Why are you not doing as good as you wish you did?

Hey guys!

The semester got a little crazy, so this blog post is going to be rather short. That being said, I hope it will bring some light into why you might not be achieving your academic standards.

Generally, I've identified 4 main reasons why someone might not be doing too well. Disclaimer: I'm by no means a counselor, nor there are only those 4 reasons which I will be talking about.

A lot of people (myself included) refer to themselves as stupid and/or losers when they get a low grade. The truth is - there's always a reason for it. Once again, I don't know if the reasons I've listed will cover it all, but anyways, I hope it will help.

1. Wrong study strategy
The first thing to look at after you've received a nasty grade is your study strategy. Are you dedicating enough time to study for a course, and are you studying actively (testing yourself, creating condensed notes, and perhaps, teaching your colleague). To determine the best study strategy for a course, consider consulting your professor or a teaching assistant, and of course - make sure what study strategies work best for you, personally

2. Life stressors
If your study strategy is seemingly fine, look at the events in your personal life to determine if they serve as stressors which decline your academic achievement. Usually, such events have a temporary effect on your grade, but if the stressor is rather on a large scale - consider a visit to a therapist/counselor to discuss your plans.

3. Wrong program choice
if you're finding yourself being disinterested in the courses you're enrolled in - look at your program (major) choice, and try to identify if it fits you. Definitely, everyone has their own interests, but if you are not enjoying more than a half of your courses - try to reconsider the program.

4. Test-taking strategy
Never-ever underestimate this reason for why you're not doing too good. Lack of successful test-taking strategy holds back my fullest potential, too. The way to identify if this is exactly the aspect you're struggling with is to study really well beforehand (to really exclude that your bad grades are coming from poor study habits). For every type of test, there's usually a separate test-taking technique. To identify one - talk to an academic counselor or a TA

Lastly, if you think there might be a medical reason (anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar, etc.)
for your poor academic performance, contact your doctor immediately

I wish you the best of luck on your next test <3

PRE-MED WITH LOW SCORES???

Hi guys!

It's been ages since I have written a pre-medical blog post. Here is one - finally!
I've noticed a lot of related blog posts and YouTube videos talk about what to do if you are a pre-med with low scores; one of their first advice is to re-consider Medicine as your career path.
I'm just telling you right away - I am not gonna be that person. Long story short, if you work hard - you'll get in. Let's now discuss some advice:

Medical school's admission process is very clever. And you have probably heard that they don't only stress GPA and MCAT anymore. The breakdown of this blog is the following:
1. numbers
2. extracurriculars
3. special characteristics
4. what I've personally heard
5. where do I start

1. Let's talk about your numbers first:
- If you are the one with a low GPA, focus on MCAT to pull you through.
- If you have a good GPA, but low MCAT - redo the MCAT! Keep in mind, some med schools take the average, some look at the trend, and some only take the highest score. Best bet - don't take it over 3 times, and don't do all 3 times in one year.
- If you are the one with both scores on a low side, consider redoing some courses, pursuing graduate studies first, or completing a post-bac degree.
Now, please note, that a "good GPA" or a "good MCAT score" depends solely on the med schools you are applying to. For instance, if a med school's competitive score (which they usually mention somewhere in their stats) is 3.7, then a 3.6 isn't low. But for those, the average of which is around 3.95, 3.6 is on a lower side.
If 3.6 sounds like a lot for you now, don't worry. Like I said, you can stay an extra year to improve your statistics, or to get as high as you possibly can on the MCAT.

2. I'm not going to say a lot here - extracurricular are very-very important.
Make sure you have the majority of activities listed below before applying:
- leadership position
- shadowing
- volunteering (hospital or community center)
- sports
- hobbies
- research position
Also, be very consistent with these things. Spend a sufficient amount of time on each - quality is better than quality. Remember, you (and individuals you've worked with) have to be able to reflect on that experience!

