SPP Update: Getting Settled

     This week has definitely been a busy one as I've been getting myself accustomed to what will be my new schedule for the next couple weeks. My focus for my blog over the next couple weeks will be to keep you guys updated on what I am doing, what I am learning, and how I am feeling over the course of the program. From what we have been told, this program is like M1 year on steroids and after the past couple days, I believe they aren't exactly kidding. So, let me break down the past couple days.

Move In

     I have to say that move in went pretty well. I believe I was actually one of the first ones (if not the first) to check in and that allowed me to get myself settled without a hitch. I am also pretty content with my living situation. My room is quite spacious and is pretty much the size of the one I had my sophomore year of college, but this time, I get it all to myself. I'm sure if you read my previous post, you could see that I have plenty of storage (which leaves for a pretty empty closet) and the size of the apartment (it's an apartment style dorm) is a great size for me and my roomie.

View of my room from the entrance

View of my room from the window

     Speaking of my roomie, we have been getting along really well! I was quite hesitant about having a roommate, but she's honestly really great. We spent the first three days getting to know one another and exploring the area and I think that has made us pretty close. We share quite a few commonalities and I think being in the same field only adds to that. I think the latter has given me insight as to why your friend bonds in medical school are so different than those in undergrad. We're all here for the same thing and many of our reasons overlap, so it's pretty easy to relate to one another.

Classes and Studying

     The past couple days have been interesting as I feel that they've been transitional days. 

     Monday was our orientation day for the program, so it pretty much focused on explaining the history and details of the program. We were sitting in a conference room from 8:30-3:30, so you better believe it was quite boring. Thankfully, we had not yet started class, so when we got out, my roomie and I had time to just relax and enjoy the gorgeous weather that we've been having in Chicago.

Me and my roomie looking super thrilled to be at orientation

     Tuesday was our first day of class and I'm not going to lie, it felt a tad overwhelming. We had class all day (8:45-4:00) with the exception of a one-hour lunch break. In college, I rarely had more than two classes scheduled back to back, so this is definitely going to take some getting used to. Aside from that, we are learning quite a bit of material. After going to the gym and having dinner, I spent a good 3 hours reviewing my notes from the day and by the end of the night, I was pretty drained. I was a bit nervous about what I had gotten myself into, but after settling down for the night and reminding myself that I can do this, I was in a better frame of mind. 

Wednesday(today), I woke up in a better frame of mind. I previewed the powerpoints for what I would be learning in my classes and then got myself ready for class. Today, we also got out of class a bit earlier, and we got to go home for lunch (yesterday we had to go to a group meeting luncheon), and I also had more coffee, so I think that was a game changer. I feel that what I am learning is connecting with what I've previously learned and that is helping me gain my footing to find my groove. Hopefully, by next week that will be the case. 

Outfits

     Monday's outfit: Sadly, I didn't get an outfit pic, but I wore a polka dot button up blouse from The Limited (you can get a peek up the blouse in the pic above) with a black high-waisted pencil skirt and black flats. 

     Tuesday's outfit: A coral scalloped bottom shift tank, navy chinos, a navy cardigan, and camel colored sandals. 

         Wednesday's outfit: My ripped light-wash Gap jeans, A white top with a blue embroidered neckline, my camel sandals, and I also brought along my olive linen Gap jacket.

     I hope you guys enjoyed this little peek into my life. I'm going to try to keep up with them and the blog as best as I can over the next couple weeks. I hope you guys had a fantastic week. I will talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

A Note On The Personal Statement

     As I've been trying to plan out what I want to write about for those of you preparing to apply to medical school, I came to the realization that I had not yet touched on one of the most important parts, the personal statement. I'll be honest, I've been avoiding this topic for a bit because it was honestly something that I personally struggled with, but as it is important I wanted to discuss it a bit.

The Struggle of The Personal Statement

     

     I'm sure I wasn't the only one that struggled with writing their personal statement because, like me, many pre-meds don't have a single defining moment that influenced their decision to pursue a career in medicine. For many of us, the decision was a culmination various interests, personal experience, and curiosity. So, how can one capture that in one essay? It's rather difficult. Apart from that, the personal statement creates quite a bit of pressure because it is one of the first things that your potential medical school will read and may use to decide whether you have what it takes to become a doctor. But, with all of that involved, writing a good personal statement is still possible. 

