October/November Monthly Recap 2016

 
  Whoa, it has definitely been a hot minute since I've blogged. And for that, I greatly apologize! If you happened to read September's recap, you are well aware that I was working through getting myself into the groove of medical school and testing out what would work best for me. I was super optimistic that October would be the month that I would finally get my life together...let's just say I was overly optimistic, but I do appreciate that I have that trait.

October

    I started out the month hopeful that as I had a couple exams under my belt, it would be easier to navigate medical school, but when October came around, my to do list felt a mile high and time felt non-existent. We had a couple weeks with back-to-back exams, but the worst part was knowing that as soon as the month ended, we would be thrown into the first "hell week" in medical school. I am not going to lie, October was probably the roughest month that I've had in my medical school experience thus far. I had so much going on and I knew that it would be a while before I would have some breathing room. In those weeks, I had also had to miss out on time with my friends and that hit pretty hard. Sitting at your desk studying biochemistry for hours on a Saturday while you are missing out on your best friend's housewarming party, isn't exactly the most motivating, but it was surely a necessary evil. Thankfully, the month ended with a couple fun outings in preparation for the trying ten days that would initiate the month of November. 

Party at a classmate's apartment

Celebrating a friend's Halloween-themed birthday outing with my roomie!

November 

     November started with the busiest ten days of my life. We had four exams in the span of ten days and unlike the finals that we had in undergrad, these were more intense. Two of our exams covered all of the anatomy we had learned since the beginning of medical school (we had a lab portion and a multiple choice component) and our physiology exam was worth 40% of our overall grade. With all that on our plate, you better believe it was a very high stress time for everyone. It was not fun, but I pushed through knowing that the light at the end of the tunnel would be celebrating my birthday the week after. Those ten days pushed me in ways that I didn't know possible, but I can proudly say that I came out and performed well on all of my exams. The rest of the month was simply glorious. After hell week, we only had two courses left (Physiology and Biochemistry), so the amount of work we had to do substantially decreased. I got to celebrate my 24th birthday, spend time with friends, and just have some time to myself. The end of the month was mainly spent celebrating the holidays and getting myself out of my relaxed schedule in preparation for the final two weeks of my first semester. 

At our class's charity auction night

Birthday pic with the besties

My med school squad

 Looking Forward

     The next two weeks we will be wrapping up the semester. It's crazy to think that I will be able to say that I've successfully made it through my first semester of medical school and will be 1/8 a doctor. We get three weeks of vacation and you better believe I will be trying to enjoy those weeks as much as I possibly can before starting next semester. I am hoping to also spend my time off getting myself a bit more put together, so I can have a strong semester as well as creating more content for the blog! I feel like I have a lot of topics I can explore, so hopefully I get around to that. 

     I apologize that this isn't longer. I wanted to get something up for the blog, but I should be studying for the exams that I'll be taking next week...So, unfortunately I had to keep it short. I hope you guys have been having a wonderful past couple of months and I will hopefully be talking to you soon!

~Genesis<3

Advice For M1 Year From An M3

      I know that navigating through your journey to medical school can be daunting and I am so thankful that I never really had to go through it alone as I had my friend Alissa to ask for help. Alissa and I actually met in undergrad and went through a few premed classes together. We were in the same year, but as she graduated a year early and I took a gap year after college, we ended up with a two-year gap between our medical careers. Alissa just started her M3 year right after taking Step 1 this summer (Whoo hoo, Alissa!). Naturally, as someone who is about to start their M1 year, I wanted to know if there were any tips and as she's made it through the struggle, and she had some great advice to offer.

Advice for First Year Medical Students: Guest Post by Alissa Z.

1. Enjoy your time off!

     Your time off will slowly start to dwindle away the farther you progress in medical school, so enjoy it while it lasts! During first year, it feels like you have no time, but you really do! Use some of your time to have fun. (P.S. I was told this advice my first year too, and I didn't follow it because I felt like I was sooo busy. But it really is true, so try to have some fun!)

2. Choose efficient ways to study

     Going along with #1, don't choose a study technique that is very time-consuming (aka notecards). You might have enough time to continue studying with it first year, but as soon as second year rolls around, you will not. It is better to try different, more efficient study techniques your first year when you can afford to take the extra time to study. Pay attention to what you like about each study technique so that you can optimize your studying. As a bonus, if you find a more effective study technique first year, you will have more time to have fun!

