After my last article about Being a Pre-Med Student, I thought I'd follow up with this one. Being a college student is not as easy as we think it is at least for me. When I started college, I thought it would be fun all the time. Although at times society makes us think that college is supposed to be that time of our lives where we have the most fun and find ourselves (which can be true), but it comes with a level of stress that sometimes we can't seem to bear.
Now us pre-med students, we have an extra load that we are carrying. In everything we do we have to be mindful of because that can affect our medical school application. We not only have to worry about our GPA, we have to make time to do all the things that medical schools want to see us do (to learn more about the pre-med path click here).
So, on behalf of every pre-med student (I think it's safe to say every) I will kindly ask you not to ask the following questions. I asked my pre-med friends for some help with the questions they also hate getting ask.
Here is what we came up with:
1. What is your GPA?
I mean it should be obvious not to ask any college student that, but some people just don't get it.
2. When will you graduate?
Again this goes for any college student not just pre-med students. Life happens!!!! Meaning not all students take four years in college to graduate. Sometimes you might be asking with the right intention, but if the student is not where s/he wants to be, asking is not the best thing. Simply don't ask because sometimes we are just trying to figure life out. A reminder that we are not typically a four year student, simply adds more pressure than what we already have. You have no idea what someone might be going through.
3. What will you do after graduation?
I think the goal of every college student is to actually work after they graduate. As a pre-med student, the ultimate goal is to go to medical school, but it is never guaranteed that we will go to med-school right after graduating from undergrad. Sometimes we don't even know ourselves, so please, don't ask us.
4. What medical school are you going to?
This is a very funny question to every single pre-med student. I mean, we wish we knew! We wish we knew!
5. When will you go to medical school?
Once again, we wish we knew. In order to go to medical school, we have to take the MCAT which is the standardized test for medical school. If we are satisfied with our score, and feel ready we will apply. We have to apply one year prior to the year we wish to go to medical school and if we are blessed enough we will get an interview. Then, we will get in or not. So there is no way to know when we will get in. So please just don't ask, we love you but don't.
6. What will you do if you don't get into medical school?
Some of us have a plan B, some of us don't. Either way, it's not something we want to think about.
7. Why are you always at the library? (Gaby Rivera)
Ummmmm!!! Because we have to study!!!!
8. Why can't you hangout? (Gaby Rivera)
We want to hang with our friends, we just don't have the time.
9. Why are you always with your pre-med friends? (Gaby, Ike, Janelle)
It just happens that we take the same classes together over and over, we can't avoid it. Plus we usually study together.
10. How are you a pre-med if you are a Psychology major? (Janelle T)
Again, we can have any major and still be a pre-med.
11. How are you going to start a family if you will be in school forever? ( Janelle T)
We love you family and friends, but we would appreciate if if you don't ask us any of the questions above.
Xoxo,
DD
GR
JT
IB