I participated in a panel for pre-med students at the local university where the pre-meds could ask accepted students anything they wanted about the application process. I figured as a non-traditional reapplicant, I would have a unique viewpoint on the whole process.
Little did I know that my story is not that uncommon. Of the first 5 people who introduced themselves, 4 were non-traditional reapplicants, though none as old as me. The rest of the 15-20 panelists were either traditional students or kids (yes, they're young) who had taken a gap year to screw around. Not many of the pre-med attendees were non-traditionals so I didn't really help anyone out too much, but I like to believe that my more mature (ha!) attitude about the whole process calmed their nerves a bit.
Most of the questions were about the MCAT: How did you study? Did you get any sleep the night before? When is the best time to take it? There were also questions about choosing medical schools, the incredible debt we're about to incur, and terrible interview questions.
I was one of the few who had studied for the MCAT on my own and had also chosen my list of schools based on geography, among other things. Everyone else had cookie-cutter applications, which I guess is more in line with what the people attending the panel would look like on paper.
The "worst interview question" brought me back to that terrible experience back in November when I completely failed an ethical question. By the time I was able to get a word in (these panelists really liked to talk!) the answers had changed from anecdotes to general interview advice.
Instead of recounting the ethical scenario from hell, I talked about how my interviewer had pointed out every single bad grade I had ever gotten to start off the interview ("To say you did poorly in undergrad is an understatement. A C- in bio, a D+ in ochem, and a D- in anthropology, among other things..."). I then discussed how it made me feel really low even though I'm not ashamed of those grades. It's a part of my past that I freely discuss with others. But the way he put it was very accusatory and I had not experienced being attacked for my GPA before so it caught me off-guard.
The moral of that story was to tell the applicants to do a mock interview with someone they don't know who will grill them on any part of the application that is even a tiny bit weak, or something they are insecure about. The chances of getting such an asshole for an interviewer are very small, but it does happen and you want to be prepared for it.
Some panelists were saying that studying for the MCAT was an all-encompassing ordeal where you have to think and study for the test all the time. I completely disagree with that and made sure to say that although you definitely need to make time for school, you also need an outlet as well as a motivator. The road to becoming a physician is long and overwhelming, so having a reminder of why you're doing this is incredibly important, as is having some sort of work-life balance.
For me, the outlet was rugby. Every Saturday morning was my rugby time and school was not even on my mind for those few hours. Volunteering in the hospital, on the other hand, was the thing that reminded me of my ultimate goal in all this, and kept my eye on the prize when having my nose in a book for months at a time seemed so depressing and pointless. This definitely hit home with at least one person who was completely defeated about the process of getting into medical school, so I'm glad I interjected.
The rest of the panel was rather uneventful. Answers dragged on way too long and were repetitive because everyone wanted to get a word in. I wish we could've led the discussion in that we could focus attention on the most important and stressful aspects of the application cycle, like writing bunches of secondary essays in a months' time, dealing with waiting and the unknown, and how to tailor interview answers to the schools' mission statements.
Instead, the pre-med students asked questions about things that to them seemed like a big deal (as they did to me when I was in their shoes) but in fact were less significant for people who had gone through the whole application process. On the other hand, I'm sure there are presentations during other times of the year for those things and pre-med students rarely get to ask their peers any question they want in an informal setting. So this panel appears to have served its purpose.
As for the panelists, of course there was the kid who showed up in scrubs, wouldn't stop giving terrible advice, and didn't hesitate to announce that he graduated 1.5 years early. Congrats, buddy! You think you know everything, but you haven't lived.
The non-trads in the corner (because of course we showed up last) had a peanut gallery going every time he spoke and towards the end of the panel we'd just talk over him to negate whatever bad answer he had given without even waiting for him to finish. I love how all of us older folk can see through the bullshit and have no qualms about offering an unpopular perspective on things. We're just trying to be real.
It was really weird to be on the other side of the whole medical school application process. It's taken me so long to get accepted, with the two-year post-bacc and two application cycles, that it still doesn't seem real that I'll be starting school in less than three months. Things like this, though, hammer it home. I'm so incredibly excited!
Showing posts with label Pre-Med. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pre-Med. Show all posts
Friday, May 2, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
Details of a non-traditional medical school application
I'm a non-traditional medical school applicant ("non-trad" in med speak) in that I have spent some time in the real world between graduating from college and applying to medical school. It's been nearly 7 years at this point and I have done a wide variety of things in that time, some of them medicine-related but most of them not at all.
A commenter asked me to elaborate on my activities and what I put on my AMCAS, so here it goes. I don't particularly like lists so instead you get an abridged version of my adult life story, even though it may not seem very abridged. Everything I mention below is in one way or another presented in my primary application. So you're getting essentially what the adcoms got when they received my application, with some flowery commentary thrown in for good measure.
Bright College Years:
My major was in the natural sciences, so a lot of the requirements for my B.S. overlapped with those required for medical school. At the time, it was great to knock out both sets of requirements but in retrospect, I wish I had stayed far away from any BCPM classes during undergrad. I would've had a much easier time getting into medical school that way. But alas, I don't have a time machine so the past remains unchanged as much as I wish otherwise.
As a natural extension of my academic interest in medicine, I began getting involved clinically my freshman year. I volunteered as an EMT at a 911-only ambulance service a couple of towns away from my undergrad campus. Since I was never cleared to drive the ambulance, all of my hours were spent providing direct patient care. Over the course of the three years I spent in EMS, I acquired something like 1,700 hours of clinical community service. It was awesome and is one of the major reasons I am pursuing medicine as a career. I listed it as a meaningful activity and elaborated further on the previous statement.
Other extracurriculars included rugby, which I also listed as a most meaningful activity on my AMCAS, sailing, and Habitat for Humanity, which I had been involved with in high school and continued to work with in college.
Gap Year(s):
I went abroad after graduation and spent the next year and a half sailing the high seas, working in a café, playing rugby, moving to another country whose language I didn't speak, working for food and wine, all before finally coming back stateside to work at a summer camp. Again, this all went into my AMCAS application.
For those ~18 months, I did nothing that went anywhere near medicine. I simply had fun. I learned a lot about myself during that time and a lot of those experiences led me to apply to medical school, all of which I discussed in my personal statement.
I came back to the U.S. because my money ran out (working for food and wine doesn't go far with regard to savings) and because I was tired of living out of a suitcase. I wanted my own sofa and I couldn't have that with my nomadic lifestyle. This part was not in my application, for obvious reasons. I don't think I actually told med schools why I moved back. Only one interviewer has ever asked and I gave her a more eloquent and mature answer, one which didn't involve a sofa.
The Real World:
Unbeknownst to me, the town I moved to after the summer camp experience was a Mecca for the career I had planned to pursue at the time. I hadn't come around to medicine quite yet and was instead focused on working in the industry of my undergrad major.
I got a job in research full-time at the local university and have been here ever since. While the experiences I have had as a member of this research group have been incredible (see the trip to Alaska and other deployments to equally exotic locations), I have ultimately realized that this career is not for me and that I needed to find something else to do.
As soon as I began thinking about medical school again, I started volunteering at the hospital where I've been lucky enough to have direct contact with both patients and physicians. I also enrolled in pre-med classes at the same university I work at since I had to take or retake nearly all of the med school pre-requisites.
I have continued to be heavily involved in rugby as well as with Habitat for Humanity.
Lastly, I went on a medical mission trip with the U.S. Navy to Southeast Asia for a month about a year ago. I have a well-documented interest in international outreach so this wasn't simply a box-checking activity. Instead, it was the perfect combination of the things I'm passionate about: international missions, boats, and medicine. It opened my eyes to how international medicine is really done and somewhat changed what I had envisioned as my future career in medicine.
