A Pre-Med's Guide to JHU

Background: I’m a senior majoring in ChemBE who will be attending medical school next year. I've been following this subreddit for a while now and I wanted to make this guide to answer commonly asked questions and help any pre-med student currently at JHU. Please take this advice with a grain of salt. Every pre-med student is different; these tips can be extremely helpful to you, but they may not apply to everyone. For those of you who have been accepted ED this past week: Congrats! For those of you who are currently at Hopkins: Keep it up, you'll make it!

What should I major in?

BME: If you got into this program, do it. It's hard, but you will surround yourself with really intelligent people and have access to many unique resources.

ChemBE: ChemBE is one of the hardest majors at Hopkins, if not the hardest. I always hear people who say that this major has the lowest average GPA (3.1-3.2) at the school; however, from what I've seen, I don't think it's that low. Even though this major is difficult, you will have the opportunity to take fascinating courses, like Engineering Thermodynamics and Transport Phenomena. Not to mention, you will learn problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that are not taught in arts/science majors. If you are thinking of majoring in ChemBE, don't do it because you want to differentiate yourself from other medical school applicants. Do it because you are someone who loves challenges and you find fulfillment in working through tough problems. If you end up dropping pre-med or are currently unsure about pre-med, ChemBE offers limitless opportunities in the industry, whether that is in pharmaceuticals, biofuels, oil, food processing, consulting, etc. No matter what, if you succeed in the ChemBE major, you will go on to do awesome things, in engineering or in medical school. On a side note, ChemBE is more on the "engineering" side than "chemistry/biology" side. Expect lots of math, differential equations, and physics; you do not really use any chemistry or biology until you reach upper-level electives.

Molecular and Cellular Biology: I feel like people tend to stray away from this major because it's boring and they think that too many people do it. However, there's a good reason why so many pre-meds choose Mol Cell Bio. This major is the one that prepares you for the MCAT the most. You will heavily study biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and more, which covers a huge portion of the MCAT exam. Difficulty-wise, it is pretty average as a pre-med major, maybe slightly easier than Neuroscience. If you love biology and wanted to become a doctor because you enjoyed biology in high school, this is the major for you!

Neuroscience: I'm not sure whether or not Neuroscience majors love the nervous system because of the amazing lecturers and faculty in the department, or if they chose to major in Neuroscience because they were fascinated with the brain. Either way, Neuroscience majors are extremely passionate about neuroscience. Everyone I've talked to in the major seems to love their classes and professors. So if you want to become a neurosurgeon, or if you think you might be interested in studying nervous systems, I would definitely choose Neuroscience.

Public Health: I don't want to bash on this major, but this seems to be the easiest major for pre-meds. A majority of pre-meds who switch out of their original major, end up switching to public health. My friends in public health all have near 4.0 GPAs and they have a lot of extra time outside of class to participate in extracurricular activities, research, shadowing, and community service. If you think you might struggle with academics or you really want to gun for the 4.0, do public health. Or do public health because you are interested in the big picture of medicine and healthcare. But mainly do it because it's easy.

Other: If you are interested in any major at all, and you want to be pre-med, you can do it! I only listed the 4 above because I feel like they are the most common at JHU. At the end of the day, choose the major that will make you the most happy. The pre-med grind is real, and studying something you are passionate about will make the whole process a lot more bearable.

If you are unsure about pre-med: Do an engineering major. You can get into a high-paying job if you drop pre-med.

If you are 100% sure about pre-med but don't know what to do at all: Public Health. It's the easiest way to go. Plus, you can spend more time focusing on stuff you may actually be interested in outside of class and spend less time studying.

Do medical schools take into account the "grade deflation" at JHU?

Yes. Simply going to JHU carries a lot of weight and our school has one of the best pre-med tracks in the country. Medical schools know this. Don't worry!

Do medical schools differentiate between GPAs of easier and harder majors?

Yes, but not really. However, this is a good thing, not a bad thing. No matter what major you are, as long as you are above a certain "threshold", medical schools won't pick someone over the other because of GPA. Instead, they will look at your total package, including your clinical experiences, volunteering experiences, research experiences, and other extracurricular activities. Additionally, med schools will evaluate your cumulative GPA and BCPM GPA separate. BCPM is biology, chemistry, physics, and math. This means medical schools can simply compare the BCPM GPA of students in different majors to determine how each of them fared in the core pre-med courses.

Do I use my AP Credit? Should I take intro courses over again for a GPA boost or because I took the AP course a while ago and want a refresh?

