acatex

[acatex]

Class of 2020, COVID-19 Outbreak, IMG Medical Track?

Class of 2020, COVID-19 Outbreak, IMG Medical Track?

Hey Snarklings,

It has been awhile and I don’t mean to sound dramatic. If you’ve been with me this long, then you know how much I struggled in undergrad and how much bottled up emotions I had over the years with bullying, racism, and mental illness. Because of this, I thought it was only fair to bare it all and share with you my experience in hopes that it can help at least one person who’s…

[acatex]

Medical School Applicant During COVID-19: If Applications Were a Video Game It Would Be Called the 'Waiting Game'

Medical School Applicant During COVID-19: If Applications Were a Video Game It Would Be Called the ‘Waiting Game’

If you had a choice between knowing now or knowing later which situation would you choose? For me, it’s both and I’ll explain why.

Each day is a day closer to the answer. An answer that could either prolong my journey or make me start from scratch. Deadlines are like levels on a video game but you only have one life and no restarts. Not to mention that I have limited currency to order countless…

[acatex]

The Truth Always Prevails

The Truth Always Prevails

Hey guys, so in my last rant I talked about how I felt like the universe is just trying to punish me every time I try to do something positive and in the end I always somehow make it alive. I got my transcript fixed and I also got my clearance for graduation. This means that I can finally move onto my application for medical school.

  Seeing the green bars filled on the degree progress page is…

[acatex]

Medicine: Feeling Left Out But Experiencing the Same Journey

Medicine: Feeling Left Out But Experiencing the Same Journey

As I scroll down my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook I see MCAT scores rolling out (some fantastic), selfies on interview/MMI day, to screenshots of acceptance letters titled “Congratulations on your acceptance and welcome to the class MD of 2024.” While, I feel so happy for them a part of me feels that I could never measure up to them in the same regards. I feel like for them it was easy…

[acatex]

Impostor Syndrome and Just Feeling Cursed

Impostor Syndrome and Just Feeling Cursed

It’s really weird how I’m “done with undergrad” but cannot move forward because of how hard they tried to screw up my career. I was scheduled to have a mock interview at a prep company but I just couldn’t bring myself out of this dark hole I am in. I was also  excited for a webinar for a prospective MD program that I was interested in, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up since there’s a fat…

[acatex]

How My University Almost Sabotaged My Graduation and Chance at Med School

How My University Almost Sabotaged My Graduation and Chance at Med School

Hey Snarklings,

I never knew that I would ever make this post because, I’ve spent 5 years at my Alma Mater and I just want this chapter of my life to close for obvious reasons (if you’ve followed my journey then you know my battle with bullying, low grades, bipolar disorder, and abuse/prejudice from professors and students). But, I feel like every time I try to better myself or try something that…

[acatex]

CARS: Active Reading Hack for Getting Author's Opinion and Point of View Right

CARS: Active Reading Hack for Getting Author’s Opinion and Point of View Right

So I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I approach CARS passages on the MCAT so instead of replying the same message via email, how about I just explain it here?

Disclaimer: This post is purely anecdotal and is in no way the only method of going around CARS passages, it’s just that I’ve been doing so many CARS practice from so many practice books that I’ve found a pattern in the…

[acatex]

When the Days Get Long: Studying When You Don't Feel Like It and Some Tips to Make Studying Enjoyable

When the Days Get Long: Studying When You Don’t Feel Like It and Some Tips to Make Studying Enjoyable

When the days get long. I think we’ve all been there. You open your notebooks, have all your colorful pens laid out, you have your laptop and prep books open, but you’re just not feeling up to it. Inconvenient isn’t it? Well, I’ve been able to push through that feeling to get work done, but it sure isn’t automatic and does take time to get use to. I hope this post is insightful and helps you…

[acatex]

Quarantine Diary Day 52

Quarantine Diary Day 52

Hey Snarklings,

I wish I had started writing this earlier but the past 2 months were crazy hectic and I just didn’t have time to reflect on everything since I was rushing to complete my degree, prepping for the MCAT, and trying to make sense of my unforeseeable future in medicine due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Now, I can express more on how I’m feeling.

