Articles

Nov 18 2015

How to choose classes for next semester as a pre-med

As a pre-med knowing which classes to take the next semester can be confusing. There are many factors to consider when trying to create that perfect schedule. Will I be able to handle this course load and still make good grades? Will these courses look good to medical schools? Am I doing the courses in the right order? Timing of courses for MCAT? Well we will cover that to make sure you have the best semester you can!

As I mentioned there are alot of things to consider when scheduling for classes. I will go over the steps involved in making a schedule that accomplishes what you need as a pre med. But before we go over the steps, lets talk about what our priorities are when it comes to making an awesome schedule for next semester.

Scheduling priorities:

1. Making sure that you can still maintain a good GPA

2. Maintaining steady progress through pre-med requirements

3. Preparing you for MCAT

4. Doing courses in the right order (Important for getting your degree on time!)

5. Class times

Making sure you can still maintain a good GPA: This should be the most obvious priority in the list, however many pre-meds make the mistake here of either scheduling too many hard classes in one semester or not enough. Its important to find a balance and know your own limits. Trying to take Organic Chemistry II, Physics II, Biology II, and Calculus all in the same semester is a great way to NOT make the grades you want. That is just putting yourself in a situation to fail, and we want all of the odds on our side when it comes to getting a good GPA. At the same time if you only take one hard class, lets say Organic Chemistry. Then you will not be making enough progress to graduate on time or take the MCAT on time. The key is finding a balance and that depends on you. In general, I say that taking a minimum of two of your hard science classes/pre-med requirements per semester is good. But depending on you three can be a good number. Don’t forget that for every science class you take, you usually have a lab that goes with it. Don’t sacrifice your GPA to graduate faster. Know your limits and choose your classes according to that.

Maintaining steady progress through pre-med requirements: This goes along with what I was saying in the last point. While you do want to make sure you are able to maintain a good GPA and get the grades you want, you have to make sure that you are still making steady progress through your pre med requirements. This is essential to getting accepted into medical school immediately after college. If you want to start medical school right after graduating then you must get your pre-med requirements done as soon as possible. Remember, that alot of medical schools don’t even require you to have a degree to get accepted. Just the pre-med required classes and your MCAT. So this means that you can apply to medical school once you have completed those. In order to do that, you must prioritize completing your pre-med requirements (Gen Chem, Biology, Physics, Organic Chem, English, sometimes Calculus) before your general education classes and other classes.

Preparing you for MCAT: One of the most important things your college classes can do for you is prepare you for the MCAT. The MCAT is based off of what you learn in your pre-med required classes for the most part. Although there are now sections on it in Biochemistry and Psychology/Sociology. This is another reason why its important to focus on getting your pre-med requirements out of the way as soon as possible. You will do much better on the MCAT if you actually took the courses that cover what the MCAT is covering. You want to try and take any class that can help you for the MCAT. So this means you should be focusing on taking your pre-med required classes and if you have room for another then maybe take Psychology. Remember, you are doing yourself a big favor by taking these classes before taking the MCAT. You will be thankful when you have to only review for the MCAT instead of learn everything at once.

Doing courses in the right order: This is super important if you are trying to get an undergraduate degree and also still really important for being able to get into medical school on time. As a Biochemistry major, I have some classes that have multiple requirements to be able to register for them. And often these classes are requirements for other classes. For example, for me to take physical chemistry I have to have first done Physics I and II, as well as calculus. This is why its important to know what your upper level classes require for registration. In this case, I have to make sure I get calculus and Physics done as soon as possible. Otherwise I won’t be able to register for physical chem. If I can’t register for physical chem I won’t be able to take inorganic chemistry. If you wait around to take important classes that are required for registration then you might not be able to take the courses you want during the semester you want!

Class times: This is the last of things to consider when it comes to creating the perfect schedule. While it is nice to have all your classes on the same day or at the right time, that is not the biggest priority. First make sure you take the RIGHT classes and then worry about getting the right times for it. If that means you have to come to school on monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday instead of just MWF then so be it. Its a bigger priority to graduate on time, be ready for the MCAT, get good grades, and make progress through your pre-med requirements. With that being said, I always try to schedule classes on the same day. It can save you gas money and time that you could spend studying or working instead. This might not always be possible if you don’t have class registration priority. Always try to get the classes consecutively, the more free time you have the better! That means more time for working, shadowing, studying, relaxing, and volunteering!

