Articles

Sep 14 2015

A weird secret that allowed me to get an A in all of my hardest classes

We all know that as premeds we will have to take some of the hardest science courses that our university has to offer, and on top of that we’re expected to make an A in those courses. For alot of people this is not an easy task to undertake, most premeds struggle with doing well on exams and making the grades they want to. But what separates those who excel in class from those who don’t actually would surprise most premeds. Its not any sort of shortcut, or secret method to remember everything. It is something much bigger than that.

You will always hear me reemphasizing the same message, “Its not about shortcuts. Its about actually becoming the real deal.” Building a foundation and mastering the basics of being a good student is 1000 times better than knowing the best way to cram or how to make the perfect cheat sheet. Its not all about fancy ways to take notes or memorization techniques (once you have the foundation down then these sort of things can definitely add to your abilities as a student). Its really about being an actually good student, not someone who is always trying to cram for exams and survive during the semester. Remember, you want to be a doctor. Now is the time to develop good study habits and learn how to learn. Being a good student is just like being good at anything else! The same way if you want to be good at Karate, you will need to first learn the proper techniques and develop a good base. From there it is practice and discipline. Just knowing how to throw a fancy tornado kick doesn’t mean you will do well in a fight, you need to have mastered the basics first. If you learn the basics of being a good student and practice them with diligence, you will be a black belt level premed in no time! This particular tip I am sharing with you today is one of the foundational skills that every good student must have.

So what is this weird secret that has allowed me to get an A in all of my hardest classes?

It is learning to love whatever you are learning.

This happens to be one of the most important things I attribute to making all A’s semester after semester. This is a strong advantage I hold over many of my fellow classmates. Is that I absolutely love to learn everything! This one shift, is enough to completely change not only your grades but how enjoyable your life as a premed is . Back when I was in high school, I was definitely not an all A student. I was making some A’s but mostly B and C’s. Now I am making the top grade in all of my classes. Even made a 100 on my calculus final and a 105 on my biology final.

Here is some proof:

My 105 on my biology final.

Made straight A’s while taking 17 credit hours, working, and shadowing.

So What happened since high school?

Back when I was in high school, I wasn’t particularly motivated to get A’s. So classes that I didn’t find interesting, I didn’t ever feel like studying for and when I did study for them I never enjoyed it. Because of that I got low C’s and low B’s on my exams. There was one class that I did VERY well in, and that was Japanese. I actually made a 103 as my final grade in our most advanced Japanese course. And that was because I really loved learning Japanese! All my other grades paled in comparison to how I did in Japanese.

The difference between now as I am in college and when I was in high school, is that I love ALL my classes that I am taking. And I am not exaggerating at all when I say that this has to be one of the top three reasons I have a 3.95 GPA.

Let me explain why being able to love whatever it is you are learning is an EXTREME advantage..

1. When you really enjoy something, you are willing to devote more time to it.

2. You actually learn more per session.

3. It is more enjoyable!

Number one: When you really enjoy something, you are willing to devote more time to it.

We know this from our own lives. When we really like something, we are willing to spend several hours doing it. Whether that is soccer, practicing guitar, playing video games, or learning about something you really find interesting. When we love something, we are willing to spend as much time as we need on it to perfect it (and often we will spend extra time on it!). Being able to devote hours of time to studying will almost GUARANTEE you to learn that material. Make sure to utilize the principle of spaced repetition and not burn yourself out! One of the biggest problems people face when it comes to studying is actually being willing to spend enough time on it to the point you are sure you understand it. When you love whatever it is that you are learning, finding time to study becomes much easier!

Number two: You actually learn more per session.

Another great benefit of loving what you learn is that you actually get more from your studying sessions! When we enjoy something and feel good we actually retain the information better. This is because you engage your studying with a positive and open mind you are better able to absorb the information. When you try to study, thinking about how much you hate the material. Your mind is wasting its energy focusing on how boring this is instead of actively engaging the material. So enjoying what you learn actually helps you to gain more from your study session!

Number three: It is more enjoyable!

Don’t think that this is the least important reason to love what you learn! Actually I might say that this is the most important reason to practice this! Being able to enjoy your studying makes being a premed so much more fun! When you enjoy learning about all of these cool subjects, you are really appreciative for being a premed. This helps to keep you motivated on the long but awesome journey to medical school! We do NOT have to suffer in order to get into medical school, we can get there enjoying every step of the way!

Okay, I agree that loving what you learn would definitely help me to do better on my exams and help boost that GPA. But there is no way that I will actually find something like Organic chemistry or Biology to be fun.

Let me show you exactly how I have learned to love even the most difficult courses!