Telling Your Story

     The best thing that I can advise you to do is not to think about what medical schools would want to hear, but rather to tell the story of what made you want to pursue this career and what keeps you motivated to continue with it. Your story certainly doesn't have to be extraordinary (i.e. You didn't have to have an epiphany while serving at a mission in India.), but I recommend that you try to make it as unique to you as possible. For me, it took quite a bit of thinking, but when I finally pieced together my story I was very proud of it.

Writing Tips

     During the process of writing my own personal statement, I came upon a few tips that helped me. So, I wanted to share the ones that I remember.

  1. Make It Engaging

      You have to remember that the admissions person that is reading your essay has read hundreds of others. If it is boring, you won't be memorable and your essay might get overlooked. Focus on keeping your reader engaged throughout the essay (with an emphasis on a strong beginning and end) by telling your story in an engaging way. I wrote mine as if I was telling an actual story and I think that is what helped mine stand out (or at least I assume so).

2. Keep It Short

     Going along with the first tip, essay readers have read several personal statements before picking up yours. If you happen to make yours as verbose as possible, I'm sure they'll get annoyed. Try to say what you have to say with as few words as possible. You'll be forced to ensure that you are utilizing quality over quantity and essay readers will be thankful you opted out of using every word in the dictionary.

3. Read Samples

     Taking the time to read what other people have written for their personal statements can be incredibly beneficial. For one, you'll be familiar with the general format of a personal statement and through reading several of them you'll be able to learn what makes them engaging. I read quite a few before attempting to write my own. Of course, this tip doesn't mean to go out and copy what someone else has written, but instead utilize them to get in the mindset to write your own unique statement.

4. Try To Avoid Pre-med Cliches

 
       A subject people will gravitate to when writing a personal statement for medical school is talking about a sick person they have encountered in their life that made them decide to pursue medicine. Another topic is talking about how you want to save people. Truth is, we all might've had that influential "patient" and we all want to save people. That's why we are pursuing medicine. I am not saying these aren't valid reasons, but that they tend to be overused. Try to write your statement with less of a direct focus on these topics and on instead focused on you. Also, be specific to medicine. There are many jobs that would allow you to help people, so why are you choosing medicine in particular.

     With all of that in mind, I advise writing from the heart. If you are pursuing this career, you are definitely passionate about it. If you approach your writing with this in mind, it'll definitely show through. 

     I hope you are having a great start to your week and I'll talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

     

What You Can Do In High School If You Are Interested In Being Premed

     Now, I definitely don't want to scare anyone into thinking that you should already know whether you would want to be pre-med in high school. But if you are interested (like I was), there are a few suggestions I have that could help you as you work your way towards college and exploring your interest in greater depth.

1.) Seek knowledge about the profession
    
      I think one of the best things that you can do if you are considering studying medicine, is to get familiar with the field. Sophomore year of high school, my English teacher had us do a project where we had to research our "future career". Of course, as a little sophomore, it was quite daunting to think about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, but I think it was a great exercise. Back then, I was interested in becoming a pediatrician, so my research focused on that. For my project, I had to look into the overview of the career (pay, job responsibilities, etc.), research the academic track to becoming a pediatrician (the amount of schooling seemed really scary back then), and then I had to interview a person in that career ( I interviewed my cousin's pediatrician). Overall, the project was very informative, and I obviously wasn't deterred by the amount of work it took to become a doctor. Of course, you might not have to do what I did for school, but I think it would be helpful to do something similar, especially interviewing a doctor. Something that I wish I would've done in high school was to shadow a doctor because it would've allowed me to get a better sense of the clinical environment ( which didn't really happen until junior year of college). Doing your research will help you see if this career is a good fit for you, and I think it is important to start looking into it early on.

