September/October 2016 by PreMedLife Magazine

NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL TARGETS ENGINEERING STUDENTS | MEDICAL SCHOOLS MAKING PROGRESS WITH ENROLLMENT

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The Magazine For Pre-Medical Students

September/October 2016

THIS IS WHAT KILLS PRE-MED DREAMS PREMATURELY

Many students start out pre-meds but change their minds later on

5 MOST COMMON MCAT MISTAKES As explained by an instructor

PREMEDLIFE.COM

K C A B TO OL O H SC

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September/October 2016 Not having a role model to look up to and starting classes later than most others in the industry could have been insurmountable difficulties if it hadn’t been for her incredibly dedicated work ethic.” p.19

It’s that time of the year again! Back to school.

FIVE THINGS HIGH SCHOOL PREMEDS CAN LEARN FROM PRESCHOOLERS

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST BORING COURSES INTERESTING

HERE’S ONE THING KILLS PRE-MED DREAMS PREMATURELY

IF YOU’RE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU’RE READING THIS, CHANCES ARE - YOU HAVE ALREADY DECIDED THAT YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO STUDY MEDICINE

GETTING INTERESTED IN A NOT-SO-INTERESTING SUBJECT IS NOT AN EASY TASK.

THERE ARE MANY STUDENTS WHO IN THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE START OUT AS PRE-MEDS, BUT LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD CHANGE

September/October 2016 | PreMedLife Magazine |3

contents

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

MCAT tips as explained by an instructor

How to Make Your Second Year Just as Successful as Your First

For all of you sophomores out there - congratulations! You have been successful at something many premeds don’t do - making it to the second year of college as a pre-med.

5 Ways to Overcome Pre-Med Burnout

Practicing medicine is a meaningful and rewarding experience that leads many pre-medical students to life-long satisfaction i their career choice.

WHAT’S INSIDE...

5 Mos Common MCAT Mistakes

Las Vegas is a great place to take your MCAT. This unusual tidbit was the first of many surprises when we sat down for an interview with MCAT instructor Levonti Ohanisian. In addition, to scoring well himself, Levonti serves as an MCAT teacher at UCSD Extension. While he teachers all subjects, some of his best advice is how to approach the test as a whole. “I’m serious,” he said. “I ended up taking my test in Vegas because I had to change my date.

What All Else Fails, Ask Khan Academy

As pre-meds, I can guarantee that at some point in your undergraduate career, you’ve reached out to Khan Academy. Last attempt on a pH problem for your Mastering Chemistry homework? Ask Khan Academy, Yahoo Answers doesn’t have the solution for the correlation between the wavelength and frequency of a wave? Ask Khan Academy.

4 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

M I NOS CAN ACH IEVE ANYTHING. We make sure they get to college. Federal Student Aid provides more than $150 billion each year in grants, loans, and work-study funds to make college possible for anyone with the mind to get there. Learn more about money for college at StudentAid.gov.

Federal Student Aid

An OFFICE of the U.S. DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION

PROUD SPONSOR of the AMERICAN MIND 'Â·

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Digital

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Thinking Back to Medical School Medical school is four years long and you forever feel like you are at the bottom of the food chain.

What’s on Premedlife.com? Reminiscing My Years In Medical School

I remember the first time that I watched a child being born. It was terrifying and yet so beautiful at the same time.

6 Rules for Deciding a Medical Specialty Deciding on a medical specialty is a difficult decision for some medical school students and a very easy decisions for others.

9 Emotions You’re Sure to Feel In Med School You never feel prepared. Ever. Even when you know everything and understand everything, you never feel prepared.

GO BEYOND THE PAGE

You’ll find this icon on selected pages throughout the issue. That’s your signal to grab your smartphone or tablet and go deeper with the content on that page. Here’s how: 1. Download the free Layar app from the Apple or Android store or at layar.com 2. Launch the app and scan any page displaying the icon. 3. Premedlife bonus content will instantly appear on your device.

6 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

From the

Publisher

PREMEDLIFE the lifestyle magazine for premedical students www.premedlife.com

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR

Founder & Publisher | Tasheema Prince

“For many of us, September is the other January the to make a fresh start.” - Gretchen Rubin

Contributing Editor | Njeri McKenzie

Getting to the start of the new academic year is a big deal for pre-meds everywhere. And like the

happiness guru Gretchen Rubin put it best, for many people, especially students attending school, September is a time to make new goals, set new standards, keep grades up if the last year was great, or get it together if it wasn’t so great. With so much at stake, like getting into medical school for instance, when this time of year rolls around, let’s just say feelings of pressure may start kicking in. With summer coming to a close, internships and summer programs ending, this time of year always seems to feel so important for anyone who has goals of getting into medical school. Many determined and hard-working students know that this is yet another time and opportunity for them to keep pushing forward. But maybe this whole premature New Year’s feeling of getting a fresh start on things is actually more beneficial than not. Use it as a time to say to yourself, “I’m not waiting until the ball drops to ring in 2017 to debut the new and improved you” - do it now. Think of it as a head start to the better version of yourself. Don’t let the thought of all of your tough and not so tough course intimate you, but instead pair it with the resolution rush of the new school year and use what experts call the “fresh start effect” for your good. Use this as your practice run for the New Year’s Resolutions I know many of you will be setting with the end of the year rolls around, then by that time, you will have already had a chance to get the ball rolling in the right direction. Let’s do this. It will take you putting one foot in front of the other, one thought in front of the other, one feeling in front of the other, and - you get the point. No one said it was going to be easy and getting into medical school is just as much of a grades, test scores, and application game, as it is a mental game. Making it to medical school successfully will require more than just what you’re able to fill out on your application. It will require much more and what it will require will of course depend on the individual but in the end, there’s no other time than right now to get started. I’d like to know what your Backto-School resolutions are, so send an email to tprince@premedlife.com to share what’s on your mind this September.

