PRE-MED, HUH?

Pre-med. The word can say everything and nothing about the academic interests and plans of a student. With the extensive requirements necessary for medical school, the decision to be "pre-med" can often be fraught with tension and uncertainty. When asked if he were a "pre-med," Eugene T. Kim '01 says only half-jokingly, "Ask again after sophomore year. If I say I'm still pre-med, then I really am."

Without a pre-med track available, Harvard leaves the choice of concentration up to its students. Pre-med students who concentrate in the humanities say they are encouraged to pursue their interest in non-scientific fields, but must forgo electives in order to complete their medical school requirements, which include a full year of biology, chemistry and physics, plus laboratory experience, organic chemistry and some sort of mathematics.

"I've taken one elective, and that was a mistake because now I have to take pre-med classes over the summer," says Tarissa Mitchell '99, a pre-med English concentrator.

Besides medical school and humanities concentration requirements, Mitchell and her fellow pre-meds say their schedules are further constrained by Core requirements, which take up eight half-courses.

"Science A and Science B are taken care of by certain pre-med courses, but at the same time, it's difficult when you think that a quarter of your classes is devoted to the Core, half [of your classes] is devoted to your concentration and the rest is devoted to your pre-med requirements," Mitchell says. "If I wanted to continue with honors English, I would have something like -2 electives."

The Core: Bane or Blessing?

First-years who enter as humanities concentrators in pursuit of a medical degree often decide not to follow through with their pre-med aspirations.

"I came in wanting to be pre-med and [to] concentrate in English, but I got discouraged because I realized that it was going to take up all of my time, and it wasn't worth it," Ankur N. Ghosh '01 says. "If the Core were smaller, I think I might have done the pre-med requirements, but I knew that would never happen, because Harvard is a slave to the Core." Ghosh is now an English concentrator with no plans toward pursuing a medical degree.

Tricia L. Morente '01 agrees that it is frustrating to "have no electives or to waste away my summer taking science courses to free up space in my schedule." Thus, Morente says she has decided to concentrate in economics or history without the hassle of taking pre-med classes as well.

However, others say they see the challenging courseload as a way for students to gauge their commitment toward the medical profession.

"I think it [Harvard] does structure it so that it's really hard to swing pre-med and not be a science concentrator," says Christine M. Heske '01, a pre-med anthropology concentrator. "I know a lot of people that have dropped pre-med since it eats up time and electives, but I think it is a good thing because it makes you realize whether you really want to put in that much of a commitment before it's too late."

Economics concentrator Reena N. Rupani '99 agrees, saying, "If you're really interested, you'll make time for it."

Rupani says she deals with her courseload constraints by viewing the Core requirements as her electives. "For someone like me, who's already so limited, it forces me to take courses that I wouldn't ordinarily," she says.

Meanwhile, Navin Narayan '99, a pre-med social studies concentrator, says the humanities concentration functions as a source of electives for the pre-med student.

"It's true [that] maybe I am more confined," Narayan says. "But I can't say I'm unhappy. I don't feel constricted [because] the flexibility of social studies lends itself to my interests."

Heske adds, "I chose anthropology since it offered such a huge array of topics. I wanted a concentration that wasn't so focused on science, and could give me a broad-based college experience."

However, even the best-laid plans can go awry when concentration and medical-school-required classes conflict with one another. Since science courses plan only with other science courses when determining class times and exam schedules, it is often difficult to create a schedule without time conflicts and overlapping midterms and exams.

Mitchell says, "Last semester, I had to rush out of Shakespeare to take a biology exam, which was the hour afterwards, but although the biology professor wouldn't allow me to take the exam ten minutes late, the Shakespeare head TF allowed me to start the exam 10 minutes early so I could get to the biology exam on time."

But pre-med students say all the hassle is worth it in the end.

Lee A. Dalope '99, a pre-med sociology concentrator, says, "I just find people interesting and can't imagine medicine for myself without a more humanistic focus."

Narayan adds that science and social studies complement each other and enhances his understanding of both.