How all of this is perceived by adcoms (people that matter):
Like I've mentioned before, my application is either loved or hated by the powers that be. I have yet to get a neutral reaction to my experiences and journey to med school. One interviewer has grilled me on why now, how I know I won't quit again, and the like, while a pre-med advisor (Ms. D) simply doesn't like me for reasons I can't explain.
For the most part, though, interviewers were curious and excited to discuss the reasons behind my adventures and wanted to know why I finally came back to medicine after so many years pursuing vastly different things.
I don't think there are any "required" extracurriculars or activities for non-trads. I've known people who got in with very little recent volunteering or practically no research. However, it seems like you need to have one or the other, or a very valid reason for being light in those areas such as family, job, or other pressures. I happened to have both research and volunteering, although I didn't have any publications even though I worked for ~5 years as a research assistant, which I know hurt me at some schools.
My advice to other non-traditional applicants is to first and foremost focus on your grades and MCAT. Those are the most important things in your application. Then, do clinical volunteering/work and shadowing, and maybe get some research in if that's your thing. Primarily, you need to show that you can handle the academic workload. Secondly, you need to be able to show that you know what you're getting yourself into and having those activities on your application will go far in convincing adcoms that you're making an educated decision to pursue medicine.
Generally, activities of non-trads are not more heavily scrutinized per se but rather the reasons behind those decisions are questioned more intensely. It's a lot harder to quit another career to pursue medicine than it is to apply to med school as a junior in college so adcoms want to know why, why, why. In your applications, but more importantly in your interviews, make sure you can convincingly communicate why you switched to medicine and have some evidence/stories to back that up.
Be prepared to discuss any deficiencies you may have in your application, even if the reason that your undergrad grades sucked was because you were young and stupid. Own up to your mistakes and let interviewers know that you've learned from them and that you're better for it.
I'm not an expert on medical school admissions for traditional or non-traditional students by any means. After-all, I've been placed on 5 waitlists and only accepted to one school after applying twice. So take everything I say with a grain of salt.
However, the above "advice" is based on a lot of research on the subject both from SDN (there really is some good stuff there if you wade through the bullshit) and from talking with a lot of people. I haven't always heeded my own advice but now I know better and hope that this helps you, dear commenter.
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to write below and I'll try to elaborate further.
A commenter asked me to elaborate on my activities and what I put on my AMCAS, so here it goes. I don't particularly like lists so instead you get an abridged version of my adult life story, even though it may not seem very abridged. Everything I mention below is in one way or another presented in my primary application. So you're getting essentially what the adcoms got when they received my application, with some flowery commentary thrown in for good measure.
Bright College Years:
My major was in the natural sciences, so a lot of the requirements for my B.S. overlapped with those required for medical school. At the time, it was great to knock out both sets of requirements but in retrospect, I wish I had stayed far away from any BCPM classes during undergrad. I would've had a much easier time getting into medical school that way. But alas, I don't have a time machine so the past remains unchanged as much as I wish otherwise.
As a natural extension of my academic interest in medicine, I began getting involved clinically my freshman year. I volunteered as an EMT at a 911-only ambulance service a couple of towns away from my undergrad campus. Since I was never cleared to drive the ambulance, all of my hours were spent providing direct patient care. Over the course of the three years I spent in EMS, I acquired something like 1,700 hours of clinical community service. It was awesome and is one of the major reasons I am pursuing medicine as a career. I listed it as a meaningful activity and elaborated further on the previous statement.
Other extracurriculars included rugby, which I also listed as a most meaningful activity on my AMCAS, sailing, and Habitat for Humanity, which I had been involved with in high school and continued to work with in college.
Gap Year(s):
I went abroad after graduation and spent the next year and a half sailing the high seas, working in a café, playing rugby, moving to another country whose language I didn't speak, working for food and wine, all before finally coming back stateside to work at a summer camp. Again, this all went into my AMCAS application.
For those ~18 months, I did nothing that went anywhere near medicine. I simply had fun. I learned a lot about myself during that time and a lot of those experiences led me to apply to medical school, all of which I discussed in my personal statement.
I came back to the U.S. because my money ran out (working for food and wine doesn't go far with regard to savings) and because I was tired of living out of a suitcase. I wanted my own sofa and I couldn't have that with my nomadic lifestyle. This part was not in my application, for obvious reasons. I don't think I actually told med schools why I moved back. Only one interviewer has ever asked and I gave her a more eloquent and mature answer, one which didn't involve a sofa.
The Real World:
Unbeknownst to me, the town I moved to after the summer camp experience was a Mecca for the career I had planned to pursue at the time. I hadn't come around to medicine quite yet and was instead focused on working in the industry of my undergrad major.
I got a job in research full-time at the local university and have been here ever since. While the experiences I have had as a member of this research group have been incredible (see the trip to Alaska and other deployments to equally exotic locations), I have ultimately realized that this career is not for me and that I needed to find something else to do.
As soon as I began thinking about medical school again, I started volunteering at the hospital where I've been lucky enough to have direct contact with both patients and physicians. I also enrolled in pre-med classes at the same university I work at since I had to take or retake nearly all of the med school pre-requisites.
I have continued to be heavily involved in rugby as well as with Habitat for Humanity.
Lastly, I went on a medical mission trip with the U.S. Navy to Southeast Asia for a month about a year ago. I have a well-documented interest in international outreach so this wasn't simply a box-checking activity. Instead, it was the perfect combination of the things I'm passionate about: international missions, boats, and medicine. It opened my eyes to how international medicine is really done and somewhat changed what I had envisioned as my future career in medicine.
How all of this is perceived by adcoms (people that matter):
Like I've mentioned before, my application is either loved or hated by the powers that be. I have yet to get a neutral reaction to my experiences and journey to med school. One interviewer has grilled me on why now, how I know I won't quit again, and the like, while a pre-med advisor (Ms. D) simply doesn't like me for reasons I can't explain.
For the most part, though, interviewers were curious and excited to discuss the reasons behind my adventures and wanted to know why I finally came back to medicine after so many years pursuing vastly different things.
I don't think there are any "required" extracurriculars or activities for non-trads. I've known people who got in with very little recent volunteering or practically no research. However, it seems like you need to have one or the other, or a very valid reason for being light in those areas such as family, job, or other pressures. I happened to have both research and volunteering, although I didn't have any publications even though I worked for ~5 years as a research assistant, which I know hurt me at some schools.
My advice to other non-traditional applicants is to first and foremost focus on your grades and MCAT. Those are the most important things in your application. Then, do clinical volunteering/work and shadowing, and maybe get some research in if that's your thing. Primarily, you need to show that you can handle the academic workload. Secondly, you need to be able to show that you know what you're getting yourself into and having those activities on your application will go far in convincing adcoms that you're making an educated decision to pursue medicine.
Generally, activities of non-trads are not more heavily scrutinized per se but rather the reasons behind those decisions are questioned more intensely. It's a lot harder to quit another career to pursue medicine than it is to apply to med school as a junior in college so adcoms want to know why, why, why. In your applications, but more importantly in your interviews, make sure you can convincingly communicate why you switched to medicine and have some evidence/stories to back that up.
Be prepared to discuss any deficiencies you may have in your application, even if the reason that your undergrad grades sucked was because you were young and stupid. Own up to your mistakes and let interviewers know that you've learned from them and that you're better for it.
I'm not an expert on medical school admissions for traditional or non-traditional students by any means. After-all, I've been placed on 5 waitlists and only accepted to one school after applying twice. So take everything I say with a grain of salt.