Making it practical:

Here I will go over an example of how I would schedule for classes and why I’m doing what I am.

Example: I am a Sophmore who will take the MCAT next year.

1.Pick the classes you want to take:

Organic chemistry II and lab
Biology II and lab
English II
Easy general ed class

– I chose to take just Organic Chemistry II and Biology II in the same semester since they are kind of related. These classes are also pretty hard and I don’t want to risk getting a bad grade, so I won’t take a third science class. This is why I chose only two science classes. This still keeps me on steady progress through my pre-med requirements and helps prepare me for the MCAT next year.

– English II is not too difficult of a class and also is a pre-med requirement. So I will be getting another requirement out of the way.

– Easy general education class to make sure I have enough hours. This is important if you are on scholarships. This class is easy and shouldn’t take away from studying for the harder classes like Organic Chemistry or Biology.

2. Get the best times you can for them.

– Try to get them onto the same day if possible.
– Avoid early morning classes if possible.

I would go for taking these classes on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. This gives me enough time to not be overwhelmed by them but also enough for extracurricular activities.

Was this helpful? Let me know! And what kind of articles do you want more of?

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More helpful premed resources:

Get our free ebook , “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide”, which summarizes everything that every premed must know!

Also get free access to our comprehensive lists of medical school rankings! Click here to download

Good luck on your journey to medical school! Premed Community is here with you every step of the way!

Oct 12 2015

Scientifically proven study tips every premed must know!

Every premed knows making good grades is essential to getting into medical school, so it’s important to know the most efficient ways to utilize your study time! This video by ASAP science gives great insight into some scientifically backed study tips!

– Break study sessions into multiple shorter sessions: We learn better when we are repeatedly shown information over a period of time rather than in one sitting. This is a principle known as spaced repetition. If you want an example on how to utilize this in your own studying check out this article.

– Create a schedule for studying: Having a schedule helps us get into the habit of studying. This will help us be more consistent in our studying as well as be more prepared for it.

– Use flashcards for memory: Flashcards are an incredible tool to use to help you remember lots of information! As a premed you should try and use flashcards for everything from biology terms to organic chemistry reactions! Keep those flashcards for later, they will come in handy when studying for the MCAT.

– Create a specific study goal to focus on: This a great way to make sure you utilize your study time well. A common pitfall alot of students have is not being specific enough on what they want to study. Study things one very specific topic at a time, make sure you understand it and then move on. Try and decide before hand what you want to focus on in studying today. Do that rather than try to study all of chapter 10, 11, and 12.

– Teaching helps you to learn: Study with the intention of teaching the material to someone else. Our brain is better able to organize what we learn when we teach someone else. So always try to teach your friends and family about what you are learning. This is a great way to stay motivated to study but also to really get down the concepts.

– Practice! : This is one of the biggest tips out there. Practice is everything. Practice is the only way you can guarantee to yourself that you understand how to do it and you will be ready on test day. You must practice a problem until you can do it in your sleep. Practice, practice, practice. Do practice problems and tests until you are confident in your ability to get them right. This is a way to guarantee your success.

– Have a great spot for studying: This goes back to creating a schedule for studying. Its about getting yourself accustomed to studying. You want to have a place your are familiar and comfortable with to study. This way when you see the spot , your brain knows that it is study time. It is also helpful to have everything you need at your study spot!

– Don’t listen to music: Music is shown to not help you during studying. Even though you love music, turn it of and give your full attention to your studying.

– Remove distractions: Same thing as with music, your phone is also a big distraction. You will ruin the flow of your studying if you keep getting text messages or notifications. You are better off just turning it off or putting it somewhere it won’t distract you.

Premed poll of the article:

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Get our free ebook , “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide”, which summarizes everything that every premed must know!

Also get free access to our comprehensive lists of medical school rankings! Click here to download

Good luck on your journey to medical school! Premed Community is here with you every step of the way!

Oct 05 2015

The Premed’s guide to time management

The pre-med’s guide to time management

Exams, homework, research, volunteering, shadowing , MCAT.. There are so many things that you are supposed to be doing as a premed! How will you ever be able to have time to do all that? And on top of that be able to go out with your friends and still maintain a social life? The answer to that is, you must master the art of making the most out of your time. Time management.

