Don’t Look for Trouble: How Freshman Year Mistakes Could Doom Your Path to Medical School

Welcome to the new academic year and first-year orientation! As a new freshman resident of our Prehealth Living Learning Community Dormitory, I share your great enthusiasm for your new life independent of the rest of your family.

Many of you are here because you want to become future healthcare professionals, especially physicians, dentists, and nurses. I hope this residential community brings you all together under a shared vision to make significant impacts to improve our world’s health.

But not all of you will make it. Despite picking your major (AAMC article 2019, SDN article 2022, Dr. Lee article 2024), only one in six freshmen will be ready to apply by graduation; one in three will probably change their plans after the first semester! (Zhang, Kuncel, and Sackett 2020).

For this article, I wanted to highlight the consequences of making bad decisions and freshman year mistakes that will undermine your readiness to apply. Specifically, what can you do to avoid getting written up with an institutional action?

Don’t Take Organic Chemistry As a Freshman 

Prehealth advisors and adcom members unanimously advise students not to take organic chemistry until their second year. Some medical schools do not accept AP Chemistry credit to substitute for introductory chemistry. In addition, advisors acknowledge that most freshmen underestimate the difficulty of college courses, especially if they have been successful as top high school students. To address differences in high school resources among those who earned top AP Chemistry scores, some chemistry departments require passing their entrance exam or accelerated chemistry class for the credits; other schools will only offer credit for the general education version (which is okay for nursing or allied health but not rigorous for science majors).

Many freshmen who forego this advice get overwhelmed and earn a C or worse grade to start their college transcripts. (As we have written previously, even though organic chemistry has the reputation of being the “weed-out” prehealth course, most prehealth students drop their dreams of being doctors after struggling through introductory chemistry.)

Respect the Rules for Residential and Community Life

While Resident Advisors are slightly older peers, they are paid to ensure every resident is safe and happy within our group. Please be involved with your peers when we do potlucks, field trips, and community events. Design a cool T-shirt and wear it with pride throughout the campus.

I summarize our community standards in five words: be kind to each other. Treat others respectfully, even if you disagree with them on frivolous or consequential arguments. Learn to listen to each other and discern what the best solutions or next steps are. This is part of your growth as a young adult navigating your independence.

Also, be kind to all staff. We pay people to ensure the residence halls and campus buildings are clean, secure, and hospitable. Make it easy for everyone by keeping study spaces, kitchen/dining areas, lounges, and hallways clean. A place with broken plaster walls, windows, or doors is not a welcoming, safe space conducive to studying or community gatherings. If you damage University property, you will pay for it, and you might get written up if you don’t. In some schools, mistreating or abusing staff is just cause for institutional action, especially since most staff are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Some residents in our dorm have agreed on additional rules for their subgroup, like evening quiet hours for studying/sleeping; prohibition of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana products; or bringing in perfumes or egg/peanut products. Respect the consensus wishes of your neighbors.

While things may have become more lenient post-COVID, visitation rules maintain the safety of the dormitory residents. If you have visiting friends who want to spend the night in the dorm, follow the rules to see if it’s allowed or if you must register them in advance. Some neighbors might be especially wary of unfamiliar people in their spaces. Letting strangers into your dorm can be an opportunity for petty thefts of unsecured smartphones, wallets/purses, or laptops. While entry/exit is often recorded, cameras cannot always clearly identify everyone (even with face-recognition software). Report any stolen or lost student IDs.

Safeguard Your Online Access and Conduct

You should protect your identity and privacy. This extends to digital passwords and access to your social media, university and coursework accounts, credit/bank accounts, and personal devices (laptops, smartphones, watches, etc.). Safeguard any keys that access your property, room, and buildings, as bad actors will be happy to hold precious items hostage or wreck your reputation. 

Sharing passwords can compromise your safety and financial security. Even if sharing Netflix passwords seems benign, giving many unauthorized users access can set you up for serious trouble, and clicking on random links on email or social media can invite chaos from hackers. Be wise in giving your study buddies access to your drafts or lab reports (even when you aren’t actively taking the classes) or you may be charged with complicity in cheating.

As many universities are moving away from physical textbooks, online access to supplemental resources is becoming more frequent. At some universities, students pay for access to study guides associated with the assigned textbook, and sharing such codes is not favorably viewed.

As a result, many students are accessing or subscribing to “paper mill” sites such as Chegg, SparkNotes/Cliffs Notes, or CourseHero. However, many professors and universities limit or prohibit students from doing so (here’s a short article for professors about these sites).

