premedprobs

[premedprobs]

•scientific literature•

i think you can learn alot about how to ask question and how to solve problems from primary lit. its not easy to read and i always have to break it down (see my notes) but i always learn something about how to approach a problem from prime lit.

[premedprobs]

hey fam! back at school. back on the grind. 🤓

i have been working with a tutor for my mcat prep. i’m super thankful i have the opportunity to do so. he’s making me cross all my t’s and dot my i’s and make sure i have all the basics and nitty gritty details hammered down. if i were studying myself, i would definitely skim this and not go too in depth. one of my favorite quotes is “worry about the small details and the big picture will paint itself” and it could not be more relevant. worry about the details in prep and on test day, it’ll come together.

as i work with this program and tutor, i’m hoping to share the major lessons i learn. mostly to reinforce it for myself but i’m sure it will help some people out there too. good luck this semester everyone💫

[premedprobs]

i just want to share a personal opinion for a hot minute because i know prepping for the mcat is hard and i was totally lost when i began-

i’ve been prepping myself with kaplan books. they explain concepts well and walk you thru what’s expected vs not. but honestly? they did not prepare me one bit for the type of questions i encountered on my diagnostic mcat. i got my books second hand and i’m glad i did because to me, they were not worth it. i’m starting a program at Next Step and i feel like i’m starting from square one all over again. kaplan was not for me. if you need help with content, they’re great. but if you’re trying to prepare for what you will see on the mcat, i was insanely disappointed with them.

of course everyone needs to practice different things and has different opinions on what’s helpful. i just wanted to share my personal experience and feelings about mcat prep companies.

[premedprobs]

finally learning what i saw shadowing this summer💫

the semester ends in two more weeks and this final push is •rough• but finally getting to topics i like is a nice perk. we are almost there fam, almost at the end of the semester. keep going.

[premedprobs]

thirteen weeks down. two more exams. one more day. then i *finally* can get a break from school. the burnout is real at this point in the semester.

[premedprobs]

okay but wow 20 credits in a semester is rough when it’s all 400-level courses. counting down the days to thanksgiving break so i can finally sleep again. standing between me and break:

•comparitive anatomy exam on all blood vessels of fish vs. mammals

•physiology exam on blood pressure regulation, renal function, and respiratory function

•biochem exam on all things carbohydrates and nucleic acids

it’s the final push guys, we can get through this💪🏻

[premedprobs]

drawings > written notes

i’m a hardcore visual learner. i’ll never learn anything from a textbook excerpt, but as soon as i put it into pictures, it all comes together. play to your strengths my friends

[premedprobs]

surprise!! i have a second major in german. this week’s exam is on the german economy and the major economic contributions of each state plus geographic advantages/disadvantages to that. here is one of my summary sheets for that exam. sometimes its nice to get a break from science with something wildly different

[premedprobs]

*this is my 6th week of college, but still. same.

[premedprobs]

live action shot 📸 physiology is my jam, but it may also be the death of me. we have our first exam next week and my prof told us “everyone should be worried about this exam” so i am going back and making sure i cross all my t’s and dot all my i’s by cross checking 4 different note packets

[premedprobs]

de-stress tip: find something that can make you forget the rest of the world for a few minutes so this week is super stressful for me with 4 exams and 2 essays. how am i handling this? im taking an hour or so to listen to an entire @taylorswift album. ive been a fan since i was 9 and her music always makes me forget the million looming deadlines and med school apps. it always reminds me of dancing around my childhood bedroom, and now i end up dancing around my dorm (well... now apartment, and my roommates think im insane but oh well)

[premedprobs]

i love holding office hours because i can get so much of my own work done since no students ever show up. also since my students dont need extra help, i guess that means im good at my job 💁🏼

[premedprobs]

big fan of pictures and color coding

[premedprobs]

the first two weeks of the semester were •rough• and now september is here with all the exams. tryna stay disciplined with my study schedule so i can tackle it all

[premedprobs]

twas the night before the semester, and all through the house, everyone was drunk and screaming while i prepared for class

[premedprobs]

moved back and settled in to school, so now its back to reading on the porch and watching everyone else move in

[premedprobs]

write down everything you see, what youve learned, and things to look up. especially if you have a horrible memory like me.