premed program

Sep 15 2017

The best flashcard app for pre-med students

The Best Flashcard App for Pre-Med Students

There are many great apps out there for pre-meds. In this article I am going to go over one of the best apps for flash cards and why you should use it. I would consider this app one that every pre-med student should have. Flashcards are one of the best ways to memorize information as they provide a great way to remember a lot of material in a short period of time. For some classes, making flashcards is a necessity. If you haven’t taken a class where you had to make flashcards, you probably will soon. If you have taken a class where had to make flashcards, you know the struggle that comes with making them.

When I was studying for organic chemistry II, I literally made over 100 flashcards by hand and had a stack of cards that was half a foot tall. Not only did it take a long time to make the flashcards by hand, but also storing them was a problem. It was inconvenient to try and use them and review them because of the sheer quantity of cards I had. Thats when having an app that does it for you is very beneficial.

So what flash card app do you recommend?

Flashcard Hero

(Mobile version)

(Desktop version)

I tried several flashcard apps and the one that I found to be the most useful to me was “Flashcard Hero“. There are several apps out there that only do a very rudimentary job. Flashcard Hero has all of the functionality that you want in a flashcard app. With Flashcard Hero you can..

Quickly and easily make new flashcards

Sync your cards between your computer and phone (Requires both desktop and mobile version)

Organize your flashcards into sets

Add photos to your flashcards

Use advanced text formatting options

Make multiple choice questions or fill in the blank questions

Search through your flashcards for specific words

Study your flashcards based on difficulty, how long since you last studied, and the Leitner system

Use your phone as a remote controller to study flashcards on your computer

Audio output of text if desired

Detailed study session summaries

Export decks as PDF files, share online, and print decks

Import decks you already have (.tsv, .csv, from Quizlet.com)

I found that Flashcard Hero has all the functionality you will ever need for any class you are going to take. I personally used Flashcard Hero for studying for the MCAT with great success. I made a deck of over 1000 flashcards that I organized into several sets such as: MCAT math, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology/Biochemistry, Physics, Sociology/Psychology, CARS, and General MCAT tips. With this I was able to study these flashcards on my computer and on my phone. This allowed me to flexibility to study on the go or while at home conveniently. You can download the exact MCAT deck I personally used on the members download page for free.

Being able to make flashcards on your computer is incredibly convenient thanks to being able to copy and paste text and add pictures. This makes it way easier to bulk create flashcards for your classes. And as mentioned before you won’t have to worry about storing your flashcards on you. Combine this with the mobile app and you will be able to view your flashcards anywhere you go. I can honestly say that I owe the 130 I made on the Psychology and Sociology section of the MCAT to the flashcards I made with this app. It also helped me tremendously in memorizing equations and reactions. Part of how I was able to raise my MCAT score by 8 points in one month was because of this app. Let me show you inside the app so you can see for yourself what it can do.

Screenshots I took from the app: (Desktop version)

Screenshot #1:

Here are the different sets that I organized my flashcards into for my MCAT deck.

Screenshot #2:

Here we can see how you can add photos to your flashcards and on the left we can see if the flashcard is marked as easy (Green) or as difficult (Red). Also on the right we can see the advanced text formatting options available.

Screenshot #3:

Here we can see just how easy it is to add a card or topic.

Screenshot #4:

Here we can see the search functionality that allows you to find any word or phrase from your flashcards.

Screenshot #5:

Here we can see how you can study your flashcards based on difficulty.

Screenshot #6:

Here we can see how you can study using the Leitner System.

Screenshot #7:

Here we can see how it looks to study the flashcards. Notice you can also study based on fill in the blank (type) and multiple choice.

You can download the exact MCAT flashcard set that I used to study for the MCAT on the member downloads page.

Screenshots I took from the app: (Mobile version)

Screenshot#1

Here is how the sets are organized in a deck.

Screenshot #2:

Here is how the flashcards look inside a set.

Screenshot #3:

Here is how a flashcard looks in the app. Notice the picture added and my text underneath it.

Screenshot #4:

Here we can see how a flashcard looks in study mode. You can click on one of the buttons on the bottom to organize the card based on difficulty. To see the answer you just have to tap the screen or swipe to the right.

Pricing:

Mac:

The app costs $7.99 for the desktop version. There is also a lite version if you want to test it out. Click here to download.

The mobile app alone is $3.99. Click here to download.

Total price: $11.98

Windows:

The app costs $4.99. Click here to download.

Conclusion:

Rating: 9/10

Flashcard Hero has all the functionality you will ever need for an affordable price. Its ability to sync flashcards to your phone makes studying much easier. It’s highly customizable and easy to make flashcards are a great time saver. And the ability to study cards based on difficulty gives it a functionality that is not possible with traditional flashcards. For the cost of one meal, you can have an app that lasts you throughout your pre-med career. I only wish that I found the app sooner.