2.) Volunteer

     For me, one of the things that reinforced my desire to become a physician was my volunteer work. I did most of my volunteer work in a clinical/hospital setting, but those aren't the only areas that you can volunteer. The medical field is at its core a field of service, so getting yourself familiar with that aspect is very important. I think it's also very important for you to find a cause that you are passionate about, and what a better time to do that than in high school? If you can find a hospital/clinical setting to volunteer in, that's fantastic. You'll be in a good place when your med school apps come around and you can write about how you've been volunteering in a clinical setting since high school. But, I think it's very important to show that you are dedicated to giving back to others, and that can take many different forms.

3.) Focus On School

     I'm sure this one might seem like an obvious one, but it is very important. I think high school is a great time to start getting yourself on the track towards being a great student. Take your classes seriously, challenge yourself, and definitely, find what works best for you. I know your workload might not be exactly comparable to what you'll experience in college or medical school, but it is a great time to start developing the habits that'll help you succeed later on. Aside from working on getting good grades, I think it is important to work on being well rounded. For one, it'll help to clarify whether you love science enough to pursue it as a career. Also, it'll help integrate other skills that will aid in your work as a physician. The greatest example that I can think of is reading. One of the reasons that the MCAT has a verbal reasoning section is because being able to dissect important information from a larger component is something a doctor deals with every day. One day, you'll be listening to a patient giving you loads of information and it is up to you to pick apart the pieces that are pertinent to their diagnosis. Of course, high school isn't the time to become an expert on this, but it is a good time to get your practice in.

4.) Find Yourself A Mentor
     
     This point kind of goes with the first point, but I think it doesn't only have to be a doctor. Your mentor could also be a college student, medical student, etc. The point is to find someone that is going/has gone through the journey that you are interested in. I always find it less intimidating if I know someone has already done what I wish to do, and it's so helpful if they tell me how they did it. Also, it doesn't always have to be a live person. For me, I love to read blogs or follow medical students and doctors on social media. It allows me to get a glimpse into their experience, and that allows me to better direct my own journey.

5.) Do What You Love

     When you apply to medical school, one of the things that they'll ask you about will be your hobbies. If all you do is school, there won't be much to talk about. So, take the time to do the things you love, or take the time to discover what these things may be. Aside from that purpose, I think it's so important to live a balanced life, especially in high school. In high school, you are still in your safety net (you'll get exactly what I mean when you get to college) so enjoy this while you can. Have fun, go out with your friends, and live life to the fullest. There will be plenty of time to be focused on your career and your future and on all the responsibilities that come along with them. Don't start worrying about it all too early.


     I hope you guys all had a great weekend and that you have a lucky St. Patrick's Day week;)
I'll talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

How to Make the Most of Your Semester

     Spring semester should definitely be in full swing for those of you still in school (yeah, that'll be me too next year). So, I thought I'd share some of my tips to make sure that you get the most out of the semester and close out the year with a bang.

     For me, I'd say Senior year was the year that I had the whole college thing figured out ( It only took me three years, but whatever...), and I found myself feeling pretty balanced with what I needed to do, which was a lot. But, I'll definitely be the first to admit that by Spring Semester, senioritis was starting to kick in, so I needed to keep myself focused in order to make sure that I finished my college career kicking butt and taking names. Below are a few tips that helped me.

Become BFFs with your syllabus

     Not even going to lie, Syllabus week was one of my favorite weeks of college. Not only because we had a couple of classes where all the professor did was talk about the course, but because we got the schedule for what was happening in the semester. This meant that I could promptly head back to my apartment, whip out my planner, and write in all the important dates ASAP. Although you might not be a planner nerd like myself, I highly recommend doing this. It is really great to be able to know what your overall semester will look like and what the workload will be. It will also allow you to see what weeks will be the busiest and which ones you can have some fun. Mainly, I'd recommend putting in due dates, test dates, quizzes, and projects. If you want to write in what will be covered in your classes each week, that could be helpful too, but I never really did that as professors don't always stay on track with the scheduled topic.

Schedule in your activities

     Of course, this mainly means your extracurriculars but for me, it also meant my gym time. From my previous post, you know that I used to fit three runs in per week. So, what I would do at the beginning of the semester was figure out where in my schedule I could fit in the time I would need to run and make that my designated run time so that it was easier to stick to. Another thing that would be beneficial would be to block out your study times. I worked my last two semesters of college, so this meant that my weekly schedule could vary. But, at the beginning of each week, I would see what my week was going to look like, and I would designate where I could fit in the bulk of my studying.

