It can be very time consuming, confusing, and at times discouraging to do all the work involved in researching what it takes to be a doctor.  Thus, we hope that the UFV Pre-med Student Association will prove to be an invaluable resource for students to obtain accurate, easily understandable and accessible information on what it takes to get into medschool, and further, what it takes to be a doctor.

Based on our observations and conversations with other pre-med students, it seems as though many of us are not making the most out of this undergraduate experience.  We have to remember that there isn’t just some magical switch that happens when you get accepted to medical school, or that it is only upon reaching that point that you’re officially on the path to become a doctor.  Rather, this experience that we are going through right now at UFV could potentially be the most influential time of our lives.  We think that as soon as you make the decision to be a doctor, you become a doctor-in-training, and we need to start tailoring our undergraduate experience to address this and make the most of the opportunities that we have here.  Pursuing this idea will not only help to establish self-identity and maturity that will no doubt prove to be steps to success in becoming a great doctor, but it is likely that having this concept in mind throughout our undergraduate career will also prepare us to be more successful in gaining acceptance into medical school.

So, having said that, we hope to create a “society” where students, at any point in their pursuit to becoming a doctor, can help each other and share information, resources and experiences - from first year students who have just decided that they want a career in medicine and have no idea what to do next, to 3rd or 4th year students who are preparing to write the MCAT (or already have) and are ready to apply (or waiting for an invitation!) as well as everybody in between.

This concept has been incredibly well-received already despite the fact that the association is only in its second year, so we have confidence that this association will only continue to grow with each semester. Building on various projects from our first year, such as information sessions, Medical Speaker Series and summer MCAT Study Groups, we have many more plans to expand and challenge ourselves for this year. For example, as of fall 2010, we now participate in monthly community outreach projects where we commit an afternoon/morning each month to help a variety of community volunteer and non-profit organizations – all activities that involve the entire PMSA membership. We also now have a Volunteer Coordinator on the Executive Committee who will help students connect with various organizations within UFV and the community to develop their non-academic experience.

NOTE:
The website is currently under construction and we hope to have it up and running soon. In the meantime, feel free to browse the website because it will continue to be updated with new content.