hey premeds Options

[Melissa]

I'm going to talk to my premed adviser about this, of course, but I want to get other opinions from people who've gone through this or are going through this.

My general adviser told me that it might be a good idea to take a lag year between senior year and med school - that way, my junior year wont be cramped with orgo, physics, and advanced bio (for neuroscience, too) and I could take my mcats senior year, then apply to med schools during my year off.

My cousin's doing this and is doing research at Columbia Presby during her year off, but my uncle thinks it's a really bad idea.

I mean, I guess the pros would be to have a year off - 15+ years of school/residency/internships/etc in a row is extremely intense. Another pro would be the med school interview process - flying off for an interview in the middle of school must really suck.

I'm not sure. I'm not discussing this with my parents until I talk to the premed advisers, though.

[batman]

^ Well, I talked to a few premed students and the advisors as well. I haven't completely made up my mind yet, but I think I'm just going to go straight from college to med school.

But GODDAMN, when I was discussing it with my mom, she got all annoying. She doesn't understand what it's like trying to fulfill requirements for the Core, Neuro, & medicine all at the same time. And then she gives me the whole "Well, your cousin Laura's doesn't have to take language over the summer and she has to take a core at Wellesly, too!" and it just really frustrates me! The Core requirement at Columbia is a hell of a lot more intensive than Wellesly's core. I ended up hanging up on her after she threatened not to pay my tuition bill that's due in about a week.