pre med advice

May 15 2020

How to study like a boss from home and stay productive during COVID-19

With the whole coronavirus situation, many of us have had to make the transition to studying or working from home. One would think that it would be easy to study from home because you are in your most comfortable environment and have access to all your resources at your fingertips. There are definitely some benefits from studying from home. But with those benefits comes challenges. After all, what sounds better than studying in your pajamas on your favorite couch? But it is exactly that comfort which makes it that much harder to stay disciplined while studying or working from home. In this article, I am going to go over all of the different ways I have made studying from home more productive for me. I would consider myself a bit of an expert at studying from home and I have learned almost all of these lessons the hard way. Hopefully, these tips will help optimize your study time from home whether it is during the COVID-19 pandemic or just if you are looking for ways to be more productive at home.

What makes studying from home difficult

So why exactly is studying from home so darn difficult? Is it the fact that you are surrounded by distractions in all directions? I think that is part of the reason. But I believe that the real reason its so hard to study from home is because of comfort. Comfort to an extent is a good thing but too much makes you too relaxed to get done what you need to. The key to finding productivity from home is to create some pressure to get work done as well as avoiding distractions. Once you understand this concept, then you will find it much easier to stay focused and productive from home. You must create an environment and situation that facilitates the pressure to get done what you need to. This is done by not allowing yourself to get too relaxed or distracted. If you study while laying in bed you are too relaxed and not creating the mental pressure to be productive. If you want to be successful from studying at home you need to set yourself up for success by creating an environment that facilitates your work ethic. Now that we know the basic principle for staying productive at home lets jump straight into the various tips for doing just that!

Create a schedule (time blocks work)

The very first thing that you want to have is a schedule that you can follow. When you create a study schedule it creates some structure that allows you to know what you need to be doing and not waste time trying to figure out what to do. Your schedule is the back-bone to your success with being productive. It allows you to stay focused and not waste time. My favorite method for creating a schedule for studying is to do “time blocks”. These are basically dedicated periods of time towards doing one task. In this case, studying. During this period of time the only thing you focus on is studying. What you do is just figure out how many of these time blocks you want to do and how long they should be. I typically do around five study “time blocks” of 45 mins with 5 min breaks in between. Although the actual number of time blocks that you do depends on how much material you have to cover and is something that you can adjust to suit you. Perhaps you like to do more time blocks of less time, such as doing 10 time blocks of 20 mins. Experiment with it and find the amount that suits you! I have been recently using an app called “Tomato 2” (from the mac app store), this allows me to adjust my time blocks and keep track of them. If you have an apple computer I suggest you get this app! If you don’t, you can always set a timer on your phone and do it that way!

As for more timing of doing the time blocks I typically try to get started on them right after waking up. So my schedule might look something like this: Wake up. Do five “time blocks” focused on studying material from my First Aid textbook. Then I will do two
“time blocks” focused on flashcards. Then I will do one “time block” working on my website or working on writing my book. Then I will do one “time block” focused on exercise.

If each of those time blocks were one hour long, then that would be a total of nine hours of focus. If each of those time blocks were 30 mins long then it would be 4.5 hours of focus. You can adjust how long your time blocks are for each thing you want to focus on. And the great thing about this is that it means you get all of your desired tasks done.

Create a to-do list (no more than 5 key tasks)

A to-do list is another essential aspect of being productive from home. You need to have a list of things that you want to get done or focus on for the day. Aimlessly wandering around trying to figure out what to do will waste alot of time and not create a focused environment. Having a to-do list adds structure to your day and gives you goals to focus on achieving. This tip also goes well with the previous one about using “time blocks” because it allows you to know what you want to use your time blocks for.

