Opinion regarding the term "Pre-med"

[Amadeus89]

How do you guys feel about saying you are in pre-med? It doesn't feel right saying my major because I'm not really interested in biology.

Med students, what is your opinion on undergraduates who say they are in pre-med? I ask because of this: http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tum...-she-is-premed

Is it considered tacky? Naive?

[Birdy]

I only refer to myself as a premed on here and on my blog. Otherwise, I simply say I'm a bio major and if my future plans come up, I mention my goal.

[Robin Hood]

Originally Posted by Amadeus89

How do you guys feel about saying you are in pre-med? It doesn't feel right saying my major because I'm not really interested in biology.

Med students, what is your opinion on undergraduates who say they are in pre-med? I ask because of this: http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tum...-she-is-premed

Is it considered tacky? Naive?

For a lack of better terms who are short.
Also, even calling us undergrads is not an appropriate term, because medicine is an undergraduate program in Canada.
Also, why are you asking med students about this, they too used to make the same mistake.

[1234]

if you call urself a premed, you better be sure you are going to get in. For most, you are whatever your degree is.

[future_doc]

^ There aren't enough med schools.

[PhoenixFlare500]

I called myself a premed. I think it's quite hypocritical for some people to bash premeds without giving themselves that label, even though they know full well they want to get into med and are not there yet (hence the pre).

You might say it's arrogant to call yourself a premed. I prefer the term confident. Either way, it's necessary to have at least some confidence/arrogance about your ability to get into medicine, otherwise you might just not try as hard or give up altogether with a self-defeating attitude.

As for identifying yourself by your major instead of your real aspirations, is there really a point? I majored in biology, but did I really want to study pure animal biology (or plant or fungi or whatever you're taking)? No offense to any people interested in being vets (or pre-vets, shall we say?), but screw animals, I wanted to work with people and I wanted to do it in the field of medicine.

If you're avoiding calling yourself a premed, ask yourself, do you personally have a problem with the term, or are you just trying to impress (or avoid alienating) other people that might have a problem with it. If it's the latter, maybe their attitude just needs to change. Most adults really shouldn't care what you think you're going to take, plans change and everyone knows it but we know that we still make plans. Your peers in undergrad might care, but let's face you're pretty much still a kid for half of your undergrad if not all and beyond.

[Birdy]

My university has one of the few veterinary colleges in the country (I think there's five or so total.) Lots of people in my program call themselves prevets, as a side note.

But, I just avoid the term because when I hear 'premed' I generally think some bright-eyed 18 year old with rosy aspirations and no real sense of the world yet. It's just the picture I have in my head, and I very much don't fit that (not that there's anything wrong with being a bright-eyed optimistic 18 year old premed.)

Also, while I am confident in both my academic ability and my ability to do incredibly well in interviews, wrenches get thrown into the machinery of life. It's not for lack of confidence that I avoid the term. Simply an appreciation of how things can change when you least expect it.

[future_doc]

In Quebec, ahem.. many kids go directly into med at age 18/19. Coming from cegep, they don't call themselves premeds, they apply for med, denistry, etc and for many Bingo.

[Birdy]

Originally Posted by future_doc

In Quebec, ahem.. many kids go directly into med at age 18/19. Coming from cegep, they don't call themselves premeds, they apply for med, denistry, etc and for many Bingo.

That makes me feel rather old. Haha

[bored]

you shouldn't be offended by it.

From what I have been told, A long time ago, in the US, there was an actual 'PreMedical Major' and people would get a degree for premedical studies.
Thats why a lot of old profs just say "so you are a premed" when you tell them you wanna go to med school.

Now I think Premed just means you intend on applying to medical schools