The University of Massachusetts Boston premed society has difficulty retaining students interested in medicine throughout the year, said Kevin Young, the society’s vice president. Every year at the dawn of the semester, Young said there is an influx of enthusiastic medical school hopefuls that are suddenly nowhere to be found when the semester nears its end.Medical School is not for the faint of heart. If general chemistry does not stop the premed candidate short, organic chemistry will most likely do the trick. Even so, the premed society’s president, Bienvenu Kulungu, said he believes that the dedicated student will always prevail. Kulungu said he’s prepared to bring all the resources he can muster to premed students on campus. Currently a psychology major, Kulungu believes in hard work. Students who do not utilize on-campus resources like the premed society, Kulungu said, will not find the skills miraculously appearing before them.”If you do not look for it,” he said, “it will not come to you.”Young echoed the same sentiment. Although he agreed on the importance of dedication, he warned of one grueling reality. “Medical school is tough and residency is tougher,” Young said.The conventional thinking behind acceptance to medical school puts great emphasis on grades. However, Young said there is a lot more to sustain in those four years; community service, research and MCAT can be a handful, but the ability to survive and thrive through those critical chapters of premed life is often indicative of a future well-rounded physician.On November 13, the associate director of Ross University, Jeanne DiPretoro-a panelist at Kaplan’s ‘Med School Inside’ event at the Boston Kaplan Center located on Congress-gave a passionate speech on med school admission. Among other things, she stressed timing. “If you fall behind, you will get derailed,” DiPretoro told a group of eager candidates for medical school. Another panelist pointed out that if “you cannot handle blood, gut and gore,” medical school is certainly not the way to go. Luckily enough, the UMB premed society exists to keep premed candidates on their toes while also incorporating the sense of urgency that is implicit in medicine. Kulungu said he is looking forward to bringing more speakers on campus to give UMB premed hopefuls a glimpse into the wonders of a medical career. The key, Kulungu said, is to educate a crowd that has plenty to learn and little time to spare. Young encouraged any premed students here on campus to enroll in any Honor’s program that will challenge their intellectual fortitude. “It will improve your critical thinking, a skill much needed for the MCAT and beyond,” Young said.Personally eager to help any student interested in medicine enroll in community service at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Kulungu said he remains determined to work on behalf of all the premed candidates-as long as they ask.