Three general things that make me excited about learning ANYTHING:

– I can attach this new knowledge to my big picture (world view)

– See how the material is practical to me and how I can apply it to my life (or how its practical to understand as a physician)

– Realize that these courses are actually making me smarter

The key to finding love for our most dreaded courses is to appreciate what they can do for us. Something that makes me excited about learning anything is that I know it will help me to understand and appreciate the world around me even more! That right there is priceless! Also being able to see how what you are learning is practical to you being a physician is great motivation! And lastly the realization that as you take these hard courses, you are teaching your brain to think more logically and be better at solving problems. You are literally becoming smarter because of these courses! As you can see there is alot of things to love about taking those hard science courses!

Let me give you an example of how I get excited for learning organic chemistry

A few things that motivate me:

– Understanding organic chemistry helps me to better understand and appreciate all of the organic molecules we come across every day. (World view)

– Helps me to better understand the biochemical reactions in the body (Practical for a physician)

– I can learn how to synthesize medicines from simple molecules (Something fascinating about it)

The key is to become fascinated with what you learn. Find something that interests you about it! Something that makes you happy to learn it! Its seriously worth the time to find something that makes you love every subject you are taking. You will enjoy it more all semester and make better grades!

Comment below the ways you enjoy different classes!

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Aug 31 2015

4 powerful options to consider when applying to med school if you have a low gpa

4 options to consider when applying to med school with a low GPA

Having a high GPA is essential to any competitive med school application. Which is why it’s critical for all premeds to maintain a high GPA, but doing so is not always an easy task. What if you don’t have the best grades? Should you give up on your dream to becoming a doctor?

No! You can still become a doctor! There are still many options that you can take to improve your chances of getting into medical school. So don’t give up hope yet, you can still make it! We got you covered!

So what kind of options do you have available to you if your GPA is not so great?

– Caribbean medical school

– Osteopathic medical school

– Post-baccalaureate programs

– Get job experience

Caribbean medical school: This is a great option if your GPA is not as good as you would like. Most Caribbean school’s have easier requirements than the American medical school counterparts. This means you could have a lower GPA and/or MCAT score and still get accepted into a Caribbean medical school. But this does NOT mean that Caribbean schools are bad schools or that this should be a last ditch option. Caribbean schools such as Ross Medical school and St.George medical school are excellent schools. These schools perform just as well on the USMLE step 1 as American medical schools, boasting around a 97% first time pass rate. Also interesting to note is that the doctor I shadow went to Ross, and he is an amazing doctor. His patients always mention how he is there FAVORITE doctor. He also told me that once you start working as a doctor no one actually cares where you went to medical school. Caribbean medical schools are an excellent choice for someone who wants to be a fully licensed doctor (MD) but has a low GPA or MCAT.

Osteopathic medical school: Osteopathic medical school is another great option if you have a low GPA and want to apply to medical school. Typically Osteopathic medical schools are less competitive than the Allopathic medical schools. There a few differences between Osteopathic and Allopathic medical schools, one obvious one being that you will get the title “D.O” instead of “M.D”. But if you want to be a doctor then it shouldn’t really matter what title you have.

Post-baccalaureate programs: Post-baccalaureate programs offer a great opportunity to those who are struggling with a low GPA and still want to get into medical school. There post-baccalaureate programs that are linked to medical schools, where if you do well in those programs then you will be admitted into that medical school. (Check out some post-baccalaureate programs here)

Get job experience: Getting some kind of job experience in the medical field can do alot to boost your medical school application. Remember, its not just your GPA that gets you into medical school. There’s alot more to it than that. If you can show that you are well rounded and serious about a job in medicine then that can give your application a boost. Having a job in the medical field shows that you care about medicine and are serious about it, sometimes this can make the difference you need to get accepted.

These are four powerful options you can use to improve your chances of getting accepted into medical school. I covered five more ways you can make your application more competitive if you have a low GPA in this article here. Make sure to check it out!

Also since you read to the end of this article, I will give you the password to a free e-book , called “3 unique ways to make your med school application stand out“!

The password is :pmc3

Just go to member downloads and insert the password.

Pre-med 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!

Aug 26 2015

5 ways to still be competitive with a low GPA

Having a good GPA is an essential component to any good medical school application. But not everyone has a 3.8+ GPA, so what can you do when you have a low GPA? Should you just give up on getting into medical school?

The short answer is NO! Don’t give up hope yet on your dream to become a doctor! You can still get into medical school even with a low GPA! GPA is only one component of many that makes a strong application. There are still many other factors that go into whether you get into medical school. So still believe in yourself! You can do this! People get into medical school all the time with a low GPA.

So how can you still get into medical school with a bad GPA?

You are going to have to polish up other parts of your application to compensate for your GPA. Medical schools care about having a well rounded applicant that shows a strong interest in medicine. GPA is used as a gauge to see if you can handle the rigor of medical school. But GPA is not an indicator of much you care about helping other people or pursuing a career in medicine. Yes, GPA does matter. And you do want to always try to make good grades.But there are other things that medical schools look for in an applicant, so you have to use these to your advantage if your GPA is not high enough.

