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May 13 2016

How a Pre Med should spend summer to boost their medical school application

How a Pre Med should spend summer to boost their medical school application

While most students see the summer as an opportunity to relax and kick back, the pre-med should see it as an opportunity to boost their medical school application. Summer provides a great chance to boost your med school application and do things which can separate you from the average pre med. During the school year there isn’t always enough time to get done all of the many things a pre med should do. Making good grades usually takes priority over volunteering, shadowing, and research. Thats the great thing about summer, it gives the busy pre med time to get things done. And over the course of 3 to 4 summers , you can easily do everything you need to build up an amazing application. So what should you be doing during your precious summer if you want to get into medical school?

Six ways you can productively spend your summer to help make an awesome med school application:

Do a lot of volunteering
Shadow a physician
Get medical experience
Do research
Study for MCAT
Take summer classes

Do a lot of volunteering: One of the most underrated aspects of medical school applications is how many volunteering hours you have done. This is actually a huge deal to whether you get accepted or not. Applicants who have great GPA and MCAT scores don’t get accepted because they don’t have enough volunteer hours. This is great news for those who have lower and less competitive GPA’s because it helps even the playing field. Use summer as an opportunity to rack up a huge amount of volunteer hours and help give yourself a big boost to your application. Click here for help finding volunteering opportunities.

Shadow a physician: Every pre-med knows that shadowing a physician is very important for having a good medical school application. It is often very difficult to find a physician to shadow and also just as difficult to find the time during the week to shadow a doctor. Often most doctors start work early in the morning and a round can last several hours, which might interfere with your classes. If you have a busy school schedule then you might not have time to shadow during the school week and summer becomes the only viable time to do it. (Find out some of the best ways to find a doctor to shadow)

Get medical experience: Even if you can’t shadow a physician, just getting experience in a medical environment is definitely better than none. Working in the hospital doing almost any job, whether that is just desk work still counts towards medical experience in the eyes of the medical school. If you are doing desk work try to have a proper ergonomic office chair so that you take care of your posture. Most importantly , medical colleges want to know you have been exposed to the medical environment. Summer is a great time to get experience in the medical field while also earning some money. Things like being a tech or an EMT can be very rewarding but also hard to get into.Search online for possible job opportunities near by that will look good on your application.

Do research: This is another thing you can do to help spice up your medical school application. While it is not necessary to do research to get into medical school it is always welcomed and looks good. This could be what separates you from the other applicant they are considering. You can do research for one of your professors at school or you can find summer research programs. Check here for help finding research programs.

Study for MCAT: This might not be for everyone since some of you may have already taken the MCAT but for those of you who haven’t, summer can provide a great opportunity to prepare for it. The MCAT covers a lot of material so summer is a great because it provides the opportunity to really focus on the MCAT. There are many great resources for studying for MCAT and prep books that can really help. If you have the MCAT ahead of you , don’t waste this opportunity! (I will be posting a thorough guide on how to prepare for MCAT soon!)

Take summer classes: Summer classes are great for two main reasons. First, they will help you graduate and move through your pre-med program faster. This is important because it allows you to become a doctor that much sooner but also it might make a difference when you take the MCAT or you apply for medical school. It could mean the difference between getting in one year or the next. Second, summer classes provide a great chance to boost your GPA. Taking a class during summer is usually a lot easier than taking it during the semester. This is because during the semester you have to focus on about 5 different classes, while in summer you only have to focus on one or two. This gives you much more time to study and not be overwhelmed by too much coursework. Taking a class during summer can help give you an edge in making an A.

These are my recommendations on how you should spend your summer if you want to boost your med school application. I don’t recommend trying to do everything in one summer, while you certainly can, if you just focus on one or two things from this list you will do yourself a great favor. I hope this helps!

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Apr 22 2016

Pre-Med 101: What is the best major for getting into medical school?

Pre-Med 101: What is the best major For getting into Medical school?

This is a common question that many new pre-meds have. What is the best major for getting into medical school? As mentioned in our other premed 101 article (Is there a premed major?) , you don’t need to major in any specific degree as long as you get the premed required classes done. But even though you don’t need a specific major to get accepted into medical school there still might be some things worth looking into before deciding what you want to major in. There isn’t a “best” major but there are pros and cons to the different types of majors you can take. So let’s take a look at that, and you can decide for yourself what the best major for YOU is!

Generally speaking there are two types of majors you can major in if you are a premed. Science major or non-science major. So I will discuss the benefits of both.

