pre-med

Jan 17 2017

Here’s the BEST way to take notes from powerpoint classes

Hey there pre-meds! Today I got a quick tip for you that will most likely change the way you take notes from powerpoints for ever! As I mentioned in my article, the proper way to take notes , you shouldn’t ever be copying down whats already written on the powerpoint slides. That would be a waste of your class time as you already will have access to those powerpoints online. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you should too. You should be using your class time instead to clarify those powerpoint slides and write down things that the instructor is saying about those slides. And thats exactly what this easy technique will help you do! With this you can take notes on the powerpoint slides in a convenient way that allows you to add what your professor says for each slide. (There is also an alternative method too! Check it out here!)

So how do you do it?
Step 1: Open your slides. And go to “Print”.
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Step 2: Click on “Layout” and choose “Handouts (3 slides per page)

premed, pre med, pre-med, medical school, med school, science, chemistry, biology, physics, organic chemistry, Biochemistry, MCAT, GPA, tips , advice, tutorial, doctor, physician, surgeon, college, undergrad, university

And now it should look like this. premed, pre med, pre-med, medical school, med school, science, chemistry, biology, physics, organic chemistry, Biochemistry, MCAT, GPA, tips , advice, tutorial, doctor, physician, surgeon, college, undergrad, university

And there you go! Now just print out the slides and you will have a nice notes section to each slide! The way to use this is to just take notes on what the professor is saying about each slide. This will save you alot of trouble in class and make sure you don’t miss anything important your professor is saying! If this tip helped you please make sure to share this page with your pre-med friends!

Check out the alternate version where you use your laptop!

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Sep 10 2016

How to get great recommendation letters for medical school

Pre-Med Guide: How to get great recommendation letters for medical school

One thing which is often underrated when it comes to getting accepted to medical school is the recommendation letter. Many pre-meds are too focused on maintaining that good GPA and getting a high MCAT score that they can sometimes forget the other aspects of application. A good recommendation letter can be the difference between you or someone else getting called up for an interview. Between applicants of similar GPA and MCAT, things like recommendation letters can be what make the difference. Just imagine if you are one of the people on the admission’s board for a medical school. You get two applicants who have almost identical GPA and MCAT, but one of them has a powerful recommendation letter that paints you in a great light. You will probably choose the one who has the powerful recommendation letter! In this article, we are going to go into: Who to get a recommendation letter from, how to ensure you get a good one, and how to ask.

What are the recommendation letter requirements for most medical schools?

Each medical school has its own requirements for letter of recommendation. So make sure you learn the specifics when it comes to who your recommendation letters should be from and how many you will need. Typically most medical schools want around 3-5 recommendation letters. These should normally come from a science professor, non-science professor, pre-med committee, and a physician. Make sure you check the requirements of the school you are applying to ahead of time for its recommendation letter requirements!

Who do you want recommendation letters from?

When it comes to recommendation letters, quality and diversity is everything. You have to check for the specifics for your school, but usually they want something like: two recommendation letters from science teachers, one from a non-science teacher, one from your pre-med advisor, and one from a physician. Each school has their own requirements. But in general these are the people you should be asking for a recommendation letter. Each can add something different they can say about you and help paint a better picture overall for the people reviewing your application. You want to make sure those who are going to ask for a letter of recommendation are knowledgeable about: The demands of medical school and the medical profession, and your unique characteristics and credentials that would make you a good fit for being a physician.

People you want recommendation letters from:

Physician
From a manager in a job or volunteer work related to school or medicine
Teacher(s) (Science teacher ideally)
Research Professor
Pre-med advisor (If your school has it)

How to ensure you get a good recommendation letter:

The most important part to getting a good recommendation letter is having a relationship with the person who is writing it. You want them to get to know you well and be able to have a lot to say about you. Let them know your dreams, aspirations, and how much getting into medical school means to you. You should have spent building a relationship with them for atleast a few months before asking for a recommendation letter. It is important that they have had enough time to get to know you and can say many great things about you. Before asking someone for a recommendation letter, ask yourself this. “If I ask them for a recommendation letter, would they be able to speak well about me personally? Do they have any personal examples that showcase well my characteristics and abilities?”

Specific tips:

Professor/Teacher: Spend extra time going to their office hours. Talk to them after class. Ask more questions in class. And obviously make good grades.

Physician: Get there early. Be prepared before shadowing. Ask many questions. Show your enthusiasm for learning. Try and get to know them more personally.

Job/Volunteer Manager: Make sure you overperform at your job. Others have good things to say about you. Good feedback from co-workers or customers.

The specific characteristics that most medical schools want to see in an applicant:

adaptability
critical thinking
integrity
logical reasoning
oral communication skills
personal maturity
reliability
self-discipline
work habits
compassion
cultural competence
intellectual curiosity
motivation for medicine
persistence
professionalism
resilience
teamwork

Make sure to consider these characteristics when interacting with your potential letter writers!

The key to a great recommendation letter is finding someone who can speak on behalf of you personally and can emphasize your individual characteristics that make you shine. Start building relationships with those you might want a recommendation letter from now!

I hope this helps! Please share this article with a fellow pre-med!

I hope you found this advice helpful! Tell us what you think by leaving a comment down below! For more pre-med tips and advice, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

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Jun 19 2016

Pre-Med 101: Should I give up on pre-med because of one bad semester?