The Moment It Happened

March 12 was like any…

[acatex]

Am I Happy?

I’ve been struggling emotionally for the last couple of weeks without even noticing it. I cannot even comprehend what I am feeling and I’m not even sure why. Before the start of the semester, I was full of motivation and excitement and now I’ve been reduced to a pitiful low energy drive.

I’ll admit, I suck at loving myself. I have a hard time complimenting myself and I undervalue the things that…

[acatex]

Hey Snarklings!

  Are you surprised that I’m still alive? I know I am (lols am I even relevant anymore?) Before I get into my whole MCAT prep strategy, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for leaving you guys in the dust. I have been very stressed lately and I just felt like I was letting you guys down which was why I made a really hard (but spontaneous) decision on my academic career. Of course I cannot comment right now on what I did/planning to do, but an upcoming blog post would be up in the next couple of days to explain the whole grey area that I was stuck in. Okay, it’s time to put away the tissue boxes and dive into every pre-meds worse nightmare: The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

Disclaimer: This is my method and it may or may not work for you, so please take it with a grain of salt because, the way that I learn may be different from you, but it is a good idea to see how others approach this scary test.

What is the MCAT?

In short, the MCAT is a standardized test taken on a computer program to measure a prospective medical student’s potential to succeed medical school. Think of it as foreshadow of one’s ability to do well on painstakingly long exams that are cut up into blocks: Since most of medical schools in the US and Canada require doctors in training to take many board exams that can be 8-9 hours long.

Another reason why the MCAT is administered is to see whether the applicant can use background knowledge of the subject (biochemistry, biology, chemistry, psychology/sociology, physics, critical reasoning skills, etc) and integrate with other sciences to synthesize and draw an objective answer to a novel/unknown situation. This makes the MCAT different from others standardized tests such as SAT or ACT since these tests are more on memory recall and regurgitation, while the MCAT is more on integration and application to unknown situations. Think of it like this, when a doctor walks into a patient’s room, they know some things (the knowledge they’ve been taught in med school) and there’s probably things that they don’t know about a patient’s health, but when a doctor integrates what he/she knows and connect it to the unknown they can solve problems.

  What is the MCAT tested on?

Since, one of the reasons why the MCAT is administered is to test your endurance on future medical school board exams such as: USMLE step 1, step 2 CK, step 2 CS, Step 3  if you are in the United States or the MCCEE, NAC, MCCQE part 1, MCCQE part 2 in (Canadian boards), and Comlex Level 1, Level 2CE, Level 2PE, Level 3 (Osteopathic med schools/DO). They do this by testing you on undergraduate courses and are broken down into 4 sections/blocks

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behaviour

  Prior to Taking the MCAT

I highly recommend taking the required courses before taking the MCAT. The AAMC recommends to take the following pre-med classes:

Introductory (first year) Biology (2 semesters/1 year)

Introductory/General Chemistry (2 semesters/1 year)

Organic chemistry (2 semesters/1 year)

Biochemistry (1 semester)

Introductory Physics (2 semesters/1 year)

Psychology (1 semester)

Sociology (1 semester)

Now I never took a sociology class and I am planning on taking physics in my upcoming (and last) school year of uni. But that doesn’t really matter since you can just self study for it.

  Resources?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So MCAT prep cannot be MCAT prep without a good set of MCAT books for you to review on. Now, there are many MCAT companies out there and a lot of people are confused on which one they would get to the point that everyone keeps on asking the same question: What books are YOU using? Hey, are those books good? Listen, your success on the MCAT does not depend on what company that you choose to get your books from. Why? Because it is you and how well you reviewed and practice those questions on a DAILY BASIS. I know people who got into med school by using Kaplan, I know people who got rejected who used Kaplan, and the same goes for other prep companies such as The Princeton Review, Examkrackers, The Berkely Review, etc. It doesn’t matter. Just pick one and stick with one. Do not. I repeat. DO NOT BUY TWO BOOKS OF THE SAME SUBJECT BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT ONE COMPANY DOES A BETTER “JOB.’ Again, It is you who will determine your own success, not a book.