However, the above "advice" is based on a lot of research on the subject both from SDN (there really is some good stuff there if you wade through the bullshit) and from talking with a lot of people. I haven't always heeded my own advice but now I know better and hope that this helps you, dear commenter.
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to write below and I'll try to elaborate further.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
That God-awful MCAT
Note: This is the first in a series of posts rehashing the beginning of my summer.
My MCAT was finally scheduled for May 19th at 8 AM and since it was about an hour away from my house, I stayed at a friend's place closer to the test site.
I'm a night owl and rarely fall asleep before 2 AM so although I'd been trying to get myself to wake up early in the mornings leading up to the MCAT, I just couldn't do it and thus got only about 3 hours of sleep before the test. I'm used to doing important things on little sleep so I wasn't too worried about it, but I think it may have influenced how my day was going to go.
Long story short, I thought I bombed it. As I walked out of the exam room I began praying for a 30, which is a far cry from the 33-36 I was expecting based on my practice scores. I had mistimed the Physical Sciences section so I was rushed towards the end and Biological Sciences just kicked my butt and bruised my ego.
Here's an excerpt about the BS section from an unpublished post I wrote the next day titled "Picking up the pieces":
Anywhos, I gave myself one day to mope and feel sorry about the whole situation, and mope I did. I held back tears at the baby shower I went to after the test and couldn't speak about the exam without welling up. It was BAD.
I had organized a paintballing excursion for the next day, which was great planning since it totally got my mind off everything. And then I started packing for my Asian adventure that I was leaving for three days after my MCAT. Again, good way to take my mind off things.
The issues, emotions, and events that occurred during my international medical relief mission with the U.S. Navy were enough to keep me even more distracted while waiting for my score to come in (that's a post for another day). So all in all I really only suffered from this experience for about 24 hours.
But I am so glad I never have to go through that again because it's a complete mind-*&^#. Well, that is, until Step 1 rolls around in 3 years.
And now onto the score I received on the day I set foot in the United States again, which I checked at the tail end of a 48 hour journey home that included lost passport scares (plural), a death on an airplane, and a subsequent rescheduled flight. All in all, not ideal circumstances to deal with the feelings of getting my MCAT score back. But again, that's a post for another day.
Without further ado, ta da!
Apparently I do really well when I'm not firing on all cylinders.
P.S. In my original unpublished (for a reason) mopy post, I did a breakdown of each section of the MCAT. Here is what I had to say about the writing part. Pop culture for the win!
My MCAT was finally scheduled for May 19th at 8 AM and since it was about an hour away from my house, I stayed at a friend's place closer to the test site.
I'm a night owl and rarely fall asleep before 2 AM so although I'd been trying to get myself to wake up early in the mornings leading up to the MCAT, I just couldn't do it and thus got only about 3 hours of sleep before the test. I'm used to doing important things on little sleep so I wasn't too worried about it, but I think it may have influenced how my day was going to go.
Long story short, I thought I bombed it. As I walked out of the exam room I began praying for a 30, which is a far cry from the 33-36 I was expecting based on my practice scores. I had mistimed the Physical Sciences section so I was rushed towards the end and Biological Sciences just kicked my butt and bruised my ego.
Here's an excerpt about the BS section from an unpublished post I wrote the next day titled "Picking up the pieces":
Biological Sciences - Oh boy. This section reduced me to a pile of tears. Well, not during the exam, but immediately after. There were a couple of ridiculously hard sections that I just couldn't comprehend. I read them over and over again and I wasn't getting anything out of them. I don't think more time would've helped either. The worst part was that all the questions relied entirely on info from the passage and so I couldn't even reason my way through it with my background knowledge. More than a few discretes had me scratching my head and essentially guessing randomly, and that hasn't happened on any of my practice tests. It's very disconcerting.A note about my feelings, also from that unpublished post:
I walked out of that exam honestly in tears. I am not much of a crier so this had clearly been a kick to the balls. I felt like all the hard work I had put into studying for this had been for naught and I had just killed any chance I have of getting into medical school this cycle. But at the same time, I don't think any more studying would've helped much. I may've gotten a couple more discretes correct in the Biological Sciences (BS) but I still would've been killed by two of those passages.And my thoughts about voiding the results, again from that post:
If I hadn't been leaving the country on Tuesday [three days after the MCAT], I would've totally voided the exam and tried again in a month. Although, I don't think I had another month of studying left in me. I was pretty done by the end of it, so maybe that wouldn't have made a difference either.On the bright side of things, two out of the four people taking the exam had massive computer failures in that their screens froze for over an hour. Maybe it's because I had people praying for me on two continents, but luckily that didn't happen to me. I don't know how I would've handled that, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been pretty.
Anywhos, I gave myself one day to mope and feel sorry about the whole situation, and mope I did. I held back tears at the baby shower I went to after the test and couldn't speak about the exam without welling up. It was BAD.
I had organized a paintballing excursion for the next day, which was great planning since it totally got my mind off everything. And then I started packing for my Asian adventure that I was leaving for three days after my MCAT. Again, good way to take my mind off things.
 |
| Paintball: The perfect post-MCAT stress relief. |
But I am so glad I never have to go through that again because it's a complete mind-*&^#. Well, that is, until Step 1 rolls around in 3 years.
And now onto the score I received on the day I set foot in the United States again, which I checked at the tail end of a 48 hour journey home that included lost passport scares (plural), a death on an airplane, and a subsequent rescheduled flight. All in all, not ideal circumstances to deal with the feelings of getting my MCAT score back. But again, that's a post for another day.
Without further ado, ta da!
 |
| Click to enlarge. |
Apparently I do really well when I'm not firing on all cylinders.
P.S. In my original unpublished (for a reason) mopy post, I did a breakdown of each section of the MCAT. Here is what I had to say about the writing part. Pop culture for the win!
Writing Section (?) - I don't even know what this section is officially called, so that shows you how much I prepared for it before the real thing. It was pretty straight-forward and kind of fun, actually. I channeled a bit of Jon Stewart in that I used a Nazi example for one of my responses. I was laughing on the inside the whole time.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The last month in a nutshell
I bet you're wondering about what's been going on in my life the last month or so. Well, a lot.
Here's a bullet-point list of my goings on since then.
The problem with that last point is that I need to get my medical school application submitted ASAP, but I'm having trouble finding the motivation to do it by some imaginary deadline. I'm a major procrastinator and have found that rolling deadlines are my Achilles' heel. Well, one of my Achilles' heels, at least.
I will go into much more detail about the happenings of the last month in the coming weeks, but for now I wanted to provide a quick summary as another way of putting off working on my personal statement.
Here's a bullet-point list of my goings on since then.
- May 19 Morning - Took my MCAT.
- May 19 Afternoon - Hit up a baby shower and moped.
- May 19 Evening - Moped some more while getting my butt kicked at nerdy board games.
- May 20 - Tried to pick up the pieces after a disastrous MCAT experience.
- May 21 - Met with my boss to get a letter of recommendation, got a haircut, and got a professional-looking portrait done for applications.
- May 22 Ass-Crack of Dawn - Began a series of flights to Guam.
- May 23 Evening - Boarded the USNS Mercy at U.S. Navy base in Guam.
- May 24 - June 18 - Hung out aboard the USNS Mercy.
- June 3 - 9 - Camped out in an Indonesian village of <1000 inhabitants providing basic medical care as part of a humanitarian mission with the U.S. Navy.
- June 19 Morning - Boarded first of many planes to get home from a tiny town in the Philippines.
- June 19 Evening - Took an unexpected visit to a small island due to a very serious medical emergency aboard our flight.