I’m sure that you would love to go out and see that new movie with all of your friends, go kick the soccer ball around, play videogames with your buddies, or whatever it is you like to do much more than sit inside and study. Part of becoming a doctor means that you will have to make sacrifices in order to make your dream a reality. If becoming a doctor was that easy, then everyone would do it! So try to take pride and enjoy the fact that you are going to have to work really hard to become a doctor! It is the hard work and dedication required that makes it so rewarding to get into medical school.

With that being said, you will definitely have to learn how to manage your time well! Juggling exams, extracurriculars, MCAT, and everything else you want to do is no easy task! But it can definitely be done. For all of you who are worried that you won’t have time to do anything, that is simply not true! You will have time to do what you want to do and STILL make good grades and all the things you need to do to get into medical school.

Time management is a skill that transcends just being a pre-med, it actually is something which will improve your entire life and be essential to your career as a physician. Time management is all about utilizing your time efficiently and planning things out ahead. Alright lets get on to the guide!

Before we start there are a few things you must abide by in order to be successful with time management:

– You must stick to your planned schedule

– You must be honest with yourself about how much time certain activities will take you

It is crucial that you must stick to the schedule you plan, this sounds obvious. But lots of people will plan out a schedule and then when they get new plans they will change it. So this means that when your friend asks you if you want to hangout on saturday, and you have already planned a few things you should try to work that around your schedule and not make your schedule fit their plans. If you are able to move what you planned to a new day and it won’t impede your ability to get it done. Then that is fine. But more often then not, it is better to stick with your plan and commit to it. Hanging out with friends or something more fun should not have priority over getting the things you need done completed. It is always better to finish what you need to do FIRST, that way you can enjoy whatever it is you want to do. Nothing is worse than trying to have fun but knowing you should be doing something else. So when in doubt do what needs to be done before other things.

Another essential component to being able to manage your time well is to simply be honest with yourself about how much time it will take you to do certain things. We all like to think that we can study for that exam in one hour long session, but most often we will need to commit more time to our studies than that if we want to make an A. So when making your schedule and trying to manage your time, give yourself an honest evaluation of how long you will need. Remember, you are trying to help yourself! So there is no shame in taking an extra hour or two to get it done properly.

Now that we got that out of the way let me share with you some important tips for managing your time:

– Prioritize your most urgent and important activities

– Sleep is important!

– Put in scheduled time for relaxing and healthy activities

– Have a note on your computer that has all your homework and school information on it

– Split studying up into multiple short sessions instead of one long session

– Always make sure that leave yourself extra time to work with

– Don’t run yourself too thin

Prioritization: This seems like an obvious point, but it is one that alot of people don’t do properly. Often we are so busy with so many different assignments and things to do its difficult to know which one we should give attention to. Should we first get the quick and easy assignments out of the way and then do that long paper? The answer is not always so simple. My experience has been that I do better when I first get the quick and easy assignments done first. This lets me not have to worry about them when I’m trying to do my big assignments. By having done the quick assignments first, I can focus my full attention on my more important assignments. But if it is last minute and you only have time for one assignement, you will always choose the one that’s more important. So when it comes to managing your time, it is important to consider what has priority over something else. Priority is based on how important it is, when it is due (or when the exam is), and how long it will take you to do it. The more important, the sooner it is, and the longer it takes all increase its priority.

Sleep: This is something alot of people don’t talk about when giving advice on time management. I think this is a really important factor that is often never given any consideration. Sleep is so crucial to your success in making good grades that you cannot afford to not consider it. As a premed you will often find yourself doing anything for more sleep! And honestly sleep is my biggest complaint about being a premed, not having enough sleep makes life much more difficult. Getting more sleep can actually make the difference between making a B or an A in a class. So it is critical to consider it when making your plans. Always plan your schedules around sleep, ensuring that you get enough sleep to be at your best. When making your schedule, give yourself enough time for sleep. This is the most important activity you can put into yours schedule.

Plan out relax time and healthy activities: While this might not seem necessary for a premed, it actually makes a HUGE difference. You will be studying for exams, doing homework, volunteering, etc.. which basically means you will be burnt out! This can have serious effects on your health. You will be mentally exhausted from everything, so you need to give your mind time to cool down and relax. Take a break and go enjoy yourself. Also you will be sitting for alot of the day, your body needs some exercise. Exercise can even benefit your grades. So try not to forget to give your body time to relax and time to get it moving!

