Hi there. My name is Keely. I'm a rising junior at Butler University in Indiana. I'm studying biology and biochemistry. I'm most interested in anesthesiology as a potential specialty. I work as a pediatric/NICU pharmacy technician and cardiac med/surg patient care assistant in two different hospital systems. I am also active with volunteering and campus clubs. Outside of my studies, I love music. I take piano lessons each semester as a hobby, and I've been playing for almost 15 years. I also like hiking, trying new restaurants, and going to museums (Indy has some great ones). Looking forward to connecting with everyone!

Many aspiring doctors start college with a big question: "Can I get into medical school without taking a gap year?" While going straight from undergrad to med school is possible, it requires careful planning from day one. In this guide, we’ll cover: - The freshman and sophomore year course schedule you need to stay on track. - The GPA benchmarks for applying without a gap year. - Why a gap year can still be a smart move for many premed students Why Premed Students Take a Gap Year Before we jump into avoiding one, let’s acknowledge the reality: Most premed students do take a gap year before starting medical school. This extra year can help you: - Boost your GPA with senior-year grades. - Gain more clinical and research experience without rushing. - Prepare for the MCAT with less stress. - Mature professionally before med school. However, if you’re set on applying straight through, you’ll need a strategic academic and extracurricular plan from your very first semester. Freshman Year Premed Schedule to Avoid a Gap Year To be ready to apply in June of your junior year, you’ll need to take the MCAT by May of that year. That means finishing all your MCAT-related prerequisites on time. Ideal Freshman–Sophomore Timeline - Freshman Fall: General Chemistry I + Intro Biology - Freshman Spring: General Chemistry II + Intro Biology - Sophomore Fall: Organic Chemistry I - Sophomore Spring: Organic Chemistry II - Junior Fall: Biochemistry Many medical schools require Organic Chemistry before Biochemistry. If you get behind, you might have to take summer classes — fine for one subject (like Physics or Chemistry), but admissions committees may question a transcript heavy with summer-only prerequisites. GPA Benchmarks for Applying Without a Gap Year Your grades are just as important as your timeline. Why GPA matters more for straight-through applicants: If you apply in your junior year, senior-year grades won’t appear on your application. That means you lose the chance to boost your academic record before schools review it.

My name is Hannah. I am an incoming sophomore at a small private university in Indiana, and I am an aspiring emergency medicine physician. I am a biology major with three minors: Psychology, gender studies, and music. Despite having many minors, I like to be involved in my major as a member of the executive board of the biology club. As a music minor, I play flute, and I participate in the wind ensemble and pep band. I volunteer as a United Sound mentor and Crisis Text Line counselor. Also, I have recently gotten a job as an EMT, and I am enjoying it so far. I am usually very busy but I try to keep a balance by doing activities I like such as working out and cooking. I am excited to get to know you all! Feel free to reach out.

Hi everyone! My name is Shiva! I graduated from George Mason University and am working on the current app cycle (eek). At the moment, I am a research coordinator, EMT Instructor, and volunteer EMT and ambulance driver. Much like Dr. Nessim, I value outside activities and a balanced work life, so I am very active in weight lifting and fitness. I also love reading and art, particularly music and singing. I’m also open for a collaborative environment, so feel free to connect with me if yall want some support going through the cycle or any part of the process, it’s rough so I would love some support too😭

Hey Everyone! My mission is to make us an awesome supportive community of praying meds in the best way to do that is all to get to know one enough and another. So if you can, please put a short intro into this thread, I will go a long way and make it a better experience for both of you and everybody else! I’ll go first. My name is Adam Nessim, MD. I was once in your shoes, just as scared premed who even got a 68% of my first of comparative physiology test at Cornell. Fortunately, it was some good mentors and figuring out how to properly study. I was able to quickly turn around and ended up graduating Cornell with a 4.0 GPA. Not only that, but I was able to have an amazing time while studying hard. I engaged in various, extracurriculars hung out with friends, played on the club soccer team, and felt I had a good balance of studying while still maintaining a life (which I was told was never going to happen). I even started teaching MCAT prep to the students on campus and then colleges in the nearby area from one of the major test companies. I then went onto Albert Einstein College of medicine, which I also enjoyed very much and similarly had a good balance of work and and fulfillment from outside activities (yes it’s possible!). As a first year medical student, I ended up starting the premium consultants with the goal of providing better MCAT prep as well as a program that helps students every step of the process until they get into medical school. I finished medical school after five years due to taking a research here and matched into my desired specialty of physical medicine and rehab rehabilitation at Montefiore in NYC. I’m now in my last year of residency and just recently found out that I matched into my top choice specialty which is a combined Sports and Spine Program at Cornell/Columbia. I say all this to show you that if I can do it, you can do it too then my goal is to help you all along the journey through this group. If you got this far, it would mean the world to me to also leave your own little intro in our group and I will be sure to respond!