futuredrdavis

[futuredrdavis]

Week 2/20. Day 9.

Today, was tough. I only did Anki cards. I thought that was the least I could do. I decided to try to add back working out to my study routine and it did not work. I was so tired and by the time I got back home I was mentally checked out for the day. I will try again tomorrow.

Tomorrows Goal: finish chapter 1 on biology and get back on track after editing my calendar because I didn’t add in an additional Exam Krackers book — it’s two biology content books. I am going to push my 8 week content review to 10 weeks and have 9 after that to do UWorld question banks and FL exams.

Looking back, this is way better study plan than before. I’m able to have room for changes and days of rest when need be but also not feel pressured to learn a crazy amount of material in an unrealistic time period.

[futuredrdavis]

Week 1/20. Day 7.

Today, was pretty hard to get through some material, honestly. I did my Anki cards (been doing well), and read through the beginning of the material on bacteria. After about 1.5-2 hours of reading and making new Anki cards, I kinda tapped out mentally.

At first, I was disappointed with myself, but then I began to realize that no.. I’m not going to be like that. I learned material… I didn’t rush through it just to say “I did X amount of pages or chapters today,” and I made useful and thorough Anki cards.

When I’m learning new Anki cards, I’ve found that using. Notability app and Apple Pencil to write down the answers multiple times helps me remember them to the point where I can know that material without thinking. It’s sort of the concept I learned back in AP classes in high school — You get a new notecard and say it five times front and back then put it and the end of your deck. That repetitiveness is what helps you remember the card but the thought provoking question is what helps you actually know the material. Whenever I do Anki on my iPad, I’m able to use the scratchpad to do this same thing. I love it and found it’s super useful for me.

[futuredrdavis]

Week 1/20. Day 6.

Today, I got stuck on viruses but I watched a few vids and finally got (what now I seems easy af 🙄) plus- and minus-strand RNA and the purpose of transcription in minus-strand RNA. This video from USMILE Pass literally was the most useful 3 min video to understand. So, I’ll definitely be using this YouTube channel along with Khan Academy to grasp concepts.

Also, I started writing which videos help me the most in my books in the margins so, further down the study road if I need to review during UWorld and FL exams, I know exactly what to watch.

I’m pushing about 65 Anki cards so far and I’m really trying to keep them organized. My mistake last time I studied with Anki was…

1. Not making my own Anki cards: okay, so, I’ve used other pre-made decks before but it takes SO much time trying to learn cards I didn’t make and then reviewing them because I kept getting them wrong because… I had no idea what was on the card 😅

For me, making the card is half the learning curve.. like it’s almost like I’m trying to learn in the same style the person who made it does and we don’t have the same style.

2. Not reviewing my Anki decks everyday: obviously, lol this is self explanatory. For Anki to be useful, I HAVE to do it everyday. If I skipped a day or two, it was like having to start over every time. MAJOR EYE ROLL.

3. Not switching up the style of card: In my previous post I talk about not doing only cloze cards or basic, but really asking questions that not only ask a question but also review material as I review.

It’s all part of the learning curve so hopefully changing things will help my score.

[futuredrdavis]

Week 1/20. Day 5.

MAN. I absolutely love this Exam Krackers book. So I’ve decided to stick with finishing chapter 1 through the week. Im not moving as fast as I would like to however, I’m grasping the material way better. Of course, I am watching Khan Academy vids when I need go to really understand each concept.

Also, I am getting the hang of how I want to do my Anki cards. As of now, this format (introduced to me by my study buddy, Chrishaun) has really been helping.

1. Forming questions with material

2. Adding a question on the front and back of each card.

3. Creating questions that also review the material (not basic definition questions.)

Here’s an example

[futuredrdavis]

Week 1/20. Day 4.

Did a really good job on my Anki cards today. I can tel that’s it’s getting to be more. Ive decided to wait and start my CARS 90 min sessions until next week… this week, I’m honestly just getting back into the swing of things.

Also today I redid my work space… kind of loving it! I moved my Mac into the center and L of my desk so I can have space to write on either sides. It makes it easier for me type and have my books open.

[futuredrdavis]

Week 1/20. Day 2.

Well, long time no blog! I’m back and today I’m on my studying tip. Yesterday, I opened up my first Exam Krackers book, Biology 2 Systems and I’m loving the material way better than I did Kaplan.