Have a note with your assignments on it: This is a REALLY handy way to keep track of what you need to do. You basically make a simple note on your computer where you put your classes and homework on it. You can also include anything else you need to do on it. I use the application stickies for the mac. And I keep this note open all the time on my desktop, and frequently refer back to it to make sure I get my assignments done. The reason this is so useful is that it is on your computer, so if you use your computer alot you can never forget your assignments. Just keep it open on your desktop so that you constantly see it, and are reminded of it.

Here is an example of it:

You can see that I have my classes and homework on it. And I also put in a note to get research from one of my professors. Simple but effective.

Split studying into multiple short sessions: It is always better and more effective to have several short sessions than one long session. The way our brain learns is through repeated exposure to information. Not cramming it. Check out my article here where I talk about spaced repetition and how to use it to improve your grades. When planning your schedule , try to plan for 2-3 study sessions instead of one long cramming session!

Leave yourself extra time to work with: It is really important to leave yourself some extra time to work with. Things don’t always go according to plan, life happens. So thats why you should always give yourself a little leeway when making your plans. For example if you are supposed to be somewhere, account for the time you will take driving there and back PLUS potential traffic. Also try to leave room in your schedule where nothing is planned, this way if you need it you can use that time for something you weren’t able to complete before. Always leave yourself some leeway in your schedule, don’t pack everything back to back if possible.

Don’t run yourself thin: This goes with the previous point. Do NOT make your schedule too overbearing, you need to give yourself time to relax and unscheduled time. If you overload yourself with too much you will quickly burn out. You also don’t want to be too laxed about your schedule. You have to make sure you get everything you need done. The key is to find balance.

Making it practical:

I like to try and make things practical for you, so you can know exactly how to use this to help yourself! So here is a quick example of how to put everything together. I will go ahead and show you an example day and why I do what I do.

Let’s assume that I have class from 8 am- 2 pm. And the things I want to get done are: prepare for a genetics test, do a lab report, and go hit the gym.

General schedule:

7:00am: Wake up, eat breakfast. Head to school.

8:00am-2:00pm: Class

2:30-3:00pm: Study for genetics test (Its a good idea to study right after classes)

3:30-4:00pm: Work on lab report (Small break in between. Switching things up)

4:30-5:30 pm: Go to the gym (Now is a good time to go the gym, I just finished studying and need to give my mind a break)

7:00-7:45pm: Study for genetics test again (Remember to break studying into multiple sessions)

8:00-8:30pm: Relax, watch netflix (notice how I put relax time after studying. Once again to give my brain time to cool off and let what I learn sink in)

8:30-9:30: Work on lab report (Giving my self plenty of time to work with. Lots of leeway)

10:00pm: Review genetics again

11:00pm: Head to sleep (Remember sleep needs to be accounted for!)

*Note that these are relative times, you want to just give yourself an idea about how you will spend your time.

– Notice how I give myself some leeway between scheduled events.
– Notice how I split studying up into 3 short sessions and I give myself time to relax in between . Always give yourself time to relax so you don’t get too overloaded
– Also notice how I am giving myself extra time to work with. This allows my schedule to be solid but also flexible.

– Make sure you don’t run yourself thin.

These are my tips for managing your time! The key is to create a schedule you know will work for YOU. You know your own habits. So be honest with yourself, don’t try to force a schedule that you know you can’t keep up with. Remember, that this is only a vague schedule it is not set in stone. You want to give yourself an idea of how you will spend your day and then do your very best to stick to it. And when coming up with your game plan for managing your time, make sure to consider all of the tips I gave you. With that you will be a time managing boss! You will have time to fight crime, hit the gym, hang out with friends, do your extracurriculars, and get good grades!

Let me know what tips you have for managing your time in the comments below!

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Get our free ebook , “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide”, which summarizes everything that every premed must know!

Also get free access to our comprehensive lists of medical school rankings! Click here to download

Good luck on your journey to medical school! Premed Community is here with you every step of the way!

Sep 27 2015

How to have more motivation to study

Studying is often the most dreaded part of any pre med’s life. Whether you hate it or love it, studying is the MOST important part of making good grades. Without spending enough time studying you are practically guaranteeing yourself to not make the grade you want. We all know that studying is important, but why is it that 64% of students now today study less than 15 hours a week? The biggest problem is motivation.