No. In regards to GPA boosting, there are many easy courses at Hopkins that can give you a GPA boost. The intro courses here can actually be pretty tough. If you think you need to refresh your memory, you don't. Nobody really remembers anything after Finals, so you'll be on the same boat as everyone else. This is particularly true for those considering Orgo for freshmen year. Do it. It will fit in your schedule a lot easier because your major courses and electives may get harder in your sophomore year. If you got a 4 on AP Chem, do not take the Applied Chemical Equilibrium course. Everyone I know that takes it ends up hating it and regretting not taking Orgo.

How hard it is to find research? How do you find research?

One of the perks of attending JHU is that it is really easy to find research. As long as you are actively trying to find a research position, you will get one. A lot of departments and labs will send out emails when they have research positions that open up. If you are interested in a specific topic, you can look up research labs at the JHU or JHMI website, and email the lab PIs. Some of them might not be as responsive and ignore your emails, but you will likely get a response from somewhere if you are constantly sending out emails.

How hard is it to find shadowing/hospital volunteering? How do you find those opportunities?

Finding shadowing is actually pretty hard unless you meet or know the right people. I would suggest getting into a research lab or getting a volunteering position at the JHMI/hospital first. That way you can meet doctors who know practicing physicians who you can shadow. The Hopkins Hospital has a simple volunteering application, but it is definitely easy to get in and start volunteering (the orientation/training process is tedious though).

What do I need to do to have a successful transition from HS to college?

1. Learn how to study- Do you study better alone or with friends/classmates? Are you more focused when you study in your room or at the library? These are all questions you should find the answer to during your first semester in college.

2. Find a supportive friend group- Hopkins can be rough sometimes. But you aren't alone! Find fellow pre-meds or classmates that share your struggles.

3. Maintain a healthy lifestyle- Eat healthy. Sleep for 7 hours or more a night. Take showers, put on deodorant and brush your teeth. These might seem obvious, but it is ridiculous how many students come to JHU and seem to forget these basic daily activities without their parents telling them to do so.

Should I take Orgo over the summer?

If you have the time and money, yes. Orgo over the summer is more compact, but it is easier than taking it over the course of the year. If you can do research or an internship, do that instead and just take Orgo during the year.

What GPA do I need to get? What MCAT do I need to get? (to get into medical school)

Here are some stats given by the JHU pre-professional office. The average GPA of a JHU undergrad who was accepted into a medical school was a 3.63 cumulative (3.57 BCPM). The average MCAT of a JHU undergrad who was accepted into a medical school was a 512.7. With that being said, the GPA and MCAT you should have will most likely depend on what medical school you want to attend. For top-tier medical schools (top 30), you should have at least a 3.7 and a 515. If you don't care which medical school you go to, you should have at least a 3.5 and a 510.

Letters of Rec?

You need 4-6 letters of recommendation. The suggested distribution is 2 science faculty, 1 non-science faculty, and 1 other (research, supervisor, etc). It's never too late to start developing good rapport with your professors and PI early on!

Gap Year?

This is a tough question because everyone is different. Statistically speaking, about 80% of Hopkins students take at least 1 gap year and 20% go straight to medical school. In my opinion, you do not need to take a gap year. If you feel like you have a strong overall application, go ahead and start the application process during your Junior spring. If you have a low GPA or feel like you are lacking in activities, then take a gap year because you will accumulate more hours in your activities, and take easier courses in your senior year to boost your GPA.

What does a good medical school applicant look like?

Outside of having a good MCAT and GPA, I think that your extracurricular activities, clinical experiences, volunteering experiences, and research are extremely important. If there was a good "formula", it would look something like this:

• 1 Research Lab

• 1 Hospital Volunteering Commitment

• 1 Non-medically related Volunteering Commitment (actually help someone who is disadvantaged or in need)

• 1-2 Recreational Activities/Clubs (Athletics/Arts/Fun things that you actually enjoy)

Keep in mind that medical schools value commitment to an activity. This means that these 4-5 activities are things that you spend time on every single week. If you start during freshman year, you can rack up hundreds of hours in these activities by the time you start your medical school application. Also, sticking with the same club/activity or lab over a period of time will give you the opportunity to have leadership positions in those clubs or publications in your research lab. Not to mention, it shows that you have a personality and are passionate about things outside of simply getting a 4.0 and 528 MCAT.

Final Thoughts

Try your hardest. The path to becoming a doctor is a difficult one. But, if you believe in yourself and don't lose hope, you'll make it. Be proud; you've made it this far!

I hope you found this guide useful! Please PM me or comment down below if you have any individual questions.