Is it possible to be premed and athlete?

[Anonymous]

Anyone’s DC has any positive experience?

If it’s doable, which college setting makes it easier? Small liberal arts? Mid-sized research universities?

[Anonymous]

A good number of athletes at my WASP went to medical school.

[Anonymous]

Yes.

D3, you want to talk to current and former athletes in demanding majors (engineering, physics, nursing, etc) and see how flexible the coach is. Sometimes the practices that are billed as "optional" to the NCAA are in actually not optional, leading to a bigger commitment than should be allowed.

[Anonymous]

Yes. It’s very common for ivy athletes to become doctors. Probably not possible for power 4 football/basketball, but should be doable for anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Yes but go for a school that gives easy As

[Anonymous]

My kid is a d3 athlete, and practice time is intentionally set by the coach to accomodate the large number of pre-med kids on the team who have late afternoon labs.

I’d suggest looking for colleges that have an afternoon “sports/activities block” when no classes are scheduled, as it will make practice time easier/more stable/more reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Every single one I can think of played D3

[Anonymous]

Colleges with notably flexible curricula, such as Amherst, Hamilton, Grinnell, or Smith, may make such a trajectory more feasible.

[Anonymous]

We know one at Davidson. Not easy - they don’t make accommodations - but doable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone’s DC has any positive experience?

If it’s doable, which college setting makes it easier? Small liberal arts? Mid-sized research universities?

Easier route is do a one year post bac at a place like Bryn Mawr and major in what you want in college.

[Anonymous]

I was a D1 athlete at a non-rigorous large public school. A teammate was pre-med. she made it work with lots of studying during travel and an incredible about of discipline. Flash cards were always on her person for when she had a picket of downtime she could review.

It can be done but you just need to accept there will probably be sacrifices (like less partying) if you care about your GPA

[Anonymous]

Depends on the sport and the school. When my daughter ran XC at an Ivy, it felt like half of her team was trying to get into med school and for the most part they did.

[Anonymous]

Of course it’s possible. At a large D1 they offer labs from 6-9pm. Athletes register for classes before anyone else. The athletic department will also have an academic “fixer” that smooths the way with difficult professors. Think bulldozer, not snowplow.

[Anonymous]

you mean a biology major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the sport and the school. When my daughter ran XC at an Ivy, it felt like half of her team was trying to get into med school and for the most part they did.

It's not always this way though. I know a XC runner at an Ivy right now who mentioned that the coach is pressuring kids with labs to change majors because they cut into training time.