Three More Tips to Avoid Burning Out as a Pre-Med 

Number 3:  Enjoy Your Time in Undergrad 

Even if you need to have a competitive application when applying to Medical School, an Admissions' Board has realistic expectations. They know that you are not a robot, and you have to power down for a little to keep going.  You need to meet with your friends, find time to exercise, and engage in a hobby that can help you unwind or recharge.

You are not expected to use all your free-time to dedicate yourself to research and volunteering in Pre-Med. The key thing to remember though is to find balance between your social and academic life.  

You will not be able to afford to take 2 weeks off every month to recover from hangovers, unfortunately. By choosing a career in Medicine, you are agreeing to forfeit a lot of the social life you may enjoy, but that is the price of admission into the medical profession. As painful as it is for me to say it, you need to start weaning yourself off of this facet of your life as you move through university because you will not have the luxury of all this fun in medical school, trust me.  

Number 4: Meet with a Pre-Med Adviser 

You need to meet with a Pre-Med adviser as soon as possible when starting your track as a Pre-Med student. There are a lot of different rumors circulating around among your friends and family that can add to the stress that you may face as a Pre-Med.  The best way to manage all the stress and to not burn-out is to hear the message directly from the "horse's mouth" and make sure you know what you are expected to do as a Pre-Med student.  

A sit-down with the medical school adviser can help you answer any questions or concerns you may have, and will help you focus on what you need to do to achieve your goals. Most Pre-Med advisers are skilled in what they do so they will explain ways for you to alter your life now to help you reap the benefits of a strong medical school application when the time comes.  

Number 5:  Be Realistic With Yourself as You Prepare for Medical School

The best way to avoid burning out is for you to relax and change your study ideology if you are stressing about scoring highly on all exams. Pre-Med may be a time for dedication, but crippling perfectionism will not serve you well.

The more pressure you put on yourself, the more likely it is that you will fall flat in your efforts to do well in your studies and be accepted into medical school. You cannot expect to score a 100% on every exam that you take, and it is a negative way to approach your studies.

You should not focus on scoring a specific score on an exam. Rather, it is much more productive to focus on mastering the information — you will need it later. If you are confident in your exam preparation, you develop a great habit that will set you up for success during your MCAT preparation so you can adjust to a more demanding schedule.  

If you are fixated on your marks, one "B" in a subject could curtail all your future efforts and potentially lead you directly into a panic attack.  A poor grade in Pre-Med can be overcome, so do not put too much emphasis on this and move on. A Medical School Admissions Board appreciates a student who is able to rebound from adversity, so you can use this to your advantage.