The top ten characteristics of premeds: we suffer low grades, we do not have a social life, we whine way too much; we do not respect humanities and social science majors, we spend all our vacations working in a lab or a hospital, orgo orgo orgo, we enjoy Kresge more than our rooms, we never get to take fun classes, we can't think about an FSP and we stress about MCATs and applications only to be rejected from most schools to which we apply.
With such a merry depiction of the life of the premed student, it seems insane that so many take the path of premedical preparation at Dartmouth. About half the Class of 1997 and well over 60 percent of the Class of 1998 expressed interest in premedical preparation upon entering Dartmouth.
Why so many students attempt this "via dolorosa" is beyond me, but the fact that they do express interest makes the premeds on this campus by far the largest student group on this campus.
Right now I belong to that group. I hate to admit this, but I do. Every time I admit this fact to someone else, I see a red alarm lamp flashing, "oh ... you're premed." I am automatically placed in the group of those who laugh for an hour from a joke about giant DNA molecules.
That is why I hate admitting my premedical tendencies. It is not that I am ashamed of my disposition towards medicine or that I dislike any other premeds, but the tag we get is mislabeled.
Premeds are vice presidents of class councils and presidents of sororities. They rock-climb and they canoe to the ocean.They are lifeguards on the docks and editors of The Dartmouth.
In short, we're all over this campus, and yet for some reason I still can never avoid the inevitable ,"So, you're premed!?"
I can't blame people who have misconceptions about premed students, since this notion has been around for a long time and no one tried to change it. But the label is wrong, and the change is due.
The only thing we all have in common is that we all think we know what we want to do with our lives. It may also be true that, on average, premeds work harder than other students, since the competition to get into medical school is as fierce as ever. But any other stigma, especially those blasphemous top-ten, are almost prejudicial.
So, in the spirit of political correctness, I would like to eliminate the term "premed."
For me, this term is stereotypical of a nearly extinct species that takes 35 science courses at Dartmouth, feeds on the vending machine in Fairchild, and is rarely seen outside his or her laboratory. This term, appropriate for the pre-law/business/plumbing/carpentry/pottery era of the early 80's, has taken on the wrong connotations.
Therefore, from this moment, I deny being premed. To the question, "Are you premedical?" I will answer, "No, I am premeditated." Although I know I am going into medicine, I do not spend my free time browsing through The Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
I already feel better. With the label removed, I will no longer fear the suspicious looks of "You're not supposed to be here" when I enter WDCR's studio. By tossing out the name, I also do away with all the expectations of the premed student. I don't want to hear about orgo pre-labs anymore and I want to have the same right to take "gut" courses as a drama major.
I hope other current premeds will also partake in this purging. We are too different, too interesting, and too diverse to all have the same dull label of "premeds."
On the same token, I hope each and every one of us premeds and premeditates will use a different title.
I wish for more than just a change of title. I want to rid the notion that all the students headed for medicine have the same characteristics.
More than just my own private victory against the loathsome "premed" classification, it will be a benefit to all of you out there who are anything but premed.