3. Special characteristics
This is very valuable to have if you lack the "numbers". It includes one or more, but not limited to one of the following:
- publication(s)
- project with the Faculty
- special personal story/circumstances
- military service
- special talents/skills
This is probably going to be what actually makes your application stand out. Please, consider these! It is very important to be able to communicate these special characteristics to the admission's office, since some of them may not be directly answering any question - represent it in your personal statement! 

4. A few things I've heard about med school admissions:
- they don't look at how low your GPA is, as much as they look at the improving trend!
- med schools highly value the interview, so be sure to know your ethics, the med school you are interviewing with, and the health care system of your country!
- consider med schools with different admission criteria (MCAT no considered; only look at the last 2 years of university; take away 4 lowest grades, etc.)]
- med schools actually want to see you enjoying yourself! If you are all worked up and tired, that will be very obvious in your personal statement or on the interview. You also might be reapplying for the 3rd time and be, it seems like, frustrated. Med schools feel that! Make sure you always reflect on the past and show your positive attitude!

5. So what now?
1. Firstly, I understand that you are probably still stressed from a number of people who seem more competitive. Well, healthy competition is good! But on the other hand, remember that you have your distinct path to med school, and you might end up getting accepted a year later; or they might change their mind about pursuing Medicine (happens more often than you think). That being said - don't let the amount of competition stop you.
2. Go visit your academic advisor. You might just be taking the wrong courses, or lacking study skills, or really - anything else that might influence your performance.
3. Take steps outlined by you and your academic advisor. Consider working on criteria mentioned in the blog!
4. Understand that each admission process is unique! If you feel like you are in "non-standard, non-ideal" conditions, make it play for your own advantage by making it one of your application's "special characteristics"
5. Work on improving personal qualities such as resilience, leadership, positivity, etc.
5. Take your time and enjoy yourself while working on med school's admissions!


Good luck <3

How To Work Through a Textbook

Hi everyone,

I hope your first month of university is going great!

This blog post will be dedicated to reading textbooks.
Some of us spend a ridiculous amount of money on textbooks, and I personally think that if you are purchasing a textbook, better absorb as much information as possible.

I like textbooks because they create a “story” from the material. Story - in terms of connections between material. Sometimes, reading through PowerPoint slides may leave you confused as to what things relate to, and why are you learning this in the first place. Textbooks eliminate that.

So, there are also different types of textbooks you might encounter – your study strategy might differ a little from one subject to the other.

Okay, now, on to the strategies:

1.   Section-by-section

-       To improve your efficiency at going through the textbook, consider reading section-by-section. That way, you’ll avoid mixing up the themes of the section and be better at making connections when reviewing.

-       Be mindful when reading. Try to only think about the material you are reading about. If you find yourself being distracted, divide your sections into smaller parts and take a little break after each part.

2.   Highlight, and then annotate

-       When you are reading the section, highlight important material. That way, everything important will visually pop up. But at first, finish highlighting the section completely, and then go back and annotate. Annotating is way more important than highlighting for reviewing – highlighting by itself, does (it turns out) close to nothing.

-       By annotating, you will then only use those written notes to study. That way the material is way more condensed.

-       You may choose to annotate on textbook margins, or on a separate writing pad.

-       If the teacher’s powerpoint covers the majority of material in the textbook, then there might not be a lot to annotate. In this case, put the annotations you do make straight into the class notes. But maybe, in a different color for review purposes.

-       If you see any charts or table summaries – use those to add some small annotations, rather than rewriting it all as one big note

-       If you initially make notes on the textbook’s margins, consider rewriting them on a separate sheet of paper to make it easier for you to review.

-       Don’t overdo it. Don’t use a multitude of different colors when you highlight or highlight every single word. For instance, if your lecture notes already cover something, don’t re-annotate it again.

3.   Questions and summaries

-       As comes time to study for your test, review your textbook notes, read chapter summaries and most importantly, answer questions! That is really, the most important component of studying from a textbook, as it puts you into that “test mode”. After that, annotate some more if you have to.

Good luck with that! J