April Recap 2016

         April was such a fun month and I think that it was pretty balanced in the different areas of my life. We also had some really great weather, so I tried to spend as much time outside as possible. It was quite comical because we had snow one week and then 80-degree weather the next, and I think that was a perfect representation of Chicago's iconic mercurial weather. Regardless, it has been wonderful and semi-packed with great things. So, let's see what I've been up to!

Week One

     The first major event of the month was meeting the Chicago Squad up at my Alma Mater for a girl's morning. My best friend Gianna still attends there (She's graduating this upcoming month! Woo hoo!), so I met up with her and Meg for brunch and nails.  I didn't get to see much of G last month, so it felt really nice to just catch up with her and just have some time with the girls. I had gone dancing with some of the girls from work the night before, so I was a bit sleepy. But, nothing can keep me away from a good brunch and time with my girls.

It's not a StripesandStethoscope monthly recap without brunch. Right?

G and me! I brought out my stripes;)

My girls:) I'm sure the smiles say it all.

Week Two

     The highlight of week two was that I got to do something that I had been wanting to do for a while. One of the best parts of living in Chicago is that we have so many great museums. One of my favorites has to be the Art Institute. Back in February, they announced that they were going to have a special Van Gogh exhibit. I love Van Gogh ( I actually have framed prints of Sunflowers and The Starry Night hanging in my bedroom), so I had been super excited to go check it out. Elida and I had been trying to coordinate our days off in order to make a trip to the art institute, but It hadn't panned out until finally the stars aligned and we both had the day off. We spent the majority of the day roaming through the Art Institute and then followed up with a trip to Giordano's (One of the best places for deep dish. A must if you are in Chicago) for a late lunch/early dinner. It's safe to say I was stuffed with happiness and deep dish that day (haha). Otherwise, the weekend was rather tame. 

Us pretending that the weather wasn't terrible outside (lol)

A picture from the museum's miniatures room.  Also, me pretending I was in Paris. A girl can dream, right?

Advertisement for the exhibit. I'm pretty sure they thought I was creeping on them. Sorry peeps, you're not that special (lol)

A photo of the "Ancient Bae's". In all seriousness, I do love me some Greco-Roman Art.

A lovely painting by Georgia O'Keeffe. We share a birthday, so she's naturally one of  my faves.

Monet is another must-have. His work is so gorgeous. The Art Institute has a whole room of his work, and we spent quite a bit of time admiring it.

This was one of our attempts at getting a glamour shot on the museum's beautiful staircase. I caught her off guard.

This was pre-deep dish food coma. It was worth every cheesy, delicious bite.

Week Three

     The two major highlights of week three were going blonde and going back to my future medical school for second look day. I know I've talked about my hair before on this blog, so you know that up until last October, I had never dyed my hair. In October, I had my sister do a bit of highlighty balayage and I really liked that. Over the following months, it grew out a bit. We re-toned it, but I was feeling like I was ready for something new. I had seen some really beautiful pictures on Instagram of balayage, and for some reason, blonde was calling my name. For weeks, I was enamoured with the idea but scared that I would hate it. Until one day, I decided that I wanted to go for it. I must've sent Em a thousand different pictures because I had many different styles that I really liked. In the end, I told her to just do whatever. She knows me very well, so I trusted that I would love it no matter what. Well, I surely wasn't wrong. She went with a more ombre, rooted blonde, and I absolutely love it! The first few days, I was in utter shock. I had never changed my hair so drastically, and it felt so different. As the days went by, I fell more in love with it, and I have gotten soo many compliments. The whole concept went with my idea of being daring and going for things, so I am very happy that I went through with it.  Afterwards, we went out for dinner. We checked out this cute little sushi place in Wicker Park, and I have to say it was awesome.

Right after getting it done. The lighting made it look a little darker.

About a week and a half after. You can see it's much lighter than the picture above.

We were super stuffed after this. So worth it, though!

