By Evan Botterman, Founder & CEO, PreMedley
Have you ever found yourself endlessly scrolling through r/premed or r/MCAT, feeling increasingly anxious with each post you read? You’re not alone. The premed journey is challenging enough without the added pressure that often comes from online forums—particularly those on Reddit.
The Reality of Premed Reddit Culture
As a former premed who spent countless hours on premed Reddit communities, I witnessed firsthand how these spaces can sometimes create more anxiety than support. The MCAT Reddit discussions and premed Reddit threads often feature posts that sounded something like this:Â
- “HELP! I got a 525 on my MCAT and a 3.99 GPA but only have 8,073 volunteer hours and 15,603 clinical hours, am I screwed?!”
- “Hey, I’ve been accepted to 34 MD schools with full merit scholarships at 27 of them but am still waitlisted at 2 other schools I applied to and I’m not sure what to do – need advice!”
- “If you got an A instead of an A+ in any science class ever then you probably won’t get into med school. You should reevaluate every decision you’ve ever made in your life.”
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OK, I’m exaggerating— but only slightly!
While r/premed and the MCAT Reddit community can occasionally offer valuable insights, they’re also notorious for toxic comparison culture and unreliable advice from anonymous sources.
Why You Should Be Cautious with Premed Reddit Advice
The truth is simple: don’t believe everything you read from strangers on Reddit. Many posts in these premed communities are well-intentioned but inaccurate. Others are thinly veiled humble-brags disguised as requests for help. This environment can lead to unnecessary stress and unrealistic expectations about what it takes to succeed on your premed journey.
Building a Better Alternative to r/premed and r/MCAT
When we created PreMedley, we made a commitment that toxicity would have no place in our community. Unlike the often chaotic and anxiety-inducing experience of browsing premed Reddit forums, we’ve built structured channels dedicated to:
- Sharing genuine wins and celebrating each other’s successes
- Connecting about clinical opportunities
- Finding compatible study buddies
- Mapping out premed coursework
- And much more
Join Our Supportive Premed Community
It’s been truly inspiring to see thousands of premeds and mentors across North America come together to create something different from the typical r/MCAT or premed Reddit experience. Our community is focused on providing actually helpful advice and supporting each other around the clock.
Your premed journey doesn’t have to be filled with the anxiety that often comes from spending too much time on r/premed. If you’re looking for a more positive, structured environment to support your medical school journey, we invite you to explore what our community has to offer.
This blog is so true omg. The Reddit posts are out of control… I had to stop looking. Thankfully, I found a place where I can ask all my questions & get advice from current medical students… not randoms on the internet. PreMedley as calmed so many of my nerves & given me such good advice.
What a timely post, as I just found myself doom scrolling on premed reddit looking at people’s admissions Sankey. PreMedley has definitely provided to be a good space and resource I can go to without the anxiety and doom scrolling that the reddit spaces tend to give me. When I first started my premed journey, I feel like I was hit with a wave of resources and advice and thoughts that ultimately made me feel lost in the journey and its definitely been helpful to limit and control in a sense where and when I get my information!
Omg, I totally fell for this so many times! I have some relief reading this. I definitely started overthinking so many posts, comparing their numbers to mine and you’re right Evan! It could be lies. So happy to be a part of this community.