Another thing to note is that medical schools look at your GPA trend. That means if you started off getting bad grades, but Junior and Senior year you made all A+ then that actually looks good to most med schools.

If you are only a freshman or sophomore, and you have a low GPA then the best thing you can do is try to actually improve your GPA. Start getting those A’s now! Like I said earlier, if you show an upward trend in your grades then med schools like that. Check out my other articles on how to improve your grades! (Proven method to improve your grades!)

If you are not in a position to improve your GPA , then you will have to focus on improving other aspects of your application.

5 things you need to start focusing on if you have a low GPA:

1. Do a ton of volunteering

2. Get lots of experience in clinical settings

3. Do research

4. Get involved in clubs and obtain leadership positions

5. Do something particularly noteworthy

Do a ton of volunteering: Volunteering is huge to medical schools. Medical schools use volunteering as a way to see how much a premed wants to help out his community, something every doctor should have the desire to do. Volunteering is suppose to show your personal qualities that would make you a good physician. Also medical schools LOVE to ask about volunteer experience during interviews, so you want to be prepared when they do! So even if you have a bad GPA, if you have alot of volunteer experience you can make up for it. (Click here for our volunteer opportunities page)

Get lots of experience in clinical settings: This is important because med schools want to see that you know what its like to work in medicine. They want to make sure you are excited about medicine and will be comfortable having a job in it. Shadowing is the best way for you to find out if you really want to be a doctor. So if you can spend many hours shadowing different doctors, then med schools know that you won’t be scared by it. Many people go shadowing once, and then decide medicine isn’t the path for them. Thats the whole point of clinical experience, to let you know if this is something you want to do. So by having lots of experience in clinical settings, you show the medical colleges that you are serious about a career in medicine. And that is a definite plus for your application! Check out our article on how to find shadowing opportunities. And click here to learn about becoming a scribe.

Do research: Doing research is not something required by most medical schools but it is something which can enhance your application. Research is also a great way to get a recommendation letter. Research indicates a strong interest in science and a desire to understand, qualities which would benefit any doctor. Research is actually amazing in many other ways, so make sure to check out my other articles about that! Click here for our premed research opportunities page

Get involved in clubs and obtain leadership positions: Getting involved in clubs shows that you are involved in your school and make your school an even better place. This is something that medical schools value because they want their students to be involved with faculty and other students. This is something they are looking for in every premed applicant. Obtaining leadership positions in those clubs is even more valuable because this a great way to demonstrate to the medical school you are applying that you are a leader. Being a leader is absolutely essential to being a good doctor. As a doctor, other people rely on you constantly so you will need to be comfortable with the pressure of leading everyone. Check out this article for a great way to do that.

Doing something particularly noteworthy: Now this might sound obvious, but doing something noteworthy might actually have med schools taking special note of you! This is a great way to make yourself stand out from the other applicants (For more ways to make your application stand out, check out this free E-book (3 ways to make your med school application stand out) and grab the attention of the admissions team. Some examples of noteworthy things you can do are: Create a club at your school, publish in a science journal for your research, etc.

Remember, medical schools look at you as an applicant as a whole. Not just your GPA. They want to see a well-rounded applicant, and you can do just that if you focus on these aspects of your medical school application. Other people get in all the time without having a 4.0 GPA and you can too!

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Aug 18 2015

Proven method to improve your grades!

Proven method for improving your grades

We all know that getting good grades is essential to becoming a doctor and getting into medical school. So when it comes to having and maintaining a good GPA, it is critical that we master the art of studying. Getting good grades and acing your tests is much more than being really smart or being a genius.

It is a skill. A skill that can be learned and improved on.

Getting good grades is a skill. A skill which requires practice and constant refinement.

I’m going to repeat that getting good grades is more about HOW you study than about how smart you are. If you know how to study, you WILL get good grades. That simple. So it is important to understand the fundamental principles of proper studying and know all the associated techniques.

A new study from Harvard Medical school has found a way “to increase knowledge retention by 50%”. This method is now being used to help medical students remember their material better and score better on their exams. This method is known as.. Spaced repetition.

Spaced repetition is exactly what it sounds like. It is getting repeated exposure to the material you want to learn over a period of time. What this means is that, we are actually better at learning and remembering information if we see it many times over a period of time than if we try to cram the night before. Exposing yourself to the material several times over weeks or months helps to solidify it in your memory. So just remember that the more we are exposed to some information the better we will remember it. If you only see it once or twice before your test, you will find it difficult to recall it during your exam. And if you see that material 50 times, you are super sure that you won’t forget it!