Being pre-med is tough! It is expected if you want to become a doctor you will have a hard road ahead of you. And with that, things will not always go your way. But what happens if you have a bad semester? Does that mean your dream of getting into medical school stops here? Let’s talk about that in this article.

Medical school is tough to get into. There are tons of competitive applicants fighting for the same spot you are. This means that having a bad semester could make the difference between getting accepted or not. This is why it is best to avoid the situation and stay on top of your studies, however life happens and that things don’t always go your way. So what if your semester doesn’t go the way you want and you made some bad grades? Is there still any hope for getting accepted?

The short answer is.. Yes!

While it does make it more difficult if you had a bad semester, it does not have to be the end of your medical career. Think about how many other pre-med students have had a bad semester or two and still can get accepted. It goes without saying that many pre-meds have had a few hard semesters and not every student makes straight A’s. It’s worth noting that you are not the only one in this situation, there are many in the same boat as you. So take a deep breath! There is definitely still is hope!

What you can do to improve your chances of getting accepted into medical school:

So now you are probably wanting to know how you can boost your chances of getting accepted despite having a bad semester or two. There are two main ways to compensate for doing poorly academically. The first is by making sure all the other aspects of your application shine. Such as having extra shadowing experience, more clinical experience, more volunteering, research experience, strong letters of recommendation, high MCAT score, etc. Medical schools want someone who is well rounded and has what it takes to be a doctor, this is more than just having good grades. The second method, which can be combined with the first, is finding a post-bac program to help you and/or considering going to a Caribbean medical school. For help finding a post-bac program, click here.

If you have a bad semester as a pre-med it doesn’t mean that it is game over. It means that you will have to work a bit harder and make other aspects of your application shine. Really focus on getting a lot of clinical experience and you will find many medical schools are still interested in you. There have been plenty of people who have had a bad semester or two and still got accepted. Don’t give up hope. Instead, focus on trying extra hard to make up for it. Also, consider looking into post-bac programs and going to a Caribbean school. If you give it your all, you will be surprised with how well you can do!

For more information check out our other article:

5 Ways to stay competitive with a low GPA

More helpful premed resources:

Get our free ebook, “The Pre-Med Beginner’s Guide”, which summarizes everything that a Pre-med 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!

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Jun 02 2016

The Pre-med guide for finding a physician to shadow

Finding a doctor to shadow can seem like an impossible task at times. Many pre-meds don’t know how to find a doctor who would be willing to be shadowed. Shadowing is super important for having a strong and competitive application. Medical schools want to see that you understand what it is like to be a doctor, how the medical environment is, and you are still willing to proceed into medicine despite seeing and hearing first hand the hardships a physician will face. The difference between getting accepted into medical school or not could depend on whether you have shadowing experience. So how do you find a doctor who will let you shadow them? What are the best methods for finding a doctor to shadow? We will go over all the best methods to help ensure you find that physician to shadow!

Methods for finding a doctor to shadow:

Ask your personal physician. Or get a referral from them.

Network with family and friends to see if they can contact a physician they may know

Volunteer at a hospital or clinic and build connections with physicians there

Work as a scribe

Ask your personal physician. Or get a referral from them:

This one seems like a no brainer. You already have access to a doctor that knows you pretty well, your general practitioner. Why not start there? Tell them that you are a premed and you want to learn what it is like to work as a physician. Since you are one of their patients and they already know you, they might be more likely to agree. If they don’t then ask them if they know any other doctors that wouldn’t mind you shadowing them.

Network with family and friends to see if they can contact a physician they may know:

You might be surprised to learn that your family or friends know several physicians that may let you shadow them. Ask your friends and parents if they know any doctors that might let you shadow them. Doctors are still regular people who make friends with non-doctors, so it shouldn’t come as no surprise that your family or friends might know one or two! If you ever go to a formal party with your family, you could casually mention that you are a premed and looking for a doctor to shadow. If the other person happens to know a physician they will try and help you out.

Volunteer at a hospital or clinic and build connections with physicians there:

If you want a place where you know there will be doctors then there is no better place than a hospital or clinic. This is a pretty tried and true method for finding a doctor to shadow. Volunteer at a hospital or clinic and try and network with the physicians and nurses there to see if they know anyone who will let you shadow them. Remember, its important to let people know your intention of finding a doctor to shadow so they can help you! Try and build a relationship with the people who work there so they are more likely to help you.

Work as a scribe:

This is another great method for finding a physician to shadow. Working as a scribe has merits of its own. But this is another highly effective method as it allows you to work closely with a doctor and build a relationship with them. To become a scribe you must go through training first. But on the plus side you get paid! Getting paid, getting medical experience, and potentially finding a doctor to shadow isn’t too bad!

Click here to learn more about being a scribe.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to finding a doctor to shadow is the word, “networking”. Building connections is the best method for finding someone who will let you shadow them. Ask anyone who might know a doctor that will you shadow them and ask for contact information. I was able to find a doctor to shadow because my dad met a doctor while playing soccer and told him that his son was a premed! It can all happen in the most unexpected circumstances! You will have an even easier time if you are networking in a hospital or a clinical environment. Immerse yourself into the medical environment and start asking around and building connections and I assure you that you will find a physician to shadow in no time!

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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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