Tasheema Prince Publisher @PrinceSheem tprince@premedlife.com

Tasheema Prince

VP, Development| Monique Terc

Online Marketing Consultant | Portia Chu Contributing Writers Marilyn Chu, Tasheema Prince, Emma Wilkinson Find us on Twitter @premedlife Find us on Facebook.com/premedlife Here’s How to Reach Us: Kisho Media, LLC P.O. Box 10572 Rockville, MD 20849 Main Office (347) 857-7491 Have a Story Idea? Email us at editor@premedlife.com Want to Subscribe? Visit www.premedlife.com and sign-up to our mailing list to receive an email when the latest issue is available online Want to Join Forces? (a.k.a. Partner With Us) Email us at info@premedlife.com Advertising Inquiries? Email advertise@premedlife.com PreMedLife magazine is published six times per year by Kisho Media, LLC. and copies are provided to select colleges and universities free of charge. The information in PreMedLife magazine is believed to be accurate, but in some instances, may represent opinion or judgment. Consult your pre-medical/pre-health advisor with any questions you may have about the medical school admissions process and related topics. Unless otherwise noted, all articles, photographs, artwork, and images may not be duplicated or reprinted without express written permission from Kisho Media, LLC. PreMedLife magazine and Kisho Media, LLC. are not liable for typographical or production errors or the accuracy of information provided by advertisers. PreMedLife magazine reserves the right to refuse any advertising. All inquires may be sent to: Kisho Media, LLC. P.O. Box 10572 Rockville, MD 20849 To reach us by phone call (347) 857-7491 or email us at info@premedlife.com.

8 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

T:8.5”

Dr. Maurie Markman, MD Medical Oncologist

T:11”

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY,

STAND UP. When someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, you have the power to help. There are many ways you can stand up and show that you care. THEY TALK, YOU LISTEN. One of the most helpful and important things you can do is listen— without judgment and resisting the urge to give advice. DON’T ASK, DO TELL. Instead of waiting to be asked for help when it is needed, be speciﬁc about what you can do and when, such as: prepare a meal, babysit, pick up groceries, help with pets, or provide rides to and from appointments. Pamela Cromwell Cancer Survivor

LIVE AND LEARN. Educate yourself about your loved one’s diagnosis and treatment. When you understand what a cancer patient is going through, you’re better able to help keep information clear, track questions, and know how you can be most useful.

Christina Applegate SU2C Ambassador

STAY CONNECTED. After the initial diagnosis, people tend to drift away. Be someone to count on for the long haul. Check in, send a quick note, or drop off a book. Small gestures go a long way. Visit ShowThatYouCare.org to learn more about how you can stand up for someone you love.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America is a proud supporter of Stand Up To Cancer, an initiative designed to accelerate groundbreaking cancer research for the beneﬁt of the patient. Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

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S T U D E N T A D V I S O RY B O A R D

The PreMedLife Student Advisory Board is an exemplary group of premed students from a variety of backgrounds who have a wide range of accomplishments. They will help keep us informed about what we need to know to make PreMedLife magazine the go-to resource for aspiring doctors.

Tisha Berg UCLA Extension

Viven Chen University of Miami

Samantha Culver University of Vermont

Caitlin Draper University of Arkansas

Jared Eaves The University of Texas at Austin

Austin Greer Indiana Wesleyan University

Charis Guinto Evangel University

Hannah Hoekstra University of Minnesota

Lisa Lachhman Pace University

Austin Newsman Georgia State University

James Rock Slippery Rock University

Tyra Turner Agnes Scott College

10 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

A CHART DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T EMPATHIZE.

I DO.

Before reading a chart or lab report, a DO sees a human being. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine practice their distinct philosophy in every medical specialty. A DO first considers the person within the patient.

Learn more at DoctorsThatDO.org

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NEWS

“Students in Nebraska are getting a chance to be a part of a new collaborative designed to address the State’s healthcare needs.” {PAGE 15}

istockphoto / ash92

California Medical School Launches New Curriculum For Changing Field

Under a new curriculum launched at the University of California, San Francisco, medical students will now have the opportunity to be trained to succeed within the changing health care system, according to a press release issued by the university. The appropriately named Bridges Curriculum is designed to help students navigate the changes they will most likely face during their medical school journey and professional careers. Built on the premise that there is an overwhelming amount of information medical students must learn, the transformative curriculum will help students build and strengthen their ability to tap into their scientific inquiry skills. “Medical education is like peeling an onion,” said Gordon “Buck” Strewler, MD, a UCSF professor of medicine who directs the four-year Inquiry program at the