Science major:

Pros:

– Helps prepare you better for MCAT and the rigors of medical school

– Will give you a headstart in medical school

Cons:

– More difficult curriculum, can hurt your GPA

– There are many science majors applying to medical school

Non-science major:

Pros:

– You can take a major on something you are really interested in and enjoy
– Will be better for your GPA
– Shows well roundedness and helps make you more unique on your application

Cons:

– Won’t prepare you as well for MCAT or rigors of medical school

These are the general pros and cons associated with either being a science major or non science major when it comes to being a premed. Science majors are better trained for doing well on the MCAT and in medical school because of the rigor involved in a science curriculum. However that same difficulty involved in studying the sciences can make it harder to maintain that great GPA. But it will prepare you best for medical school. On the other hand taking a non-science major might be a bit easier academically and thus be good for your GPA. But also it will not prepare you as well for the rigors involved with medical school and taking the MCAT. That being said its also important for you to consider what you would enjoy studying. And if medical school doesn’t work out and you chose a science major even though you don’t actually like science, that would be a bad position to be in. So you also have to consider what happens if you don’t get into medical school. But that won’t happen because you got premed community here!

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Apr 18 2016

Pre-Med 101 : Is there a premed major?

Pre-Med 101: Is there a premed major?

Welcome to our Pre-Med 101 series! Here we will go over all the basics it means to be a premed , answer common questions, and debunk premed myths.

Todays question is : Is there a premed major?

This happens to be a common misconception about being a premed. Many people think that you have to major in “premed”. But actually the term premed simply refers to your intention to go to medical school, it doesn’t say anything about what undergraduate major you are pursuing. In fact you can major in anything and still be a pre-med! Being a pre-med does require you to take certain classes and take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). These are whats known as the general premed requirements because almost every medical school requires them for admission. No matter what major you are you must still fulfill all of the premed requirements before applying to medical school. So what are the general premed requirements?

English (2 semesters)
Biology (2 semesters)
General chemistry (2 semesters)
Organic chemistry (2 semesters)
Physics (2 semesters)

These are the courses you need to apply to medical school. However, some schools may also require you to take biochemistry, calculus, genetics, or some other class. But the classes mentioned above are standard for almost all medical schools.

You can be any major as long as you take those classes. And sometimes being a non science major can be beneficial to your medical school application. It helps make your application standout and shows diverse set of interests. Medical schools want applicants that are well rounded. On the other side of the coin, being a science major gives you an edge for the MCAT and might better prepare you for the rigors of medical school. Whats important to know is that you can be any major you want and still apply for medical school! Just make sure to take the required pre-med classes and complete the other aspects of the application (volunteering, shadowing, MCAT, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, etc.).

I hope this helps! If you haven’t already click here to sign up for our free membership and download our e-book , “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide” and get our comprehensive list of medical school rankings! Sign up and download your free ebook now! We post new content regularly, so make sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter to stay up to date! Thank you for reading! Check back later for more content to help you on your journey to medical school!

Apr 08 2016

Use study pages to help you ace your exams!

How to use study pages to help you ace your exams

So you have got a big test coming up and there is a lot being covered, you are feeling uneasy and anxiety is kicking in. With so much to focus on you don’t know what to do. Well don’t worry I got a tip that could help! And don’t worry I will be posting an example to go with it. Get ready to add another studying tool to your pre med tool belt!

So this is a technique that you can use for any test. I have found that it works best for science and math type classes or when there are a lot of key concepts that must be known. This technique is best for boiling down what really matters. Anyway on to the tip now!

What you do is to make a single page that summarizes everything you absolutely must know. This could include all relevant equations, terms, concepts, strategies for problems, etc. I will be going over tips on how to make this really useful and convenient.
You can and should use both the front and back of the page when making it. The reason for only using one page is that it forces you to focus on only what matters. Its a great way for you to figure out whats most important and deserves higher priority. This also makes for a great study aid for your final, helping you quickly review material from previous tests. So here’s some tips on how to make it good.

Tips on how to make it:

– Dedicate different parts of the page for different things. (One section for important formulas, another for key terms, another for concepts, etc.)
– Don’t just list a bunch of terms. Have variety in what you include.
– Don’t waste the page on things you already know. (Focus on things that you have a hard time remembering or are really important.)

Okay with that in mind lets take a look at an example!

Here’s an example:

For a Physics II test on circuits and magnetism. (Excuse the bad handwriting! Insert joke about having doctor handwriting )

Notice how the page is separated into different sections. Try and organize your study pages like this.

So notice how my study page has a lot of variety in it. I tried my best to ensure that I covered all of the most important things on the exam but also what I had a hard time remembering. Making these study pages also has the added benefit of showing you what you need to work on and helping you understand those things. And remember the best way to study for something is to digest it in as many different ways as possible (Hearing it, seeing it, writing it down, watching a video on it, etc.). The more ways you interact with the material helps you remember it better! So I hope you make use of study pages when you study for your next exam!