     A couple days later was second look day. My medical school invited back the admitted students, so the could get another look at the campus and they could also hear about all the great things the program has to offer before making final decisions. I brought my parents along because I wanted them to see where I would be attending and see what I am excited about. I am so glad that I did because they really liked the school. If it is even possible, I fell even more in love with the school. After walking around and hearing what will be coming, I cannot wait to be there and to finally say that I am a medical student. I feel like I'll fit in with the atmosphere of the school and my makes me really happy that I'll be attending there. Following the second look day program, the current MS1s hosted a mixer at a local bar for the potential MS1s to meet. It was a great opportunity to ask the current students questions as well as meet some of my future classmates. I connected with a couple girls that were super nice, and we added each other on Facebook. Overall, it was a really great day. Unfortunately, I didn't really get a chance to take pics as the day was super busy and I didn't want to be that girl.

Our breakfast spot! This place has always been a fave. We used to come here when I was little and we would visit my Dad at work.

The folders they handed out. I made a joke about this being a sign that I was meant to be the future Meredith Grey lol

     Sunday, we had really great weather, so my sister and I decided to go out for a hike. I absolutely love being outdoors, so it felt super relaxing to get outside. We hiked about 4.0 miles and then decided we were getting hungry and needed coffee. Which meant we followed up with a Starbucks trip. Em is usually pretty busy, so it was great to get to spend some time with her.

Em makes hiking look glamourous

The trail

Week Four

     This past week, not a lot was going on. I was rather content with that as the past couple weeks had been rather busy. I did meet my work friends for a hike both Saturday and Sunday morning. Both days we met up at 8 A.M. It was a bit of a struggle, but getting up early really helps me feel productive, and getting in my workout at the start of the day is always great. Besides that, I spent a lot of time at home and with my family. I've been trying to spend time with them as I know that I'll soon be in the city, and it'll be much easier to see my friends, but will take a little more effort to see my parents. Em works downtown, so I can easily catch up with her for lunch or dinner, so I'm not too worried there.

The hiking trail starts with some super steep stairs. Trust me, they'll prove whether you are in shape or not.

Looking Forward

     For me, it's crazy to think that as the weeks go by, I am getting closer to medical school. As I am typing this, I have about three weeks before my pre-mat program begins. Last week, I had to do some online training for working with formaldehyde, and I think that it's a sign that we will be doing some cadaver lab in our six-week program. Ah! For the next coming weeks, I am trying to get myself together to begin this next portion of my life but also, trying to enjoy all the free time that I have left. I am incredibly excited and slightly nervous about what is about to come, but I know that it'll be incredible. If anything, I am feeling a bit anxious to just get started and as the weeks go by, that feeling is building. I also can't wait to share the whole journey with you guys! I really want to get started, so that I have more to share with you guys, rather than being limited to the "thought" pieces that I've been doing lately. Alas, all of that will happen soon enough:)

I hope you guys had an incredible month. As always, I hope you guys enjoyed getting a peek into what I've been up to as I really love writing it. I'll talk to you guys soon!

~Genesis<3

MCAT Day Survival Guide

     With the end of the school semester quickly approaching, I figured that many of you will be taking the MCAT following the end of the school year. In order to help you kick butt on MCAT day, I want to share a couple of the things that I did in order to make it through.

Day Before Prep

     The most important thing that you can do the day before your MCAT is to just relax. By this point, I'm pretty sure you've learned as much as you'll be able to remember on test day, so spending the day before cramming yourself with information won't be that helpful and will most likely just drain you out. If you were about to run a marathon, you wouldn't want to run one the day before. So why do that for the MCAT? The day before my MCAT, I spent time with my family, went out to dinner, and did something fun. If you absolutely must review, I'd say keep it to under an hour. I think all I looked over the day before were some of the formulas, but that was it.  Plan out what you are going to wear the next day and what you will need to bring with you. Make sure that you wear something comfortable as this will be a long day. I am pretty sure I wore some yoga pants, a t-shirt, a zip-up hoodie, and a comfy pair of shoes. I think it's smart to wear layers because you don't know what the temperature will be like in the testing center, and you want to be able to adjust yourself to keep at a comfortable temperature.  Don't forget your ID! You'll be needing it to check in. Also, make sure you get to bed at a reasonable time, as being well-rested will greatly benefit you. The whole goal is to keep your stress levels low, so you can walk in on test day refreshed and ready to bring your A-game.

