It's that wonderful time of life, when you are ready to build yourself up as an individual. You are ready to explore all your opportunities, find a career, volunteer, travel, commit to something, etc! I am graduating on May 4th, and I am ready to begin my pre-med path! In this blog post, I would like to emphasise just how much is waiting for you outside of you high school's walls. I will mainly be talking about university students through, although college students might find it applicable as well! I'll also touch on some long-term goals of my own!
Let's do it:
1. Research
Make sure to THOROUGHLY research your program and the future/career paths it will provide for you. Make sure to also research the Majors offered by the program, as well as note all the prerequisites required to pursue it. Think a few steps ahead, and ask yourself whether you might be interested in pursuing a graduate and/or professional studies, and if yes - good luck meeting all the requirements.
On a more personal note, I will attend McMaster University for Life (or Health) Sciences. If I will not be accepted to Health Sci, I will pursue a Life Sciences major within the Life Sciences program, which allows great flexibility in terms of the course choice. If I will end up getting into Health Sciences, though, I will pursue the Biomedical Specialisation! Not a shock - I want to become a physician, so I have noted all requirements needed to pursue Medicine. I am not limiting myself to Ontario or even Canadian Med Schools only, and I am considering studying and practicing in USA!
2. Have a Plan B
We are not perfect, and as we enter our first year, we might realize that we need to change the majors or even the programs. Same goes for any long-term goals - they must have a plan B. Make sure you've researched DIFFERENT career paths, and that you are staying flexible in your subject choice just in case you will end up pursuing you "plan B".
I am 100% sure that Medicine is the path I'm choosing. That does not mean, however, that I don't have a plan B. Briefly, my plan is to pursue a Master's degree in a scientific discipline if I am not accepted to Med School after my 3rd or 4th years of undergrad.
3. Get Involved/Volunteer/Socialise
I know, I've said that multiple trillion times, but this is very important, since it will let you improve your well-roundedness, meet new people, explore yourself, and get a little away from those academics! Certainly, do NOT skip the Welcome week if your university/college offers one, and make sure you are using all available to you resources.
As a part of Medical School requirement, I must be involved in the community in one or the other way.
4. Job Shadow
Job shadowing is very common among pre-meds, although I'm sure you could job-shadow any occupation. This will give you an opportunity to see "The Day in The Life Of a ..." and give you more insight on as to what to expect.
I unfortunately, have not done any shadowing yet, although I will look into it very closely in my first year at Mac!
5. Be Your Best
Do not go into 1st year with the intention of skipping lectures, partying, and wasting money. Those 4+ years of your life will determine the majority of your professional life, so be focused and determined. Learn how to say "no" to some parties, because you will have an endless amount of them outside of the uni. Be very responsible and value the time you are given to prove that you are the best you can be to yourself and to the world around you!
The Best of Luck!
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