Prioritize

     One of the most important parts of being productive is definitely learning to be strict with yourself. I know there were weekends when the last thing I wanted to do was spend quality time with my biochem book, but if it needed to be done, it needed to be done. This also goes back to my first point. You'll know which weeks this will be particularly important, so try to not schedule anything unnecessary into these weeks.

Plan Ahead

     If you know next week is going to be a hell week, try to get as much done before then. This will relieve a tremendous amount of stress for the weeks that you have two papers, a quiz, and an exam all in the course of a couple days. Even if you can only get the foundation work done, you'll be greatly thanking yourself.

Be Flexible

     I'm sure that you are well aware that life happens. Sometimes you have to make the time to go see a professor, or to help a friend, and you definitely didn't plan on it. That is perfectly okay. The most important part of organizing yourself is realizing that it is all just a framework and that you should use it as a guide, but also go with the flow adjusting yourself as necessary.

Remember to Have Fun

     I know that if you are anything like me, you will want to be able to do it all. But in the process of being awesome, know that it's perfectly okay to have fun. College is one of the best times of your life, so enjoy it all that you can! I know that now that I'm out of school, I am so happy that I took out the time for all the impromptu meet ups with my friends, or just occasionally breaking from my schedule to do something fun. It will help you feel rejuvenated and also more likely to stick with your plan overall. So, don't be afraid to have your occasional Netflix day. Grey's Anatomy on, my friend.

     I hope these tips were helpful for you! I know these are pretty standard, but it was what I used and it worked out pretty well. I hope you've been having a great week and I'll talk to you soon!

~Genesis<3

     

How Running Can Help You As a Pre-med

     This past week, I've been getting back into the groove of my running routine, and as I've been feeling the effects of my time off from it, I was inspired to write this post.

     About two years ago, I was inspired to take up running. I had never run a day in my life but I had always heard how great of a workout it was and I had always wanted to be able to do one of the fun 5ks that you see advertised everywhere. So, with determination and inspiration, I laced up my Nikes and hopped on the treadmill. Of course, to no surprise, running was difficult. Within the first couple minutes of running, I knew that it would take quite a bit of time before I was anywhere near ready to run a 5k, but I knew that it was something that I wanted to accomplish, so I told myself that this was something I was going to stick with. I fit a run in my schedule three days a week ( in-between classes) and I wouldn't allow myself to miss. I'll be completely honest, it was rough. There were days that I wished I could just go back to my apartment and take a nap, but that wouldn't get me any closer to running a 5k, so instead I would haul my butt over to the gym. Over the course of the semester, I got better at running, and by the time spring came around, I was out running on the path around campus. Then finally, over the summer, I was consistently running 3.1 miles ( a 5k) almost every time I went out. I was so proud of how far I'd come, but also surprised about the things it contributed to my life.

Things You Can Gain From Running

Mental Strength

- As much as running is a physical sport, it is also a mental sport. There are many times when your mind wants to give up before your body does, and you have to push yourself to keep going. This comes in handy as a pre-med as studying can get overwhelming and pushing yourself to keep going can be difficult at times. Running helps you train your mind to push through the points of giving up and helps you focus on achieving your goal. Of course, this is a great parallel for any part of your pre-med/med journey, as we all now how difficult it can be at times, but having the mental endurance to push through can greatly benefit you.

Perseverance

- When you are a runner, you will have your good days and your bad days. Sometimes, you kill it and have the best run, and then other times you can barely run a block from your start point. The most important part is remembering to not let the bad days stop you from your goals. The same mentality applies to being pre-med. If I had let any of struggles in class dictate my pre-med career, I wouldn't be starting medical school in the fall.

Patience

- Getting to the point where I was that summer took quite a bit of time to train up to, and more so because I didn't want to injure myself in the process. It might be a while before you reach your goal. You just have to take your training a day at a time and keep the big picture in mind. For anyone wanting to go to med school, this is absolutely true. I remember when I was in high school, the idea of spending an additional seven ( or more) years becoming a doctor was very unappealing, but now I am in awe that in just four years, I will have an M.D. at the end of my name. Great things take time to achieve and becoming a runner definitely reminds you of that.