Knowing how to create an effective to-do list is a skill in of itself. You want to make the to-do list focused on the most important tasks first. Its critical that you know what is the priority. If you could only get one thing done in the day what would it be? That is a good way of deciding what needs to get done most. Then make a list of the top three things you want to focus on. In general you should not have more than 5 things on your daily to-do list. If there is something that you want to do but it is not a priority, I suggest making a second to-do list for things that are on the backburner. Treat this second list as a log of all the things you want to do and then move items from that list to your daily to do list when it becomes more of a priority.

It is also critical that you make your to-do list items realistic goals that you can achieve in the time you have in the day. You dont want to come up with goals that are too vague either. Make a to-do list item that is achievable and specific. Such as “Read 20 pages from Ch.20 in biology textbook” or “Complete powerpoint presentation for English class”, these are specific to-do list items that are achievable.

In summary: choose only the highest priority things you need to do for your to-do list, make your goals achievable and specific, and have no more than five items on your daily to do list.

Don’t study on your bed

This tip is actually a huge game changer. Its simple and effective. Studying in bed causes you to be too relaxed and does not create the focused pressured environment you need to be productive. Not only that but being in your bed will make you more prone to falling asleep and also will make it harder for you to sleep in your bed when you are supposed to. Just don’t study in your bed, go find another less distracting place. Period.

Don’t study in your pajamas

This is actually another simple but game-changing tip. Simply putting on a pair of jeans and a proper t-shirt will get you in the mindset that you need to be productive. It helps to create that pressured environment and is a great subconscious trick you can use to get into the right mentality. When you wear pajamas and study you are telling your brain that you are relaxed and thus you don’t focus as hard and are more prone to getting distracted. Don’t let this be you studying!

(While I may look comfortable studying I’m not exactly set up for being as productive as I can)

Put on a pair of jeans, t-shirt, socks and see what it does for you! I also suggest experimenting with different outfits to see which ones you are most productive in. I find that wearing my shoes and a jacket usually has me most productive, but that might not always be practical given your circumstances or the time of year it is.

Create the right study environment (away from distractions)

Creating the right study environment is very helpful for allowing you to stay focused. You want to find a spot in your house where you are most free from distractions, is comfortable but still facilitates focus. If you live with other people, places, where people walk by and talk, should be avoided. You want your study environment to be one where there are not any visual distractions or temptations. This means avoid environments where you can “people watch” such as a window over the street and avoid rooms with things that might tempt you to be distracted. You don’t want to be tempted to turn the tv on or go grab a snack. Having a comfortable chair is also an important quality to a study environment because it allows for longer studying sessions. I suggest a desk that is big enough to accomodate all of your study material (books, ipad, laptop, etc.). This desk should have nothing excessive on it. Just a lamp, pens, pencils, paper, and other necessities. With the right study environment you will notice that your concentration will be much stronger and focused!

Turn your phone on airplane mode and leave in another room

Here is another quick fix tip to help you on your road to productivity. This one is especially useful and often necessary for those of us who are constantly checking our phones and feeling the urge to look at social media. Simply put your phone on airplane mode and leave it in another room.

Do some calisthenic exercises between activities and to stay awake

Here is something I started doing out of necessity that has really helped me with feeling tired and out of energy. The other added benefit is that it helps to keep me healthy! So after you finish a time block of studying for 45 mins go ahead and get up and do some exercise that you want to do. Every time you take a break is a chance to pump out 20 reps! Also you can do exercises when you get up to get water or go to the bathroom. Use each chance you get up as an opportunity to get a few reps in. Some of the exercises I suggest trying in order to get your blood pumping are squats and push-ups. Do enough that you feel the burn and are re-energized.

10 minute meditation break to regain focus

This is a great way to reset your mind and your focus when you find yourself overwhelmed by all the things you have to do or if you keep finding yourself distracted. I understand that the last thing you want to do when you feel so overwhelmed is to take a break and do a meditation but it is exactly that which lets your mind calm down and relax. Give your mind a break from all the distractions and stress. You will find that after your meditation you are much more calm and focused.

