I told you so!!!!!

It's funny. I was thinking a lot today about the things I wish I had known the first time around applying to medical school and taking the pre-reqs, except most of the things I came up with I did know at the time but was too lazy or stubborn to follow the advice of some other person writing about what they wish they would have known..... and so the cycle repeats. So here is what I kind of already knew but wish I had known:

1) It's much better to take your time and do well than to rush and do poorly.

I think this applies to pretty much every freshman pre-med, post-bac, and person who decided half way through college they wanted to be a doctor. For me, this applied less to courses, and more to my extra curricular activities. I was so focused on having an amazing resume, that I didn't leave time for the studying, and ended up crazy and with less than a 4.0. For freshman, bio and chem together are HARD, even after you have been in college for a while. I don't know what nut job thought it would be a good idea to make a bunch of 18 year olds who are living in a new place, adjusting to washing their own clothes, discovering the joys of fake IDs and no curfews, and have no nagging parent for the first time ever take two classes that can essentially decide their fate in the medical school application process in three or more years. Chill out freshmen! Drink beer, sleep in on a tuesday, and learn that febreeze does not equal clean laundry before you put this burden on yourselves! Post-bacs, school is an adjustment. If you haven't been in school for a while, it doesn't hurt to ease back in with a math class or something before diving in head first with no arm floaties after not having seen water for years.

2) Use your MCAT books to study for your pre-reqs.

Many people get into their pre-req classes and get super confused about something at some point. The MCAT prep books are nice because they break things down and simplify them. I cannot tell you how many times, while studying for the MCAT, I thought to myself, "oooohhhhhhhhh that's what they meant!!! Well why didn't someone just say so!." Looking at the simplified content in the MCAT book then learning the more complex information in the text book would have made my life so so so much easier. Also, looking at MCAT questions while you are taking the courses gets you ahead of the game with your MCAT prep.

3) Do not take the MCAT unless you are ready to take the MCAT

I actually did follow this advice last year and am glad I did. As I got closer to the test date I paid AAMC $70 to move the date one month back, worth every penny. This year I thought ahead and didn't register until after I had mentally pushed back my date. Trust me, you most likely will not stick to your study plan and you should secretly plan at least two weeks of flex time (sort of like when you set your alarm clock to be five minutes fast so that when you wake up dazed and confused, you trick yourself into getting up ten minutes earlier).

4) Studying for the MCAT is like training for a marathon (I think, I've never actually trained for a marathon, but from what I understand about training for marathons, the MCAT is like training for a marathon) you mustn't peak too early

This is EXACTLY what happened last year. I peaked too early then watched my scores slip in my practice tests. The last two practice exams I took actually predicted my score perfectly, I just wish I could have hung with the scores 2-4 tests prior. I think what happens is you lose steam and focus. This is just a theory, but it makes total sense. I'll let you know what happens this time around.

5) Don't waste your money on Kaplan

Kaplan is great if you have absolutely no discipline, but if you have no self discipline, maybe medical school isn't the wisest choice. The forums on sites like student doctor network and mom md have great information. Use them. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a course, spend 500 on several different books, test them out, and find a book that works with your learning style. I personally, like ExamKrackers. Focus more on the content and your basic test taking skills and less on the super strategies that the prep companies sell. Strategy is good, but not if it is so complicated, you have to spend extra time learning the strategy.

6) You have enough time to exercise. The half hour once a day won't kill you.

This is super super important. If you need to save time, save it in ways like not watching as much tv, going home an hour earlier than you normally would from a party, not drinking too much at parties so you don't lose a day to a hangover, ordering food, studying on the train..... Exercise is not the area to cut. First, you don't want to be one of those people who gets fat during their MCAT prep (and then can't fit into your post-college graduation suit when you have your first med school interview then almost cry when you are at JCrew and can't figure out if the skirt the next size up fits you properly...). Also, the MCAT is 5+ hours long. It takes a certain amount of body strength to not fall over after sitting in a hard chair for many many hours.

7) Turn your AMCAS in JUNE FIRST!!!!

Most medical schools have some form of rolling admission, so you want them to see your application first. Enough said.

8) Treat your time completing your secondary applications the same way you treat studying: with high high priority.

If you are on family vacation, pretend like the MCAT or a big final is in one week (Yes, the beach is nice but you'll be back. Cape Cod is ideal for this practice. Remember, you're better off inside than on the bay side. The water is too cold and there are no waves. Really, you are saving yourself great disappointment by staying indoors and slaving away on your computer. Use your sacrifice to guilt your fellow travelers into bringing you lobster, and drink heavily in the evenings. Hangovers may prevent you from retaining information while studying, but they don't prevent you from laying on the couch and writing awkward essays over and over again. In fact, a hangover might be further motivation to stay indoors as the sun will make you feel like a vampire, not the sexy kind that sparkles, but the kind that feels like a knife in being jammed into his eye when the sun comes out.). If you are on vacation some place super awesome, too bad, you should still work on those secondaries. Remember statement 7.

8) Never give up hope

Just when you think you are doomed to failure, you may be surprised. Don't stop sending update letters, and making sure your application is complete just because you haven't heard anything. You never know. I almost peed my pants when I saw my interview invite in January. Clearly, surprises are no good, especially when your apartment (and a change of clothes)is 45 minutes away by subway. Always be a hoping.

9) Have a backup plan

Not everyone gets in their first time and that's ok. Have a plan for what you will do if you don't get in. If that is grad school, go ahead and apply (even if you've had a thousand med school interviews), if it's getting a job, start networking and honing your resume. You don't want to panic when May comes around and you have no idea what you are going to do with yourself for the next year. Have a backup plan that you love, then waiting another year for application success won't seem so bad, and if you do get into med school then who cares about that ole back up plan. Toss it!