Stress Relief

- I know this one is obvious, but for me running was a great way to relieve stress, especially while studying for the MCAT. I remember taking my break and going for a run. It allowed me to clear my mind and focus on something other than how I needed to do well on my test. I could then go back to studying recharged and ready to kick butt.


     Of course, there are more obvious things that you'll gain from running ( hello toned body!), but I thought these were applicable to being pre-med and worth a share. I also just wanted to have some fun with it, so I hope you found it interesting. I hope you had a great weekend!

~Genesis<3

Being a Biology Major.

     One of the ideas that has been at the back of my mind ever since I wanted to begin a blog/YouTube was sharing my experience of being a Biology major. Being a Bio major shaped quite a bit of how my college experience went and as I didn't know much about the major (other than the fact that you study biology) when I started college, I wanted to talk about it a bit.

     I felt the best way to present this information was in a YouTube video, so I hope you guys enjoy it! I really enjoy making them, so if I can present the information best in a video, you better believe I will do it. Of course, the video is just a general overview about the major, so in the future I might do an accompanying blog post about smaller details, but for now I just want to start with the generals.

     On another note, I have something different I want to try out on the blog, so I will most likely be debuting that on Thursday. I hope you guys are having a great start to your week!

~Genesis<3

Never Doubt Your Brilliance

    
























   





      As much of my medical school application process has come to a conclusion, I wanted to share a little story with you guys about something that happened to me on my journey.

     Last year, I was going through the pre-med process and part of what my school offered pre-med students was the opportunity to apply for a committee that helps you along with applying to medical school. As a member of the committee, you got assigned an advisor who you met with every month to go over materials for your application and gain guidance over the application process. This program wasn't new to me as I had gone through it the cycle before when I was considering applying for medical school my Junior year. Senior year I re-entered the committee and was all set to meet with my advisor starting Spring semester. 

     At this point, I personally felt that I had kicked fall semester's butt. I had spent the bulk of my summer studying for my MCAT retake in early September (which I happened to get a score I was happy to apply to schools with), I was working 15-20 hours a week, volunteering, and I managed to pull off a 4.0 for the semester. When spring semester started, I was feeling really optimistic and although I was a tad bummed I wouldn't have the same advisor ( the previous cycle I was paired with the head of the committee who is such a great person and one of the kindest men I've met) I was excited to start working towards my medical school application. That's where Dr. F comes in. 

Dr. F. was the advisor I was paired with for the semester. A Biology professor with curly gray hair, rather cold blue eyes, and a typically serious demeanor. Our first meeting was definitely memorable. I arrived at her office a few minutes early (for anyone that knows me I have a habit of being early for everything) and was prompted to wait outside her door while she prepared for our meeting. When I finally entered, it was a typical first meeting. We shook hands, I sat down, she asked me to talk a bit about myself ( I don't like this question as I never know what they really want to know), and then we reviewed my file. We discussed my numbers and extracurriculars for a bit and then she gave her opinion, she thought I was average. I remember her saying, " I am a very blunt person and I won't sugar coat any of this" as she proceeded to tell me that I had a chance but to prepare myself because a lot of students don't get in. She also was really pushing me to pursue a D.O. Degree instead of M.D. because they typically require a lower MCAT. I had applied for a research position and she basically told me I had a slim to none chance of getting it and when I told her I worked at a clothing store, her disapproval was very apparent (unnecessarily so in my opinion). 

     At that point, we went over my gap year plans and she told me my best bet was to pursue a certification program to get a job that would allow me to gain more patient experience. I just remember nodding and asking for her advice while trying to piece together what I could do now that my previous ideas were burning in a trash bin somewhere. We concluded our meeting, agreed upon the time for our next session, and I headed on my way. I remember walking home desperate to arrive as the heaviness in my chest was very apparent. The short walk to my apartment felt eternal and when I finally shut the door behind me and reached for my phone to call my mom, I knew the tears would shortly follow. Through tears, I told my mom how everything had gone, what the advisor had said, and how I didn't know what I was going to do. 

