Hi! I'm Sophia and I'm a first year medical student at Columbia University. I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2024. Subscribe for more about WashU, being pre-med, YesStyle hauls, and other content I randomly feel inspired to make.
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My advice is to do dual enrollment in high school so that you can graduate high school with an associates degree. Go to a university where you can transfer most of those credits and graduate 1-2 years early. For the love of God: don't major in biology, chemistry, or physics. After you get your bachelors degree, do a post-baccalaureate specifically designed for premed, preferably that has an agreement with a medical school to admit the top students.
I'm not a STEM student, but I really do appreciate this video Sophia. Columbia University is lucky to count you among their ranks. I am reminded of someone I knew from university who did music as a major. It wasn't until years later he told me he wasn't doing it for his degree, but as a stepping stone to get into med school. That's how I know you're legit! 🙏 All the best in your studies Sophia
can you make a video with study tips and how you manage your time? You were already so productive even for the first day of school. Excited to see your future vids!
Glad you mentioned not being a Bio major to get into med school. I'm a software engineer and I know a lot of EE graduates who worked at Intel, etc, and then went into med school after taking the pre-reqs. A lot of times, you won't know what you want and don't want until you're in the workforce.
Please enjoy NYC while you can (after four years of going to school there I lowkey went insane) because there’s so many wonderful things to do and see while you have fresh eyes! For a fun activity, sign up for ticket lotteries for Broadway shows every week until you get one! Hamilton’s is $10 😊
This is amazing! I am currently in the 2025 Application Cycle. I hope to say the same thing this time next year. Looking forward to seeing your progression throughout these years. Best of luck!
Your videos are so great, and I am excited to see more of your med school journey! On a side note, I wanted to point out that you should be cautious of how much you mention your location and where you live because New York is already a sketch city for the most part. I imagine your channel is gonna grow even more starting med school, and you have such a bright future, so I say this because I feel it is important to ensure you stay safe and stress free throughout your journey. All the best!
Even letting it be known what classes/lectures she’s taking and the time is risky. Gotta be careful to not show buildings around her apartment or even the view from it. People are crazy.
Hello Sophia, Your videos are truly inspirational. I am a freshman who is pursuing biology on a pre-med track. Do you have any advice for us freshies who will soon start university?
Currently a Medical Student who works on the admissions committee. WE DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU MAJORED IN!!!!! Chose what's best for you, whether thats the path of least resistance that gets you your core clashes done with you major or something you're more passionate about but will inconvenience your life. WE DO NOT CARE! What we care about is this 1. A good trend or upward trend of academics performance, a 1.9 that becomes a 3.2 is more impressive than a 3.2 that became a 3.4 2. Solid MCAT, after 510 they won't even look at you MCAT as a factor anymore but a 505-509 is fine, you will need a more solid application but just a little 3. Personal Statement, LoR and Activities! THESE gets you into med school, you can overcome any academic folly if you have the salesmanship to sell yourself. Easier to sell gold then menure though BUT if you're that good of a salesmen then you can fo it. My number 1 advise for you all, DONT listen to medical students (I see the irony). What I've stated is not my opinion, it's my Dean of admissions. Any MS1-4 doesn't know what the hell they are talking about. Be your best self, work hard and tell your honest and earnest story, you'll find a school that you'll excel at. Don't sell yourselves short and don't let strangers on the internet influence scare you into changing you major
Omg thank u for the advice. I was on the verge of choosing bio over psych as a pre-med because my parents disapproved of psych. I’m actually more passionate about psych though.
As a surgeon with a HS student wanting to go to med school, I think this is great advice. Though difficult, you can find interesting research. I did basic gene therapy research that became FDA-approved years later. My 16yo was trembling with excitement just talking to the PI about the project. Sometimes having a front row seat in innovation can be exhilarating.
@@lexie2625 If you are a high school student: start by Googling something like “summer research in (enter your city).” Ask the curriculum/outreach person at your school. They should have some idea or be able to direct If not, find a large university in your area. They should have a liaison for high school student. My kids are next to UW-Madison, which is a huge research university. They did not have something with my children’s high school, so we are working with the assistant principal and a few people at UW-Madison to create a program.
Do you have a video on your stats and what extracurriculars you did and when? If not could we get a video on that? I’m so confused on how to organize it lol and I have only the internet to guide me😅
