Things I Wish I Knew Sooner

Take AP classes in high school.

 I took AP Calculus and AP Biology in high school. I only took the exam for AP Calc at the end of the year and made a 3, which was enough to get me college credit for it. I started college with four little credits, as opposed to zero. I met my friend Mandi the first day of class. It was her first year too but she was technically a sophomore because she took sooooo many AP classes and started college with 15 credits!! I wish I would have known about that. I could have gotten out of English 101 and 102 with a higher grade if I had taken them in high school. I hated calc when I was taking it, but I am so glad I took it. Those four credits have saved my butt almost every semester from various deadlines and requirements, etc. 

College is not scary. 

I love college. I was definitely nervous, especially moving out and living on my own. But, eventually I adjusted and discovered I loved the independent feeling. I was on my own to meet new people and experience the world on my own a little bit. Sure, I was homesick at first and it was convenient that I only lived an hour away, but eventually the homesickness goes away. I started meeting people and loving my classes and it made things easier.  

 Every college class counts. 

 GPA-wise, that is. I am not the type to ..'slack off' in a class, but when I take a class that's not in my major or a core class, I definitely don't try as hard as I could. But it's important to remember that every class counts toward your GPA and any 'slacking off' can hit your GPA hard and haunt you later on.   

Start shadowing early. And do it reguarly.

I should have started shadowing in high school. I should have shadowed every summer during college. I didn't realize how much weight the PA schools (and med school) put on shadowing. For PA school, they look for quantity. For med school, they look for quality over quantity and shadowing on a regular basis. 

Take as many classes as you can handle every single semester.

My first semester I only took 12 hours (the minimum) and then 13 the next. 
I had so much free time but I paid the price later. 

Start studying for the MCAT as soon as you 

decide you want to go to med school.
Avoid cramming the few months before your test date like the black plague. 
You won't do well if you wait and cram. I promise. 

Start drafting your personal statement at least a year 

before you need to submit it. Resumes too.
The first draft will be crappy and will need to be revised. It's that simple. I have had several people read over my personal statement, revising each time and it's still not finished! I'm on the fifth draft of my resume and working on the next one!

Submit your application as early as possible. 
This one is simple: rolling admissions!

Start saving money your freshman year. Even if it's just a little bit.  
This one is a gimme. Any money saved, no matter what your after-graduation plans are, will help. 

What Happened to August??

So.. I am about about five weeks into my senior year of college. Scary, right? Time went by way too fast. August FLEW by and now September is almost over too! It's even scarier to think this semester is alllmost halfway over! Anyways, so much has happened since I moved back to Berry on August 25. 

I moved into a new dorm and I withdrew from one of my classes (ART 102, the elective). I won't go into the messy drama that lead me to move out. There was a kitten, a panic attack, and I lost a 'friend.' But it doesn't even matter; I love where I live now. I'm back in the dorm I lived in my first two years at Berry so it feels like home. 

I couldn't have asked for a better solution. 

I withdrew from my art design class because my teacher was basically a critical hypocrite. She said there was no right or wrong in our class because our designs are solely based on our own interpretation and intention. Yet, for every assignment, we managed to be 'wrong,' and had to redo them all. I had finally had enough and I dropped it. I didn't have time to draw on 10 sheets of paper each week, only to nervously wait as she criticizes and judges them, just to hear her say we didn't do it right and have to redo them all. Incredibly frustrating. And stressful on me and my other classes. My advisor also agreed that I should drop it. I'll take an extra class next semester to make up for it and 

I should still graduate on time. So that was that. 

I have fully embraced my job as a biology tutor. I tutor every day except Friday. It's mainly freshmen who just completely panic and haven't adjusted to college yet, but they always are super grateful that I help, which makes it all worthwhile. 

I joined a weekly prayer group that meets on Monday nights. I am really excited about how it's going to affect my life. I'm really excited.

 

Mountain Day is right around the corner. It's bittersweet that it's my last one as a student, but I am excited to finally wear blue. Girls wear pink and boys wear blue.

Senior girls wear blue and senior boys wear white. 

I'm still hoping heading for PA school. I think my family has finally accepted this and realized it might be the better move. Someone recently told my papaw that the healthcare system is moving toward favoring the physician assistants, mainly because of Obama care screwing the doctors. Finally. I have also acquired three GRE practice books, which I will eventually jump into... next year, most likely.