"I thought concentrating in social studies would give real breadth to my approach to science," he says. "I'd like to look at medicine as more than just scientific tendencies and consider the more social implications, how an individual is affected."

History and Science

Many cite history and science as this perfect merger of science and the humanities.

"It really lets me mix the two worlds," says Monica B. Shah '99. "I may not be the best problem set solver and not the best paper writer, but I can do both. Sociopolitics and science are interrelated because you can't look at the modern medical system without a scientific background, but you [also] need an understanding of social issues."

As a first-year, Shah says she found herself in a difficult situation when she was confronted with the dilemma of being pre-med and concentrating in English with honors at the same time.

"I would have needed 16 credits for English honors, eight for pre-med and eight Core classes-and that's it," she says. "I think that in some ways Harvard does encourage pre-med students to be science concentrators with all their demanding requirements, or else to not have any electives outside of your concentration."

Shah says she has found her niche with history and science, because it has broadened and enhanced her pre-med focus, compelling her to look at the more social aspects of medicine. Now, Shah says she constantly asks herself, "How is what I'm studying affecting the world?"

Associate Professor and Head Tutor of history and science Mary Terrall says that the reputation of history and science as "the ultimate pre-med concentration" is unfounded.

"We're not catering to pre-med students," she says. "It's possible to get an honors [degree] in history and science and be pre-med since some of the requirements overlap, which is how we get the reputation, and we do get a lot of interest from pre-med students."

However, Terrall stresses that, at most, only one-third of history and science concentrators are pre-med.

The Medical Schools

For those who are not history and science concentrators, summer school classes may be the key to completing all of one's medical school requirements. Nevertheless, Lee Ann Michelson, health career adviser for the Office of Career Services, advises against this.

"Often, people will take their pre-med requirements in the summer, but we don't recommend it," she says. "It looks like you're avoiding Harvard's science courses and can look unfavorable to a medical school."

Most medical schools say they are just looking for good students who have pursued their interests while fulfilling the basic science requirements.

"As long as he/she meets the basic science requirements, we don't care what other classes you take," says Barbara Franklin, a Duke Medical School admissions representative. "We actually recommend students to take non-science majors if that's their primary interest since medical school doesn't allow as much flexibility."

Dr. Andrew G. Frantz '51, professor of medicine and chair of admissions to Columbia Medical School, says humanities concentrators are neither preferred nor handicapped in the competition for medical school acceptance.

"My impression is that the probability of science and non-science majors accepted is roughly the same and is therefore not a statistical barrier," he says. "We do like to look for breadth of curriculum and for some form of liberal arts education, usually provided by some form of core program."

According to Frantz, the only difference between the two groups is that "the first year of medical school may be more challenging for non-science majors, but after that, it's all common ground."

Having a Social Life

Another difference between the two groups may be the amount of spare time they possess. Dalope says while strictly humanities concentrators may have an image of their pre-med counterparts as "all work and not play," this picture is only a misconception.

"Baloney," he says, "There is enough time to do whatever you're interested in, you just have to be careful. I'd like to do a psychological experiment on people who say they don't have enough time, [to] track them and see if they're really studying."

Dalope adds, "Last year, I juggled two lab science classes with problem sets and pre-lab write-ups and three different dance troupes, and still had a life!" Currentlyinvolved with the Under-graduate Council, fourdance troupes, the Red Cross and volunteer work ata nursing home, Dalope says he makes time topursue his varied interests.

Both students and medical school admissionsofficers emphasize the need to pursue one'sinterests and to seize present opportunities.

"At this point, the liberal arts educationshould be primary, because I always have thechance to take pre-med classes in the futurebefore I go to medical school," Mitchell says.

"I would rather be a little bit happier incollege," he said because I already know I want togo into medicine, and I can take [those] classesin the future.

Both students and medical school admissionsofficers emphasize the need to pursue one'sinterests and to seize present opportunities.

"At this point, the liberal arts educationshould be primary, because I always have thechance to take pre-med classes in the futurebefore I go to medical school," Mitchell says.

"I would rather be a little bit happier incollege," he said because I already know I want togo into medicine, and I can take [those] classesin the future.