Premeds Work Together to Throw Off Image of Cutthroat Competition

While premedical programs are often characterized by horror stories of competition, ranging from refusing to share notes to hiding classmates’ books and sabotaging lab experiments, some Columbia premedical students are creating groups that foster a sense of community.

One student attempting to shake off the cutthroat image is Naila Campbell, BC ’09 and co-president of the Barnard Network of Premedical Students. Campbell said her job is challenging, as few groups reach out to work with BNPS.

“Generally, the groups are receptive, but they never take the initiative to contact us ... and you can only do so much advertising,” she said.

There are considerable differences in preprofessional advising between Columbia and Barnard, Campbell said. “At Barnard, you have to be your own advocate. After the meeting at the beginning of the first undergraduate year, you’re on your own.”

Ani Bournoutian, health professions advisor at Barnard, said premed students can’t be blamed for their competitive image. Bournoutian commented that students applying to medical school should be focused more on admissions than on their careers after graduation. The application process is designed to show that they can succeed as medical students, but not necessarily as physicians.

Bournoutian said there is a distinct contrast between medical education and vocations that follow. While doctors “must consistently consult with colleagues and be part of a team,” medical school students learn to keep resources for themselves and rely entirely on their ability to memorize information.

Some students said pre-health advisors failed to alleviate the pressures associated with the undergraduate track. Amanda Lynn Hernandez, CC ’08 and president of the American Medical Student Association at Columbia, said she thinks the administration encourages competitive behavior by “making it difficult to be premed in the first place.”

Still, faculty members said Columbia’s system helps to diminish anxiety and barriers. “We try to design our grading system so they [the students] compete against us and not against each other,” said Deborah Mowshowitz, director of Undergraduate Program and Lab Operations for the department of biological sciences. “Absolute point levels are required for grades, and there is no ‘curve’ in the sense that the top 10 percent always get A, next 10 percent A-, etc. There is no set proportion of As, and if everyone did well, everyone would get an A.”

Other students said their peers—not the system—induce premed anxieties. Hernandez said she was denied when she asked fellow students to borrow notes from the lectures she missed freshman year.

Yet many students said their classmates are often willing to help them. “You’re competing with people across the country, so it’s not going to make any difference if you share notes with one or two kids,” Michael Cloney, CC ’10, said.

The competition is not limited to medical schools. Many premeds also compete for volunteer experience within the medical field. While most students are aware of associations such as the Charles Drew Premedical Society and CU AMSA, many premeds prefer to focus on their grades in class and find volunteer opportunities by their own means.

In hopes of improving premedical students’ relationships with Columbia, Campbell’s group plans to hold fireside chats with University deans.

Tamara Lee, CC ’07 and former head of CU AMSA, said that “the administrative support provided by Columbia deans is tremendous.” Lee continued, saying she “didn’t realize it while I was a premed, but now that I’m interviewing, it’s apparent that admissions offices at various medical schools are extremely fond of Columbia’s premedical advisors.”

Sandra Cariglio can be reached at news@columbiaspectator.com.