applying to medical school

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!

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.

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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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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!