Now, for me, I was about to buy the Kaplan MCAT series but, my mother surpised me on my 21st birthday with the NextStep MCAT Content Review and Practice Passages. At first, I was bummed out but as I went along, I realized that the books are doing its job: Helping me review what I learned in undergrad (wipes tears away; literally every time I turn a page I get flashbacks). And the best part is: It was free since it was my birthday gift so I did not have to spend a dime.

When I found something that I did not fully understand or the book did not give me a detailed answer I usually used Khan Academy videos (There’s a whole section just for the MCAT with practice problems). Other videos/channels worth mentioning:

AK Lectures for biochemistry and general chemistry (his explanations for thermodynamics is so straight to the point, they’re super clutch)

The Organic Chemistry Tutor: MCAT Test Prep General Chemistry Review Study Guide Part 1 and MCAT General Chemistry Lectures Review Prep Part 2 – Equations & Practice Questions

Leah4SciMCAT for doing MCAT Math Without a Calculator and Amino Acids for MCAT/Biochem students. I also looked at Fischer Projections for MCAT Orgo and Biochemistry which helped so much since she sues fun mnemonics and straight to the point concepts that just makes the learning fun and easy.

Bozeman science for their anatomy and physiology sections for every organ system mentioned in the biology MCAT book. I also looked at a video or two from the AP chemistry, AP biology, and AP physics (which I remembered fondly back in high school and so I’m familiar with them thus, I didn’t look at every video but just ones that I had trouble with, ex: transcription vs translation.)

  My method for studying: I tend to study in rotations or two chapters of the same subject a day until completion. The image below is how that looks like in my mini day planner:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Since I do not have a job nor am I in school during the summer I was able to study for 8 hours a day and found myself going through rotations quicker than I expected. Before I go to bed I reviewed what I learned and anything that I do not finished I would have to finish in the morning before starting a new rotation.

  Active Learning

So when I start a new chapter I use my metacognitive abilities: What do I know vs what do I don’t know.

Let’s take the endocrine system as an example. I know that the endocrine is invovled in hormone secretion and regulation of the metabolic oathways that maintains homeostasis. I know an example of this would be aldosterone (a steroid hormone) and vasopressin (a peptide) hormone helps regulate homeostasis by repsonding to low fluid levels and by increasing fluid retention. But what I do not know is how exactly they achieve this: thus when I’m studying that’s my goal or my purpose. I am learning to apply and find answers to my questions.

Every time a paragraph says something about a hormone I would turn it into a question and write the answer in my own words. Here’s an example on tropic versus non tropic hormones:

In orange I wrote the section of the chapter: Regulation

I wrote a capital Q for question and A for answer.

And sometimes I write a little flow chart for easy summary of what I learned

The reason why I used this system was for 3 reasons: (1) By writing out the section in a different colour, it acts as a study guide (you know with all the topics/questions pertaining to one part of the chapter for a test). (2) Turning the info in a paragraph into a question and answers makes it interactive and makes you think about what you are learning; sort of like flashcards. I would cover the answer portion with another piece of paper and just talk/aggressively whisper out the answer (the answer doesn’t have to be word by word but just similar to what it is). (3) When it is time for revision: Your notes are in a Q/A format or like test which is better than writing a bunch of notes and just passively looking over.

Here’s another one on the hypothalamus-anterior pituitary-adrenal cortex axis (HPA)

As you can see I love flow charts for sequential pathways and showing the cause and effects of each step (what increases or decreases, which hormone is involved, etc)

I will write a more detailed post on what I put into my MCAT notebooks and what I look for when reading or extracting information from the review books. So just hold on and be patient.

