class format? I'm getting conflicting answers on whether or not this is a bad idea for med schools
I find it hilarious that an Ad for SGU popped up on this video.
Your channel has been so helpful
My advisor, the former head professor of our biology dept, told me that I wouldn’t make my dream of medical school come true.
Since I'm stuck at home, I'm planning to do something productive for the application. Is there any way for me to get clinical hours that gives me experience regarding their job. Is there any way for me to shadow someone online or anything similar.
I majored in biology because it is genuinely my favorite thing in the world. I love medicine because it is applied biology and problem solving. It was the right choice for me because my passion makes me more successful and prevents me from burning out. I can't see myself doing anything else. I hate when people suggest it's too "common". My major may be common, but my passion is not.
Dr. Jubbal and anyone else reading this comment, I am receiving a bachelor's in nursing following an ADN to BSN program in a few semester and I spoke with my premed advisor the other day to make sure I was on track for medical school with what I was planning to complete this summer and in the coming semesters. Yet, when speaking to her, she said that taking my prerequisite courses at a community college was likely to mean I was not a competitive applicant and that I should begin taking my classes at the 4-year school I'm receiving my bachelor's from, even though the courses themselves are the same in name. She is an advisor through the 4-year school, so I feel as though there may be some bias there, potentially, but I'm unsure if it is actually true that I will be a substantially less competitive applicant by taking my medical prerequisites and having most of my degree (the ADN classes) through a community college. I have worked incredibly hard to maintain a 4.0 in a rigorous nursing school, community college or not, and I hope to maintain that through my prerequisites because if I did it in hard nursing courses, I feel like I can do it in courses like chemistry and physics. But I can't really afford to take my classes through the 4-year school unless I take like 1 a semester for the next.. many many years, so is it a waste of time to take them through the community college? My advisor said that I would regret it and end up having to retake the classes through the 4-year if I did. It feels unreasonable that the classes would be looked down upon that much that it would be the difference between getting in and not getting in to medical school.
Any input from anyone really would be appreciated. I have very little guidance in my journey to medical school as my nursing advisor is very anti-nurses becoming doctors.. and my premed advisor has also tried to talk me out of becoming a doctor and just becoming an NP instead every time I've gone to her. I'm feeling a little bit lost and don't know where to turn to ask questions.
Thank you,
Elsa
i've never trusted my counselors not even in high school. i've always relied on great channels like this one
Stop asking broke people for help lol
Yup I mentioned different advisors on college that I wanted to become a surgeon and most on them instead of guiding me to the right path, they told me to study nursing to get there..... I was like nursing???? That has nothing to do with what I want...... just 2 told me the truth.... the rest just see you and decide for you what you should study.... and that’s why I’m where I’m cuz I’m not from here, but I have always been misguided by teachers and advisors, my advisor from high school never told me about college, so I told her why you have been calling others for tours and info about college and never did with me and she told me..... I never thought you wanted to go to college!!! So cuz she thought for me she never gave me guidance.... and that has been my life....... but now I’m in love with this video cuz makes me feel I can take my own decisions no matter what...... before I let advisors guide me cuz idk how the system works and I thought they supposed to guide me but now I know I can do what I want and not everything that they say thanks
I WISH I had seen this when I first started undergrad. My university really tries to pigeon hole students interested in medical school, and so if you're not aligning with their ideal image, they literally encourage you to do something else, rather than explain to you what needs to improve, your options, and how to make your future work.
What about their minimal understanding of the application process
I'd rather do peer advising with higher level pre-med students (or med students, if they were available). I feel that my advisor and I are in the same boat of uncertainty, so I've just been Googling and Youtubing for info. And she doesn't think there is anything for me to do until 3rd year, which sounds nightmarish since that is my heaviest loaded term. On the contrary, I've been lining up research positions and shadowing for my 2nd year. Hopefully I can do some volunteering with the Red Cross over the summer too, but IDK yet
Um, so I’m a senior in high school, and I’ve been looking for colleges with a good pre med track. My preferred major is biology with a psychology minor. Would that be too rigorous with the minor? Maybe a dumb question, but I’m kinda worried about balancing the work.
If you work hard and are good with managing your time I see no reason why that should be an issue. That's a pretty common major and a pretty common minor to pursue.
If that's what you want to do, then it should be fine. Discover your limits and expand your boundaries! :D
I’m a bio major and psych minor. Will you study a lot? Yes. Is it manageable? Yes.
Currently a bio major with psych minor (just finishing my first year though so take it as you will), the biggest thing is time management and regularly reading/studying throughout the semester. It’s definitely possible to maintain a decent social life and make straight A’s if you have a system that works for you