- June 19 Morning - Found out my MCAT score at the Honolulu airport. Massive sense of relief followed.
- June 19 Evening - Finally arrived home after visits to way too many airports for my liking.
- June 19 - Present - I've done absolutely nothing during this time.
The problem with that last point is that I need to get my medical school application submitted ASAP, but I'm having trouble finding the motivation to do it by some imaginary deadline. I'm a major procrastinator and have found that rolling deadlines are my Achilles' heel. Well, one of my Achilles' heels, at least.
I will go into much more detail about the happenings of the last month in the coming weeks, but for now I wanted to provide a quick summary as another way of putting off working on my personal statement.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Last preparations before the MCAT
This stupid MCAT is happening on Saturday (in two days) and I have mixed feelings about my preparedness. I had tried studying yesterday and did a practice Verbal Reasoning test after a leisurely morning. But I gave up on all of it after I got 80% of the questions wrong. I'm not joking. It was bad.
I got a bit depressed after that, thinking that I'd passed my peak and that I'd be screwed for the real thing. Maybe I should've taken it last weekend like I had originally planned. Maybe I shouldn't have left most of the studying for the week before the exam, and spread it out instead. So many maybes.
In true college fashion, I grabbed a beer to ease the pain of failure and decided to get some real work done. You know, the kind I get paid to do. It's overrated, I tell you!
Anywhos, one beer turned into two and my work turned into the 2-hour season finale of "Criminal Minds", followed by Tuesday night's 2-hour "NCIS: LA" season finale. Some sushi rice and many beers later, it was time to go to bed because after-all, I had an important test to take soon.
I woke up at 7 am this morning (on my own, might I add) bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to take on the world. I sat down for that last practice test, praying that the verbal would go better than yesterday and hoping that I hadn't forgotten too much basic science after cramming minutiae into my brain for finals last week.
And this was my score:
To say I was surprised by this result is a gross understatement. It's the highest score I've received on any of the practice tests and a welcome surprise. Hopefully the real thing goes just as well.
Moral of the story: To get a good score, take 7 beers to the face the night before an 8 AM MCAT.
I got a bit depressed after that, thinking that I'd passed my peak and that I'd be screwed for the real thing. Maybe I should've taken it last weekend like I had originally planned. Maybe I shouldn't have left most of the studying for the week before the exam, and spread it out instead. So many maybes.
In true college fashion, I grabbed a beer to ease the pain of failure and decided to get some real work done. You know, the kind I get paid to do. It's overrated, I tell you!
Anywhos, one beer turned into two and my work turned into the 2-hour season finale of "Criminal Minds", followed by Tuesday night's 2-hour "NCIS: LA" season finale. Some sushi rice and many beers later, it was time to go to bed because after-all, I had an important test to take soon.
I woke up at 7 am this morning (on my own, might I add) bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to take on the world. I sat down for that last practice test, praying that the verbal would go better than yesterday and hoping that I hadn't forgotten too much basic science after cramming minutiae into my brain for finals last week.
And this was my score:
To say I was surprised by this result is a gross understatement. It's the highest score I've received on any of the practice tests and a welcome surprise. Hopefully the real thing goes just as well.
Moral of the story: To get a good score, take 7 beers to the face the night before an 8 AM MCAT.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Glass half full?
Five years after I graduated from my first undergrad, I've completed my second undergrad in the form of post-baccalaureate classes for pre-med requirements. For the last two semesters, I've second-guessed my choice to take classes beyond those required by medical schools. And in the fall, I really questioned the decision to blow a grand on an EMT class that I didn't think I would ever need or use again.
But now that it's all over, I'm really happy with the way I went about fulfilling my requirements. Good things have come out of all this. Or maybe I've turned into an optimist in my old age choosing to find the positive in everything.
Regardless, I'm feeling very content with my life and my decisions. The extra classes have helped with my MCAT studying and are supposedly useful for at least some parts of medical school. And I definitely wouldn't be going on my awesome international Navy adventure without the EMT course.
So all in all, this wasn't in vain.
And since I need to brag to someone about this and neither Facebook nor SDN are appropriate places, here is what I have to show for my blood, sweat, and tears:
But now that it's all over, I'm really happy with the way I went about fulfilling my requirements. Good things have come out of all this. Or maybe I've turned into an optimist in my old age choosing to find the positive in everything.
Regardless, I'm feeling very content with my life and my decisions. The extra classes have helped with my MCAT studying and are supposedly useful for at least some parts of medical school. And I definitely wouldn't be going on my awesome international Navy adventure without the EMT course.
So all in all, this wasn't in vain.
And since I need to brag to someone about this and neither Facebook nor SDN are appropriate places, here is what I have to show for my blood, sweat, and tears:
Friday, May 11, 2012
Choosing medical schools
It's that time when I need to decide to which schools I'm applying. With over 100 to choose from, this decision is kind of a big deal. And since my overall stats are not competitive at 75% of the medical schools in
the U.S. due to having way too much fun in undergrad, I can't just pull
out the MSAR (an awesome resource with admissions statistics for all the medical schools) and see where I stand. It's a bit more complicated than that. And I'm really bad at making decisions for myself.
So I went to see the pre-med advisor for some guidance. Out of the three available in the office, I met with the one (Ms. D) who is great at crushing my dreams. That may be a bit harsh, but I always feel a little more hopeless after meeting with her. This is compared to the "I'm awesome!" feeling I get from the other advisor (Ms. E), who just happened to be one of my committee letter interviewers. Boy, I lucked out with that one!
Anywhos, Ms. D gave me a list of schools at which I might be a good fit, and also gave me a lot to think about. I've been pretty dead-set on the local med school and if you had asked me yesterday how I would feel if I didn't get in there, I'd probably tell you I'd cry. And I'm not a crying type of person. At all.
Everything about the local medical school (LMS) is right up my alley. It's got great weather, the student body is very laid back, there is an atmosphere of making others look good instead of gruesome competition, and it loves non-traditional students. That, and I have a good life here that I'm just not ready to leave. The chances of someone in my position being accepted are ~20%. It was (and still is) my *DREAM* school and I was pretty certain that I'd get in there. And then I met with my advisor.
With Ms. D's not-so-enthusiastic opinion on my chances of getting in, I began to reconsider my options and also stopped thinking of LMS as my be all end all. The way she went about suggesting medical schools for me made me start looking at schools in a different light, one in which I could present a case of what I could offer them instead of what they could do for me.
I don't know why it took a pre-med meeting to see things that way, because I've been in the real world long enough to realize that that's how things work in life, and have tailored my applications and approaches at meetings to reflect such a position. In fact, it's probably the major reason I got the Navy gig I'm leaving for in 10 days. I know to emphasize the right things to get what I want, and so far I've been rather successful at that.
But after reading numerous threads on SDN (now I see where I went wrong), I've become more self-centered to the point of thinking that I am God's gift to medical school. Well, maybe not quite that good but good enough that my concern with fit is the only one that matters. Trying to find a school that matched my experience became a search for a city in which I could be happy living, instead of focusing on where my experience went along with the type of student the admissions committee was looking for.
I don't believe too much in "fit" in the traditional sense. For me, a good fit would be a school located somewhere with enough sunshine to prevent me from staying in bed most of the year and also with a cooperative and generally not-so-intense student body. My only pseudo-requirement for curriculum is that there is a block system, but even that is negotiable. It would be nice to have some patient contact early in the non-clinical years, but even if it's not an official part of the curriculum, I'll be able to find it on my own.