  Practice, Practice, Practice

Knowledge is power but practice makes perfect. Remember that the MCAT will not really test your ability to recall facts straight from the book; this is not a trivia show. It is your ability to apply known information (your MCAT content review) and integrate them with other information in an unknown situation (the MCAT passages). That’s why I like that my MCAT books have practice passages at the end of each chapter. I also bought extra practice passages from NextStep because they really do help me understand the content and the timing. If you do not have practice passages right now, go to the Khan academy MCAT section and there’s loads of them (but they are really easy though).

Also, I really enjoyed watching videos on YouTube on how to approach passages and seeing what other people’s strategies and methods are. I tend to integrate what others do with my own method, but everyone is different so just take it with a grain of salt. Here are a couple of my favorite Youtubers, one of which is actually my best friend.

Amanda and Rich Show: MCAT Biology Passage Breakdown

CurveSetter: MCAT 2015 Biochemistry Tutorial 1 (Amino Acids) – CurveSetter Tutoring

CurveSetter: MCAT Biology/Biochemistry Passage Analysis (Acetylcholine) – CurveSetter MCAT Prep

CurveSetter: MCAT 2015 Chemistry Tutorial 3 (Titration Passage) – CurveSetter Tutoring

CurveSetter: MCAT 2015 Chemistry/Physics Selected MC 1 – CurveSetter Tutoring

CurveSetter: Electricity and Magnetism MCAT Physics Passage – CurveSetter MCAT Prep

CurveSetter: MCAT 2015 Biology Tutorial 1 (Neuron Passage) – CurveSetter Tutoring

CurveSetter: MCAT 2015 CARS Tutorial 1 (Passage) – CurveSetter Tutoring

CurveSetter: MCAT 2015 CARS Tutorial 1 (Questions) – CurveSetter Tutoring

SecondChance MCAT: MCAT Science Passage Breakdown #1

SecondChance MCAT: Full MCAT CARS Passage Breakdown (98% CARS Scorer)

Bless her Health: CARS WORKSHOP 08/24

Bless her Health: CARS WORKSHOP 08/28

  After going through a few passages or so, review your mistakes! Then again look up your Q/A notes and see where you went wrong. When you do this, you’re allocating your attention areas that need it. This really helped me retain information whilst, practicing applying concepts with other concepts. Another reason why, is that the questions on the MCAT are really different from your college classes. Again, you’re not regurgitating facts out, you’re applying what you know with what you don’t know by looking at superficial similarities and coming up with the best answer. Since this is a new skill, the only way to learn it is through practice.

I am planning on making a post about how I breakdown science and CARS passages as well so stay tuned.

Spaced Repetition Is Key

One of the keys to success for the MCAT is repetition for retention. If you do not review, you will forget it. That’s why I always made sure that after a section of a chapter I would look over what I had so far and really try to understand what I just learned and see how it relates to other chapters or to the other subjects in one way or another to get the BIG PICTURE. Then, before I go to sleep I will look over at the chapter again as a whole and annotate anything that I think needs more detail. Then the next day before starting a new chapter, I quickly look at all the previous chapters by talking aloud (or aggressively whispering if you’re around people, sorry to the girl at Starbucks who has to put up with my) and just make connections to it. Over time, I looked at all the previous chapters so much that I can recall many concepts.

Review while making your Q/A notes

review after making your Q/A notes

Look at your Q/A notes before you go to bed

Before starting a new chapter, look at all the previous Q/A notes to refresh your memory

1 day later look at your old Q/A notes then maybe 3 days later do it again

Congratulations, all the info you’ve mastered are now stored in your long term memory. It is permanent until you die (unless if you get amnesia).

  I hope this helps make up for my absence and don’t worry, I will post more on MCAT prep. So ciao for now, and stay flossy everyone.