Today is Saturday. This next week is going to be CRAZY. It's time for the first round of tests. I have biochem on Monday, an art history quiz on Wednesday, an analytical lab journal due Wednesday, and an analytical exam on Thursday. I should be panicking. I am a little stressed and worried but really trying not to panic. After all, that biochem test is in a little over 24 hours and I'm BLOGGING! 

I probably should be studying..

Nine tips for new med student, PAs, and NPs

Whether you’re starting medical school or beginning your second year, this post is for you. This will probably work just as well for PAs, NPs and any other health professional student who hasn’t started clinical rotations. 

Here are some of the things that will help you in your studies:

1. Cramming is bad. 

Everyone does it, but it doesn’t help you learn. Learning is understanding the concepts, not memorizing the words. Try to read ahead in the books so that when a professor addressed a subject and you don't understand it, you can ask questions in class about it.

2. Avoid study groups. 

There will always people who study together, but they usually always interrupt each other's studying with unrelated questions or with discussions about the latest TV show. Don't fall for this. Take your book to a secluded spot, plug in some headphones, and focus.

3. Focus. 

Turn off your internet connection. Shut down your computer. Don’t even take it with you. Stop checking your e-mail messages on your phone. Don’t take it with you, either. Or take it and pull the battery out of it. Take your book, some ear plugs, an MP3 player, some paper, a pen, and take notes on what you’re trying to learn. Writing things out helps you remember concepts. All the other distractions make it harder for you to concentrate on learning. If there’s something that important pending, then deal with it before you go to study. 

When you study, focus on studying.

4. Get copies of old tests. 

This is very important! Most professors are not industrious enough to create new questions for each exam. And there are only so many questions you can ask about the same topic. Therefore, many questions are repeated. Some may have wording changes, but most questions have the same concepts. By learning and understanding what concepts appeared on previous tests and are therefore important to the professor, you’re well on your way to learning the concepts..  and passing the tests.

5. Don’t get down on yourself. 

 You’re going to do poorly on tests. Almost everyone does at some point. You know what they call the person who graduates lowest in his medical school class? Doctor. You don’t need great grades in every subject to be a decent doctor. Study hard, do your best, keep plugging along, and don’t get discouraged. 

If you put in the effort, you will graduate.

6. Learn what medicine is all about. 

Don’t just stick to the textbooks. Read journal articles or medical blogs about topics that interest you. Yeah, it’s more reading, but those articles are only a few pages, will hopefully be more enjoyable, and will help bring together all of the facts that you are learning to show you how to apply them. There’s a big difference between “book sense” and “common sense.” You need both to succeed.

7. You’re not a doctor. 

 Don’t act like one. People will ask you for medical advice. Tell them you aren’t a doctor yet and you don’t know. Or tell them you haven’t studied that topic yet. Don’t act like you know what you’re talking about. More often than not, you’ll give them the wrong advice and you could get yourself into trouble in the process.

8. Set aside a day to relax. 

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Pick a day to relax and have a life. For example, if your tests fall on Monday morning, take Monday night off to play and act like normal people. Make friends and have fun. It’s a school, not a prison.

9. Don’t forget your family. 

Your family is proud as heck of you for making it into medical school. Call them once in a while. Better yet, write them an e-mail and send pictures. Chances are that they sacrificed a lot so that you could go to medical school and they probably brag about you to all their friends. Give them some material to brag with. Without your family, you probably wouldn’t be where you are right now. Trust me … you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

 These tips were taken from KevinMD.com 

Do You Know Your Learning Style?

 

If you've ever wondered how "smart" student study thinking that whatever it is that they're doing, you could do the same and join them at the high end of the learning curve, then you've got it all wrong! Just because you see the highest scoring student in your p-chem class shuffling through his stack of flashcards in the library doesn't mean that you go and run to make your own set of cards. Little do you know (or maybe you do know and you're just denying it) you may not be the visual-repetitive learning type. You'll go ahead, make your flash cards, spend hours giving your wrist a workout flipping them over and over, and then test day comes and you don't recall a single piece of information from your flash cards.