So really, I'm not that picky. Research, primary care focus, PBL v. lecture preferences really don't concern me. I can adapt to all that and get whatever I desire out of med school. Now you see where the SDN cockiness and ignorance has reared its ugly head.
But Ms. D made me realize that I have had it all wrong. A good fit for a med school is not limited to where I could see myself living for 4 years, but more importantly, a place where my past experiences and activities go along with the mission of the school and the type of doctors it is hoping to shape.
Yes, I can be research-focused at a primary care oriented school, or get enough clinical experience at a huge research institution. But, that's not how the admissions committees see things. And that's not how I should see things, either. I can adapt, but I shouldn't have to.
There is enough variety in the nation's medical schools to find one that is in line with my past experiences and interests and also is in a city that has sun, water, and laid back people. Those things are not mutually exclusive. I just need to do a little more digging to find them.
P.S. Two posts in one week? Clearly I don't want to do what I should be doing. But don't get used to it. :)
So I went to see the pre-med advisor for some guidance. Out of the three available in the office, I met with the one (Ms. D) who is great at crushing my dreams. That may be a bit harsh, but I always feel a little more hopeless after meeting with her. This is compared to the "I'm awesome!" feeling I get from the other advisor (Ms. E), who just happened to be one of my committee letter interviewers. Boy, I lucked out with that one!
Anywhos, Ms. D gave me a list of schools at which I might be a good fit, and also gave me a lot to think about. I've been pretty dead-set on the local med school and if you had asked me yesterday how I would feel if I didn't get in there, I'd probably tell you I'd cry. And I'm not a crying type of person. At all.
Everything about the local medical school (LMS) is right up my alley. It's got great weather, the student body is very laid back, there is an atmosphere of making others look good instead of gruesome competition, and it loves non-traditional students. That, and I have a good life here that I'm just not ready to leave. The chances of someone in my position being accepted are ~20%. It was (and still is) my *DREAM* school and I was pretty certain that I'd get in there. And then I met with my advisor.
With Ms. D's not-so-enthusiastic opinion on my chances of getting in, I began to reconsider my options and also stopped thinking of LMS as my be all end all. The way she went about suggesting medical schools for me made me start looking at schools in a different light, one in which I could present a case of what I could offer them instead of what they could do for me.
I don't know why it took a pre-med meeting to see things that way, because I've been in the real world long enough to realize that that's how things work in life, and have tailored my applications and approaches at meetings to reflect such a position. In fact, it's probably the major reason I got the Navy gig I'm leaving for in 10 days. I know to emphasize the right things to get what I want, and so far I've been rather successful at that.
But after reading numerous threads on SDN (now I see where I went wrong), I've become more self-centered to the point of thinking that I am God's gift to medical school. Well, maybe not quite that good but good enough that my concern with fit is the only one that matters. Trying to find a school that matched my experience became a search for a city in which I could be happy living, instead of focusing on where my experience went along with the type of student the admissions committee was looking for.
I don't believe too much in "fit" in the traditional sense. For me, a good fit would be a school located somewhere with enough sunshine to prevent me from staying in bed most of the year and also with a cooperative and generally not-so-intense student body. My only pseudo-requirement for curriculum is that there is a block system, but even that is negotiable. It would be nice to have some patient contact early in the non-clinical years, but even if it's not an official part of the curriculum, I'll be able to find it on my own.
So really, I'm not that picky. Research, primary care focus, PBL v. lecture preferences really don't concern me. I can adapt to all that and get whatever I desire out of med school. Now you see where the SDN cockiness and ignorance has reared its ugly head.
But Ms. D made me realize that I have had it all wrong. A good fit for a med school is not limited to where I could see myself living for 4 years, but more importantly, a place where my past experiences and activities go along with the mission of the school and the type of doctors it is hoping to shape.
Yes, I can be research-focused at a primary care oriented school, or get enough clinical experience at a huge research institution. But, that's not how the admissions committees see things. And that's not how I should see things, either. I can adapt, but I shouldn't have to.
There is enough variety in the nation's medical schools to find one that is in line with my past experiences and interests and also is in a city that has sun, water, and laid back people. Those things are not mutually exclusive. I just need to do a little more digging to find them.
P.S. Two posts in one week? Clearly I don't want to do what I should be doing. But don't get used to it. :)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Resentment
These last few weeks have been rough, school- and stress-wise. I have a lot to do and my future is riding on how I perform on these finals and the MCAT. As such, I've been physically and mentally holed up in my room or in the office trying to be productive so I can be awesome, while everyone around me seemingly doesn't have a care in the world.
Take Cinco de Mayo, for example. I had a biochemistry final at 7:30pm that night, so I was trying to cram in the last details of random mechanisms and regulatory pathways before the exam.
What were my neighbors doing?
This:
That is indeed a living room in the yard, complete with a showing of "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" on one TV and a Super Nintendo console with Super Mario on the other.
I, too, am in this photo taking a study break, but I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy the "holiday" as it should be celebrated. It's hard to have that kind of fun with an exam looming over my head in a couple of hours.
(Side note: What is it with finals/exams on major rugby holidays? An evening final on Cinco de Mayo and another evening exam on St. Patrick's Day? Blasphemy!)
I know that the path towards medicine isn't the easiest one to take and there will be plenty more times when I just can't live as carefree a life as the people around me. This was a major reason for dropping the pre-med thing in undergrad and pursuing a different career. But in going back to school for pre-med prerequisites, I realized I'd much rather work hard in medicine than work a little less hard at a job that doesn't ignite the same passion in me as medicine does. That was (and is) my choice and I think it's definitely the right one for me.
This also isn't to say that medicine is the only profession where one has to sacrifice some things for a successful career. My friends bust their butts during the week to make this sort of relaxing Saturday a possibility, and they are often out of town on weekends for work. So it's not all unicorns and rainbows for them either.
But, that doesn't mean I can't feel a little resentment and jealousy once in a while.
Take Cinco de Mayo, for example. I had a biochemistry final at 7:30pm that night, so I was trying to cram in the last details of random mechanisms and regulatory pathways before the exam.
What were my neighbors doing?
This:
That is indeed a living room in the yard, complete with a showing of "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" on one TV and a Super Nintendo console with Super Mario on the other.
I, too, am in this photo taking a study break, but I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy the "holiday" as it should be celebrated. It's hard to have that kind of fun with an exam looming over my head in a couple of hours.
(Side note: What is it with finals/exams on major rugby holidays? An evening final on Cinco de Mayo and another evening exam on St. Patrick's Day? Blasphemy!)
I know that the path towards medicine isn't the easiest one to take and there will be plenty more times when I just can't live as carefree a life as the people around me. This was a major reason for dropping the pre-med thing in undergrad and pursuing a different career. But in going back to school for pre-med prerequisites, I realized I'd much rather work hard in medicine than work a little less hard at a job that doesn't ignite the same passion in me as medicine does. That was (and is) my choice and I think it's definitely the right one for me.
This also isn't to say that medicine is the only profession where one has to sacrifice some things for a successful career. My friends bust their butts during the week to make this sort of relaxing Saturday a possibility, and they are often out of town on weekends for work. So it's not all unicorns and rainbows for them either.
But, that doesn't mean I can't feel a little resentment and jealousy once in a while.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Burned out
I am 100% checked out of school right now. I just don't have it in me to study anymore. I have a biochemistry final tomorrow and I literally need to talk myself into opening my notes, otherwise it's just not going to get done.
And it's not that feeling of "I know it all and am bored with having to go over it again." I wish that was the case.
Instead, I'm overwhelmed by the volume of material covered on this exam and I have no desire to even attempt to learn it. That, and I don't believe my grade on the final will make any significant difference in my final letter grade. As long as I know the stuff well enough and don't completely bomb the final, I will keep the grade I currently have. So there goes that motivation.
