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Most incoming students are pre-med, but a lot of them don’t really know what they’re getting into, what it’s really like, or if it’s even worth it? I would have really appreciated talking to someone currently going through it back when I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life, so I sent around a questionnaire to a few of my friends and this is what they had to say. I hope you’re able to gain something from it, and if you still have any burning questions then please email me at farah.arif@vanderbilt.edu. Now, on to the questions.
- Why did you choose to be pre-med?
I’m not really sure. I guess it was what my parents had suggested earlier on, but they don’t pressure me to stay on in any way. I haven’t confirmed pre-med either so I don’t really have a reason yet as to why I’m doing it. I think that I would enjoy being a doctor and interacting with patients to help them feel better, but what makes me question pre-med is the path to get there. I’m hoping to know better about why I do pre-med or if I’ll continue after I volunteer in a clinic India this summer.
I didn’t come in wanting to be pre-med, but I knew that I was really interested in neuroscience. I tried it out and ended up finding all the science courses really interesting so I stuck with it.
I chose to be pre-med because I have a passion for people and a passion for fixing things. Being a doctor combines the two.
- Do you feel that being premed at Vandy has made your experience different than if you weren’t pre-med?
It most certainly did. I don’t think the students at Vandy are cutthroat, but I think pre-med is one of the more intensive tracks during college. I don’t think this is because the material of pre-med is necessarily harder than other fields, but it is the nature of the beast that is pre-med. Pre-med students usually don’t look for jobs after graduation, they are looking to get into more schools. With the med school admissions process comes the whole stress of worrying about grades and all the extracurricular you should/need to do to be a good medical school applicant. I think my experience at Vandy is different since I am premed because it consumes so much of my time and efforts, and at least partially hinders my ability to explore other things (not completely, but at least a little bit). More than that, the environment is just very stress inducing.. everyone in the track is worried about their grades from day one… it’s a lot like being in high school and looking to get into good colleges in that regard. That being said, I like the pre-med students at Vandy, they are not cutthroat and are very helpful to each other for tests and such. It’s just only top 5% of students in intro Bio get an A whereas there is no percentage cutoff for getting an A in my writing class (maybe there is a percentage, but as long as you write a good essay, you can get an A… the essays aren’t made so difficult that they differentiate the class grades drastically and only give the top 5% an A). This is why I don’t know if I want to be a doctor; it isn’t the profession I’m still deciding about, it’s the path it takes to get there.
I’ve definitely met some great people through required Alpha Epsilon Delta and premed events that I probably wouldn’t have gone to otherwise.
I mean, of course it has. For one, there a multitude of other premed students who are definitely competing with me. Two, unlike some other people who aren’t pre-med, I know exactly what my goal is after graduating from Vanderbilt.
- What are you majoring in? Did your major have to do with filling pre-med requirements or because you were interested in it?
I am majoring in economics. It has nothing to with pre-med and is purely for my interest. I am still thinking if I want a career in economics or something that would combine both the medical and economic/financial field.
I’m majoring in neuroscience, but I would have done it whether regardless of whether I was pre-Med or not because I find the subject super cool.
I’m majoring in Neuroscience and may or may not also be majoring in Psychology. I mean, I definitely didn’t have to major in Neuro to be premed. I decided to major in Neuro because it interested me. Same with psychology.
- What is your opinion of the required courses you took this year?
I really like the subject matter of pre-med courses… I like what we learn in chemistry or biology. I just don’t like how fast we have to go through it and how intensively we are tested on it. I have always been interested in the sciences, it’s always been the nit-picky tests that often test your ability to memorize every single detail rather than comprehension and application of the material. That being said, memorization is a large part of medicine so I understand the purpose of it to a degree. I think the labs are absolutely ridiculous. It’s often just busy work and detracts from studying for the actual course. I personally believe I would learn the material better without the labs (because I have a lot more time to study for one) and that I’d be a happier person without them.
I think the required courses I’ve taken so far for pre-Med have all been really great and I’ve learned a lot.
The prerequisites for premed students are all pretty standard except for physics. Why in the world does a doctor need physics?
- Do you have any tips for future premed students?
My tips would be to make sure to not let the grades pre-med courses validate you. Just because you don’t get an A or A- in chemistry doesn’t mean you don’t understand the material well and that you stink at chemistry. They go very quickly through the material and the grade doesn’t always reflect your intelligence. That goes for any course you ever take.. don’t let grades be what validate your intelligence.That being said, do try to develop good study habits. It’s one thing to not understand the material after trying a lot, and it’s another to not understand it cramming for the test the night before… I’m not saying I haven’t done the later and I probably still will every now and then. But almost every student can improve their study habits and I’m constantly trying to improve my own. Honestly, there’s so much to do with pre-med, it is important to relax and enjoy your college life too. Don’t make pre-med the defining future of your college experience… it can be if that’s what you really want. Just don’t forget to take some courses that have nothing to do with pre-med and just for your joy… or take something you think you like and end up hating it to rule out what you don’t like. Same with extra-curricular, it’s fine if you really enjoy medical stuff and want to invest all of your time into that. But don’t miss out on all the other amazing clubs because you think you need to do everything medically related to get into med school. Like everything, pre-med is a balance. It is easy to get caught up in only pre-med stuff, don’t forget that there might be other things that you want to do and explore/do those other things. Invest for your future, and invest time and effort to go to med-school; just don’t invest with at the cost of sacrificing your happiness for years. Balance out what you need to do for med-school, with what you want to do for you (and that could be more medical stuff.. but it also might not be).
