Pre-meds suck
April 19th, 2008 Chris
Tags: education, science | 4 Comments »
Five reasons to dislike pre-med students. I knew a few who didn’t fit this mold, but a large percentage were exactly this kind of asshole. The major crime, in my opinion, is number one on the article’s list:
They are not motivated by curiosity.
If they ask a question in class, it’s often to find out what will be on an upcoming exam. Some of them volunteer to work in a lab on real research projects, but they don’t give it their all because they have no passion for scientific inquiry — it’s just another line on their résumés.
The biology and chemistry majors in my classes hated many of the pre-meds for exactly this reason.
Picture this: A professor is in front of the class, weaving an elegant story about complex processes working in perfect harmony to sustain homeostasis. She’s just getting to the most fascinating part, and a pre-med’s hand shoots up: “Will we need to know this for the next quiz?”
At this point, the other pre-meds nod in unison, while the science majors do their best to prove that negative thoughts can cause someone to spontaneously combust.
Some of the commentors on that article miss the point completely:
But as to us not caring or being uninterested in learning, I think that is completely false. We may not be interested in learning biochemistry or microbiology because these are courses we are forced to take but will not be needed by most future doctors. We do care about relevant courses that we take in medical school, but any “pre-med” course taken in undergrad is completely useless in our future careers. Would the average biochemistry major be interested in Gross Anatomy if they were forced to take it?
Where do I start…
First of all, if you think that doctors don’t need to know microbiology or biochemistry, I hope that I never end up in your clinic. If you can’t understand pathogenic organisms or the way in which pharmaceuticals affect the body, there’s no way I’m putting my life in your hands.
Secondly, yes, many biochem majors would be interested in gross anatomy. As a biology major, I tried to get into anatomy in college, because I wanted to satisfy my curiosity about how the body works at a deeper level. (The pre-meds were taking up all the open slots, though). A true education demands more than just vocational training. I know this is shocking, but being interested in learning means that you enjoy hearing about things that have nothing to do with your job. I’m a better person today because I dabbled in art, and learned more about world history. Knowing gross anatomy wouldn’t have directly helped my career, but it would have been fascinating.
To the few pre-meds I knew who bucked the stereotype, I’m sincerely sorry. After all, I was able to escape these dipshits after leaving college. You had to spend 4 more years in med school with them.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:23 am
With you 100%. We really don’t do enough bitching… probably because we don’t come in contact with them regularly. Well, it’s probably for the better.
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:58 am
This is why House is such a badass doctor.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:18 am
DUDE I HATE PRE meds so much if there is a god he will burn them all. They are the worst scum, the offspring of satan. This one premed Bitch went around telling people lies about an upcoming test, claiming the she saw it in the teachers office. She got most of the class to study irrelavent material just so she could raise the curve. WHAT A BITCH! I hope she rots in hell. i got an A- in an easy ass class because of her. I just want to be a pharmacist why do premeds screw others over?
October 10th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
I agree with you, 100%. There is absolutely no need for these narcissistic jerks to strut around campus bragging about their A in their general chemistry final, or how many hours they spend clearing bedpans because they “enjoy helping people.”
Pre-meds’ arrogant sense of entitlement is bewildering. There is no other class of students on any college campus that marches into class expecting that the professor will cater directly to THEIR needs and desires. Who else would consistently barge into the chemistry department’s offices and harass faculty to “get them published” or to beg for a grade change? The fact of the matter is that “pre-meds” are not the only students who have to work hard on college campuses. Engineers, for one, have to put in at least as many hours, if not more. My only conclusion is that their type suffers from delusions of power – that they are somehow better than the legions of other hardworking people on campus because they could POTENTIALLY be earning more, after 10 years or so.
What’s even more hilarious is that you could go through a 3-4 year residency and still make 250k tops. And these idiots would be left with their mouths open, wondering why sucking up to their chief resident didn’t work.
Fact: The students who get into the best medical schools and who have the highest MCAT scores are, more often than not, the ones who DO NOT advertise that they are “pre-med”, who are humble about their grades, low-key about their campus involvements, and actually do research that matters – just like any other ordinary and decent human being.