MCAT Day

Before The Test

     Wake up at a reasonable hour, so that you have enough time to get yourself ready. I know that some people don't like to eat breakfast, but on MCAT day, it's a must. Make sure you eat something that is filling. I am pretty sure I had some steel cut oatmeal because I had read that it would slowly release glucose, and glucose is what will help you power up your brain. Try to avoid anything too sugary because too much sugar will cause a crash later in the day and you obviously don't want that. I remember I also made a Starbucks run on my way to my test so that I could be well caffeinated. For coffee intake, follow your own judgment. I always start my day with some coffee, so I knew it was something that I needed/wanted.  Make sure to bring some healthy snacks and some gatorade. I brought almonds because they are a great source of healthy fats and are good to help boost your brain power in between test sections. The gatorade is to stay hydrated. I would normally say drink lots of water, but on mcat day you want to avoid having the need to pee during the test. I don't know about you, but having to pee really breaks my focus. I read that gatorade was a better option to avoid having to pee because it doesn't filter through your system as fast as water does. I followed this and it worked pretty well for me. Make sure to leave for the testing center with plenty of time. You want to have enough time to figure out where you need to go and get yourself settled in. Also, try to keep calm as you are getting yourself there. I know MCAT day jitters are common, but just keep the mentality that you are ready for this.

What to Expect 

     After you check in, they will call everyone in one-by-one. When you get called back, they take your picture, take your finger prints, have you sign some forms, have you shake out your pockets, and will run one of those detector wands over you. Then you get escorted to your seat and you begin. There is a whole protocol when you enter and leave the test room, so just be aware of that. You'll also have cameras on you while you test, and a proctor will be going around the room every so often to make sure that no one is doing anything sketch. 

During The Test

     While you are testing, try to treat each section like it is it's own separate test. What I mean by this is that don't let a previous section bog you down. Try to do the best you can while you're on a section, but once you move on to another section, don't worry about the previous one. There may be cases where you feel like you are struggling through. I hope this isn't the case, but if it happens, work through the section and move on. Remember that your score is important as a whole, so it is important to keep going no matter what. Also, don't stress about individual questions. I know that you will want to get everything right, but it's most important to make sure that you finish everything as best you can, so spend some time on a question, and if you just can't get it, move on and if you can, come back to it later. TAKE YOUR BREAKS! I know that you might be tempted to just power through, but it is so important to step away from the computer when you can. I know that this was important for me, and will be super important now because the current MCAT is super long. I believe you get ten minutes ( At least that's what I had when I took my test. I'm not sure about the current MCAT.), so take the time to quickly go to the bathroom, have a little bit of your snack, and a couple sips of gatorade (don't drink too much though!).

After The Test

     At this point, I am pretty sure your brain will feel like mush. I remember feeling like I couldn't think anymore, so my best advice is just go home and rest. For the next 30 days ( I hope that's still the post test waiting period), don't even think about the test. You've done everything that you could and now it is out of your control, so don't stress. Go back to enjoying life, catch up with your friends and family (Who I'm sure were put to the side while you were on your MCAT grind), and just relax. You'll have plenty of time to worry about your test score later, so don't do it before you actually need to. When scores are finally posted, don't freak out too much. It is just a test. This does not define you, but just how you performed on a single test. So, no matter what you get, don't worry.

     I hope these tips help you as you are headed to your big test day and I wish you all the luck in the world. Many have made it past the beast that is the MCAT and so can you! I hope you are having a great week and I'll talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

Worth and The Medical School Application Process

     The topic of this blog post came from a conversation that I had with my friend Alissa (My med student friend) about some of the questions the pre-med student that she advises had. One of the questions that the student asked was about feeling judged during the application process and that is what I want to explore a bit today.

Before Applying

    For most premeds, a common element in our preparation for our medical school application is the worry about everything we do being good enough. Are my grades good enough? Is my MCAT score competitive enough? Do I have enough volunteer hours? Was my volunteer site good enough? The list is never ending. Also, if you are like me and you go through a pre-health advising committee, the list of things you need to be a strong applicant is incredibly daunting. For us, the committee had broken down whether or not we should apply this cycle based on our numbers ( GPA, Science GPA, and MCAT score). Then each number was broken down into three categories: Red , Yellow, and Green. As you went from red to green, your chances of getting accepted were greater. For the yellow category (Where my numbers were), the numbers were right in the middle. My numbers were good, but by no means extraordinary. So, you can imagine my mild stress before even starting the application. 

