You are more than just a number
Some of the common pre-requisites are 2 semesters of general chemistry, 2 semesters of general biology, 2 semesters of organic chemistry, and 2 semesters of physics. I recall when I was taking general chemistry in my first semester of college, and there were many pre-meds taking the course. When we received our final grade for the semester, I would hear, “I am dropping out of the pre-medical track… I cannot get into medical school with this grade” from my classmates. It may come as a surprise, but students were saying this after receiving a B or a B+ in the class. I immediately realized that there was this misconception that in order to get into medical school and become a physician, one needs to have a 4.0-grade point average. I was sad to see fellow pre-meds no longer pursuing medicine over one grade in a class.
Eventually, this is what led me to create an educational Youtube channel called P&A MED. This channel is also curated by Amanda E. Lalama, who is a pre-medical student at Florida International University. We created this educational platform to promote medicine, health, and community outreach. Additionally, we share our experiences and tips about the pre-medical journey and inform viewers that there is more to the application when applying to medical school than just metrics. There are other components to a medical school application, such as activities, personal statements, supplemental essays, and interviews. These additional components are what I find to be critical when filling out the application. I believe it’s essential for applicants to share their stories, and the reality is we all have a story, and it’s how applicants standout to admission committees.
P&A Med would like to emphasize to pre-meds is that if you’re genuinely passionate about pursuing the field of medicine and becoming a physician, not to let obstacles get in the way of your dreams. You’re more than just a number.
Let's stay motivated and keep going!
Pablo Gómez