If you don’t have motivation then you will not study as much and the time that you do spend studying will be far less efficient. I have several articles on tips to help you improve your studying, but that really won’t help you unless you first are motivated to actually study. If you don’t spend enough time studying, no shortcuts will save you. So if we are able to find the motivation to study, that could literally revolutionize our grades on exams and ultimately your gpa.

Here are a few methods to help you get more study time in:

– Make a study group

– Pick a specific time of day to study

– Learn to love what you are learning

– Use your desire to make an A to motivate you

Make a study group: This is often an incredible motivator to study that is really underrated. Quite simply, if you are studying with other people it is a lot more fun! Also studying with your classmates and friends is one of the BEST ways to make sure you understand the material. Often in study groups, each person has an area they are good at and bad at. So people in the group can cover each other’s weaknesses while at the same time helping each other out in the areas they are strong in. Just make a few friends in class and ask them if they all want to meet up and study. Its that simple!
Pick a specific time of day to study: People are creatures of habit. So it goes without saying that an extremely powerful tool to help you study more is to simply get in the habit of studying at a specific time of day. Studies show that people spend more time studying between 10am-12pm. What time of day you pick is up to you, but the key is to pick a time of day that you know you will be in the mood to study and commit to it! It is optimal to have atleast two study sessions per day, each that are about 30-45 minutes long. (Check out the article on spaced repetition, to find out why).

Learn to love what you are learning: If you love what you are learning, then you don’t need ANY other tips! You will already have all the motivation you need to study and more! Put quite simply, this is the single most important factor in my opinion when it comes to finding time to study. If you love what you are learning and are fascinated by it, I am 90% sure you will make an A in that class. Period. It is that powerful. Check out this article which teaches you exactly how I learned to love all of my hardest classes and how I started getting A’s because of it!
Use your desire to make an A to motivate you: Now this might sound like an obvious one, but this is honestly one of the EASIEST methods to motivate your self to to study. If you are really serious about becoming a doctor, then I am sure making A’s to you is one of the most important things to you in your life. In that case, channel that energy into studying! Tell yourself that the more time I put into my studying the better grade I will get! I am going to study super hard, because I want that A! Even while you are studying, keep reminding yourself of this. “Once I get the concept down, I am going to do even better on that exam!”. What I am saying here is, try to channel all of that energy you have about getting into medical school, improving your gpa, making good grades into your motivation to study. Because studying is the key to all of those things!

Getting those good grades is about being a good student. Here at premed community, we will teach you how to be that student which makes good grades and really gains alot from their studies. Remember, being a good student is a skill. A skill which must be practiced like any other to get good at it. Its not about being a genius, its about understanding the fundamentals of good studying and work ethic. Tell us in the comments below what are the ways YOU motivate yourself to study?

Pre-med poll! How good is your GPA?

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More helpful premed resources:

Get our free ebook , “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide” , which summarizes everything that every premed must know!

Also get free access to our comprehensive lists of medical school rankings! Click here to download

Good luck on your journey to medical school! Premed Community is here with you every step of the way!

Sep 21 2015

3 videos that will help you ace your medical school interview

Three videos that will help you ace your medical school interview

The interview is the final hurdle between you and getting into medical school. You have worked so hard and long to get to this point. And the very fact that a medical school is interviewing you means that you have a good chance of getting in. The last thing you want to do is fumble right before you get in. So here are a three videos which should help you on your way to acing that interview!

2010 Workshop- Richard Wallace (How To Succeed In Your Medical School Interview)

Very solid video with lots of good advice. Long video but worth the watch.

Medical School Mock Interview- Model Answers

This video does a good job of analyzing a mock interview. Take some notes on this!

What Med School Interviewers Will Ask YOU?

This video will help give you a general idea of what a medical school interview is all about.

Hope these videos are helpful! Remember, the interview is the last step of getting into medical school. I know you must be excited since you are so close to reaching your goal, but make sure to practice doing dozens of mock interviews and analyzing your strong and weak points.

More helpful premed resources:

Get our free ebook , “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide” , which summarizes everything that every premed must know!

Also get free access to our comprehensive lists of medical school rankings! Click here to download

I hope these tips help and for even more great content make sure to sign up for our newsletter and join our site! If you know another pre med who would benefit from this article, do them a favor and share it with them!

Good luck on your journey to medical school! Premed Community is here with you every step of the way!