During The Application Cycle

     As you are filling out your application, you really start to feel how much scrutiny will go into your application. You list all your grades, your extracurriculars, and then come up with something worthwhile for your personal statement. If all goes well the first two rounds, the interview is the ultimate test. Here, you'll have to show why medical schools should decide to accept you and you must do this within the limits of one interview. The scary part is you don't know exactly what they'll ask to gauge whether or not you're a good candidate. Then afterward, you'll hope that you said everything just right.

Looking Back From The Other side

     Now that I am standing where I am, It's crazy to think how I made it through everything. There were some weeks (following my first interview) that were very rough as I hadn't heard much from anyone, but I think that what helped me make it through was believing I had made the right choice. I knew that there wasn't a 100% chance that I would get in, but I knew that I had never wanted anything more in my life and that I wouldn't stop trying until I got it. I went in knowing that if this year didn't work out, I would try again next year. I am not sure that everyone that applies to medical school goes in with that mentality, but I do think that regardless you need to believe in yourself no matter what the odds say. The dean of my future med school said that this year they had 7,900 applicants, They Interviewed about 500 applicants, 300 applicants were accepted, and 160 will be attending at the Chicago campus. Crazy huh? What I want you to remember if you are about to take on this journey, Don't be intimidated by the numbers. Pour your heart into it, and I believe your passion will show. Also, having everything perfect on your application doesn't always mean that it'll work out. So, why stress about it? Medical schools have an idea of what they should be looking for, and that is something different for each one. So, as the AMCAS goes out next month keep that in mind.

     I wish everyone luck on their pre-med journeys and if you are just reading this blog for fun, I hope you've gotten a better sense of how daunting the journey to becoming a doctor can be. Have a great rest of your week and an even better weekend. I will talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

Makeup Save or Splurge

     Part of what came from loving YouTube was an obsession with all things beauty. Through watching many beauty videos and my own exploration with makeup, I've gotten a pretty good sense of what is worth shelling out the cash for and what you can definitely opt drugstore for. In order to put my hours of YouTube watching to good use and justify my countless beauty purchases, I'll break down what I've learned for you!

Foundation

     

     Foundation is definitely a makeup item that I'd say to go ahead and spend the money on. Having a really great quality foundation will create a beautiful base for the rest of your makeup and in general, high-end products will most often have better ingredients. That being said, by no means is drugstore foundation a no-go. I have tried some really great drugstore foundations ( I'm currently testing one out) and if you don't want to spend $30+ on a foundation, going drugstore is a great alternative.

Eyeshadow

     For eyeshadow, my consensus is right in the middle. Drugstore eyeshadow can at times be hit or miss as they can sometimes be chalky or lack pigment. But, I think if you are looking to try a color that you've never worn before, it's a great way to get your toes wet. Then, say you did love how bright blue shadow looks on you, you can always go back and find yourself a high-end version. But, if you are thinking of adding a palette to your collection, I'd say try to find yourself a high-end version especially if it's a neutrals palette. With a neutrals palette, you'll get a whole lot of use and for sure, get your money's worth. 

Mascara

     Mascara is a category that I think you should primarily shop drugstore for. The drugstore has some really great ones and they cost half of what you'd pay at Sephora or Ulta. Also, mascara is a product that has a shorter lifespan ( you want to switch it out, at least, every six months), so spending less on it is better for your pocket. But, if you occasionally want to feel bougie ( I know I do haha), go ahead and get yourself the high-end product.

Lipstick

     For lipstick, I'd say the same that I said for mascara, going drugstore is fine. I've tried a whole slew of lip products and when I bought high-end, it didn't feel dramatically different than what I had tried at the drugstore. If you are a girl that typically sticks to one or two lipsticks, splurging on a couple high-end products won't be a bad investment. But if you're like me and you want to have every color under the sun, go drugstore. You could also have a happy medium and have your "core colors" ( think a good neutral color and a staple red) which you buy high-end and then your fun colors (the fuschia you reach for only on occasion) that you buy drugstore.

