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I’m a high school senior going into pre med, goal is to be a psychiatrist. Should I major in something like psychology that would help my career, or should I choose a “safe” major like business if I change my mind later on and don’t decide to go to med school.

First year medical student here. I watched about 75% of this video before feeling compelled to comment my own thoughts on your suggestions. What struck me about many of your tips is how they really cultivate inauthenticity and self betrayal to the students who follow them. Many of your tips, including ones like picking what classes to take and selecting a lab to work in, rely on the students' betrayal of their own intellectual interests. Interested in biology? You won't be after taking upper level courses. Interested in genetic disease? You won't be after studying this one niche gene in someone's lab that won't publish you. Your perspective, while perhaps successful in getting students admitted to medical programs, is exactly the reason why so many premed and medical students suffer from burnout. Decision making like this is the reason why so many people are indecisive when it comes to selecting what medical speciality they are interested in or what academic field they'd like to study. How are you supposed to know what you're passionate about if you don't authentically explore those passions in undergrad? If you let the question of "What will get me into the best medical school?" guide your decision making to this extent, you will eventually find yourself uninspired, exhausted, and burnt out from doing work and taking classes that you don't enjoy and weren't for you in the first place. Medicine is a marathon, not a sprint. Part of what keeps successful medical students going in this extremely rigorous lifestyle is passion and enthusiasm. The best way to snuff these out is by living your life according to what you *think* medical schools want. If you're a good fit for medicine, following your passions will make for a great medical school application. Don't get me wrong, it's important to understand what activities medical schools like to see, but please please please weave your own interests and passions into the schematic you use to get into medical school. Your enthusiasm shines through in writing and interviews, and adcoms will see that, and you'll be living your life more happily and more authentically as a result. If you love biology, major in biology. Most medical students do.

Hey I would love some help from anyone here that can truly do so. I know its pretty early for me to think of it , but I am in highschool and don't have much notable achievements for a college app. Im year 11, and thinking of making a PTS Extracurricular next year (pharmaceutical and toxicology sciences) to allow other kids join for lectures and simple medicine making. I am also planning to make a mini passion project where I investigate and research the medicinal herbs of my own home country and other uses and ways we can combine such. I might get back into MUN for year 12 and 13, so I atleast have 2 years of that... and maybe try to get back into Red Crescent volunteer work. I am also thinking of joining the student council for head girl (if I pass), and try to get some work intern experience (even for a week) at some sort of clinic. I would love peoples ideas and how to strengthen my experiences, since I really wanna get into biochem for my undergrad at Penn since its my dream!! Anyone wanna help a girl out?? @SophiaXuOfficial Also, do American universities accept A levels (since my school uses them) and do I really need an ACT/SAT??

So, I'm a non-traditional student and was accepted into UMSL (also in STL). I decided to go there because of affordability (and their international business program). I just wanted to ask about the night life in STL. I'm not looking to go clubbing or anything, just a nice local chill spot. I keep hearing about how dangerous STL is and literally everyone I've talked to said not to go out after dark lmao. Is there anywhere I can go without being mugged or shot?

Maybe im crazy, but this is super insensitive and very geared toward "top tier" stat based candidates. Like who TF gets lab research in high school...... What were the connects???? This can't be the expected medical school applicant

This is bad advice. If you are the type of person that is worried about how competetive your classmates are, you don't belong in medicine. The people that optimize everything in stack the deck in their favor in premed are the people that can't keep their shit together during clerkship and residency when they have less control. Trust me, everyone knows that point-for-pount a chem major is much better student than psych

The thing about majoring in something else than bio is that I don’t have the money to pay an additional set of courses for the pre PA prerequisites. I also feel like everyone tries to tell me to do something else other than biology, but I want to just ask.. can u pay for my classes then 😂😅

Bruhh I am passionate about computers, maths and drawing and music I am fucked

I agree with most of your tips especially the study abroad. But I do take umbrage at #8, not taking hard classes even if they interest you because you’re so worried about your GPA. Playing the grade game is a cop out. Learn to challenge yourself, get used to working hard because med school and real life aren’t a piece of cake, and demonstrate the strength of character not to take the easiest path. You will need a backbone to stand up to the system someday so don’t just be a follower.