school. “As you continue to pull off layers, more questions and more unknowns are revealed.” In addition, students will be trained so they can work with teams and collaborate to create a more successful health care delivery system for patients. Under the new curriculum, students will have the chance to experience working in a clinical setting during their very first year - a major innovation of the UCSF approach. Specifically, medical students in their first year will work as members of clinical teams to contribute ideas and knowledge for providing patients with the best experience. According to the press release,’the medical school will partner with UCSF Health and UCSF’s affiliated hospitals Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and the San Francisco Veterans Administration Med-

ical Center to provide these training experiences. In designing this curriculum, the medical education community sought to ensure that students in the clinics would be prepared to contribute to high-quality care, not just use the clinical environment to advance their education.” Also built into the new curriculum is an opportunity for exposure to a wide range of “intellectual perspectives,” which the school says “includes a course on data and reasoning to teach students how to integrate technology and informatics into clinical practice. Other coursework focuses on the social context of health and illness, taught from the perspective of anthropology and other social sciences, as well as health policy.” For more information about The Bridges Curriculum, visit meded.ucsf.edu/bridges. p

12 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

T:8.5”

Two worlds. One dream.

Singers and Scientists share more than might be expected. Whether it’s a breakout melody or a breakthrough in research. When it comes together, everything fits. It can change lives forever. Stand Up To Cancer supports the collaboration, innovation and research that are turning discoveries T:11”

into viable treatments and possibly, one day, a cure. Stand up with us. Let your voice make a difference because when we work together, nothing is impossible.

Like, share and join SU2C. Find out more at standup2cancer.org

Jennifer Hudson, Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador

Shiva Malek, Ph.D.

Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Photo by Nigel Parry.

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NEWS

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Brand New Program Seeks to Address the Diversity Gap in Medicine

Students in Nebraska are getting a chance to be a part of a new collaborative designed to address the State’s healthcare needs. The program, called the Urban Health Opportunities Program (UHOP), is a joint initiative between the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), began this year with students starting their freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years and provided them all with scholarships that not only guarantees admission to UNMC’s College of Medicine upon graduation, but would also cover their tuition. “The UHOP program is another example of how two wonderful institutions, UNO and UNMC, can leverage their strengths and help address community needs by working together,” said Paul Davis, UHOP coordinator and associate pro-

fessor of biology at UNO. “It’s a win on both sides.” Prior to the launch of UHOP, a significant number of the high school students in Nebraska who were interested in pursing careers in medicine left the state. “Our metropolitan mission has always been to provide access to a premier education for students, regardless of their background, and UHOP is a great example of those efforts,” UNO Chancellor John Christensen said. “I am extremely excited to be working with our partners at UNMC to provide this opportunity to our students.” “We are committed to creating a healthy future for all individuals and communities by providing innovative educational opportunities that open doors to those talented individuals who seek to commit themselves to a lifetime of service in the health care profession,” added UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

Unlike many other programs with similar models, students do not need to meet any specific requirements to apply. “instead, Davis says applicants are chosen for their unique backgrounds, commitment to success, and desire to leverage their experiences to comfort and treat patients of all ages, genders, nationalities and sexual orientations.” “Diversity in the medical clinic is vital, as physicians see a wide variety of patients from all walks of life,” Davis said. “Equally vital is diversity among medical school classmates, who learn to value and appreciate social and cultural differences and customs, in turn making them better physicians.” For more information about UHOP, visit cas.unomaha.edu/uhop. p

September/October 2016 | PreMedLife Magazine |15

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NEWSBITES

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Medical School Debuts New Curriculum to Meet Needs of Evolving Medical Space

A new curriculum designed to help new physicians navigate the ups and downs of the fast-changing world of medicine has been launched at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. “The explosion of clinical information and technology, the development of complex healthcare systems, a move from inpatient to outpatient care settings, and team science are all changing medicine and healthcare,” says Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine. “Our new curriculum is a platform to make our students the best possible future doctors and prepare them to be healthcare leaders.” The new approach - MDelta - stands for Making a Difference in Education, Learning, and Teaching Across the Curriculum has three key areas for students

to focus: exploration, clinical immersion and transformation. Like other schools rolling out new curricula around the ever-changing healthcare field, MDelta gives students the opportunity to work in clinical settings early on, with each student being assigned to a primary care physician so they can not only gain experience in a clinical setting, but also have the chance to follow the health of patients over a 3-year period. Additionally, students are prepped for later stages of their training by exposure to inpatient and outpatient “immersion experiences across the care spectrum from internal medicine to surgery.” “Early clinical and health system exposure is an integral part of the new curriculum along with inter-professional activities. A cutting-edge holistic assessment

program provides time for students to evaluate their competencies as they reach milestones in their development,” says Dr. Suzanne Rose, senior associate dean for education at UConn School of Medicine. Each day, students use what’s called Remote Active Learning Materials (REALM) to help them with clinical skills training and preparing for patient case studies. In addition, students get to take a course called VITALS (Vertically Integrated Teams Aligned in Learning and Scholarship) to teach healthcare policy, population health, ethics, and current events that affect community in the US and abroad. To learn more about MDelta, visit medicine.uconn. edu/curriculum/md-program/m-delta-curriculum. p

16 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

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18 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