3. Learn physiology very well

It will be your foundation going forward.

4. It is okay if you don't like your anatomy class.

     Personally, the cadavers really bothered me, but I have loved observing and assisting in surgeries on living people. Being disturbed by a decomposed and dissected dead body does not mean you can't be a good doctor-it means you are human! (Although if they don't bother you, that's fine too. Everyone is different.)

5.  Your medical school experience changes as you go along

     Everything in medical school gets more interesting as the years go by because you begin to learn more clinically relevant information and get to practice more medicine. Keep that in mind as you are studying biochemistry first year because it gets better! It also gets must harder and more time-consuming, but because you will like what you are learning, the time you spend studying will be more enjoyable.

6. Don't throw people under the bus!

     I'm sure everyone has heard of gunners (people that study constantly and actively try to put people down in order to get ahead. I will let you in on a little secret- it doesn't help them get ahead! When you put people down, your classmates won't want to help you, and that can have a big impact on your performance in medical school. Collaboration helps everyone, and medicine is a field that relies on it because that is how doctors take the best care of their patients. Your professors, residents, and attendings will also notice if you are putting people down, and really, no one likes that.

7. Know Your Place

     Don't be entitled because as medical students we literally don't know anything. There will always be many more people who know more than you. Just keep that in mind and don't be arrogant (or a gunner- really, don't do it). 

8. Graciously accept Advice---See #7. 

     You can always learn from someone who knows more than you. Even if you're not planning on going into a certain specialty, you can learn something important from that clerkship (that advice is more applicable to third year, but keep it in mind!)

9. Don't Start Studying for Step 1 Your First Year

     

     You won't learn the majority of the information on Step 1 until your second year, so you won't be able to study effectively for it anyway.

   That's about it! Basically, medical school is all about being able to adjust to different situations. Every time you start to feel comfortable, things will start to change and get more difficult. In third year, you will constantly have to adjust to different clerkships, residents, and attendings. It's hard, but it's good practice for life because life is change. With that in mind, I think #2 is the most important piece of advice because to excel in medical school, you need to be able to adapt. While you are adapting, try to stay true to who you are and take time for yourself so you can stay as sane as possible. 

Good luck!

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         I wish anyone that is starting medical school this week ( or around this week) lots of luck! We've made it! Have a fantastic week and I shall talk to you soon! 

~ Genesis<3

The Hunt Begins!

   
      With the beginning of my M1 year quickly approaching, something that has been at the front of my mind has been looking for apartments. I love interior design, so this is something that I really enjoy doing. Now, I don't think that I'll document the entire process, but I will try to give some updates here and there (maybe thrown in with my SPP updates?...not sure yet), so you can know what's been going on.

     When I first began thinking about what I would like my living situation to be next year, my first thought was to live on my own. I lived in a studio the last two years of undergrad, and I was incredibly happy and thought that I should try to go for that. But as I've been spending more time around campus, I've realized that I really love the neighborhood and I'd like to be able to live here. Unfortunately, this part of the city isn't really comprised of high rises, so a majority of what you find is 2-bedroom apartments. I gave it careful thought over the weekend and decided I'm taking my chances and going the roommate route. Ironically, I told my friends the opposite on Friday. But, come Sunday, I changed my mind.

     Living with my SPP roommate has been really great, so I figured that I might be lucky trying that for the school year. Back in April, when I came to visit the school for second look day, I met some girls that would be M1s and we exchanged numbers. I reached out to one of them over the weekend, and she is still in need of a roommate, so it works out for me. I've begun the process of looking for places and there are quite a few available, so it'll just be a matter of picking the one that works for us. Just for backup, I did check out a studio so far to have an option available in case I change my mind, but I think It'd be better to have a bigger space.

     I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous. I've never lived with anyone that I didn't know beforehand (except my current roomie), but I am thinking that since we will be both be a part of the same program it should go pretty well. If not, it would only be for a year. We are checking some places out this weekend, so hopefully, that goes well!