Blush/Bronzer

     

     When it comes to blush and bronzer, I am all across the board. Like lipstick, I like to have a whole color range to choose from, so I have a fair amount of both. As with eyeshadow, you can risk getting some chalky or unpigmented products from the drugstore, but for the most part, this isn't a regular thing. Also, you definitely don't have to spend a fortune to get a pigmented blush. For example, I've bought some wet n wild blushes for about $3 and they were super pigmented and easy to blend.

Brushes

     If you've read my previous makeup posts, you'll know that I am a fan of drugstore brushes, especially if you are just starting out. Opting for something less expensive doesn't mean that you'll be compromising quality. Most of my most reached for brushes have been ones that I've picked up for a good price, and they are just as great as some of my more expensive brushes.

Powder/Highlight/Primer

     I've grouped these together because honestly, I haven't tried enough to opt for one end or the other. For face powder, I've only tried a few high-end ones because I was using a drugstore one that I really liked for the longest time. I haven't tried a whole bunch of highlighters because I tend to have oily skin, so I stayed away from them for the longest time. The most recent ones that I've tried have been drugstore though and they work pretty well for me. I do know that there are some really great high-end ones, though. I haven't tried that many primers, but I do know that most of what I tried at the drugstore did not work for me at all. But, I have seen that a couple drugstore brands have released new ones that have gotten pretty decent reviews, so going drugstore is not entirely a lost cause. 

     I hope this helps you as you are making decisions on what beauty items to spend your money on, but as I always say, how you want to build your makeup collection is entirely up to you. You are the artist and you get to choose your materials. I hope you guys are having a great start to your week. I am thinking up of some topics that I want to post on here. It's been a challenge trying to balance between pre-med and non-premed related content (sorry to my non-premed people), but I'll try to fix that. Have a great day and I'll talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

Creating Balance In Your Life

     Looking back on my senior year of college, I had a full schedule. I was taking classes full-time, volunteering, working, managed to exercise, and still had somewhat of a social life. If you are a fellow Bio major, I'm sure you're wondering how I achieved the impossible. So, for this post, I want to share my tips to creating a balanced life and getting things done.

Step One: Organization

     In order to get things done efficiently, you'll have to have a plan. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am a total planner. I can probably take it a little too far at times, but it works well for me. So, I do what I know. For me, my planner was set up in two major sections, the monthly view and then the weekly view. For the monthly view, I wrote down all of my major events (ex: birthdays, exams, due dates for papers/projects, meetings, and work hours). This way, I could look at my monthly view and then assess which weeks would be busier than others. For my weekly view, I would break down what was going on for that particular week. Here, I would write down smaller assignments as well as the major events that were going on. Another feature for my weekly view was my weekly post-it ( I'll talk more about my weekly post-it in a later section). My week view was pretty much my reference point for when I needed to get things done and it helped me to keep things moving along. If I was having a particularly busy week, I would sometimes break down my days into hourly sections, so I could visualize how much time I had and how I could use it. Now, you don't have to go into that much detail, but I would suggest having a general framework for your time. Knowing what you need to do and when you need to do it, will help you be more efficient.

Step Two: Prioritize

     So now that you have an idea of what needs to get done, you need to decide what is most important. On my weekly post-it, I would write down my tasks for the week in order of importance. This would help keep me from wasting my time on the paper that was due next week when I still had an exam to study for this Friday. There were some exceptions to the post-it, but in general, I tried to stick to it. Also, when glancing at my monthly view, If I saw that my week was manageable, I'd accept invites to social things. If I knew I had two quizzes, a meeting, a test, and a paper due the following week, I would stay in that weekend. There were occasions that I had to break this rule (i.e. it was my bestie's birthday), and during those weeks I tried to get as much as I could possibly get done Monday-Thursday. This wasn't always smooth sailing, but hey, that's life. 

Step Three: Use Your Time Wisely

     In general, I had a pretty good layout of what needed to get done when, but sometimes I'd randomly have little pockets of time and I'd use these to work on my post-it list. Even if I couldn't finish an entire task, I would at least try to do the ground work, so that when I went to do the actual work, it would be easier. Another thing that I would do was to make use of travel time. For my school, I was fortunate that I could rely on public transportation to get to places ( for me that meant getting from campus to my workplace), so I would make use of my travel time by going through flashcards or through some of my notes.