Find your flow

Being able to get into a flow is so important when it comes to being productive. This is when you are working and being productive and lose track of all time because you are so caught up in what you are focused on. This can be achieved when you have the right study environment and when you are not distracted. Everyone is different in what helps them reach their flow state. When you are in your flow is when you get the most work done. Learn what helps you get into your flow. Is it when you study in a specific place? Is it when you wear a certain outfit? Or is there a certain type of music that helps you get into that flow? One of my best tips for this is that once you find your flow try your best to stay in it as long as possible. Avoid getting up to go do something or giving in to the temptation to check your phone. Once you do you lose your momentum and it can take awhile to get back into it. When you find yourself being productive take advantage of it and try to ride that wave as long as possible.

Prepare snacks and drinks

This advice is basically another way to avoid unnecessary distractions. You might not realize it but having to get up to go grab a drink or snacks is a distraction by itself. It is one of the sneaky ways you have your attention to be taken away from what you set out to accomplish. When you get up to go grab some food and drinks, you lose momentum that you had. And often going to grab something to eat might turn into you doing something else and next thing you know you spent an hour doing some less important task instead of what you should have been doing. Avoid that whole situation by preparing ample amount of snacks and drinks when you are setting up to study. The other benefit to to having snacks and drinks is that it keeps you full of energy throughout the study session.

Stay on one task until completion

This is such an important point when it comes to being productive. Do NOT multi-task! I don’t care if you think you are amazing at it. Focusing on one task until completion is way more efficient. This allows you to not have to waste any time between jumping between activities and hesitating what to focus on. Don’t divide all your attention between multiple activities, instead focus it all onto one task. This way you can complete your to-do list one item at a time.

So there you have it, these are my best tips for how to stay productive at home! This became an especially valuable skill to develop since the whole coronavirus situation began. I learned all of these things the long and hard way as a medical student that had to self-study 15 hours a day for the majority of my first and second year. And these tips can apply to studying or working from home, the concept is the same. This will help you get more work done as well as study. I hope these tips were helpful! Don’t let covid-19 get in the way of your productivity! Let me know what your study tips are for staying productive from home, I would love to hear them! Post a comment down below and please share this with someone who is struggling from staying focused at home.

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment down below! Follow me on Instagram @medstudentwil. For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, youtube, and pinterest!

Jul 16 2019

How the top pre-meds start off the semester strong

One of the biggest mistakes many premeds make is not starting the semester off strong. The beginning of the semester represents one of the greatest opportunities to put yourself in line to secure that A in your class! Its very important to start off strong because that will the set the tone for your whole semester. Remember, it is always easier to maintain an A in a class once you already got it than it is to work your way up to one from a lower grade. So by getting off to the right foot from the very beginning you increase your chances of making an A greatly. Not only that but it is also way less stressful knowing you are in a good situation rather than worrying if you will make the grade you want or not. We are going to go over some of the best methods to make sure you start the semester off right!

Before we go any further, make sure to read my article “How the A student starts their next semester“. This gives advice more on how to prepare for your next semester, but some of the content overlaps. However in this article though I really want to emphasize the point of staying ahead and being one step ahead of your teachers. Yes, this method takes more effort than to not do it. But the real secret to making good grades is hard work. Work smart and work hard and you will definitely achieve your goals. So how do I stay ahead of the class?

The main ways to stay ahead of your class are by:

Pre-reading the powerpoint before class
Reading the chapter in your book before your teacher lectures on it
Watching youtube videos on the topic
Doing practice problems

The reason it is so important to do this is because the material is ALWAYS easier to understand the second or third time you see or hear it. You want to already have been exposed to the material your teacher will go over in class before they do. Especially if it is hard material. By having already read the powerpoints, the book chapter, watching videos, and doing practice problems you will be way ahead of everyone else in your class. And then when finally your teacher lectures on the topic, they will only help to clarify anything that confused you. By having already pre-read and prepared for lecture, you will also have a list of questions you can ask your teacher. While the other students are hearing this for the first time and trying to just even understand whats going on, you will be solidifying what you know or clarifying on things that confused you.