     Sorry, this post is rather short! My current schedule has my mind all over the place, but I love checking in. So, I figured I'd give you guys a little update:)

     I hope you guys are having a marvelous start to your week! I can't wait to show you guys what I've been up to on Thursday's post! 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 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

To Prep or Not To Prep?

     I know that the time of year has come where many people are getting themselves ready to begin studying for the MCAT and one of the necessary considerations is whether or not to take a prep course. So, I want to dedicate Today's blog post to reviewing my experience with MCAT prep courses and what my thoughts were after actually taking the MCAT.

     I believe I should preface all of this information by saying that obviously I haven't taken every MCAT prep course available, so all I can really speak to is what my personal experience was and how it worked out for me. The prep course that I do happen to have experience with is the Kaplan Prep course. Kaplan is one of the major ones that I know are available, so hopefully this post will help many of you!

The Course

     When I went to choose an MCAT prep course, I knew that what most students went for was one that offered in-class sessions. Kaplan happened to have a relationship with the pre-med group at my school and they offered a small discount ( I think $200) for taking the classes on campus. The class regular price was cheaper than the Princeton Review one, so it was a no-brainer for me to take this class. I believe I ended up paying approximately $2000 for the in-person course offered on campus. The class consisted of 6-hours of class per week ( I had mine 6:00-9:00 Monday and Wednesday) and it ran Jan 29th-April 2nd. The $2000 included all the books for the Kaplan course as well as access to the online database that had lots of online content for you to study from. 

Pros: 

-Signing up for the class meant that you had a built in MCAT time in your schedule if you actually attended class. I never missed a class, so that was always my major MCAT time. 

- You were with other students, so you got to see how other people went about answering questions.

- The course package offered you tons of material ( I didn't even get through all of it) and you had access to it well past the dates of your course ( I actually used it to study the second time around). 

Cons:

- In class portion took a lot of time out of your day, and I happened to have a full day Mondays and Wednesdays, so sometimes it felt like a lot.

-Class time wasn't always used effectively, so I didn't feel like I was always getting the most out of it.

- There was a lot of material to get through before each class session. I remember it being like 100 pages per class or something crazy. Towards the end, I wasn't doing all the reading because I didn't have the time with my school work. 

- The price! Looking back on it, I can't believe I paid so much, but when you want to be well-prepared you don't really think about that. 

Overview

     Personally for me, the in-class portion wasn't very helpful. The class structure consisted of the instructor going through a lesson book and answering questions with us to help us learn the "Kaplan method". Often times, the instructor would ask a question and wait for someone to volunteer to answer it and as no one really wanted to answer, it always took forever and wasted time. What I did find helpful was the online component. The Kaplan online database offers a ton of study resources and since you can access it at your convenience, it makes studying less hectic. The first time around  my MCAT score wasn't my best. I don't solely attribute that to the class, but I do think my style of studying wasn't effective. The second time around I studied more at my own pace using the Kaplan books and online database and that worked out really well for me. The database had 12 full-length exams. It also had some official AAMC exams ( I can't remember if those were included in the 12), and they were really good predictors of my MCAT score range. The Kaplan exams were pretty good as well, but some felt like the scores were inflated as I was scoring way higher on them in comparison with my AAMC practice test scores. I should add that the second time around I was also skimming through the Exam Krackers MCAT books and the content in those was really good and condensed ( My friend actually took their prep course and liked it a lot). 

     Also, if you are still interested in Kaplan, they do offer other course options. They have a Live-online course ( same price as in-class) where you take the classes at home with an online instructor ( we had some of these for the organic chemistry classes and I thought they were more helpful than the in-class classes), or they have a "self-paced" option ( $400 cheaper than in-class & live-online) where you get access to the database and the books. The second option would probably be closest to what I did the second time around, and I thought it was what worked best for me. 

Overall, I say choose whatever will work best for you. You know how you study and what will be most effective. Also, you might have a different experience, so keep that in mind. I hope you guys found this helpful and that you have a great weekend!

~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

 

Things I Wish I Had Known About The MCAT.

     If you're a pre-med, you've probably known about the MCAT before your little heart desired to ever pursue medicine. If not, as soon as you got to college it was heavily instilled in your brain that it would be very present in your journey to medical school. I would say that I was pretty familiar with what the generalities of the MCAT but there were a few things that I learned for myself and I thought it would be good to give others a heads up.