Step Four: Know When To Deviate

     I am all for being organized, but for me it is also super important to be able to live a balanced life, and a major part of that is knowing when it's okay not to stick to a schedule and go with the flow. Sometimes, I'd have a pretty set schedule, but something would come up and I would deviate from what I planned. Something that comes to mind when I think of this is a time that I had planned to go home after work on a Saturday so that I could work on some homework but instead, I took up a last minute invite to go see a movie I had wanted to see. When my friend asked me earlier in the week, going out on Saturday seemed like it would hinder my academic goals. But when she asked again on Saturday, it was totally doable. Also, there were certain days that I would just use my work commute to de-stress. Realize that in order to work like a well-oiled machine, you need to be human. If you're having a rough day, take a break to just breathe. As you get to know how you work, you'll know how to do this while still achieving your goals.

Step Five: Accept Imperfection

     I like to think of myself as an imperfect perfectionist because on some things I settle for good enough instead of obsessing over every detail. Working in this manner has helped to keep me sane and from stressing over things that I shouldn't. Of course, take things seriously, but realize that it won't be the end of the world if something doesn't get done exactly the way that you wish you would've. Were there times that I wish I would've done things differently? Yes, but I also tried to balance things the best that I could at the moment, and that was good enough for me.

     To all my pre-meds (and also non-premeds), I hope this post helps to guide you along a bit and also gives you some motivation to push through whatever you need to get done. I hope you have a fabulous weekend and I shall be talking to you soon!

~Genesis<3

     

Volunteering as a Premed

     As a premed, I know there is a never ending laundry list of things to do to help your medical school application and volunteering is definitely one of the top items. I personally started my volunteering a bit late in my premed career ( I did the bulk of mine during Junior and Senior year), but once I got started I discovered why so many medical schools emphasize volunteering. 

My Experience

     As I said above, I started my volunteer work a bit late, but miraculously, I think it worked out well. While furiously searching for a volunteer opportunity my junior year, I came upon a great organization ( A volunteer-run clinic that offers free healthcare for underserved populations.) that needed volunteer Spanish interpreters and thankfully I am bilingual, so it was the perfect fit for me. As a Spanish Interpreter, my job was to sit in during the patient visit translating between the doctor and the patient. In this way, I was able to get a very hands-on experience in healthcare as my job was being a direct link between the doctor and the patient. This included explaining medication and the doctor's directives for care. As a result of this experience, I became familiar with the clinical environment, and also the importance of working with underserved communities. The latter being something that I hope to do more of as a physician. 

     The summer before senior year, I added volunteering at one of our city's children's hospitals to my volunteer list. This opportunity was nowhere as hands on as the free clinic, but it was certainly valuable as well. I was a volunteer in the waiting area on two of the surgical floors. Most of what I did was keeping kids calm before being taken in for pre-op and escorting parents back to the post-op area, but there were days that I had to go keep kids company because they were alone and their surgeries had gotten pushed back. I was really thankful that I had this opportunity because I feel that it expanded my exposure to what would be like if I were to chose a hospital setting vs. choosing to stick to a clinical setting. I know that I will get plenty of exposure to both in medical school, but to have a taste of it early on was pretty helpful. 

     When I was applying for medical school at the end of my senior year, I had plenty to draw from for essays and also for motivation. Overall, I loved the work that I did and I am so happy that they were opportunities that allowed me to not only help out but also feel rewarded in the process.

Why You Should Do It

        

     If you get the chance to volunteer in a medical setting like I did, It'll be great for your pre-med career. Apart from looking good on your application, it will give you a better sense of whether it is the right field for you. I was fortunate enough that my two volunteer experiences gave me a sense of two opposite spectrums in the medical field ( clinical vs. surgical), but I think that as a whole it convinced me that the medical field in general, was a good fit for me. There were days that I walked into the clinic discouraged because I had been having a crappy week at school and I would leave rejuvenated by what I had experienced because it reminded me of what I was working towards. Believe me, it will really make a difference to see why you want what you want. 