WHAT BALLET DANCER MISTY COPELAND CAN TEACH PREMEDS ABOUT CONFIDENCE By Marilyn Chau

Even if you’ve never studied ballet, the story of Misty Copeland is one that can be inspiring. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Copeland studied ballet during her teenage years in California and eventually rose as a stand-out, successful dancer among her peers. In June 2015 Misty Copeland made history when she was promoted to principal dancer with the ABT (American Ballet Theatre) because she was the first African American woman to ever hold this title in the company’s entire 75 year history. Throughout the past year she has continued to rise as a standout dancer and positive influence on the lives of millions, inspiring ballet students and others to go above any challenges between them and their dreams. IT’S OKAY TO BE FIRST

While young African American dancers can now look up to Misty as an example of what they might also be able to accomplish someday, Misty herself didn’t have that luxury. ABT had never had someone like her for her to look up to as a young girl; she had to become that someone. For many premedical students, there are older siblings, cousins, uncles, or even parents who are also physicians to look up to for advice along the way. However, for many other premeds, there is nobody in their family who has successfully sought and completed higher education within the medical field; they don’t have anyone to look to when the road gets tough, anyone to say “Hey, I’ve done this, and I know you can too.” For those students, looking to trailblazers like Misty Copeland can be great inspiration to keep pressing through the tough days regardless of a lack of role models or not.

HAVING A LATE START DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T FINISH WELL

For many ballerinas, beginning ballet lessons in early elementary school is the norm. It’s expected that the most successful people in a field are often those who have been doing that trade the longest. However, in the case of Misty Copeland, this wasn’t true. Instead, Copeland is witness to the fact that having a “late start” shouldn’t be a factor to keep you from

success. She started studying ballet at the “old” age of 13, yet rose to unprecedented success. Just because you switched majors a few times in undergrad or worked within another career field prior to deciding to pursue a medical degree shouldn’t keep you from pursuing your dream in medicine. It’s okay to be the “old guy” in the class; it’s okay to have a “late” start.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Finally, it’s important to point out that Misty Copeland certainly didn’t rise to where she is today without hard, consistent work. Not having a role model to look up to and starting classes later than most others in the industry could have been insurmountable difficulties if it hadn’t been for her incredibly dedicated work ethic. Succeeding in medical school and succeeding in the world of professional ballet both require an attitude that believes in consistently putting in the hard work--and not just whenever you feel up to it--in order to gain the best results. Incredible strength and flexibility don’t happen to a dancer overnight. Gaining the knowledge necessary to dominate the MCAT won’t happen in two weeks. Both disciplines require consistent, everyday dedication on the part of the student. p

September/October 2016 | PreMedLife Magazine |19

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B A C K TO S C H O O L

FIVE THINGS HIGH SCHOOL PREMEDS CAN LEARN FROM PRESCHOOLERS

istockphoto/ evgenyatamanenko

f you’re in high school and you’re reading this, chances are - you have already decided that you defiantly want to study medicine. Yes, that’s true. In fact, more than 30 percent of students entering medical school say that it was during high school or sometime before college when they defiantly decided that they wanted to become a doctor. So, as you head back to school for yet another year of studying and hitting the books to fulfill your dreams of getting into medical school, it made me think about all of the useful lessons that students learn as young children that can be applied to your high school life. Here are xx tips from my grade school days that every pre-med high school student should know:

20 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

ASK WHY.

When children get to a certain age, it almost becomes a rite of passage to respond with the word ‘why’ to everything being told to them. But as you will come to learn, asking why is actually something that will play to your advantage as you begin your educational journey toward medical school. There will be many things you’ll need to learn as a pre-medical student and some of the most successful medical students will say that learning becomes more interesting if you know the ‘why’ around concepts, rather just memorizing facts and suggests of information. As you start of the new school year, start getting into the habit of asking why to dig deeper and gather a greater understanding of the topics and concepts you are learning. When you begin to do this, you see that you may have a greater appreciation for the things you are begin taught and you may begin to make connections and retain knowledge at a much greater capacity than ever before. The road to becoming a doctor is one that involves being a life-long learner. As a health care practitioner, you’ll always be learning new things and why better time to get started and comfortable with this process than now? If there’s something that you are struggling to understand, or even if you think you’ve got a pretty good grasp on a particular topic - go deeper.

PLAY HARD.

If there’s one thing we all know children like to do - it’s play. From the moment they wake up until the moment they go to sleep, preschoolers are all about having a good time. But there’s nothing wrong with taking break from your studies to participate in something that you enjoy. Since you’ll be going into medicine, it might be in your best interest to take the time now, while you can, to stop for a moment and think about the things that made you happy. For some, it might be difficult to think about spending time doing anything other than something “premed” but taking a break from time to time will be in your best interest in the end. Try thinking back to when you were 10 years old and try to remember what you enjoyed doing most. Experts say that if you can tap into what you did during these pre-teen years, you’ll be able to get back to doing what you enjoy most - and if you’re having trouble remember, ask your parents or someone who you were close to growing up. The point it - if you’re going to pursue medicine, chances are you’re in for a lifetime of learning, working hard, putting in long hours of training, so now is the perfect time to take advantage of the fact that you probably have a little more time to do these kinds of things than you ever will in the future. In the end, it will be good for your mind, body, soul, and future patients. So, the next time someone tells you to take a break or invites you to do something “fun” go ahead and take them up on their offer.