I have a ton more I want to share with you! I am going to lay out exactly how I have been able to maintain a high GPA in a tough pre-med program. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get free access to all our exclusive premedical advice! Don’t forget to comment below and let me and all the other pre-meds know what you think.

More helpful premed resources:

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

Bonus:

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 to make that a reality!

Mar 19 2016

How to utilize class time most effectively in order to make good grades

How to make the most out of class time to improve your grades

One of our greatest opportunities to learn, ask questions, and prepare yourself to ace your exams. Yes, thats right. I am talking about class time. Now I’m sure you are thinking that this is obvious, all you have to do is show up and take notes right? Well I think theres a right and a wrong way to show up to class. And making these changes can help you get a lot more out of your class time. The amount of students I have seen making these mistakes is staggering. And if you can take atleast one or two of my tips about this then I am sure you will find yourself getting a lot more use out of your time in the class room!

Here are SIX ways you can make the most out of class time and improve your grades:

– Read and study ahead before coming to class

– Come to class with the intention to focus and pay close attention

– Get rid of all distractions

– Start asking questions

– Start taking notes the right way

– Make sure you always come to class!

Read and study ahead before coming to class: This is really important and will help you so much when you are actually in class. Especially when the material is hard. You want to do this so that you familiarize yourself with the topics and it won’t be the first time you ever heard of it when you are in the class. This is helpful because it helps you keep up with the lecture and not fall behind. And thats really important because if you have no clue whats going on in the class then its really hard to benefit from being there. You only need to skim through and just get the general gist of it, not hard studying. Just try to get an understanding of the basics and concepts. So make sure you start reading, checking the powerpoint, etc. BEFORE coming to class.

Come to class with the intention to focus and pay close attention: This is a mindset shift. Its probably the most important tip out of all the ones I’m going to give you. The best advice are the ones that help you be a better student and this is one of them. Theres something about class where most people just go into zombie or robot mode and kind of just get into a rhythm of write whatever the professor does on the board, copy the powerpoints (Make sure you check out this article about why doing that is the worst thing you can do), and then wait until the teacher writes on the board again to just copy it down. People seem to just think that is all there is to class time. Teacher says something, write it down. Or teacher wrote something on board, just write it down. But that is the wrong mindset. You need to come there and question everything the teacher is doing and spend your focus on learning while in class instead of making notes to study for later.

Get rid of all distractions: This is something that I see so many students doing wrong. All around the class room people are on their cell phones texting and there even people who are on their laptop surfing the web! It is crazy! Not only that but it is distracting to those who are trying to pay attention. Why even come to class if you are not going to pay attention. Obviously if you are distracted with your phone or technology then you are not learning anything from the lecture. You can use your phone or laptop after class. This is an easy change to make. So make it.

Start asking questions: This is one of the main benefits of being in class, that you can literally ask questions about what you are learning while learning it. You have your teacher’s time (the person who is making your tests and who’s job it is to prepare you for it) to get answers to anything you are unsure about. This is the main benefit to being in class versus just being at home studying the powerpoints. This is a big deal and can make a giant difference in your confidence in the material. Also you don’t have to ask in front of the class, you can wait until class is over and ask him/her any questions you had from lecture. Its very helpful to clarify things.

Start taking notes the right way: I wrote an in depth article on the best note taking methods you can do, so check it out here. But taking notes in a way that helps you actually learn is extremely beneficial to how well you learn the material and how you study for the test. There definitely is a right and wrong way to take notes, so make sure you’re not making those mistakes and check out my other article for clarification. Improving your note taking is a game changer and will improve how you use your class time.

Don’t skip class!: This sounds like a no brainer but there are so many students who just simply skip class. This is a huge no no. Its a big mistake. First of all you are paying for school why waste your money or your parent’s money by not even showing up. Whats even the point of going to college if you don’t even utilize the resources it provides you. Who would want to hire someone who never actually attended their lectures? But also by missing the classes you miss out on both learning from the professor directly and also you miss out on the little tips and bonuses you get from coming to class. There have been so many times that just because I came to class and so many students didn’t , the people who did come to class got free bonus points on a test or something. Also professor’s only mention some things in class and if you don’t attend you will never find out, and next thing you know there was a homework due that you didn’t know about or a pop quiz. Don’t let that happen. Come to class.

Let me know in the comments down below what your best advice are for making the most out of class time! I would love to hear them! And I hope these tips helped you! I have a ton more I want to share with you! I am going to lay out exactly how I have been able to maintain a high GPA in a tough pre-med program. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get free access to all our exclusive premedical advice! Don’t forget to comment below and let me and all the other pre-meds know what you think.

Was this article helpful? What kind of articles you want to see? (For more polls, click here)

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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!

Bonus:

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 to make that a reality!