title: The plight of premedical education: myths and misperceptions--Part I: The "premedical syndrome".
abstract: The preparation for medical study and the process of gaining admission to medical school have long been contentious subjects, plagued by myths and misperceptions. In the first of two articles about the plight of premedical education, the author focuses on the myths of the "premedical syndrome" and the "cutthroat" medical student. He describes the origins of these myths, what purposes they may serve, why they persist, and why he believes they truly are myths and not accurate reflections of reality.
authors.affiliation: Department of the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Brieger
mesh_terms: D003163:Competitive Behavior; D004516:Education, Premedical / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States