    I was scared. It felt like Dr. F. had taken a knife to the canvas where I had drawn out my path and all I was left staring at were the pieces blowing around unable to be mended. For a girl that always likes to have a plan, this was a nightmare and even worse because it concerned what I had just spent the past three and a half years trying to build. I remember my mom coaching me through, reminding me that everything would be fine and to not be afraid. She is amazing at reminding me to refocus and she was exactly what I needed at that moment. I took a deep breath, tried to set a starting point for my next move and said,"It'll be okay. I know I haven't come this far to stop now." 

     The remainder of the semester I worked my butt off, I planned my gap year as best as I could, and the following meetings with Dr. F. went alright. She even at one point stated that she was "impressed" with my progress. The semester ended ( I finished with a 3.8), graduation came ( graduated cum laude) followed by application season with the fear and insecurity instilled in me by Dr. F. a demon present along the way. 

     Now, if you've read any of my other posts, you know everything went well. I was accepted to two really great med schools. One of which didn't even look at my secondary before interviewing me ( which means they didn't even need any of Dr. F's suggestions to think I was a great candidate) and the other one was one of my top choices here in Chicago.  

    Looking back on it, it was silly for me to even be afraid of the process, but as a pre-med it's easy to fall into the trap because people like Dr. F. will try to tell you that you might fail. But, I am here to tell you that people like Dr. F. aren't always right. I honestly believe that when something is meant for you, nothing can keep it from happening. All I had to do was work very hard and persist to get there. It's crazy to think that I could've avoided many months of worrying if I had only focused on my journey instead of keeping Dr. F's words at the back of my mind, but regardless I made it through.

     I'm not going to say getting into medical school is easy because it definitely isn't. But, I will assure you that it isn't impossible. I wanted to share my experience with Dr. F. so that you won't doubt your abilities because someone else thinks less of you. You are a unique person and medical schools are looking at you as a whole. So, if your are applying this cycle, don't fret. Stay on your course and don't let anyone steer you astray because you are more brilliant than you think. Good luck!

~Genesis<3

 

Accepted Part 2!

     Well, I know where I left off last Tuesday was with my anticipation of news from my most recent medical school interview. If the title didn't already give it away to you, I am happy to announce that what came in the mail was a big packet of good news! Coincidently, the day the post about waiting for news went up, I received my acceptance letter in the mail.

     For me, this is absolutely incredible. My entire pre-med career I knew that I wanted to stay in Chicago for medical school, so now that my chance is here, I am so thrilled! Now, I am most definitely celebrating this, but there are two things that I do want to explain about my acceptance. One, this medical school does have multiple campuses, so there is a possibility I might be sent somewhere other than Chicago, but on our interview day, the dean said that our session was still early in the application process ( I believe they are interviewing candidates through March) and that it is very likely we will be placed at our preferred campus.  Two, for this school I do have to do a pre-matriculation program before starting medical school. I wasn't exactly thrilled to read this in my letter but upon doing more research, it is something that the school apparently emphasizes for underrepresented minorities in medicine. I am a Hispanic woman, so I very obviously fit the bill.

     To be honest, I was tentative about wanting to share that piece of information, but I know I want to be completely honest about my journey to medical school and as I will begin this 6-week program at the end of May, it isn't really something I will be able to hide haha. Also, I kind of want to blog all the cool things I will be learning in the program as from what I read it will preview the classes I will be taking in medical school. Does it suck that I will have to give up six weeks of my summer? Of course! But honestly, I don't exactly mind it. I could be sitting here contemplating about whether or not I wanted to blog about being waitlisted at the school I was seriously excited about, but thankfully instead I am writing about how I was accepted. So, today I am counting my blessings, and deciding that for me this is all good:)

     I hope you are having a great day and that you had a very happy holiday! I will be posting something on Thursday, so stay tuned:)

 ~Genesis<3

   

   

Being Pre-med!

     Curious about being pre-med? Well, I just posted a short video about my initial pre-med journey and what it means to be premed. I hope it gives you a better idea about the pre-med process! If you have any more questions about being pre-med please let me know!

~Genesis<3

P.S. I am apologizing in advance for the awkwardness of this video haha I hope with time that will go away, but I'm happy I actually got around to posting my first YouTube video! Enjoy:)