  How I Prepare for the MCAT Part 1 Hey Snarklings! Are you surprised that I'm still alive? I know I am (lols am I even relevant anymore?) Before I get into my whole MCAT prep strategy, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for leaving you guys in the dust.

[acatex]

I don’t really watch Grey’s Anatomy but I had to publish this one (even if I’m sure it already exists here on tumblr!) Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams because you’re a woman. You are strong and your values aren’t inferior to anyone else’s. Happy women’s day

!

[acatex]

Study tips made easy

[acatex]

2017 US Medical School Application Timeline

Hope you all find this helpful! Good luck chickadees! My inbox is always open if you have questions!

Download my printable 2017 application cycle checklist here

[acatex]

Free MCAT Study Materials!

Here’s master post of some great MCAT study materials and resources. Click on the bold titles to open links to folders containing the files listed below. Good luck!!!

2015 KAPLAN MCAT REVIEW BOOKS (pdf links listed below)

Behavioral Sciences Review

Biochemistry Review

Biology Review

Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Review

General Chemistry Review

Organic Chemistry Review

Physics and Math Review

BIOLOGY

Molecular Biology; Cellular Respiration

Genes

Microbiology

The Eukaryotic Cell; The Nervous System

The Endocrine System

The Digestive and Excretory Systems

The Cardiovascular System; The Respiratory System

Muscle, Bone and Skin

Populations

The Berkeley MCAT Review - Biology Part 1 (2011)

The Berkeley MCAT Review - Biology Part 2 (2011)

BIOCHEMISTRY

Lab Techniques

GENERAL CHEMISTRY

Atoms, Molecules and Quantum Mechanics

Gases, Kinetics, and Chemical Equilibrium

Thermodynamics

Solutions

Heat Capacity/Phase Change/Colligative Properties

Acids & Bases

Electrochemistry

Intro to Chemistry

Electrostatics

Gases

Thermodynamics and Thermochemistry

The Berkeley MCAT Review - General Chemistry Part 1 (2011)

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Molecular Structure

Hydrocarbons, Alcohols, Substitutions

Carbonyls and Amines

PHYSICS

MCAT Physics Book (2015)

Translation Motion

Force

Equilibrium, Torque and Energy

Momentum, Machines, and Radioactive Decay

Fluids and Solids

Waves

Electricity and Magnetism

Light & Optics

Linear Momentum

PSYCHOLOGY / SOCIOLOGY

SCIENCE

MCAT PRACTICE TESTS / QUESTIONS

Practice Tests

Solutions

OTHER MCAT STUDY MATERIALS

Examkrackers Complete MCAT Study Set (2007)

These materials will help build your knowledge and test taking skills, they may not fit the current MCAT exam criteria but it will definitely build your knowledge of the subjects being tested.

[acatex]

08.11.2018; planning day, trying to get on the rythm of my new timetables. my mornings are shorter, but it’s so refreshing to be able to do things after work, i can even study!

also, today i have another date with the french library guy, so i guess that even if i’m not studying tonight that kind of counts as language practise hahaha i just hope i’m not too dead after my shift.

[acatex]

5 Ways to Organise Your Study

7 Ways to Better Organize Your Study Time

13 Tips for Staying Organized While Studying for Your Exam

21 Tips to Organize Your Office

Bullet Journal Guide + Organisation

Cornell Notetaking System

DIY’s to Keep Stationery Organised

How to Keep your School Bag Organised

How to Organise you Schedule

How to Make the Most of Your Exam Preparation

Getting Organised

Getting Organised for Study

How to Organise your Notes

How learhrning Organises

How do you Effectively Keep and Organize your Study Notes?

How do you Organise your Notes and Folders?

How to Organise Lecture Notes

Manage your Time

Organise your Desk (video)

Organise your Email Inbox

Organise your Study Space

Organising Studying Abroad

Organising Notes

Organising Study

Schedule your Study Time

Time Management

Tips On How to Organise Exam Revision