I don't know what it is about this class that makes me feel so done. The whole biochem series has been incredibly frustrating for me, mostly because my grades haven't really reflected the degree to which I understand and know the material. I'm not blaming anyone but myself for this mess that is my grade, which makes the feeling even worse. I just have to keep telling myself that 2 Bs are not going to sink my medical school application. (Here is my justification for being so neurotic these days, because I didn't used to be this way.)
I am so done that at this point I'd much rather be studying for the MCAT or filling out my AMCAS. I am that much over school.
(Yes, this post is whiny. That's what happens when I get grumpy.)
And it's not that feeling of "I know it all and am bored with having to go over it again." I wish that was the case.
Instead, I'm overwhelmed by the volume of material covered on this exam and I have no desire to even attempt to learn it. That, and I don't believe my grade on the final will make any significant difference in my final letter grade. As long as I know the stuff well enough and don't completely bomb the final, I will keep the grade I currently have. So there goes that motivation.
I don't know what it is about this class that makes me feel so done. The whole biochem series has been incredibly frustrating for me, mostly because my grades haven't really reflected the degree to which I understand and know the material. I'm not blaming anyone but myself for this mess that is my grade, which makes the feeling even worse. I just have to keep telling myself that 2 Bs are not going to sink my medical school application. (Here is my justification for being so neurotic these days, because I didn't used to be this way.)
I am so done that at this point I'd much rather be studying for the MCAT or filling out my AMCAS. I am that much over school.
(Yes, this post is whiny. That's what happens when I get grumpy.)
Friday, April 27, 2012
It hasn't sunk in yet
In 25 days, I will be somewhere above the Pacific on a flight headed to Southeast Asia to volunteer aboard a Navy hospital ship and serve as part of an international medical relief mission. Even though my plane tickets are bought, my immunizations are scheduled,
and I have a packing list in my head, it still hasn't sunk in that this is happening so soon, or even at all.
I have yet to accept the fact that I will be spending six weeks working...
And because it has been my dream for so long, I just can't believe that it's happening so soon in my medical "career". It just seems way too good to be true.
Two years ago I re-began the journey towards being a doctor by signing up for a few pre-med prerequisites. At the time, applying to medical school seemed so far away and I couldn't wait to be done with all of it. I just wanted to be in medical school then and not wait the years it would take me to finish up everything.
Instead of the expected long, hard slog, these last two years have flown by and I'm much closer to my goal of being a doctor. Even with all the work I've already put in, I still have a lot to do before I leave.
But when I get on that plane on May 22nd, my MCAT will have been taken, my medical school application will be finished, and I will have decided on which schools to apply to. That is a very scary thought.
I have yet to accept the fact that I will be spending six weeks working...
- as a medical team member,
- on a boat, and
- in a foreign country.
And because it has been my dream for so long, I just can't believe that it's happening so soon in my medical "career". It just seems way too good to be true.
Two years ago I re-began the journey towards being a doctor by signing up for a few pre-med prerequisites. At the time, applying to medical school seemed so far away and I couldn't wait to be done with all of it. I just wanted to be in medical school then and not wait the years it would take me to finish up everything.
Instead of the expected long, hard slog, these last two years have flown by and I'm much closer to my goal of being a doctor. Even with all the work I've already put in, I still have a lot to do before I leave.
But when I get on that plane on May 22nd, my MCAT will have been taken, my medical school application will be finished, and I will have decided on which schools to apply to. That is a very scary thought.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Postponing the MCAT (again)
Ever since I saw that all the seats for the May 19th MCAT were filled, I've been obsessively checking the rescheduling website to see if anything has opened up. Eventually I resigned myself to taking the MCAT on the 12th and stopped checking the site. On a whim, I opened up the AAMC website today and lo and behold, May 19th was open!
So after much thought (and I really mean a lot of phone calls and discussions), I gave another $70 to AAMC to move my test date by one week.
You'd think this would be an easy decision to get another seven days of studying, but 1) I suck at making decisions for myself, and 2) I leave the country at 6:19 am on May 22nd for two months. So a May 19th MCAT puts me in a bit of time crunch with regards to getting all my things in order before the trip.
With this move, I have now had 7 confirmed and pseudo-confirmed (in my head) test dates, but really only 1 actual change (my wallet thanks me!). Luckily for my sanity, this is the last possible date I can take the MCAT without putting in a super late application for medical school.
So no more changing for me! D-Day is officially 5/19/12.
But, if I change my mind again and really want to go back to the May 12th test date, I'm sure I won't have a problem getting my spot back, as not many people are going to be pushing up their MCAT exams. The chances of that happening are slim to none.
So after much thought (and I really mean a lot of phone calls and discussions), I gave another $70 to AAMC to move my test date by one week.
You'd think this would be an easy decision to get another seven days of studying, but 1) I suck at making decisions for myself, and 2) I leave the country at 6:19 am on May 22nd for two months. So a May 19th MCAT puts me in a bit of time crunch with regards to getting all my things in order before the trip.
With this move, I have now had 7 confirmed and pseudo-confirmed (in my head) test dates, but really only 1 actual change (my wallet thanks me!). Luckily for my sanity, this is the last possible date I can take the MCAT without putting in a super late application for medical school.
So no more changing for me! D-Day is officially 5/19/12.
But, if I change my mind again and really want to go back to the May 12th test date, I'm sure I won't have a problem getting my spot back, as not many people are going to be pushing up their MCAT exams. The chances of that happening are slim to none.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
My first practice MCAT
Even though I'm about a week behind on studying for the MCAT according to my schedule and technically still need to review a whole bunch of chapters, I decided to begin taking the practice tests now because my real test is only 5 weeks away. That doesn't seem like very long considering all the things I have to learn and do between now and May 12th. It's very overwhelming, actually.
As it stands, I've finished all the content review and just have to re-read chapters and review my answers. So it's not a bad time to get a general idea of my weak points so I can focus on those instead of feeling the need to memorize everything.
And...drum roll please...I scored a 33, with the breakdown being 11, 11, 11. While it's not a score that I'm happy with (I'm shooting for 36+), the 11 in Verbal Reasoning is incredibly reassuring.
When I first started doing Verbal passages, I was consistently scoring 7 and I was absolutely terrified because that is not something you can just cram for like you can for the other two sections. Lately, though, my scores have risen to 9 and then 11 on the last two sets of practice passages I've taken, so this "official" MCAT score lends credence to my thinking that I'm getting better.
Also, my timing is amazing on these tests to the point that I have 10 minutes left on each section to go over any answers that I'm unsure about. And the Biological Sciences section is a lot easier than my practice passages, while physics is not nearly as emphasized in Physical Sciences as I thought it would be. And that's very good because I haven't taken physics in eight years.
All in all, I think that if I had had a bit more confidence and read a bit more carefully, I could have scored at least 12 on both Biological and Physical Sciences because I missed at least a few questions in each section due to careless mistakes.
But since I have 7 more tests to take and whole bunch of passages still to do, I think I can improve in both of those areas.
As it stands, I've finished all the content review and just have to re-read chapters and review my answers. So it's not a bad time to get a general idea of my weak points so I can focus on those instead of feeling the need to memorize everything.
And...drum roll please...I scored a 33, with the breakdown being 11, 11, 11. While it's not a score that I'm happy with (I'm shooting for 36+), the 11 in Verbal Reasoning is incredibly reassuring.