Paul lewis

I chose one of the hardest pre-med majors given at my university. I have a 3.75, and I was told that a 3.2 in my major was equivalent to getting a 3.8 in biology. I don’t regret my decision but didn’t feel great knowing that 😂

You really should learn the difference between "is" and "are". As one who interviewed post-docs., some of us really do care and note sloppy grammar. Frankly, I don't know why med. schools make the application process so difficult. Medical school is not really difficult but it is tedious, and overall, it's a really great experience. There is nothing that a student learns in the pre-med. curriculum that is of any real value in medical school. Since students with often vastly different backgrounds matriculate, the faculty cannot assume that any given student knows something specific upon which to build. Everyone must start at the same point.

wtf what year did you take mcat if you studied the summer after freshman year. i'm a current freshman who wants to do that but everyone tells me i'm crazy

The main keys to get into a medical school are GPA and MCAT scores. Of course, if you are a little weak on them, you need other help like research, volunteer... I had 4.0 GPA in mechanical engineering and did great in MCAT and I didn't have any trouble getting into a good medical school. Your undergraduate major does not matter nor it help you in medical school. You do need 1 year of biology, organic and inorganic chemistry and physics(I had engineering classes which helped me in physics and quantitative parts of the MCAT, MCAT was a little different than today's MCAT).

The pizza part of the video is the best...😋

heavy on that first point, rn im a pre-vet bio b.s. major (senior) with a passion for chemistry. i'm part of the chemistry club in my school, and i've also been a teaching assistant for the past few semesters. i thought of switching my major to chem/biochem on my 2nd sem as a junior. never rly went thru it cuz it was a hassle and it would delay me for like a sem or two. i cant lie i still love my major but i just wish i couldve minored in chemistry. my school doesnt allow it bc bio bs its too heavy of a major already

Hi Sophia! 👋 Did you find out the pumpkin weight?

what a promising life .

Super cool video😁 As a history and philosophy student living here in NYC those discounts that museums give us are so valuable. It was nice watching you go to both a really modern place and a medieval-style castle. Even though it's really far, I think you should check out the Brooklyn Museum! It has an incredible selection of black art and much like The Met it's both massive and has pieces from both ancient and modern times. P.S. if you want the best pizza in the city, you got to go to The Bronx

good job!

wow! you life is so cool

Keep it up!

hahah

Take this down immediately

Also first comment

Wow this is great content from the #1 Columbia Med M1 RUclipsr!

What's up. I used to study biology. Lol. Th

Honestly NO PI will work in their lab. They don’t even step in the lab

Great advice. Thank you very much!!!

As a Texas resident you could go to TX med school paying literary 10 times lass than Columbia med school costs...

Have majored in bio and minored in chem, the bio major gig is a double edge sword. It can tank your time and grade- if I didn’t major bio, I might have applied to med school with a 3.75 and not a 3.6. Granted I did so much better in pre-clinical courses than most of my peers, so I guess it’s a pay now/pay later gig. Now whether one’s type of major matters in the application process is controversial and debated heavily.

Just curious how you prepared for your MCATs after you freshman year? Did you do organic chem in Year 1?

Nice blog! Best of luck with med school.

I said Biology/ chemistry or math is the best major for pre-med. Don't major in stupid thing like history and psychology or alike. Medical school is too competitive even for the brightest students. When you major in science related subject, and med school don't work out for you.. you still have the option to pursue a science related career. Choose a other major other than science only if you super passionate about the topic or you can guarantee yourself med school will take you.

Assuming all this is very good undergraduate advice in prep for medical training, I get the feeling that medical school is quite different from training to be an engineer, or a computer scientist, or a straight physics, chemistry, biologist who is going to do a post-graduate degree. Even then, I have some doubts about how anyone can be well prepared for medical school without a fairly heavy undergraduate workload in the sciences and at least statistics from the math side.

Would psychology be a good option? For someone wanting to be a psychiatrist

Which housing option did you go with to get that nice apartment option? I’m still deciding which one I want to do

omg NO WAY did you take the clinical heath and human disease course?!?!? I’m taking that this spring!!!!! I can’t wait!!

Advisors 99% of the time give you bad advice. Literally just go on youtube and find someone on here that will give you better advice.

Or don’t become a Doctor since Physicians are being replaced with mid-level providers and A.I.

the link doesnt work, been trying to decide between neuroscience (psychology degree) or biology degree for premed... very stressful

Cool off, forget about the stressful stuff. Study something you like. For example, Hamiltonian Operators in Zero gravity..

I'm not a STEM student, but I really do appreciate this video Sophia. Columbia University is lucky to count you among their ranks. I am reminded of someone I knew from university who did music as a major. It wasn't until years later he told me he wasn't doing it for his degree, but as a stepping stone to get into med school. That's how I know you're legit! 🙏 All the best in your studies Sophia

Hi

As someone who interviewed medical school applicants for decades, I always gave preference to biochemistry and biology graduates over all others.

congrats!! omg im so jealous of your apartment vieww

The thing is, people love biology because human anatomy and physiology is endlessly fascinating. That's why they major in biology.

you're so inspiring! i'm a nontrad and columbia is my dream school (applying next summer)!

can you make a video with study tips and how you manage your time? You were already so productive even for the first day of school. Excited to see your future vids!

I found your channel and I love it!!! 💗