So here's the deal…experts say that each person has a unique learning profile that consists of various components. Once you discover your brains unique preferred way of absorbing, storing, and retrieving information, you will begin to study more effectively and perform better on exams. You may have already identified your preferred way of absorbing knowledge but have yet to see it at its maximum potential. So what it comes down to is that you can be a "smart" student if you just take the time to identify and strengthen your learning style and not try to adapt someone else's. It may sound a bit corny but understanding your own learning style is the key to your success. You probably already know a lot about what works for you and what doesn't. Research on individual learning styles has lead to multiple ways to define how people learn differently. "There is no one way to define a learner and no one 'right' test to take to find out how you learn".

The following is information about learning characteristics and strategies for different types of learners. Students should think about what applies to them and how it can help them become "smart" students. Many studies have revealed that students who are able to identify their learning styles can use the information to improve comprehension and memory.What's your learning style? Take the quiz.

So the first step is to begin by identifying if you are a visual, audio, or kinesthetic/tactile learner.

Directions: To find out what you learning style is add 1 point for each statement that STRONGLY fits your personality.

I prefer to listen to books on tape or to read books aloud. The more I discuss a problem with my classmates, I find it easier to find a solution I remember what people have said before I remember who said it. I like to complete one task before starting a new one. A train could be passing through my living room and I would still be able to hold a good conversation with my Aunt Sally on the phone.

When I forget how to spell a word, I sound it out. My papers and notebooks always seem messy When I read, I need to use my index finger to tract my place on the line I would rather listen and learn than read and learn In school, I only needed to attend class lectures to perform fine on the tests.

TOTAL POINTS =

---

When I take on a project, I want to start doing instead of planning. When I need to take a break from studying, I have to get up and move around my room. I can work effectively in Starbucks or at a table in the cafeteria - I don't need to be at my desk to do homework. I would like to ride my bike to class, if I don't already. I am often aware of the temperature the classroom.

When I pick up something as ordinary as my stapler, my mind drifts to memories somehow associated with a stapler. I use the trial and error approach to problem-solving I enjoy sports and do well at several different types of sports I use my hands when describing things I have to rewrite or type my class notes to reinforce the material.

TOTAL POINTS =

---

I can remember that I need to do something if I write it down. I need to visualize myself wearing something to make a decision about what I want to wear. I take copious notes during class and often can remember what the page of notes looks like before I remember what the notes say. I need to look at a person when they're speaking. It has to be quiet for me to be able to complete my work.

I am horrible at remembering jokes. I can remember phone numbers if I can visualize typing them on a phone's key pad. I have trouble following lectures I doodle or draw pictures on the margins of my notebook pages When I take a test, I can see the textbook page of my notes in my head

TOTAL POINTS =

---

SO, WHAT TYPE OF LEARNER ARE YOU?

If you scored the most points in the FIRST box then you are an...
AUDITORY LEARNER and learn best when information is presented orally. You benefit from listening to lectures and participating in discussions. Audiobooks, reading material aloud, and reciting material aloud help you memorize and retain information. You do well working out solutions or problems by talking them out or role-playing.
 

Study strategies: Record class lectures to listen to repeatedly, such as in the car while traveling. Read text and notes out loud. You may also find it helpful to join a study group or work with a partner to discuss and review material orally. Study in a quiet place. Make up a song using subject matter or key words; rhymes also work well to remember facts, dates, names, etc.

 

If you scored the most points in the SECOND box then you are a...
TACTILE/KINESTHETIC learner and learn best when you are physically engaged in a hands-on activity. In the classroom, you benefit from lab settings, demonstrations, or projects where materials can be manipulated to discover and learn new information. You may take notes, but often need to draw or doodle to remember and retain information. You also learn well through field trips.

Study strategy: Incorporate physical activity into learning by moving around when studying, using fingers to name off ideas or items for review, reading aloud, listening to audio tapes of material while exercising. Sit near the front of the room and take notes throughout lectures. Jot down key words and draw pictures or make charts or diagrams to help remember information you are seeing and hearing. Take frequent breaks in study periods. Try to "beat the clock"-set up 30-minute study sessions and cover a specific amount of information in that time.

 

If you scored the most points in the THIRD box then you are a...
VISUAL LEARNER and learn best when information is presented visually through pictures, diagrams, charts, etc. You generally like professors who use visual aids such as charts, notes written on a board, or PowerPoint presentations. You prefer working in a quiet room and generally don't like to work in a study group.