Flashcard Hero (Desktop app)

Flashcard Hero (Mobile only app)

Aug 01 2017

9 Tips to write a personal statement that captivates your reader. (Medical School essay)

Nine Tips to write a personal statement that captivates your reader

The personal statement is one of the most important aspects of your medical school application and one of your best opportunities to separate yourself from other applicants. Your personal statement is your chance to convince medical schools that you would be a great physician. Do not underestimate the value of having a good personal statement. There are many medical schools that accept students who don’t have the highest GPA or MCAT, but have excellent personal statements. And it is often the personal statement that plays a major role in encouraging the medical school to invite you to an interview. Please take your time to review the tips I wrote down below, these tips come from personal experience as well as advice from medical school admission officers. So what are some tips to help you write a spectacular medical school essay that no school can resist?

1.Treat the essay as if you are writing a novel. Tell a story.

One of the most important things you can do when writing a personal statement is to write it as if it were a novel. You want to start the essay strong with something that catches the readers attention, use suspense, build up to major events, and give the reader closure at the end. It is important that you are able to maintain the readers interest in your story.

2. Use powerful language.

An easy way to improve your essay is to use strong and emotionally powerful adjectives. When describing events use metaphors. You want all of the language that you use to really leave an impression. This ties in with the first tip about writing a novel, you really want to use strong and symbolic language that will captivate your reader.

3. Make a list of several key points and themes you want your personal statement to include

This also goes back to the idea of writing a story and is honestly one of the best ways you can guarantee you say everything you want to and give the right impression to your reader. By having themes and key points in your essay you are both implicitly and explicitly emphasizing why you would be a great addition to their medical school program. Make a list of all of the major points you want to emphasize and the main themes that will define your essay. This list will be a valuable asset as you write your essay.

Heres a list of some things you might want to focus on: Showing you really care about helping other people, illustrating your hands on experience with patients, showing that you love to volunteer, showing all the different struggles you have overcome and how you have grown from them, showing your growth and evolution as a person over time, showing that you understand the rigors and realities of medicine, showing strong and resilient character, and showing that you are humble.

4. Make sure to subtly repeat your key points and themes throughout your personal statement

It is important to be able to subtly remind your reader of your key points as you write your essay. You want to be able to tell them that you are awesome without having to say it directly. Having consistency in your key points and themes makes it more authentic. For example: If you want to get the key point across that you have learned a lot from patient interaction, mention in the beginning of the essay how one patient was memorable to you. And then later in the essay bring up how the lessons you learned from that patient played in an impact in a separate situation. Once your essay is able to show consistency in your key points they become themes of your essay. And having a theme is much more powerful than trying to tell your reader explicitly why you are awesome. Being consistent and subtly repeating your key points and themes makes your essay more genuine.

5. Give examples for your claims

Having examples for each of your key points will greatly increase how believable your essay is and also the impact it leaves on your reader. Make sure you have good examples for your key points. Also make sure to use strong and emotional language, see tip #2, when describing that example. For example: If you are trying to show your reader that you are compassionate for others, then have an example where it shows you are compassionate.

6. Stay humble.

This is one of the most common pitfalls that many pre-med students fall into. Many medical school admission officers emphasize the importance of being modest and humble when writing your personal statement. Often one of the biggest turn off’s to medical school is being too full of yourself. That is why it is best to imply rather than directly state that you are good at something. Remember, being subtle and consistent is key.

7. Make sure not to go over the character limit

This one is actually really important for saving you lots of time and annoyance. The character limit is only 5300 characters! That is only about one page long. When I wrote my essay I accidentally misread it as 5300 words! That was a big mistake. Because when I copied my essay into the AMCAS essay box, it was literally twice as long. Then I had to go back and try and cut certain things out to make it fit. It was a very painful and upsetting process. So make sure you are constantly checking that you don’t go over the character limit. If it helps, you should write the essay in the essay box instead of a word processor.

8. Don’t have any grammar mistakes

This is an obvious one but also one that is easy to avoid. Having grammar mistakes is one of the easiest ways to show a lack of professionalism. So just make sure to double-check that.

9. Have multiple people proofread your essay and give feedback

This tip is a must. It is critical that you get other people’s opinion on your essay. Other people will see things that you won’t and have advice that you wouldn’t have ever considered. You will most likely have to go through several drafts of your essay before it is truly ready. I went through 6 drafts before I submitted my essay.

Follow these tips and you will have an essay that truly stands out and makes medical schools interested in you. The main key points to take from this article is: Write a story that will captivate your reader and keeps their attention, develop major themes and key points that your essay is based around, and to have others check your essay. Remember, the personal statement is your biggest opportunity to let you stand out. Write a powerful essay that will blow the socks off your reader! I believe in you! You can do this!

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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”.
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

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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(You definitely want this!)

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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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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