Making it practical:

So here’s how can you use spaced repetition to improve your studying and help you get better grades..

– Start studying for your tests several days and possibly even weeks before you take them

– Study and review your class notes a little bit every day

– To help prepare for your finals. Review your old tests and quizzes every week

– Break a long study session into multiple shorter study sessions

– Whatever you do, DON’T cram last minute. (This is a recipe for disaster)

So the lesson to be learned here is that we remember information better if we are exposed to it several times over an extended period of time (weeks or months). Being exposed to some information once is not enough to solidify it in our long term memory. We must make an active effort to make sure we revisit the same material multiple times to be able to fix it into our memory.

The way we can utilize this advice is by trying to break up long study sessions into multiple shorter study sessions. This allows us more opportunities to see the material. And also the earlier you begin preparing for your exam the better! That doesn’t mean you will have to study 3 hours a day, it simply means if you spend 30 minutes a day for a week you will be in good shape!

The main thing is that you should start studying for your exams as soon as you can. Preferably study your material every day, and even after you finished your exam continue to review your old material every week. Doing so can help you get good grades and improve your GPA!

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

Aug 14 2015

How the “A” student prepares for next semester

How the A student prepares for their next semester

Most people believe that it's just what you do during your semester that makes the difference between getting an A or B. Wrong. Being on the path to getting A's in your classes begin even before the semester begins. This is what all serious students are doing that is putting them ahead of the class from the very beginning. Let me explain:

Those who are serious about making those good grades to get into medical school are always willing to go a step farther and make more effort to help guarantee that they will succeed in their classes. Your success in your next semester starts well before you actually go to your first day of class. One of the biggest and yet, sometimes most underrated factors in getting an A in your classes, is starting the semester off smoothly. When it comes to getting good grades, it makes a HUGE difference when you can understand the material from the very beginning and you are not struggling to grasp the concepts.

That's why what you do before the semester starts is so important. So what is it that other pre-med students are doing that has them starting the semester stronger than everyone else?

They are already prepared before they even walk in the door on the first day of class.

The key to being ready for next semester is to familiarize yourself with what you are going to learn. This doesn't mean you have to study it fully in depth, no that's what the course is for. But what you want to do is to skim all the chapters and try to get the big picture. This way, when you walk in the door the first day, the professor will only be helping to clarify what you already have an idea about. This can make such an incredible difference in how easily you comprehend the information. Instead of asking what you got yourself into, you will be breezing through the class and actually enjoying it!

So how do you do it...

Here's a checklist of things you should do to help make sure you are fully prepared for next semester!

1. Read the syllabus and know it like the back of your hand

2. Get your books ahead of time and do a brief study of the chapters

3. Feel confident in understanding what the big picture is, and what to expect from your class

4. Make folders on your computer for each class (optional)

Number one: Read the syllabus!

The syllabus is such a valuable document that it's surprising how few students actually read it. The syllabus is seriously like a cheat sheet for every class you take. You MUST aquatint yourself with the class syllabus. The syllabus contains extremely valuable information. It tells you about how the class is graded, typically the schedule, what chapters will be taught, whether tests or quizzes will be dropped, and most importantly it tells you what to expect!

Not all schools let you see your syllabus before classes start, but if they do, definitely check it out! If not, then do it as soon as you get access to it!

Number two: Getting your books ahead of time and skim them.

This is the MOST crucial step out of all the above listed. Getting your books and studying ahead of time allows you the extra time to understand what's going on so that you are not left behind on the first day of class. You should just briefly skim over all the chapters, look at the vocabulary and try to just understand what the main points are. For instance, if I'm trying to learn photosynthesis, I do not need to learn all of the specifics of the krebs cycle or how much ATP is produced. What you should do is just get the big picture, like the energy from the light reactions is used to fuel the dark reactions. Nothing more complicated than that. Just get yourself familiar with what's going on.

Number three: Feel confident in your understanding of the big picture.

If you want to walk into class the first day prepared and ready to go, then you must have skimmed through your books enough that you feel confident you understand what the big picture is. If you understand what the big picture is, then you can easily add the details onto it, making the learning process so much smoother.

Number four: Make folders for your classes on your computer.

This step is optional because it's not really necessary for starting the semester off smoothly. But it definitely helps to keep things going smoothly and can be really useful later on in the semester if you were organized from the beginning. Though I would highly recommend you do it, as it really helps you stay organized and be more efficient.

In summary..

Preparation is EVERYTHING.

Make sure you are the student is who is prepared to succeed. There are always those students who are asking other students questions, and then there are the students who are helping those other students. If you just take a couple of days to prepare for your classes before starting, it could really make the difference between struggling the entire semester or going through it smoothly. Starting off a semester well is imperative to making an A.

Please share this with your fellow pre-med! Did this help? Leave us a comment below!

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