This is especially important during the beginning of the semester because you will be introduced usually to a bunch of brand new content. In the beginning of a semester, usually the easiest tests and quizzes are given out. So you want to take advantage of that and grab those easy A’s early on! Getting off to the right start early on will set a good pace for your whole semester. The momentum of how you do in the beginning is often carried throughout the entire semester, so you want to get this right! So make sure you read ahead and are prepared for your next lecture! This will definitely help you achieve the grades you want!

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May 09 2019

Two surprising things that medical schools really care about

Medical schools care about alot of things. They have many expectations of those who apply to their programs. They want a high GPA, good MCAT, shadowing hours, volunteering, unique experiences that make you a good candidate, letters of recommendation. These are the things that most pre-meds know about. There are however many other things that medical schools value in a candidate which they don’t put onto their website. Knowing the things that medical schools value in their candidates is what can tip the odds into your favor when applying against other strong applicants. You can leverage this information to your advantage in your medical school applications and you should. During my first year of medical school I realized two things that I wish I knew before applying that could have made my application even more competitive! I want to share that with you all.

1. You have the ability to be self-sustaining and can cope with stress

This was made surprisingly important during our orientation of medical school and through out the year by faculty. During orientation we went over about the realities of physician burnout and how medicine can be stressful. We also went over various coping strategies and self-care methods to know for at least an hour! They also spent an incredible amount of time talking about all the services the school offers for students for their well-being. Then throughout the year we had several mandatory wellness sessions that included activities such as teaching us how to cook simple meals and talking about the importance of mental health. This includes taking proper measures to ensure you have health coverage, whether through insurance or savings (HSA Future Value Calculator). So it can go without saying that they really care that their students are healthy and happy! How can you use this to your advantage as a pre-med? Simple. Make sure that you emphasize in your application and during your interview numerous ways that you cope with stress in healthy/positive ways. This could be things like running, meditating, reading books, playing sports, etc. You want this to be authentic though, you should have more to say than I like to run. Maybe mention that you have ran a few marathons. This will be more memorable and impactful than just saying you like to run. As a side note, remember you always want to try and find ways to be unique and stick out in a good way to the admissions team! Besides showing that you have ways to cope with stress you also want to emphasize that you are self-sufficient and can take care of yourself. This can be done via certain activities such as cooking or if you lived abroad before. Ultimately just try to find authentic ways you can show the medical team that you have what it takes to handle the stress load of medical schools because that’s what they want to know.

2. You can help your classmates be successful

This goes along with the last point which is that medical schools want to know that their students can handle the stress load of medical school. The medical schools are investing alot of time and resources into turning you into a doctor! They want to make sure that everyone they accept will succeed and become a doctor. They don’t want students who will give up and quit out, that represents a loss of time and resources on their behalf and makes them look bad. You must remember this when applying! They want all of their future students to succeed. That is why they require such high GPAs, MCATs, volunteering, shadowing, letters of reccomendation, etc. It is because they want to be assured that their students can succeed. This is why having the ability to help your classmates succeed is something that medical schools want in an applicant. Often times the success of students lies not just in themselves but in having great classmates who will help eachother out. Showing to medical schools that you will be a student who is group-oriented and is a team player will make them feel you are a good addition to the class and can provide some benefit to the other students.Knowing this will help you fine-tune your application to making the medical schools want you! If you can not only show that you can handle medical school and succeed but also show that you can help support your classmates do it then that makes you really appealing in the eyes of the medical school! You can show this through activities such as being a tutor, being a peer mentor, serving a leadership position in some club at school, and even if you have done alot of team sports (soccer, basketball, etc.). These activities help provide the image of someone who is team oriented and knows how to work well with others.

