The Life of a Pre-Med: A Doctor in the Making

by Foram Mehta

The clock reads 2 a.m. on a school night and junior Seema Patel* is just now getting ready for bed. The late night is not anything out of ordinary for her. It is just another night in the life of a pre-med.

A psychology major at the University of Texas at Austin, Patel says she averages at least 30 hours of studying and only around five hours of sleep a week. Her weekly class schedule includes psychology, Hindi, and organic chemistry courses along with two science labs. While it all only adds up to 14 hours of credit, Patel is actually taking 17 hours of class a week. Free time is a privilege she does not get to indulge in a great deal.

“Most of the time I’m either in class, working or doing homework. I definitely don’t get as much free time as my other friends because even during free time, there’s always some homework or assignment that needs to be done.”

If her full weekly schedule was not enough to keep her stress at a close to dangerous level, Patel has the status of grade point average to keep her plenty worried. She will need a certain grade point average for some medical schools to even consider accepting her. Unlike some fields that only require a Bachelor’s degree for some type of job, those aspiring to be doctors fear the possibility of unemployment if they cannot get into medical school. That uncertainty of her future, Patel says, is what scares her the most.

Patel did not always want to be a doctor. Her childhood dream was actually to become a flight attendant. Traveling the world and going from airplane to airplane used to be the exciting life that she dreamed of living. So, what happened to that dream?

“I realized I would always be on the go,” Patel remembers thinking. “And the idea of plane crashes scared me.” And that was that.

While Patel’s parents were the first ones to suggest she explore the medical field, she says that it was during a Clinical Rotations course she took in high school that she realized what she wanted to do with her life. Two years and an Emergency Technician License later, she was hooked.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else. I try to picture myself in another field, but I know I won’t be happy doing anything that’s not in the medical field. It’s just something I’ve wanted so long, [and] becoming a doctor has just become ingrained [in me].” Patel says with conviction.

Patel was also an active member in Health Occupations Students of America during high school, a student organization that promotes career opportunities in health care. She competed in national tournaments with her team and brought home the gold. Her friends agree that Patel is meant to be a doctor. Those who knew her in high school have faith that she has what it takes to reach her dreams.

“She’s one of those people that when she talks about what she wants to do, you almost feel like she’s destined to become a doctor,” says sophomore Ali Singh* , also a pre-med student at the University of Texas at Austin, who went to high school with Patel. “My expectations [of Seema] now are the same as they were [in high school]. I think she can, and will become a doctor – a very good one too.”

The medical school applications looming in her near future give Patel a good scare about her uncertain future as a doctor. The long tiring hours of studying seem to be never-ending. Still, seeing her dream evolve into reality is something that Patel says she will give it her all no matter what it takes because those are just some things pre-med students have to stick it through. After all, her high school friends will be expecting a Dr. Seema Patel at their 10-year reunion.

*Names have been changed to protect the individuals’ privacy