     If you don't have the opportunity to volunteer in a medical setting, I believe that just volunteering for service alone is a great experience. My good friend, Alissa (the med student), did most of her volunteer work volunteering at a home for pregnant women in need. As I've mentioned before, the medical field is deeply rooted in service and getting yourself familiar with that mindset will help you on your journey. Aside from seeing that you want to do more to help others, medical schools want to see that you have a sense of commitment. Dedicating your time at an organization is a great way to show this. Knowing that you are making a difference really has a wonderful feeling to it and it honestly keeps you going in hard times.

How to Get Involved

     When I needed to find a volunteer opportunity, I had no clue to get started, but a great place would be to check your pre-med office. Our pre-health office had a huge list of places that previous pre-med students had volunteered at. Another thing to try would be to check with your local hospitals and see what programs they might offer. Otherwise, just find something you are passionate about. This doesn't have to have anything to do with medicine. If you find something that you love and you stick with it, come application time you will be able to write volumes about why you chose this particular organization and that in itself will help your application.

I hope you guys had a great weekend and I'll talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

How Working Retail Has Helped Me As a Premed

     As someone who has worked retail for the past couple years, I have noticed certain things that I thought would help me in my future role as a doctor. As it has helped me to notice these things, I thought it would be a good idea for me to point them out and hopefully, if you are in my shoes, you'll see how it's not just a job, but training for your future (haha).

What You Gain

You Learn to Be a People Person

     I'm sure it goes without saying that when you work retail, you interact with a ton of people. If you are a shy person, you'll have to get over that really quick in order to do your job (trust me I've been there). Over the years, as I've worked at different stores, I've seen my comfort level evolve from hesitant to approach a customer to bubbly boutique associate. Of course, whether or not I'm the latter really depends on the day. But, in general, I'd say I'm pretty confident being around people. In addition, I've also noticed how it has changed my interactions. When you're that interactive person, typically the customer will interact back and it'll be an overall good encounter. I believe as a doctor, this will be true as well. When my physician is warm and inviting my experience at their office is enjoyable. I'd rather have that than to just have someone who rolls through what they have to do like a robot.

You Learn To Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

     Depending on where you work, You might be placed in situations that you never thought you would ever have to be in. For me, this is incredibly true as my current job has me dealing with underwear and as a bra-fitter, I stand in front of half-naked women every day. At first, it felt a bit odd for someone to show me their bra or ask me to check the back of their underwear to see what style they had previously purchased. But with time, it all just became a part of my job. Now, seeing half-naked women is just a norm and I'm sure going into medicine won't be drastically different. In medicine, you will have to do many "awkward" things (I just had my friend Alissa tell me about giving her first prostate exam the other day...joy.), so get used to stepping out of your comfort zone. Disclaimer:Do this within reason, of course. I don't want you doing what the creepy customer says just because you want to step out of your comfort zone (haha).

You Learn to Keep Your Calm

     One of the major things you'll learn about working retail is that people can be really rude. I can't tell you how many times I've had a customer give me serious attitude over something that wasn't in my control and really couldn't do much about. In these situations, the only thing I could do was to smile and keep being pleasant because if I respond negatively to their anger that would make the situation worse. Also, it's my job to stay calm. As a physician, I'm sure I'll still have situations like this. Of course, I won't have to deal with people being angry about not being able to use an expired coupon, but about their health or how I do my job. I think I've mastered the exceptionally calm and pleasant on the outside, but seriously seething on the inside thing. So, I'm good to go.

You Train Your Empathy

     As shopping can be people's way of letting go, you can encounter many different situations. One of the most prominent is someone out shopping after the death of a loved one. Just the other day, I was helping a woman find a bra when she casually dropped that she had just lost her husband in our conversation. Now, I didn't jump to hug her or anything, but I did offer my condolences and made sure she felt comfortable. Working in retail you'll be presented with every situation in the book and learning to respond in a positive manner is great practice for when you work with patients dealing with difficult things. I am no way an expert in this area, but in general, I've learned that what people desire most is to be heard and know they are not alone. Also, that a warm smile goes a very long way.