I’m not sure if it’s because I hadn’t taken all my bologna courses the last time I was using Kaplan but there is just overwhelmingly too much fluff and info in those books (now having taken the MCAT 3x). The Exam Krackers books are very… straightforward and light on reading. Nothing dense so far.

I got new blue light glasses and I’m starting the day with a TD Jakes sermon and notes with some time on self reflection and the Anki cards. My schedule is pretty doable for the most part, so I’m excited. It’s only day 2, so I’m in for the long haul.

[futuredrdavis]

Studying Beats: LoFi

So, I absolutely love listening to Low Fidelity music while I’m studying. It honestly does help me get lost in time and study for prolonged periods at a time! Here’s my favorite playlist! DashGo actually has a ton of LoFi playlists that honestly could play for hours.

[futuredrdavis]

Pushing Through

I Actually have been feeling very down and out about school this last two weeks. Not that it isn’t going well — I got an A on my last micro exam, been doing well on some quizzes, and put some great new study techniques to good use! (A&P is honestly kicking my butt but I have time to get better). Also, I learned some new stuff on Anki and I feel like a boss studier now lol. However, not having a break while taking these classes has been super draining.

Last month, Imprint Groups at my church started at I was honestly debating if I even wanted to participate. I decided to take off two months from my book club because I just didn’t have the time nor energy to read something else with school. So, for me, I thought it would be the exact same thing with Imprint Groups.

Oh! Let me actually tell you what an Imprint Group even is! Imprint Groups are sort of like Bible Study but instead of just reading the Bible, my church picks a book that we use a sort of a guide to get us more into the word. So, after careful debate with self, I decided not to participate and sign up when it began. However, I had been volunteering with my church to actually get the sign up together (how ironic lol) and my Pastor signed me up anyway AND purchased the book for me. I took that as a sign as decided to do it.

This is now our fifth week (I’ve missed three so far 🥴) because I’ve had tests that fall on the same day which I use the noon hour to prepare for. But this week, I looked up and realized that It was Wednesday at Noon and I was chilling so I logged into our Zoom call. MAN. Am I glad!!! Seriously. I honestly wasn’t too hype about the book until we got to the end of the first chapter and it just hit different!!! I have been struggling with staying consistent in my prayer life lately because honestly. I just study. Eat. Sleep. Which is like the super recipe for burnout.

This week’s session covered so much in regards to discipleship and really being confident in your own path to be able to effectively disciple other in theirs!!! It really touched me because last week (see previous post) I put myself out there regarding my journey to medicine and I go back and forth on whether that was a good idea. One of things we talked about was if discipleship was better if it was taught by someone who was perfect and had all the answers or someone who grew through their own journey (of course it’s the latter).

So for me, I believe that talking about my journey, my struggle with mental health and stress, my risk to put myself out there and what mistakes I made, and how God brought me through is truly the way I can do my part as Christian in helping others turn to God in their journeys. I’ve never been a Jesus Shouter (one of those people who need to talk about God all the time) lol but being more confident and comfortable to say honestly, God got me through a really tough time without fear of judgement or hate was something I really needed to hear from our group.

So, happy Studying and may you turn to God and prayer with things get tough 💗

[futuredrdavis]

What is a Nontradition Medical Student?

I get asked this question so much! Before, I have to admit, it will be pretty embarrassing to have to explain this to someone because no matter how much I would jazz it up, it always comes down to, I’m taking more classes.

In short, a Nontraditional Medical (or PreMed) Student is an applicant who did not go from completing four years of Undergraduate courses directly to Medical School. Most times, this path, like mine, includes Gap Years. Gap years are considered years in the Medical Journey where an applicant does other things outside of pursuing medical school directly (classes).

My first Gap Year was after my Junior Year at LSU. I sat out a year to gain in state tuition and obtain Residency in the state of Louisiana. It made sense in regards to not wanting to use a lot of my student loans up and pay out of state fees. In that time, I worked two jobs (mistakenly, Non-Health related) and had an Internship in Sports Administration until it was time to re-enroll back into school.

My second Gap Year was after I graduated from LSU and decided to move back to Atlanta after enrolling in a Graduate program and taking my first two rounds of Post-Baccalaureate courses. I was very frustrated and down and out about where I was academically. I decided not to pursue my Masters any further and moved back home to Atlanta to figure what my plans were and if I even wanted to pursue medicine even further. I sort of felt like I was driving fast and going absolutely no where. In the year that I spent in a Graduate program, I worked in a Nonprofit Health Clinic as a Health Advocate, engulfing myself in Public Healthcare. Ironically, this is where I found my passion again — helping the underserved.