When I first started doing Verbal passages, I was consistently scoring 7 and I was absolutely terrified because that is not something you can just cram for like you can for the other two sections. Lately, though, my scores have risen to 9 and then 11 on the last two sets of practice passages I've taken, so this "official" MCAT score lends credence to my thinking that I'm getting better.
Also, my timing is amazing on these tests to the point that I have 10 minutes left on each section to go over any answers that I'm unsure about. And the Biological Sciences section is a lot easier than my practice passages, while physics is not nearly as emphasized in Physical Sciences as I thought it would be. And that's very good because I haven't taken physics in eight years.
All in all, I think that if I had had a bit more confidence and read a bit more carefully, I could have scored at least 12 on both Biological and Physical Sciences because I missed at least a few questions in each section due to careless mistakes.
But since I have 7 more tests to take and whole bunch of passages still to do, I think I can improve in both of those areas.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Shadowing in the OR
This week I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon in the operating room and watched him do two cases. At first, I was a bit grossed out by seeing the surgical fellow pull on stuff inside the dude's knee, mostly because I was imagining how much it would hurt to have my tendons stretched like that. But then I remembered the patient had a nerve block, was under general anesthesia, and was prescribed some serious pain killers for recovery, and the feeling of empathetic pain went away.
For the first procedure, I had some decent questions to ask the surgeon because I have a bit of background with that injury and knew generally what to ask. So it wasn't so awkward. But the second procedure consisted of me standing quietly in the corner not saying a word, until the surgeon mentioned he had lived in Italy and I inquired where because I, too, had lived in Italy recently. Other than that, I kept my mouth shut, which is not the way to go apparently.
My interactions didn't get any better after that, and instead I managed to communicate the fact that my undergrad GPA was crap and that I don't like evening classes, which resulted in the surgeon chuckling a bit under his breath. Oops. Way to make a good impression. Not! I should just learn to keep my mouth shut.
One of the biggest issues I had with shadowing was not knowing when it was ok to ask questions. The surgeon also had a fellow doing most of the work so he was teaching a fair amount of the time, and I didn't want to interrupt that. He was also doing a lot of shop talk with the biomedical sales reps so that didn't seem like a good time to interject with a question. But there was also a lot of silence, so I can't use all that as an excuse.
My other problems included not being prepared for the second procedure, and being too afraid to ask "stupid" questions. The thing is, as a pre-med, I'm not expected to know anything so unless I'm asking things like "What the heck is a shoulder?", my questions most likely aren't perceived as idiotic.
I'm generally a very curious person, so why do I have such difficulty being around doctors? Why am I so quiet and insecure about medicine? These are the questions to answer.
And since this was supposed to be a learning opportunity, here are some lessons learned:
Mostly, I want a re-do because if I get into the local medical school, I will most likely be asking to do research with this surgeon. So I need to make a better impression of preparedness than I did this time.
Oh, I almost forgot to add...I posted a thread about this to SDN and this was one of the replies:
The good part was that I was fairly animated outside of the operating room, except by that point, I had verbal diarrhea. Here I go with the self-deprecation again. It's a vicious cycle, I tell ya!
For the first procedure, I had some decent questions to ask the surgeon because I have a bit of background with that injury and knew generally what to ask. So it wasn't so awkward. But the second procedure consisted of me standing quietly in the corner not saying a word, until the surgeon mentioned he had lived in Italy and I inquired where because I, too, had lived in Italy recently. Other than that, I kept my mouth shut, which is not the way to go apparently.
My interactions didn't get any better after that, and instead I managed to communicate the fact that my undergrad GPA was crap and that I don't like evening classes, which resulted in the surgeon chuckling a bit under his breath. Oops. Way to make a good impression. Not! I should just learn to keep my mouth shut.
One of the biggest issues I had with shadowing was not knowing when it was ok to ask questions. The surgeon also had a fellow doing most of the work so he was teaching a fair amount of the time, and I didn't want to interrupt that. He was also doing a lot of shop talk with the biomedical sales reps so that didn't seem like a good time to interject with a question. But there was also a lot of silence, so I can't use all that as an excuse.
My other problems included not being prepared for the second procedure, and being too afraid to ask "stupid" questions. The thing is, as a pre-med, I'm not expected to know anything so unless I'm asking things like "What the heck is a shoulder?", my questions most likely aren't perceived as idiotic.
I'm generally a very curious person, so why do I have such difficulty being around doctors? Why am I so quiet and insecure about medicine? These are the questions to answer.
And since this was supposed to be a learning opportunity, here are some lessons learned:
- Being prepared is always a good thing.
I should have looked up the second procedure before I observed one because then maybe I could've asked some decently intelligent questions. - I don't have to come off as awesome all the time.
I need to stop being afraid to ask seemingly stupid questions. Usually, they're not stupid and I have a right not to know the answer. - Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
I need to learn to paint myself in the best possible light and stay away from the self-deprecating talk. I shouldn't lay out my flaws for everyone to see. - Doctors usually like teaching.
This especially applies to those at teaching hospitals and those who take on fellows, so I should not be too intimidated to ask questions. They are most likely more than happy to answer them. At least that has been my experience with all the doctors I've encountered. They've been pretty awesome.
Mostly, I want a re-do because if I get into the local medical school, I will most likely be asking to do research with this surgeon. So I need to make a better impression of preparedness than I did this time.
Oh, I almost forgot to add...I posted a thread about this to SDN and this was one of the replies:
Physicians will know that a college student won't know much medicine/surgery, so don't be afraid to ask basic questions. It would be strange to NOT ask questions at your stage.I guess I was the strange kid in the corner then. Oops.
The good part was that I was fairly animated outside of the operating room, except by that point, I had verbal diarrhea. Here I go with the self-deprecation again. It's a vicious cycle, I tell ya!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Preparing for the committee letter interview
The pre-health advising office at the university at which I'm doing my post-baccalaureate courses (what a mouthful!) writes an all-encompassing "report" on us called a committee letter that is sent along with our letters of recommendation to all the medical schools to which we apply. It's kind of an overall assessment of our candidacy for medical school and includes their take on whether we have the qualities of a good doctor.
As part of the process of getting a committee letter written, we had to complete an appraisal packet that was composed of questions such as the following:
Anywhos, my interview is in two days and I'm starting to prepare my responses to common questions I know they'll ask, such as "Why do you want to be a doctor?" and ethical dilemmas, as well as greatest strengths and weaknesses questions.
Most of these answers are pretty straightforward but I'm having a really difficult time thinking up a 5-minute speech on why I want to be a doctor. Mostly, this problem stems from the fact that I have answered this question in my personal essay and in two questions on the self-appraisal packet, so I can't think of anything original to add to that. Obviously I want to bring in some new information so it's not just a regurgitation of the things the interviewers have in front of them, but I went all out on that packet and don't have much more to give, at least not convincingly.
I think the solution is to stick with what I've written previously and just organize my response well. Hopefully I'll think of a few examples that are different enough from my earlier answers that the interviewers get some new ammo for that committee letter. In short, it's time to wrack my brain!
As part of the process of getting a committee letter written, we had to complete an appraisal packet that was composed of questions such as the following:
- What characteristics do you have that will make you good at your chosen profession?
- From what situation, experience or interaction have you learned the most about yourself?
- Describe an example of a time when you showed intellectual curiosity, problem-solving and/or self-directed learning in any area.
Anywhos, my interview is in two days and I'm starting to prepare my responses to common questions I know they'll ask, such as "Why do you want to be a doctor?" and ethical dilemmas, as well as greatest strengths and weaknesses questions.