1.) Timing

     I knew that most pre-med students took their MCAT during their junior year, but what I didn't know was the latest date I could take it. When I took my first MCAT ( I was originally aiming to apply for the 2015 entry cycle), I scheduled it for early May. I would've saved myself lots of stress and brain power, If I had known I didn't absolutely need to have my score back in time to send out my primaries (which go out in June). Of course, having everything ready to send out in time for primaries would be ideal, but I later learned that it wasn't absolutely necessary. The latest you can take it is probably early to mid-July, but as it takes about 4 weeks to get your scores back, your best bet would be to aim to take it sometime in June. 

2.) How long you need to study.

     I'd say that when you should start studying really depends on what you've got going on in your schedule. For my first MCAT, I was studying while completing my spring semester of my Junior year. I had a very busy schedule and balancing that with MCAT prep proved to be rather hectic. I believe I started seriously studying in about mid-February for my early May exam ( so I had about two and a half months of prep). The second time around I started studying at the beginning of June for my exam in September. I was on summer break so I didn't have anything major to focus on other than my studying. So, the three months of prep worked out pretty well for me that time. From what I've read, the typical MCAT study period is between 3-6 months. How much time you need depends on what you've got going on, so I'd plan based off of that. For me, a solid 3 months of dedicated studying was what worked best.

3.) How much you need to know.

     Of course, I knew that the MCAT covered many subjects, but you don't feel the magnitude of the quantity of information until you actually sit down and try to learn it all. Not going to lie, it can be rather overwhelming. I was fortunate enough to have taken it pre-2015 ( for my non-premed people, they just added more subjects to the MCAT) and only had to focus on the three areas. For those taking the new MCAT, I seriously sympathize, and all I can say is to take it one subject at a time. 

4.) How Stressful/Hectic an MCAT testing day can be. 

     MCAT testing day can seriously be crazy and all the security measures they have just adds to the madness. You arrive at the testing center and after they check you in with a photo ID, they'll escort you one-by-one into the testing room. Right before they take you in, they'll take your fingerprints, take your picture, copy your ID, have you fill out paperwork, scan you with a metal detector wand, have you shake out our pockets, and then log in a binder your time of entry. Then the relay begins. You take your exam and between each section you're entitled to a ten-minute break. Each time you leave the room there's a whole process you need to follow. They'll scan you with the wand, have you shake out your pockets, take your fingerprints, and have you sign the log book with the time. This is for both coming in and out, so your breaks to the bathroom/having a snack should be as brief as possible as you are working with a timer. I took every break I could to refresh myself and it felt crazy rushing in and out, but I would recommend it ( more on that coming in a later post).

     Overall, my aim here was not to scare you. The MCAT is a big test, but it definitely isn't impossible. I will definitely be shedding more insight on the blog about my experience with the exam and any tips I have to offer. Until then, I hope you guys have a great week!

~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

   

   

The Waiting Game

     So, we are coming up on almost three weeks since my interview and let me tell you, I cannot wait for the next couple weeks to go by. I checked the application status portal today, and it says the school has reached a final decision and I should be expecting mail within the next two weeks! Despite the fact that this decision is a big one for me, I've been relatively calm. I'm not gonna lie, I've been scoping out apartments in the Chicago neighborhood that I believe I would like to live in if I do end up going to that school, but hey, a girl is welcome to dream right? 

     I think the day dreaming is only amplified by the fact that my best friend just found her apartment in the city and the thought of us being in the same city next year seems like a dream come true. Realistically, I know that I probably won't have the time to go out as much as I would like considering I will be an ever busy medical student, but just the idea of it delights me.

    Honestly, If I don't get into this school, the other school where I was accepted out-of-state is a really great school and I am through the moon excited that they've already accepted me. I'd say one of my least favorite parts of this entire process has been the waiting game. I am such a planner that I love to know what is going to happen next and obviously, this whole process is a matter of waiting and seeing what happens. It has definitely tested my patience, but it has shown me that the best things are worth waiting for and you've got to stay patient:)

~Genesis<3