After returning home and taking time off from the Journey, I had to really come to terms if this was something I wanted to pursue. The time I spent in the clinic really made a difference. Being in the environment of medicine and helping patients who truly needed it felt amazing.

I had a degree and was only short one semester of obtaining a Masters Degree. My graduate GPA was alright but it eventually reflected my thoughts about the entire program even after I tried to finish it a couple of semester later that it wasn’t for me. I had also realized that there was nothing that I wanted more than to become a Physician and no amount of jobs would measure up to that desire. With that realization, I enrolled in a smaller school closer to home and started all of my Pre- Reqs over.

Now, you’re probably wondering, why in the heck did you do that? And, I’ll tell you. I knew that I didn’t not have a strong foundation in Core Sciences. Although a Post-Bacc PreMed program would’ve looked better on paper, I needed the basics. I wanted the basics. After finishing my basic requirements, I started preparing for the MCAT. Long story short, I struggled because the MCAT is more than the basics. You need upper level sciences that aren’t necessarily required to apply to medical school. So, now, Spring 2021, I’ve enrolled in my courses (see previous post) to get a better grasp of biology.

Have questions? Want to chat? Follow my Instagram: laurenrdvs_

[futuredrdavis]

Haven’t posted in a while! Here’s a little update:

1. I took the MCAT twice and made roughly the same range of scores. I was disappointed because of course, I had high hopes, but I decided to not submit my AMCAS application last round because I felt my score wasn’t Competitve enough, however it was high enough to get into a bridge program (a program where you take graduate/medical school level courses that prepare you for actual medical school and feeds you into a MD program)

2. I applied to the Bridge program at my number one medical school of choice. Although I had FINALLY met all the pre-req requirements, I still didn’t have enough extra science courses to prove that I could handle the workload of a medical school program. Their words... not mine. So, they gave me a list of courses that I needed to take to demonstrate I am ready for Med school.

3. I am enrolled in 4 science courses this semester... eeeek! Two of which, I am taking the lab. These were on the list of course that I need to enroll in from the admission director at the program I applied to!

- Biochemistry 2

- Cellular Biology

- Microbiology & Micro Lab

- Anatomy & Physiology & A/P Lab

4. I follow a ton of black girls in medical school on IG! A lot of them drop sooo much knowledge about not only getting in, but avoiding burnout, managing stress, study habits, social life, etc.

One of my favorite bloggers, Mimi posted something about having study blocks that allowed her to both keep up with her school work and avoid burn out! I decided to make one since it’s mid semester and I’m TIRED. I’ve suffered from burnout before so, I know the signs of when I’m on edge. Lol

[futuredrdavis]

How fitting is this motivation of the day quote that just came in as I’m winding down my day. As I’m getting ready for the test tomorrow, I keep thinking how excited I am and more importantly, I have little to no anxiety.

I am going in very optimistic, remembering to not leave one question blank, read the questions carefully, and watch the timer. I am not worried about if I have to take it again for the simple fact that the second time, I’ll have more experience under my belt. I’m just worried about doing my absolute best.

My WOTY is Determination, so I’m determined to do well. I’m determined not to give up. And I’m determined to become a Doctor.

[futuredrdavis]

UWorld MCAT Question Bank

I have enjoyed using the free trial of UWorld Questions. Since my test is in about three weeks and I don’t want to buy a subscription starting at $219 for 90 Days. I will continue signing up for the trial to just practice free questions and instead buy AAMC Full Length Practice Exams (Max 3 FL for $105). I have been using my full length exam questions to study content and concepts. It gives great explanations and even gives you how much time you spend per question, which I’ve learned is pretty important in regards to scoring high on the exam.

I am personally struggling with finishing sections so, this is helping me a lot as far as seeing what subjects I need to review in order to find key words to get to the answer quicker.

More questions answered = more points, that simple. So, getting 15/20 questions you answered may seem fantastic, however if there are 48 questions, you essentially left 28 questions (and X amount of points) up for grabs. Although not answering them didn’t count against you, it didn’t help you either... so, again, this feature is super helpful for improving scores.

All in all, I would highly recommend using the UWorld question bank if you can afford to purchase it!!