Most of these answers are pretty straightforward but I'm having a really difficult time thinking up a 5-minute speech on why I want to be a doctor. Mostly, this problem stems from the fact that I have answered this question in my personal essay and in two questions on the self-appraisal packet, so I can't think of anything original to add to that. Obviously I want to bring in some new information so it's not just a regurgitation of the things the interviewers have in front of them, but I went all out on that packet and don't have much more to give, at least not convincingly.
I think the solution is to stick with what I've written previously and just organize my response well. Hopefully I'll think of a few examples that are different enough from my earlier answers that the interviewers get some new ammo for that committee letter. In short, it's time to wrack my brain!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
MCAT issues
Sometimes this blog is written just for me to figure out plans of doing things a certain way in order to simplify my life. This is one of those posts, so feel free to ignore it.
I'm having some major problems retaining all the information needed for the MCAT. Reactants and conditions are not staying in my head for organic chemistry, and concepts I found easy in my general chemistry class are just not sticking. So I've formulated a new plan to make me remember all this stuff.
Here it is:
Now if studying for the verbal section was this simple, I'd be set!
I'm having some major problems retaining all the information needed for the MCAT. Reactants and conditions are not staying in my head for organic chemistry, and concepts I found easy in my general chemistry class are just not sticking. So I've formulated a new plan to make me remember all this stuff.
Here it is:
- Compile one-page "cheat sheets" for each chapter of each subject that include vital conceptual information as well as equations and tricks for solving MCAT problems quickly.
- Create examples of how to solve recurring types of problems unique to each chapter, with worked out solutions.
- Write up all the organic chemistry equations that are necessary for the MCAT.
- Review one chapter a day of all subjects. Rinse and repeat.
Now if studying for the verbal section was this simple, I'd be set!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Something has to change
Lately I've been feeling like I constantly have my nose in a book and that my life is class, study, sleep, and repeat. Work should be in there as well, but I just haven't been able to fit it in. And even with such a bare-bones schedule, I've been sleeping very little so clearly this isn't working for me.
I thought about this last night and realized that I actually do have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything and still have a reasonable life. I just have to be more efficient and not waste so much time.
So I've proposed a new schedule for myself where I am super productive from 9 to 6 and then can be as lazy as I want. I think I need that separation of life and school/work to be sane, otherwise I'm going to go crazy with stress, as has been the case these past few weeks. With dedicated relaxation time that won't be interrupted by school and/or work, I won't feel the need to squeeze in a show here or there, which is my downfall with regards to productivity.
And of course, like every other plan I commit to, this will have to start after this series of exams is done. So until next Wednesday, I continue to have no life.
I thought about this last night and realized that I actually do have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything and still have a reasonable life. I just have to be more efficient and not waste so much time.
So I've proposed a new schedule for myself where I am super productive from 9 to 6 and then can be as lazy as I want. I think I need that separation of life and school/work to be sane, otherwise I'm going to go crazy with stress, as has been the case these past few weeks. With dedicated relaxation time that won't be interrupted by school and/or work, I won't feel the need to squeeze in a show here or there, which is my downfall with regards to productivity.
And of course, like every other plan I commit to, this will have to start after this series of exams is done. So until next Wednesday, I continue to have no life.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
!!!
Received tonight at 11:44 pm*:
Looks like Option 1 from my previous post is actually going to happen. Happy days!
*Pardon the stars and redactions. One of the forms we have to sign deals with not releasing the location of the ship until we have left the area. And another one says we need to run everything we plan to write about the trip by the coordinator. The details omitted from the copied email aren't pertinent to this blog post and thus have been removed.
*Pardon the stars and redactions. One of the forms we have to sign deals with not releasing the location of the ship until we have left the area. And another one says we need to run everything we plan to write about the trip by the coordinator. The details omitted from the copied email aren't pertinent to this blog post and thus have been removed.
Summer abroad
Originally I had planned to apply to only one summer program abroad and leave it at that. If I didn't get in, then I'd enjoy the peace and freedom of this summer here in town. But, a friend of mine has forwarded another opportunity on to me about a group leader position in a huge number of countries that would last about 5 weeks. It'd be a great reason for me to go back to Europe and visit my family, because it doesn't look like the sailing trip is going to happen the way I had hoped.
So here are the two programs I'm applying or have applied to:
Those are the plans, at least the international ones, for the summer. If I do end up staying here in town, I may volunteer at a summer camp for cancer kids, which is something I've been wanting to do since undergrad but just haven't had the time to do. Or, I may take an Italian summer course so I can take the more advanced language classes during fall and spring. Or I may just go camping a lot. Man, I'm already dreaming of the freedom I'll have once my MCAT and AMCAS are done!
So here are the two programs I'm applying or have applied to:
- A humanitarian mission aboard the USNS Mercy, run by the UCSD Pre-Dental Society
This organization partners with the U.S. Navy to provide medical staff and volunteer assistants for missions abroad aboard a hospital ship. This summer they will be traveling to Southeast Asia, visiting Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia for about 4 months total (2 weeks at each site plus a few days of transit between countries). I've applied for the whole summer but if I am chosen for only two sites then I requested Vietnam and Cambodia because it would give me more time and lee-way for MCAT studying (in case I have to push it back...again), AMCAS submission, and writing secondaries. I've been told by someone who does these kinds of missions regularly that I should go for the duration of whole thing if I have the opportunity because it's a once in a lifetime experience, but I would also like to have some time to be at home during the summer. It's fun over here. As of a week ago, they had received my application and now it's a waiting game. If I don't hear back within the next 2 - 3 weeks then I'll email them for an update but for now, I sit and wait and fret. I REALLY want to do this. It's right up my alley! - The Experiment in International Living, as a group leader for high school students
This group plans homestays for high school students in countries around the world, and is in need of group leaders to be the contacts for these students when they're abroad. It would be the perfect opportunity to go back to Europe (or maybe even Australia) and live with a family and experience the international life I've been missing since I moved back to the States. I wish my Italian was better because then I could go to Florence, too!
Those are the plans, at least the international ones, for the summer. If I do end up staying here in town, I may volunteer at a summer camp for cancer kids, which is something I've been wanting to do since undergrad but just haven't had the time to do. Or, I may take an Italian summer course so I can take the more advanced language classes during fall and spring. Or I may just go camping a lot. Man, I'm already dreaming of the freedom I'll have once my MCAT and AMCAS are done!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
No pressure
This weekend a few friends from the summer camp I used to work at and I rented a condo in the mountains to have a few days away from the hustle and bustle of life. It was awesome! We lounged in the condo (I still can't ski because of my knee), did puzzles, played Settlers, and laughed our butts off.
I had an absolute blast, but as soon as I got back home I began thinking of all the MCAT studying I should have done this weekend and then I got sad. If I don't get into the local medical school, all these friends will no longer be a part of my life and that's depressing. And this thinking just exacerbates the problem I have with leaving my brother.
In short, I have so many reasons to stay here and that stresses me out because now, I have to get into this medical school! And to do that, I need to do really well on the MCAT. No pressure.
I had an absolute blast, but as soon as I got back home I began thinking of all the MCAT studying I should have done this weekend and then I got sad. If I don't get into the local medical school, all these friends will no longer be a part of my life and that's depressing. And this thinking just exacerbates the problem I have with leaving my brother.
In short, I have so many reasons to stay here and that stresses me out because now, I have to get into this medical school! And to do that, I need to do really well on the MCAT. No pressure.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Going back to my old ways
I skipped class today because I couldn't find parking. Seriously. And instead of being productive during that extra hour, I watched last night's episode of "Parenthood", read all my usual websites and blogs, and am now updating the blogs that I write for myself. And that's three hours gone that I could've been studying for the MCAT, doing biochem homework, or working. Oops.
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