And whether its something a kids says or something a kid does, chances are something funny has happened, is happening, or is about to happen. The bottom line is - the power and effectiveness of adding play into one’s pre-med life has been completely overlooked, yet it yields so many benefits. Really take some time to think seriously (in a fun way) about ways you may be able to incorporate play into your routine, either by yourself or with a group of friends or classmates. Being focused and serious is a top priority for the vast majority of pre-medical students, and rightly so. Medical schools expect students to be serious and motivated and when a student’s performance doesn’t stack up, there’s a price to pay. Getting into medical school will be no easy feat. It takes a lot of discipline, dedication, and hard work to get there. That’s why, as you embark along this journey, you have to advantage of certain times that come along - when a moment to laugh presents itself. William James said it best when he stated “we don’t laugh because we’re happy - we’re happy because we laugh.”

TRY AND TRY AGAIN.

Getting into medical school is not easy. And for many successful pre-meds, the ability to not give is the most important part of the process. Going through the pre-med journey can be quite scary at times, but it is very important to have goals and execute them without distraction. You probably already embrace and rejoice in your successes, but think about embracing your failures more fully. There’s no better way to learn and move forward from an experience than to be honest about the things that might have gone wrong. Chances are there’s not a single pre-med who has had a painless path to getting into medical school (if you are one, we would sure like to hear from you) - any pre-med who has been through the process has been most likely tested in some way or another. All aspiring pre-meds should remember that adversity doesn’t mean failure. It can lay the foundation for an even greater experience that may ultimately make you a better doctor in the future.

LEARN THROUGH PLAY.

Most educators will tell you that children learn best through play. And just because you’re in high school now doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while learning. “Learning through play is a term used in education and psychology to describe how a child can learn to make sense of the world around them” and who says it can’t benefit a high schooler make sense of their premed world. Being able to have fun with all of the subjects you’ll need to take will help you build your own understanding and potentially create a personalized learning experience for yourself. “We are born with the most powerful ability to learn - through play.” p

LAUGH, LAUGH, LAUGH

If you spend a few minutes in a classroom filled with four- and five-year-old girls and boys, there’s no doubt that you’ll find yourself laughing at something.

September/October 2016 | PreMedLife Magazine |21

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B A C K TO S C H O O L

22 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

istockphoto/ penguinline

Meh

How to Make the Most Boring Courses Interesting

etting interested in a not-so-interesting subject is not an easy task. For the classes that you might find to be a bore, there can be several factors that make learning a particular topic or subject a drag. Pre-med students usually just do what they have to do and learn the subject because that’s just want has to be done. They’ll learn what they need to know, but how much are they remembering what they learned after the fact? Every pre-med knows that their classes and the information they’re learning is important, but there’s something even more important to a student’s success, and that is their learning experience. Think about it: if school was just about memorizing facts, students would just have to get really good at their techniques for retaining information. One thing you could do it make sure your notes are working for you. Take a look at your notes and make sure they align with how you best take in the information you are being taught. What does the look and feel of your notes say about your learning style? Once you get a better understanding of what works for you and what doesn’t, you’ll be in a much better place to create a learning experience that will work towards your strengths. Your next train of thought should focus on how you can make a personal connection to what you are learning. And this can

actually be the fun part - figuring out what connection may exist between the painfully dry topic and your likes - how fun is that? What it comes down to is that you will remember things that you can relate to or enjoy taking in. This means that you need to connect with the topic or content being taught. It helps if you think of the topic or subject as puzzles where you’re trying to find where you fit in, instead of an isolated body of knowledge being taught by your teacher. Let’s also not forget about your willingness to be curious and passionate. One of the easiest ways to increase your interest about something is to be interested. “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” said Walt Disney. And if physics is not your thing - find a way or reason to be passionate about it - seriously. It might sound funny trying to figure our and navigate building a passion for something you have no interest in or find to be boring, but if you delve more deeply into a subject, you may discover a “hook” that helps you make a connection to keep your interest. As a pre-medical student who has their eyes set on getting into medical school, it may go without saying but, it helps if you actually care about learning. If you’re not interested in a subject and you find it to be boring, you may also begin to care less and less about the subject overall. p

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This Is What Kills Pre-Med Dreams Prematurely 24 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

istockphoto/ Mike_Kiev

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istorically, there are many students who in their freshman year of college start out as pre-meds, but later on down the road change their minds due to some failure or difficulty they encountered. This type of thinking can lead to the premed exodus among freshman students. And many pre-med students come face-to-face with a struggle that is the epitome of the saying “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” It is quite easy to give up as soon as one faces an obstacle or challenge during their freshman year as a premed. And it’s important to course correct the negative thinking that may come along before deciding to stick with it and move forward. However, it is almost impossible to get through a semester without some sort of “foreign” situation or “unknown” experience. It is a poor excuse to ditch your pre-med dreams just because it is a little more difficult than you might have anticipated. Instead, you have to begin to get into the habit of setting personal goals that fit who you are as a student. Accept the fact that everything you do from here on out will be through a new and improved version of yourself, but that it will be an ongoing process of self discovery. When you encounter tough situations, the next best thing to do is to figure out the best fix for those issues rather than throw in the towel on your medical school dreams. Many freshman pre-meds believe that they have to be perfect, which adds stress and pressure to an already stressful and pressure-filled environment. And no matter how well they perform, they’ll continue to feel bad about themselves. This type of behavior usually comes when students compare themselves to other pre-meds - which in the end is completely pointless. It usually turns out that the students who you think are so much “better” are actually struggling with their own challenges and going through things behind closed doors. The trick to working through these feelings is to surround yourself with students who are successful - putting yourself in an environment will be good for your psyche and their positive and confident attitude may rub off on you. As a premed, I can remember “doing the most.” This caused a lot of damage further down the line and despite having advisors around, I simply was doing it wrong. I had too much on my plate. I was constantly trying to multi task and balance an overloaded schedule. I now know that the better way would have been to choose my priorities and schedule items more wisely and not allow individuals around me to influence the decisions I made for myself in a negative way. In the end, what it really came down to was having goals and celebrating accomplishments. And while every pre-med has their own story to tell and they work through the daily ups and downs of their journey, “if there’s a will, there’s a way.”