Daily Bread: Stop being afraid of what will go wrong and think of what could go right.

[futuredrdavis]

The honest truth

A lot of people like to romanticize this journey.. studying late nights, the slowly developing coffee addiction, the feeling that maybe you’re not cut out mentally to be a doctor.. the constant battle between doubt and confidence. I have never wanted something so bad in my entire life but trust me... this is not easy..

Daily Bread: where your attention goes, energy flows and results show.

[futuredrdavis]

In-Depth Content Review

I’ve found myself taking all this great notes after reading my textbooks, however, my mistake during the semester when taking classes was that I never went back actually re-read the notes until the week of test. Instead of doing that, I’m actually just watching videos (AAMC Khan) and adding back additional notes that I’ve missed.

I love my red pen because it helps me note what I’ve already written and where I need to add. I’m thinking of transferring my final notes in a notebook after every FL I take. For me, I learn best if I keep writing something down, almost like muscle memory. This technique means that I know have written and reviewed the content three-four times and over and over again by using my Anki Cards.

These notes are based off topics from my exam questions from my previous FL that I missed and got correct. I noticed from my first FL, the question I got correct, I missed on my second FL because I didn’t go back and review the content since I got it right. Hopefully, reviewing everything each time will help me. I plan to take anothe FL July 1st.

Daily Bread: By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

[futuredrdavis]

Why I decided to reschedule my MCAT Exam Date

Moving my test date a month later was a pretty big decision. After taking only two practice exams, I felt like I was at a slight disadvantage when a lot of my questions were from courses like Microbiology or Cell Biology, which I haven’t taken. Although they aren’t required to apply to medical school, the major concepts of each course are tested heavily on the MCAT. Given this past week of going over exam questions from my last FL, I decided that another 30 days or so would allow me to really hone in concepts and topics I’m not as familiar with.

I struggle with test anxiety and not being confident going into any exam always triggers that. If I know 60% of the material, I will be taken aback by the 40% I don’t know and ruin any chances of doing well all together. It is absolutely crucial for me to be honest with myself and not rush this process, which was a mistake I made before (trying to beat a ridiculous time table I made for myself).

I feel great about rescheduling my exam and because of the pandemic, all rescheduling fees are waived until further notice, so it was only a matter of finding an open test date and sensible location. I have a sense of relief and have given myself more time to take at least three to four more FL practice exams. I have about seven weeks until my exam and I plan to use it wisely. I’m hoping to only take this exam once and want to be both confident and fully prepared going into the exam.

Daily Bread: Good things happen to those who hustle.

[futuredrdavis]

After taking my 2nd FL exam and realizing I was missing questions that had to do a lot with material I hadn’t taken since the beginning of my science pre-reqs (Biology I & II), I decided to break out my old textbooks.

One of my friends, who was a Biology Major actually let me borrow his old Microbiology book since I didn’t take the course. A lot of the questions have been Microbiology-related, which is pretty frustrating since I never enrolled in the course. However, I choose to prevail, so I’m going old school in my study session today. NO MCAT Prep books, NO Anki Cards, and NO Khan Academy vids. Just textbooks, Passages and Questions from my FL Exams, and pen/paper.

By using my exam questions as a guideline, I’m actually able to target specific material. I’m hoping this works in my favor.

Daily Bread: Be Proud of how far you’ve come and never stop pushing to be the best you can be.

[futuredrdavis]

ANKI Card Advice

So, I am completely and utterly in love with Anki Cards. Because I use it on my iPad, I had to pay for the app, however it is free on your computer! If you watch any YouTube medical student blogs, they love/live by Anki Cards. Though a cool app, the concept of learning by flash cards is not new! After using the app for a while now, I actually just found a new feature which I feel like helps me a lot when doing sets in prep for the MCAT.

I discoverd the “scratchpad” option, which can be found under settings in the right hand tab of your deck.

Subjects like Biology and Psychology are very heavy on terms and definitions so, I’ve found the Anki app helps a lot. Outside of those subjects, formulas for physics and chemistry are easy to remember via flash cards as well but writing each flash card out in the scratchpad has helped me out a ton!

Most times, when you start doing flash cards, you remember exactly the word that is missing and start scheming over the rest of the sentence.. to avoid this I utilize the review and scratchpad feature and write out the entire sentence and underline the term missing every time. It avoids breezing over the notecard and really memorizing the entire concept.

I hope that you can use this technique as well!