PreMed

The pre-med program at SGU is a unique opportunity.  You will be taking courses that are part of the medical school curriculum, the majority of which are taught by the same professors and tested by exams similar to what you will see in the medical school.  The program is structured to introduce you to the intensity of study necessary for you to later excel.  I went through this program and found it very effective.  Not only are you eased in gently, one toe at a time, but also when you begin the First Term you will find everyone else trying to recover from the shock of jumping in all at once.  Medical jargon is its own language barrier and you will find yourself more familiar with the terms and material.  When you reach Medical School and the majority of your classmates have never heard of the twelve Cranial Nerves, you will be able to teach them the slightly off-color mnemonic you learned from the Head of the Anatomy Department while you were in his PreMed class.  It is nice to have a little leg up on everyone every once in a while.

Academically, the program is solid.  When you get to First Term, you will have seen enough of the material before that you can bypass the panic of “what is that?!” and go straight to the panic of “You want me to memorize all of them?”  PreMed is great preparation, but it is no substitute.  The courses give you a taste of things to come, some general familiarity with the material, and just enough clinical applications to pique your interests.  However, they do not go into as much detail, nor are they as clinically focused as what awaits you.   Do not worry about being bored in First Term; you will be studying at the edge of your ability.

Academic benefits aside, there are extracurricular benefits with the program.  The nice thing about doing a semester of PreMed is the extra time to adjust to Caribbean life.  One of the hardest things that some med students here face is the adjustment to new surroundings while juggling four challenging First Term courses.  As a PreMed student, you will have gotten all of that out of the way and will be under less stress.  The PreMed courses are challenging, but you will not be studying at the edge of your ability.

The structure of the PreMed program is different from that of the medical school and you will not have the same schedule every day.  Tuesdays and Thursdays differ from Mondays and Wednesdays and your Fridays are usually free.  I urge you to take advantage of this free day.  Explore the island of Grenada and take advantage of all the University has to offer.  You will have the opportunity to join student organizations that are relevant to medicine (Surgery, Emergency, AMSA).  I highly recommend you take part in as many things as possible and learn your way around the island.  This will be a huge benefit as you transition into the First Term medical school class.

As far as books go, everything is available in the library.  As a rule, the course companions are comprehensive for the testable material and your textbook may end up as a “doorstop of knowledge” or “paperweight of knowing.”  Save your money and simply reference the library books whenever you need that little extra clarification. 

For the Anatomy course, the companion that you get at the beginning of the term is more than sufficient.  You will never need to use a textbook, however, if you like pictures, you can check Netter out of the library for a few hours.  You will sleep with Netter under your pillow in First term, so it may be helpful to become familiar with it early.   For Biochemistry, you may need a textbook for reference but the recommended PreMed text is not the same as the First Term text, so do not spend the money.  You can buy the first term text right away, or just reference it from the Library as need be.  There are plenty of copies, so that should not be a concern. 

The PreMed Genetics course may cause some frustrations while you are taking it, but you will be thankful for the experience when you take it again in medical school, as the material covered is the same.  The Professor will provide you with a list of learning objectives for the course.  If you follow these with a textbook open for clarification, it will eliminate your frustrations, and you will breath a sigh of relief when you see the exams. This course comes with a class project.  Make sure that you meet with the professor about your project at least once before you submit it so that she can tell you where she would have taken off points and where you still can improve it.  Or skip it and shoot yourself in the foot.

That was the sugar; now for the spice.  You know the guy at NASA that helps the astronauts put on the suit but does not get to go into space?  PreMed feels like that sometimes.  It is great that you get to take part in the lectures, student organizations, and health fairs with the med students but it reminds you that they are doing what you want to do.  I would sometimes find myself sitting in the library, bitter about the fact that I was studying the same human anatomy as the med students but mine did not count.  That is normal.  I did not let the frustrations of staying on the ground get in the way of the big picture and neither should you.  You are going to be a Doctor.  Your PreMed term(s) will quickly pass and not only will you get through the program; you will be a better med student for it.  Enjoy this program because it will enhance your Grenada experience.