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*As explained by an instructor

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istockphoto/ Jacob Ammentorp Lund

5 Most Common MCAT Mistakes

istockphoto/ bach005

“Las Vegas is a great place to take your MCAT.” This unusual tidbit was the first of many surprises when we sat down for an interview with MCAT instructor Levonti Ohanisian. In addition to scoring well himself, Levonti serves as an MCAT teacher at UCSD Extension. While he teaches all subjects, some of his best advice is how to approach the test as a whole.“I’m serious,” he said. “I ended up taking my test in Vegas because I had to change my date. But it actually turned out great because there were so many distractions the day before. I was just walking around, putting a little money on roulette. I wasn’t really thinking about the MCAT.” Levonti claims that having the right mental and emotional disposition is crucial for success on the MCAT. MISTAKE #1: FAILING TO PREPARE FOR THE MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL TOLL THE MCAT TAKES ON YOU “The biggest MCAT mistake is the inability to handle the emotional roller coaster,” he said. “You think you’re getting better, you’re scoring higher, and then bam you get a lower score [on a practice test]. And all of a sudden, it creeps into your head that you’re not going to do well.” So how did Levonti achieve the right balance and perspective while studying for such a stressful test? Through small, frequent acts of maintenance that rejuvenated both his mind and body. “It’s a marathon,” he added. “You must train yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Everyone needs a social life and time to exercise. I personally couldn’t sit around and read for three hours at a time… I just had to move. As soon as I felt myself losing focus or dozing off, I’d walk around and get the blood flowing.” So it’s good to avoid the all-too-common “MCAT cave” approach, where you hunker down and completely isolate yourself from society like a reclusive hermit. But how do you create the time in your life to prepare for the roller coaster? “Most people are working a job or going to school while studying for the MCAT,” he explained, “so their work takes the place of socializing and exercising. To really be successful, it’s ideal for you to take three or four months off from all other work. It doesn’t always sound possible to people, but it’s the hard truth.”

MISTAKE #2: TRYING TO PREPARE IN UNDER FOUR MONTHS Many students take a two-month prep class and hope for the best, but most students need more time. Levonti didn’t budge in his recommended studying time of four months. Rather than being unrealistic, Levonti sees it as good preparation for a student’s future: “Part of what the MCAT tests for is–can you fully commit yourself to studying for months at a time? Because that’s what you’re going to be doing in med school.” He elaborated on the importance of having such a large window of time, as a way to avoid the common approach of cramming a week or two before. “I needed the four months to let my knowledge build,” he admitted. “I started by only studying content, then a mix of practice and content, then eventually all practice. I had to reread chapters three times and create my own annotations. I spread all my practice tests two weeks apart. With this kind of test prep, you often move forward, only to take a small step back.” It’s foolhardy to think you can attain a comprehensive, integrated view of science and the human body in only a few weeks, so plan ahead and give yourself as much time as possible, ideally between four and six months. MISTAKE #3: WORKING HARD BUT NOT WORKING SMART Many pre-meds dutifully sit down to study, but they spend their time poorly – making note cards, memorizing irrelevant details, studying the same things over and over again. Levonti advises students to be efficient with their studying habits. “I found that an hour of intense studying was better than three hours of lax studying,” he said. “It’s no longer an achievement test (how much do you know), but rather a reasoning test of your critical thinking and ability to synthesize information.” The goal is to avoid rote memorization and strive for conceptual thinking that draws parallels and makes connections: “When concepts are tested in isolation,” he added, “they’re just knowledge. But in context, you must have the ability to integrate and put things together, which is how modern medicine is practiced.” Toward the end of your studying, you should be able to take out