In contrast, online flashcard resources like Anki may help you retain basic terminology or concepts, just as you will likely use them in your health professions studies.  Purchase your own access or set of resources when you can.

Fight the Dark Arts of Plagiarism, Cheating, and Collusion

Some of the most common freshman year mistakes involve academic dishonesty. Professors and academic affairs deans don’t care if you didn’t intend to copy off your peers’ reports or term paper drafts. They may believe that almost all high school graduates have cheated and that virtuous students are nearing extinction as unicorns. Though AI program usage among high school students has not yet become a sign of the apocalypse when it comes to student cheating, many professors are skeptical that students are serious about their growth as scholars. Especially for large weed-out courses, any hint of cheating will be punished severely, whether done by yourself or by colluding with other students.

Read your course syllabi about what each professor considers cheating, plagiarism, or improper collaboration, including fair and appropriate use of generative AI programs or online resources. Ask questions to your professor before embarking on team-oriented assignments to define permissible discussions or peer-driven feedback. Never upload course materials to unauthorized websites, and always ask the instructor for practice exams or other preferred resources.

I encourage everyone to volunteer for your school’s Honor Court (or similar adjudicative committee). You may become shocked at how prolific cheating is at our institution, and finding a fair way to determine responsibility consistent with your own Honor Code may be an insightful experience.

Mind Your Money

Few students appreciate the power of adhering to a budget and refraining from using a credit card. The temptation to splurge on entertainment, extracurricular activities, or the newest branded items from the bookstore can eat into the amount set aside for rent, food, car maintenance, or other required expenses.

The proliferation of sports betting further tempts today’s American college students as an opportunity to earn more money. Others may enter college having monetized their social media profile as “influencers” or “insiders.” Joining fraternities or desired clubs often comes with membership fees, and students are often asked to contribute to causes run by other student organizations or on-campus fundraising from the alumni office. Becoming popular in college is often associated with having disposable income; in contrast, staying in college is the ticket to a better life for those who have to work or commute to continue their education. Use your student loans in your financial aid package wisely.

Foster Community and Peace

The student protests from the October 7, 2023, Hamas-coordinated surprise attack in Gaza/Israel spotlighted students, faculty, and administrators’ shared responsibility for ensuring a safe, inclusive campus. Whatever one’s advocacy is on political issues, seeking common consensus remains a high priority.

Anticipate that most universities and higher education institutions will implement protest policies to further define students’ or visitors’ limits when expressing their First Amendment rights to redress grievances. While you may have heard about similar non-violent protests at the graduate school level, consider collective actions that promote reconciliation, active listening and story-telling, and focused problem-solving. While there is a temptation to block out the influence of hateful or disagreeable voices (“cancel culture”), growing through engagement and active listening may require courage and a desire to seek better community and bridge-building. As a future healthcare professional, you should learn how to relate to others with different life experiences than your own.

Make an effort to meet your professors, peers, and administrators when it is socially appropriate during community-building activities like sports events or community service days. Schedule potlucks, movie nights, or camping outings to share stories that define your common humanity. Be kind to each other. Your friendship could help a peer have second thoughts about returning to campus.

Seek Help and Support

You may face a moment when you have second thoughts about returning to campus. When your financial situation, academic performance, or emotional/mental health become more challenging than you can handle, seek support from formal academic administrators or informal connections. As a newly independent adult, never be ashamed to ask for help after a mistake. Always be proactive if you feel overwhelmed. Find things you enjoy doing, and never just give up. Your tuition supports campus resources you need, usually with minimal out-of-pocket cost compared to accessing similar resources in the “real world.” Find someone with whom you can confidentially voice your concerns or challenges; maybe together you can find an appropriate answer. If it’s appropriate, check in with your parents, siblings, or longtime friends regularly so you can take a moment to laugh, remember, or be comforted by people you love.

Pay Attention to Deadlines

Premeds often disregard the difference between dropping a class and getting the anxious Withdrawal on your transcript when leaving a class. Missing deadlines often prevents students from getting accommodations promptly or getting an incomplete grade on an assignment that damages one’s final grade. Missing deadlines could be the difference in securing a strong prehealth advisor letter or letter of evaluation for a great summer opportunity. 

Are there any other freshman year mistakes that should be included? Submit your feedback as a comment to this article!

Acknowledgments

This LinkedIn article to educators by Kate Ridge, The Dark Arts: Academic Integrity, Plagiarism and Cheating (2021).