Alright so keep these tips in mind when you are deciding on what extra-curricular activities to choose as a pre-med and what you want to emphasize on your application! Think like the medical school and know what their agenda is. If you know what they want then you will be able to turn yourself into a stronger applicant! Its the small things like this that add up and make you get that spot in your dream medical school!

Check out this video I made on the topic! Youtube video

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Jun 30 2018

Four tips for writing great secondary applications to medical schools

You have already finished all of your pre-med requirements and sent in your primary application. The only thing left between you and that ever so sweet interview at your dream medical school is the secondary application. You are so close to getting interviewed and potentially accepted! So how do you make the most out of your secondary application and not mess it up?

1. Keep your answers professional

Just because you are so close to getting invited to that interview does not mean that you can stop being professional. Some of the essay questions you may be asked in a secondary application could include questions that ask about your personal life or how you can contribute to their school. Don’t try to make any jokes, even if it is in good humor, or do anything that makes you seem like you are not taking your secondary application completely serious. Your best chance as an applicant comes when you present yourself as a professional and very serious about pursuing a career in medicine. Absolutely do not come across as if you are not taking the questions seriously.

2. Try to max out the character limit for your essay responses

Writing a lot in each of your essay questions shows that you spent time coming up with your response and that you put thought into it. In general, it will always look better if you have an essay that reaches the character limit than a response to the essay prompt that is only three sentences long. This does not mean to fill your answers with fluff to just make it longer. Instead, spend some extra time and think about personal examples that relate to the essay prompt. You can go into extra detail about how meaningful it was to you. Of course you do not have to max out the character limit for your responses, but just try to do your best to write as much quality content as you can. At the very least make sure you have at least a solid paragraph for each answer. You don’t want to be judged for writing too little, so make sure to avoid this easy mistake!

3. Make your answers personal

This is the difference between the average and mediocre essay response and the high-quality ones. The people who can relate each essay response with real experiences they have had always do the best. Do not give generic answers that sound like they could have been written by anyone. Your answers should be one that no one else could replicate because it comes from your personal experiences and reasons that have motivated you to pursue a career in medicine. Everyone has different experiences and reasons that have motivated them to pursue this path. Focus your essays on identifying these. The more genuine and personal you can make your responses the more you will stand out as an applicant who is serious. Don’t tell people why you would be a great physician. Show them why you would be by giving personal reasons and experiences.

4. Make your answers specific to that school whenever possible

This is a great way to set yourself apart from most of the other applicants. A lot of applicants will come up with a generic answer to common medical school essay prompts and then send that exact same answer to every school. The result is that every school gets some generic answer that looks like it was sent to 20 other schools! You need to take the time to write a different answer to every medical school! Even if they ask the exact same essay questions. If you can relate your answer to why that specific medical school would be a good fit for you then those schools will take you much more seriously as an applicant. Giving specific reasons why that medical school is the perfect match for you and how aspects of its curriculum serve your need as a medical student shows you have done your research and you are serious about their school.

I hope these tips helped! Remember, make sure you spend all the time you need to make your secondary applications count. You are so close to getting interviewed and accepted. Be professional in your responses, write as much as you can, and relate your answers to personal experiences and the medical school you are applying to. If you take the time to make a rock-solid application you will surely get those interview invitations!

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May 13 2018

7 Tips for applicants with a low MCAT score

7 Tips for Applicants with Low MCAT Scores

Getting into medical school or college with a low MCAT score is no mean feat and something which is far from easy. However, before you give up and turn your back on your dreams of a top-notch education and successful career, there are some tips and pieces of advice we’d encourage you to bear in mind.

Because while being an applicant to med school with a low MCAT score puts you at something of a disadvantage, it doesn’t make getting into college impossible. In fact, there are many ways you can seriously boost your chances of success, and demonstrate to the admissions officers overseeing your application that you’re actually a highly suitable candidate.