a blank sheet of paper and teach each broad MCAT topic to a friend, along with how the different topics connect. To teach the material, you are forced to focus on the big picture, which is the most important skill for bumping your score. MISTAKE #4: FAILING TO KNOW THYSELF “Another huge mistake is taking the advice of too many different advisors. Everyone has an opinion, myself included, but you have to figure out what works best for you and throw out the rest. I didn’t take the [practice] test right in the beginning (as recommended) because I knew it would demoralize me. You need to trust the strategies that have worked for you in the past.” Levonti knows this is easier said than done. Since the competition is high, pre-meds want a prescribed method that’s guaranteed to work, but he believes the study method needs to match the individual’s personality and skill set.“It’s tempting to compare yourself to others,” he said, “but you can’t let that distract you. Focus on the gaps in your knowledge. Target your weaknesses and mistakes. You’ve gone through several years of college and should know what it takes for you to succeed at a high level.” MISTAKE #5: HAVING NO LIFE In general, Levonti urges students to avoid becoming the pre-med stereotype–someone who spends all day studying, face down in a book, never engaging with the world outside the lab or classroom. A good rule of thumb is to give yourself one night each week to hang out with friends. It will help keep you sane and will remind you that there’s a world outside of the MCAT. Having a life, though, isn’t just for the MCAT. It’s for making yourself a better doctor. Here’s Levonti: “There’s a reason the test is more integrative than ever before,” he said. “Right now med schools are getting too many nerds, if I have to put it colloquially. They want more well-rounded people. Seventy percent of medical mistakes are due to lack of proper communication. That’s why interprofessional education is big right now. Med schools are looking for people with confidence, but also humility, who can engage with all types of patients and colleagues.”

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HOW TO MAKE YOUR SECOND YEAR AS SUCCESSFUL AS YOUR FIRST around. See the dark side of things. While I’m naturally a person who thinks positive, in the midst of my sophomore year, that wasn’t necessarily the best thing. An optimist outlook can also give a false sense of success, but if you don’t amidst to yourself that getting into medical school is quite competitive, you may not have the same motivation to succeed. Doing well during freshman year certainly does not mean you will perform as well the next year. There are plenty of students who can share stories about how well they did during their freshman year and how drastically different the following year was for them, that is in a bad way, of course. The lesson in this is that, while not to be pessimistic, the competition is tough and nothing is guaranteed. As backwards as it may seem, when you expect the worst, you may actually be able to better prepare to step up and succeed when the going gets tough. Put your best foot forward. Getting into medical school will take a lot of preparation: academically, personally, and financially. Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t rush the decisions you make and stop and before taking the next step think with greater attention than you did when you were a freshman. Make sure that what you’re doing during the second year is what you’re supposed to be doing. Take the time out now and you’ll be thankful later for giving such careful thought.

28 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

istockphoto/ m-imagephotography

For all of your sophomores out there - congratulations! You have been successful at something many premeds don’t do - making it to the second year of college as a pre-med. Now what? The so-called sophomore slump is quite a common thing in college. Even students who were stellar students during their freshman year fall on their faces when year two comes along, usually because they’ve failed to give this second year the same attention as the first. It’s a mindset that can be detrimental to the dream of getting into medical school. And , while there are many websites and books on how to get into medical school, a play-by-play guide for how to navigate the ups and downs you may personally doesn’t exists, as every pre-med is different. If you’re struggling, try these tips to turn things around. Be open to learning from others. When I started my first year of college, I was open to hearing whatever advice I was being given, constantly trying to learn everything about what it takes to become a doctor. My unknowingness felt like a weakness at the time, but now I understand that it actually forced me to ask questions and motivated me to do the best I could do. Once you’re in your sophomore year, tap into that same energy of being eager to take in knowledge during this second year of college. My weakness during sophomore year was not caring enough to educate myself about the options I had. It was only when I was able to realize that I did not know as much as I thought I did that my performance began to turn

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5 WAYS TO OVERCOME PRE-MED BURNOUT

Practicing medicine is a meaningful and rewarding experience that leads many pre-medical students to life-long satisfaction in their career choice. You get to help patients, work among teams to make impactful decisions, and become one of the people who can truly say they are making a difference in the world - but these benefits do not come without a downside. Being a pre-med demands hard-work, commitment, and dedication, and although you may go through the process having a positive attitude and those around to encourage you, the constant demands and stresses of becoming a doctor may begin become a lot to handle. Unfortunately, the truth is that burnout is quite common about the pre-medical students. After years of working hard, studying hard, volunteering

hard, and so on and so forth - it is only human of you to begin feeling tired tired mentally, tired physically, tired academically, tired all over and in every aspect of your life. But if you’re looking to either find your way around or manage feelings of being burnt out, and remain motivated to pursue a career in medicine, here are a few ways to keep on the right track: “ Life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.” - O. Henry One of the main things you’ll want to do is think deeply about the expectations that you set for yourself. The first thing that usually comes to mind when one things about burnout is a feeling of being fatigued. You feel just plain ol’ tired

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and come to a place in your thinking where you’re questioning everything that you’re doing. These are the kinds of thoughts the begin to flood your mind when you are working your tail off - studying for hours, completing assignments, striving to do the best you can as a pre-med student - and things are just not adding up, and you’re not seeing the seeing the results you want. And, while there’s no problem with setting the bar high for yourself, feeling fatigue may very well be the by-product of being unrealistic about what is humanly possible for you personally. For example, if you tell yourself that you’re going to take 16 credits, while also volunteering at the hospital, and holding down a part-time job on the weekends (when a less filled schedule is more reasonable), chances are that you will burn yourself out trying to manage such a packed schedule. If you tell yourself you’ll study for the MCAt for 4 hours (when a maximum of around 2-3 hours is more realistic), you may feel tapped out when you do not reach this lofty goal despite how hard you’ve worked. The best thing to do in this department is begin to set goals and expectations for yourself that are realistically obtainable. And this is not to say do away with all of the high standards and goals you’ve already set with pursuing a career in medicine, but it is to say that in order to have the stamina to make it through the process and still have a love for medicine and desire to become a physician, try not to go to the extreme. “Information overload (on all levels) is exactly why you need an “ignore list.” It has never been more important to be able to say “No.” - Mani Sivasubramanian Yes, that’s right, go ahead and say no to yourself - protect yourself from yourself. Being a pre-medical student

