The ProspectiveDoctor Podcast

Podcast Episode 16: Breaking Down the Pre-Med Path

It’s important to make the transition to medical school as easy as possible. Today’s show is about planning your courses and extracurricular activities to be successful. My guest is college advisor and mentor Ziggy Yoediono. Ziggy is a former college academic advisor, a trained psychiatrist, and he has an MBA. He is a college life coach and the founder of ZIG Consulting.

We talk about how to get the most out of pre-med classes and extracurricular activities without creating unreal expectations. We talk about the importance of setting yourself up for success by starting slow with science courses and getting the most out of extracurricular activities by focusing and becoming an expert in one area. We talk about how to minimize stress and get results that matter.

You can find Ziggy Yoediono here:
Zig Consulting

Show Notes
[00:49] Ziggy trained as a psychiatrist and then went to business school at Duke. He then worked in the healthcare field starting a new research center, and he was an associate director of one of the masters programs in the business school.
[01:38] He is now in the process of launching a college life coaching firm called ZIG Consulting.
[01:44] He wants to build on his experience of working with undergrads at Duke. Entrepreneurship is his focus.
[02:27] Going to medical school and taking the prerequisites are so difficult.
[02:51] This podcast is dedicated to how to do well on this path.
[02:59] Pre-med courses have a reputation for being hard. Another reason these courses are hard is because they are graded on a curve.
[04:02] Being graded on a curve can make you anxious which makes things even more difficult.
[04:27] With quantitative classes you really need to understand the material. Students don’t realize how much more preparation it takes.
[05:05] You have to change your study habits to get through medical school. To be successful in medical school you need to develop these habits early on.
[05:49] Ziggy had to work really hard to do well in science. The key is to not take too many pre-med courses at one time.
[07:22] For new students, just take one of these science classes at once. Starting slower can help in the long run.
[08:51] Finding balance and planning extracurricular activities. Focus on only a few extracurricular that you are passionate about.
[10:13] Become an expert in one thing, not a jack of all trades.
[10:37] Longevity is important for extracurricular activities. Also show evolution while you are involved. Be willing to challenge yourself and constantly improve yourself.
[11:38] At the end of the day, it is about getting results.

Links and Resources:
ZIG Consulting

Sahil Mehta

Sahil Mehta M.D. is an attending physician in the Department of Radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Founder of MedSchoolCoach. Dr Mehta is one of the world’s experts on medical school admissions having founded MedSchoolCoach in 2007. MedSchoolCoach provides admissions consulting to premedical students in the form of interview preparation, essay editing and general advising. In the past 10 years, he has had a hand in over a thousand acceptances to medical school.

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