Study strategies: Use graphics, including but not limited to, diagrams, charts, illustrations, slides, timelines, outlines, to reinforce learning. You may also find it useful to make flashcards of vocabulary words and concepts that need to be memorized - but limit the amount of information you put on each card so you can make a mental picture of the information. Translate words and ideas into symbols and pictures. Before an exam, make visual reminders using sticky notes containing key words and concepts and place them in highly visible places-on the bathroom mirror, notebook, car dashboard, car keys, glasses case, backpack, lunch sack. It will also help to study in a clutter-free space

 

This article is from PreMedLife magazine. 

MCAT? Check.

So this past Thursday, I took my MCAT.

 I feel like my Kaplan class helped a great deal, specially with test anxiety. The practice tests were helpful because the real MCAT seemed so much simpler than the Kaplan practice tests.

My score before Kaplan was 21. The first Kaplan full length practice test was a 25 (PHY 8, VR 9, BIO 8) with both essays scored a 5. I was very excited my score went up four whole points!! But then my second full practice test was also a 25 but the section scores were shuffled (PHY 10, VR 7, BIO 8) with essays scores of a 4 and a 2. I was incredibly surprised by the physical sciences section, considering after I finished that section I felt awful about it!!! The third full length was a joke. It froze and then completely skipped the verbal section and I couldn't go back and redo it! So I did not get an accurate score; with only two sections, it was a 16 (PHY 7, BIO 9). Kaplan reset the practice test so I could retake it and my essays were lost as well. I did not have times in my study schedule to retake it, so I just pretended FL3 never happened.  The fourth test was a disaster. My score went down. Yes, it went DOWN to a 22 (PHY 8, VR 7, BIO 7) with a 3 and a 4 on the essays. I was heartbroken. The week before my test day and my score wet down. I was terrified that I was psyching myself out and it was taking a toll on my score. The fifth practice test was nerve-racking. Days before my test day, I was exhausted and sick of studying. Mix in the fear of my score dropping even more and I was a train wreck. It was a 24 (PHY 9, VR 7, BIO 8) with a 5 and a 1 (it was horrible!) on the essays. So my score did improve from FL4, but overall it was not improving and still not where it needs to be. I was aiming for a 30 and my score seemed to creep downward the more I studied. At that point, I was losing hope and considering other possible career paths in the back of my head.

This is how I felt the week before my MCAT.

I was studying one Kaplan lesson a day, starting May 2 and ending a couple days before my test day. Waking up at 9am each day (even on weekends), I would start reading the review notes, which usually was at least 4 chapters and take notes on them as well. Then I took the chapter quizzes. After that, I watched each lesson on demand, taking notes of course, and took all the topical tests and subject tests. I was consistently staying up until 1am or later to finish it all, but still getting up at 9am and literally studying constantly all day.

This has been my life for the past month. All day, every day.

I do think my Kaplan class helped SO much. But it was crazy expensive. You get a million resources and all these great books, but I do not think it's worth the boatload we paid for it. 

On test day, I felt ready. Partly because I studied so much and partly because my head felt like it might explode if I try to study anymore. I wasn't nervous until I was waiting in a room full of people waiting to be allowed to check in and get started. That was the worst. One guy there said, "It should be illegal to have this many tense people in one room." Interesting. I didn't feel tense or scared. Just a little uneasy about it all would work and afraid I would do something wrong and get in trouble. It felt like jail. Cameras everywhere, metal detectors, and they took my picture and fingerprint scans. Serious business. As if you're not stressed enough already for the test, the security measures alone are enough to scare you and elevate your blood pressure. They gave me a small locker to leave my stuff in. I didn't like the computers we used; the mouse was difficult to click and hard to adjust to. The keyboard keys clicked really loud - so glad I had earplugs! 

The physical sciences section seemed somewhat easy..I was surprised. And suspicious so I was questioning myself alot more than usual. I paced myself very well on the verbal section and the passages weren't terribly too long; I even had time to spare at the end. The essays topics were manageable. I was happy that they weren't too abstract/difficult/challenging. The biological sciences section didn't go as smoothly.   

I will know my scores at the end of June. I'm scared. I actually felt pretty good about the test while taking it. But from my experiences with practice tests, I learned quickly not to trust my gut feeling. We'll see it turns out!

This is how I felt after my MCAT. Words could not express the relief

Merry (Anatomical) Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 

I hope you all had a good Christmas like I did. 

I can use some of my gifts to prepare for medical school! 

A human anatomy coloring book!!!!

Anatomy flashcards!!!

and

A medical Spanish dictionary!! 

Happy studying to me!