You Raise Your Own Awareness 

     I would say that by far the greatest thing that I have gained from retail is learning my role in interactions. Whenever I am out and about, I pay attention to how others treat me and how I treat others. I take my time to be polite and if I see that the salesperson is struggling, I try to be reassuring. I also try to remember that everyone is a person and deserves to be treated as such. I can't tell you how annoying it is when someone walks into the store on their phone and just hands a receipt and bag to you while they quietly mouth "Return". I know there are unique situations where this is necessary, but if possible, avoid being on the phone. Being present allows you to notice so many things, so I urge you to try it.

I know this post was a little different, but I'm sure you've already noticed that I like to get you thinking about different things. I hope you have a really great weekend and thank you for taking the time to read this post. Talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

About Me

     Hello, April! So, the beginning of April has been rather crazy in the Chicagoland area. We've been getting a bit of snow and after having a nice stretch of beautiful weather, the cold feels worse than winter time. I'm assuming that I feel that way because I am soo ready for spring. On the subject of spring, I was thinking about how I have been blogging for quite a while now and I really haven't talked much about myself besides what you can probably glean from my posts. So, I figured I'd do a post about who I am so that you can get to know the person behind the blog!

General

Age: 23 (Birthday 11/15)

Ethnicity: Mexican and Nicaraguan ( My Dad is Mexican American and my Mom is Nicaraguan)

Family: I am the oldest of two. I have one younger sister, Emelina (A.K.A Eme) who you've seen in some of my posts/videos. We were raised by two of the most lovable, kind-hearted, and quirky people (haha) which I think has a lot to do with the way I am. My parents are the babies of two large families, so we have plenty of extended family. 

Major/Minor: I majored in Biology with a minor in Psychology. 

Favorites

Color: Turquoise! It's a borderline obsession because I have pretty much all my belongings in that color, and it has sort of become my thing (haha). It's funny because when people get things for me, they'll give it to me in that color.

Season: Fall. I love spring fashion, but my favorite weather is always the fall. Chicago falls are always so beautiful, and being a fall baby has a lot to do with my bias;)

Sport: Hockey. I used to play tennis in high school, but my favorite sport to watch will always be hockey. Naturally, being from Chicago makes me a Blackhawks fan, but I love the sport in general, so I'll watch other teams play as well.

Meal of the day: Brunch. If I was given the option to go out for a fancy dinner or a fancy brunch, I would pick brunch ( if you couldn't already tell from all the times I've gone to brunch on this blog). I love breakfast food, so  brunch is always a winner for me.

Music: I would say that I mainly gravitate towards pop, but I do listen to a little bit of everything. I can go from Taylor Swift to Drake, so it really depends on what I am feeling.

Random Facts

• I did voice training for over 6 years and I also sang in my high school choir. I sang soprano I so, they'd make me hit the high notes (yay me...haha). I had a private instructor that would yell at me help me to sing in proper form for recitals and also some contests. I usually did really well, but I had horrible stage fright, so that made it rather stressful. I love to sing but I didn't continue on through college because of the stress I got from performing. Now, I just sing in the shower, around the house, in the car, and occasionally in public (haha).
• I love interior design. One of my favorite channels is HGTV because I love to see how people remodel/decorate houses. Decorating a room has to be one of my favorite things in the whole world.
• I loveeee stationery. I could probably open my own store with all the stuff I have, but I'll be in school for another while, so I might need it;) If I could have any side dream job It would be owning my own stationery company.
• I love planning and decorating my planner. I've made it my version of scrapbooking.
• I am a total girly girl, but I also love the outdoors. I love to go hiking and it's something that I love to do with my friend Elida.
• I am a total foodie. I love food and I love to eat. So, my life struggle consists of trying to live a healthy lifestyle and eating delicious things. Sometimes, delicious things win, but I've been trying to be really healthy lately.
• I'm an outgoing introvert. I can come off a bit shy at first, but once you get to know me I can be very silly. I just love to have a good time:)
• I love helping people (Obviously). So, going into a service-oriented career will allow me to do quite a bit of that. 

Overall, I'd like to think I'm a pretty well-rounded person. I like a little bit of everything and I'm always down to try new things. Obviously, there's so much more to me, but that is to be discovered;) I hope the start of April has been going well for you! I'll talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3