My advice would be to take your prerequisites seriously. Especially the science courses. Also, don’t get bummed out of others around you are dropping pre-med; if you have a passion for it, that should drive you.
Don’t give up!
It is a university requirement that Vanderbilt has a complete record of your undergraduate and/or graduate preparation with degree(s) conferred prior to your matriculation to medical school. Applicants must have attended a regionally accredited institution of postsecondary education. Preparation in foreign universities, in most cases, should be supplemented by a year or more of course work at an approved university in the United States.
All official credentials including transcripts from foreign universities and letters of recommendation must be sent from the source and cannot be accepted from the applicant. Once admitted, please send all official final transcripts with degree awarded and date of graduation by July 1 of the year you will be entering medical school. Please note that transcripts sent to AMCAS during the application process do not fulfill this requirement.
Due to the upredictable nature of the ongoing global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are kindly asking that you only submit digital copies of your transcripts at this time. These digital transcripts should be sent to Christina Twist at mdadmissions@vanderbilt.edu.
Please note: digital copies of your transcripts sent via Secure Electronic Delivery (such as Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, etc.) will be accepted. We cannot accept emailed transcripts from you. If your insitution is unable to provide a digital copy of your transcript, please email Christina Twist at mdadmissions@vanderbilt.edu for accomodations.
General Requirements
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine seeks to matriculate a diverse population of academically exceptional students whose attributes and accomplishments suggest that they will be future leaders and/or scholars in medicine. We accept students in good standing who will be graduates of accredited colleges and universities before matriculation to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. There are no restrictions on the type of major a student chooses; we provide recommendations of courses for applicants in their preparation for the study of medicine. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required and used along with other data to predict success in preclinical course work.
Course Recommendations
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine recognizes that the undergraduate academic experience of applicants varies greatly. Therefore, we have made the decision to move away from “requirements” to “recommendations.” The expansive and ever-changing landscape of medicine and its practice necessitates that an applicant have demonstrated competencies in the natural and life sciences, social sciences, and mathematics. These competencies can be met through traditional and/or newly-established interdisciplinary courses of study in an accredited institution of higher learning. The use of AP or other credit is acceptable, but it is strongly encouraged to build stronger competencies through courses taken in college. Although there is no timeframe in which students must meet the above competencies, it is recommended that students have recent exposures to most or all of these areas. Competitive applicants should demonstrate in-depth competency in each of the following areas of study, based on the AAMC-HHMI Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians and AAMC-Behavioral and Social Science Foundations for Future Physicians. Mastery of competencies is reflected by a strong performance in the classroom and on the MCAT, as well as in letters of evaluation.
Biology: Applicants should demonstrate competence in the understanding of molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and how they regulate organ and organismic structure and function. Fields of study analyzing diverse human properties are view in a strong, positive light.
Chemistry/Biochemistry: Applicants should demonstrate competence in the basic principles of chemistry as it pertains to living systems. Studies in biochemistry are an exemplary way to prepare students for training in medicine science.
Mathematics/Statistics and Physics: Applicants should demonstrate competence in the basic principles of physics and mathematics underlying living systems. Applicants should demonstrate basic competence in statistics or biostatistics, which is important to understand the quantitative aspects of medicine and biomedical research.
Social Sciences and Communication: It is imperative that the applicant demonstrate competence in the humanistic understanding of patients as human beings and as part of a familial and social structure. In this regard, studies in psychology and sociology are viewed favorably. It is required that the applicant speaks, writes, and reads English fluently.
International Applicants
If you have taken your coursework at an international university where English is not the language of instruction, your application may benefit from taking additional science courses at an English-speaking university.
Letters of Evaluation
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine will be receiving letters of evaluation through the AMCAS Letter Service for the incoming 2021 class. Applicants are individually responsible for ensuring receipt by AMCAS. Please designate Vanderbilt University School of Medicine as one of the institutions assigned to receive your letters when you submit your primary AMCAS application. Please note that failure to send to AMCAS will delay your application.
A letter of evaluation or letter packet should be sent from your Premedical Committee. If your university does not have this committee, send three letters of evaluation:
Vanderbilt University supports the movement for letters to cover the AAMC Guidelines (https://www.aamc.org/download/349990/data/lettersguidelinesbrochure.pdf) and encourages applicants to solicit letters from evaluators who can address competencies. If you have advanced degrees or at least one year of postgraduate full-time employment, it is advisable to ask your supervisor at work or a member of the graduate faculty to send a letter of recommendation.
Criminal/Background Check Policy
Background checks will be conducted on all students conditionally accepted for admission or conditionally designated as an alternate for admission to the M.D. and M.D./Ph.D. programs at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Read the full policy (PDF).
Learn more:
AAMC Background Check Details
Certiphi Screening Inc. will procure a background report on early decision program applicants at the point of acceptance and all other applicants at the point of acceptance after January 1st. An e-mail will be sent to applicants by Certiphi Screening Inc., at the preferred e-mail address entered in the AMCAS application by the applicant.
Hi premeds! We often get asked, “how to get into Vanderbilt medical school?” This page serves as a high-yield resource for Vanderbilt Medical School. The information from this page is a GOLDEN resource. Vanderbilt School of Medicine is located in Nashville, Tennessee. We’ve compiled it from Vanderbilt Medical School acceptance rate data, the Vanderbilt Med School website, and most importantly, from Vanderbilt med students themselves! You will have facts such as Vanderbilt Medical School admissions statistics and tips for getting accepted to Vanderbilt School of Medicine.
Whether you’re comparing medical schools that you have been accepted to, preparing for an interview, or wanting to learn more about Vanderbilt Med School, keep reading!
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