is not only an academic choice but also a lifestyle choice. For a lot of students pursuing careers in medicine, your premed “responsibilities” will often take time away from your personal life. The key here is to establish boundaries. What those boundaries look and feel like is completely up to you and will be unique to you and your situation. It might mean taking a break after a long study session, or only studying for a block of time on the weekend. Whatever you decide to do here and wherever your draw the line between your personal and “premed life,” stick to them no matter what - it will be all worth it in the end. “I want to caution you against the idea that balance has to be a routine that looks the same week in and week out.” - Kevin Thoman Like with anything else in your life, burnout can begin to emerge when you find yourself doing the same thing over and over. For the most part, pre-medical students are juggling many things and have involved with a number of different activities, that a routine that is constant is not a bad thing - but unfortunately, doing the same thing week to week, or even day to day, can have its setbacks. The good news is - you’re in a college or university setting and there are probably a ton of options to do something different. If you find yourself hating to study by yourself, try finding someone to join you. If you’re always studying in the library, trying taking your books outside or studying in a place that seems conducive to studying that you’ve never tried before. “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ’Til your good is better and your better is best.” - St. Jerome When you begin to feel burnt out, it can be very easy to forgot why you’re doing what you’re doing. Become

a doctor - what were you thinking, right? But if you can reach down deep and remind yourself of the reasons why you’re pursuing medicine, you may be able to get the strength you need to make it through the tough times that you will most likely face on your way to becoming a doctor. For example, if you’re pursuing medicine because you enjoy helping people, find opportunities to volunteer your time and lend a helping hand for a community service activity. If you’re pursuing medicine because you were inspired by someone you know, reach out to this person and see if you could find a time to get together to chat. “Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw fro us.” - Maya Angelou If you’re a pre-medical student, taking a break is probably far from your thoughts. But actually, is might actually be the best way to avoid burnout. Take a break for goodness sake. it is because you are so committed to becoming a doctor, or so dedicated to your need to serve, you get consumed by the idea that forces you to believe that you must be studying or doing something “premed” 24/7. Take time to do nothing. Take some time to visit with friends and family. If you skip this advice, and don’t take a break from your pre-med life, then burnout is most likely in your future, in some form or another. If you can think seriously about putting some of these strategies into action, you should be able to miss the burnout train - or at least the worst and most extreme form of it. Many pre-medical students face consistent ups and downs, but successful premeds will overcome difficulties and come out celebrating their achievements.

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THE GOODS

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Judge Me - Big Magnet Text and picture say it all!

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Be Bold or Italic Zipper Pouch

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32 | PreMedLife Magazine | September/October 2016

You’re Better Than The Best Gum

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Let’s Do This Pen-to-Paper Mousepad

Feeling a little overwhelmed by all of this adulting? Surround yourself with cheerful motivation with our perky and determined Let’s Do This Pen-to-Paper Mousepad! It’s about to positively infuse your to do lists with unmatchable energy and clever, yet cheeky, organizational skills.

September/October 2016 | PreMedLife Magazine |33

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LAST WORDS By Emma Wilkinson

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, ASK KHAN ACADEMY

According to their website, “Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom.” Khan Academy offers step-by-step instruction, mostly hand-done by creator Sal Khan himself, regarding anything from business to calculus to organic chemistry. Sal has three degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, so this guy has a lot of knowledge he’s willing to share. As students, we all learn at different paces. There are going to be topics that we excel at and get right away; and then there are going to be topics that we need to spend more time on. Unfortunately, college courses are not as individualized as Khan Academy, and therefore, do not have the time to make sure all students understand the material before moving onto the next topic. Hence, the majority of the time, a students’ resources outside of the classroom can be limited to asking the teacher for help, or consulting the Internet. While there are a multitude of websites that can give you answers to textbook problems, what Khan Academy does better than most websites is that it not only offers solutions for the most difficult problems from the most difficult subject matters, but also offers the reasoning behind the solution and the individual steps to take to reach that solution. This type of reasoning leads to solidified critical thinking skills that will not only help in courses, but will help prepare for the MCAT and for a future as a doctor. For pre-meds, knowing the right answer is a task in itself, but knowing how to get there is equally as difficult. In consulting Khan Academy, by taking the five minutes to sit down and watching a video about a subject that you’re struggling with, you can work at your own pace to reason through the problem with the guidance of the person on the screen instead of just giving up and looking up the answer on your own. p

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As pre-meds, I can guarantee that at some point in your undergraduate career, you’ve reached out to Khan Academy. Last attempt on a pH problem for your Mastering Chemistry homework? Ask Khan Academy. Yahoo Answers doesn’t have the solution for the correlation between the wavelength and frequency of a wave? Ask Khan Academy.

MACHINES DO NOT LISTEN.

I DO.

Before you talk to a doctor, choose one trained to listen. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine practice their distinct philosophy in every medical specialty. A DO is trained to first consider the person within the patient.

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