Greek + Pre-Med

Yesterday, April 21st, was my undergrad Sorority chapter’s charter anniversary. I was initiated into this chapter 15 years ago (time slow down!) and last night, I was so excited to watch as the newest line of ladies was introduced to the campus. I’d already planned to write a post at some point about going Greek while pre-med, and since I’m still in all my feels about it this morning, here is that post. 

You may be Greek already. You may be considering it. You may be absolutely not considering it at all (if so, you can sit this post out, I’m not here to change your mind. Do you). Or you may be wondering if being Greek would be helpful or harmful to your pre-med journey and/or future career. So let’s get into all of that today.

Black Greekdom has serious advantages, both while you’re an undergraduate and beyond. But some disadvantages can also arise, especially if you’re not careful and mindful that you’ve still got a really big goal in front of you. My general advice in this conversation with pre-med students who are considering joining a Black Greek Letter Organization is this: Go for it if that’s what you want. But don’t let those letters keep you from a white coat.  

Consider the timing

Re-arranging your schedule to take organic chemistry, physics, calculus, and microbiology all in one semester because you’re planning on pledging and know you’re going to be at every house party or kickback for the rest of the next semester is crazy. Re-read that sentence because whyyyyy y’all keep doing it at the expense of your GPA (and in the midst of COVID) is beyond me! Now I know (Lord, do I know) that you can’t predict when the org you are interested in will have an intake, so you need to stay ready. Be sure to appropriately plan your course schedules and in your plan, balance your course load so you’re not having to shift everything around at the last minute. But if you need to move some courses to keep from bombing a class, you need to move it. When the time comes, you also have to really consider if it’s something that you can take on then. When you know the obligations and time requirements, that’s a decision that only you can make. 

Find the balance

No one—and by no one, I mean no one on an admissions committee—should be able to look at your transcript and tell you when you were initiated into your Sorority or Fraternity. That means that your service, shadowing, and grades should not fall off during or after this time. There is a delicate balance to managing your pre-med load and being the hypest neophyte on the yard. Nowhere on the AMCAS application is there a place to include the hours you spent at step practice. Not that you can’t step to your heart’s content, just that it shouldn’t detract from other things that you need to be doing also to make you a strong applicant. You have to find that balance. And when you find it, you need to lean way to the managing your pre-med load side of it. That’s all on that.

Opportunities for service

All NPHC organizations are rooted in service. Your chapter will, undoubtedly, have service projects throughout the year that you will participate in. Remember though, you also need meaningful and sustained service. So, while your chapter may do a few hours of projects here and there, you all can (and should) also look for projects that are ongoing and have a big impact on the community around your campus. This type of project is one that should be included on your application.

Opportunities for leadership

As an undergraduate in NPHC organizations, you’ll certainly have the opportunity to hold leadership positions in your chapter, your region, and nationally. You need to be able to show leadership on your application and doing so while also working for your Sorority or Fraternity is a great option.

Pre-med and non pre-med friends

Some (read: most) of my study buddies in college were my line sisters who were pre-med also. Pre-med friends are important, remember? We studied for the MCAT together, sat side by side in organic chemistry, shared summer and shadowing opportunities. It was very important to me to be able to honestly tell people that I loved and trusted about my struggles as a student and to share my successes. But everyone won’t be pre-med, and non-pre-med friends are important too. You will certainly also have line sisters or line brothers or prophytes or other Black Greeks on campus who are not pre-med and are ready to kick it at any time of the day or night. And when you need a (deserved and earned) break from physics and anatomy, those people will come in handy. 

Take advantage of your graduate chapter!

So now that I’m old(er), I’ve transitioned to a graduate chapter. And I love it when young ladies in our local undergraduate chapters who are pre-med reach out to me. I’ve had them shadow in clinic, meet for lunch to discuss their journey, help with their research, review their personal statements, etc. For the life of me, I don’t know how I missed this opportunity as an undergrad, but if you are or if you become Greek, take advantage of your grad chapter. I can almost guarantee you at least one of them will be a physician, or married to a physician, or in some other way know a physician that you can shadow or who will meet with you or even mentor you. Your grad advisor should be able to point you in the direction of people in their chapter who can help. 

Future contacts and help when you need it

It is a wonderful feeling to know that you can enter a new environment, in a new town, in a scary situation like medical school, residency, or a new job and automatically form relationships with members of your organization. We all know that there is this general unspoken rule that the other Black person in the room is your ally. Well, I’ve found that to also be true when there’s someone in the room who shares your letters. The bond is real and I know, from personal experience, that medical school friends, residency classmates, attendings, community physicians and specialists, etc will be your biggest cheerleaders and support system in a way that is a little bit different when you share that bond. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to pull your own weight, being Greek isn’t a pass. But that support is invaluable. Even as a whole attending now, I love going to medical meetings and conferences and meeting or catching up with female physicians from my Sorority. 

My Sorority has given me lifelong friends, sisters, and mentors. It has introduced me to experiences and opportunities that I would have otherwise never considered. And it has afforded me paths to serve my community in impactful ways. Don’t let anyone tell you that being Greek will prevent you from being able to get into medical school. So many of us have done it before you and others, including those on your campus, are living it now and still fulfilling all of their pre-med requirements. But, like everything else, you have to use your best judgement in all situations. Also, don’t let anyone tell you that joining a particular Black Sorority or Fraternity is “better” for you if you want to be a doctor. That’s silly and untrue. 

But under no circumstances should joining a Sorority or Fraternity put your safety, your wallet, your peace of mind, your GPA, your MCAT score, your institutional conduct record, or your white coat in jeopardy. 

Again, for the people who are just skimming this but are trying to be on somebody’s line next year: Under no circumstances should joining a Sorority or Fraternity put your safety, your wallet, your peace of mind, your GPA, your MCAT score, your institutional conduct record, or your white coat in jeopardy.

I know this is a delicate topic! Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any specific questions or concerns. Or you can share any general comments in the space below.