It’s going to take some seriously hard work, a lot of effort, and even more dedication… but you know as well as we do that it will all be worth it in the end when that acceptance letter comes through your door. Take our advice, take the steps necessary, and keep yourself focused on the ultimate goal. Who knows where your efforts will take you?

Tip 1: Strive to do Better

This may seem like stating the obvious, but there’s an important point to be made here. Your less-than-perfect MCAT score has shown that you aren’t as yet the ideal candidate for your course, but admissions officers love students who can show dedication, and demonstrate that they’re on an upward curve of success. No matter what point of your premed journey you’re currently at, there’s still time to show that you’re improving all the time, and striving for academic success that can help you shine.

Tip 2: Submit Early

There’s a lot to be said for getting your application in as early as possible, and yes, it does actually make a difference. It demonstrates decisiveness, resolve, and a willingness to get ahead, and can actually put your low MCAT scores in a more positive light.

Late applications are – of course – still accepted by many colleges, but by submitting late you’re even further decreasing your chances of an acceptance, not least at colleges with rolling admissions.

Tip 3: Be Strategic

If you’re planning on going to med school, then doing deep research should really be second nature to you. If your MCAT score didn’t turn out the way you wanted, it’s time to get out there and start looking for the colleges at which this might not make a whole load of differences.

There are plenty of med schools which really put a huge emphasis on test results and percentages. However, there is also a decent amount which doesn’t and prefers to take a more holistic approach. Take the time to research MCAT and GPA averages, and include schools on your list which you fall into the ranges of, alongside the schools which you’re reaching to get into. This doesn’t mean you can’t dream big… it just means that everyone can benefit from an effective and realistic plan B.

Tip 4: Make sure your personal statement is perfect

Personal statements for medical school are among the most important texts you may ever have to write in your life. They require plenty of time and effort and need to be absolutely spot on if they’re going to result in that all-important application letter (especially if you can’t rely on a star-standard MCAT score to carry you through).

If you simply don’t have the time or resources to write a winning admission paper, it might be time to call in the experts to help you with. With their help and expert guidance, the applications officers at your dream school will be so dazzled by your personal statement, they’ll surely be willing to overlook a less-than-perfect MCAT score, and give you the chance you’ve been hoping for.

Tip 5: Consider retaking the MCAT

Everyone knows the MCAT is tough. It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, and it’s no fun for anyone involved. However, if your score really isn’t going to do you any favors when it comes to getting into med school (and you can speak to your professors about the attainability of your ambitions), then you might just have to bite the bullet and retake the exam.

The medical profession requires plenty of humility. If you messed up the first MCAT, you’re going to have to take a long, hard look at yourself, and consider what it is you did wrong, and what you’ll have to do differently. It may be that your entire approach was off the mark, or it may be that you fell down on just one or two points. Be humble, be realistic, and be objective – it will do you a whole load of favors when it comes to your retake.

Tip 6: Ask for help

If you were able to get into med school all by yourself, without anybody helping, guiding, or advising you, well, you’d already been there with no problems whatsoever. The fact of the matter is that somewhere along the line, you’ve made a mistake or taken the wrong approach, and as such, you’re going to need some guidance and help to achieve your dreams. Speak to your professors and see if they can arrange some one-to-one sessions for you with a tutor or mentor, and accept their advice with open arms. Also, many schools hold open days, conferences, events and panels – this can be enormously useful, so make the effort and go along to boost your knowledge and skills.

Tip 7: Don’t expect the world to owe you anything

There are plenty of medical students who don’t get into the college they want the first time around – and that’s ok. Take the time to consider what it is you need to do and be pragmatic in your approach. Have a low GPA? It can take a year or two to pick that back up, so considering something like a postback might be a great option for you. Lacking clinical experience? It’s up to you to sort out those sorts of gaps in your skillset, so get on it and find an opening. Have to retake your MCAT? Don’t leave your revision and cramming until the last minute, and expect to breeze through it. All of these things take time, patience, and hard work… and nobody is responsible for your success other than yourself.

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